Environmental Science

Final Assessment

2012-01-06T08:24:00.001-08:00

Personal Change Project Reflection

2012-01-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

After you complete the presentation to the class, please answer the following questions here.

Lorax Reflection

2011-12-21T09:35:00.000-08:00

Throughout the video, you were presented with animated 'evidence' that you can use to answer the following questions.

What has happened to the biodiversity over the course of the video?

How does supply and demand affect the economics of this story?

What is the environmental impact on air, water, and land in the video?

What is the balance between need and want in this story?

Does this illustrate the Tragedy of the Commons, NIMBY, or both?

Why is the Lorax so unsuccessful at convincing people to change their economics? Is there something that could have been done differently?

Can you think of examples in Iowa that illustrate this event happening?

This 'fable' has been praised as having an environmental wake-up call, as well as being a 'gloom-and-doom' scenario of environmental disaster. Give three points that support each side of the argument.

Personal Change Project

2011-12-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

This world can benefit from some personal changes, and you are the one to tell us about it. This project will be done individually, and is due on the day your come back from break. It will be your goal to tell us, as a class, about a change that you believe benefits the world,and why you believe it matters. You must talk, include a digital artifact,and write a reflection after your presentation. This will take the place of a semester individual test.

Possible topics (yours must be approved individually by your teacher)

Bamboo as a building material
LED vs. incandescent lighting
European rail systems vs. US highways
Needs vs. Wants in a Society
Macromansions vs. Microhousing (400 sq ft or less)
Microloans for Women
Wind power in Iowa pros and cons
Grow/plan your own garden
Reducing a carbon footprint
Seedsavers repository
International Potato Center
Off-the-grid lifestyles
Meatless Mondays/Buy Fresh, Buy Local
Farming with minimal chemicals
Avoiding Banana Republics
Childbearing in an Overpopulated World
Eliminating Poverty Traps
Should Wolves and Mountain Lions be brought back to Iowa?
Carbon Sequestration
Superinsulation
Building Solar Houses in Iowa
Oglalla Aquifer worries
Extreme snowstorms: evidence of global warming?
Homemade vs. store-purchased shampoos, soaps, and detergents
How long should you keep a vehicle?
Should you replace your water-guzzling household items?
Recycled paper products: genuine change or consumer scam?
Can vertical integration of livestock be sustainable?
Adding swamps/marshes to our sewage systems
Choosing new appliances
Can regular maintenance of a car save fuel?
Can I build in a sustainable manner?

Energy Comparisons

2011-12-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

To find out about energy, you will need to gather the following artifacts:

http://www.getsolar.com/blog/active-solar-passive-solar/1554/
http://www.energysavers.gov/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/dam/basics.html
http://drake.marin.k12.ca.us/stuwork/rockwater/Upload%20this%20doc--dams%20and%20hydropower%20report/pros%20and%20cons.html
http://www.iowaenergy.org/
http://www.energy.iastate.edu/splash.html
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~lhodges/house.htm

a) a comparison of active solar vs. hydroelectric power

b) an explanation of the role of insulation in helping a passive solar system

c) three benefits of a passive solar system

d) an explanation of strip mining, open pit, and subsurface mining

e) a pro-con list of either geothermal, wind, or biomass energy

f) 5 ways to improve energy efficiency

g) your opinion on cars of the future

Klamoth Basin Crisis

2011-12-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

fresh water shortages
the purpose of a wildlife refuge
Native American rights
fishing rights, including harvest, spawning, and various methods of capture
hydroelectric dams and their purposes
community needs
agricultural irrigation needs

Grading will be done using the rubric below. Group size is a MAXIMUM of 2, individuals may work alone.

	8-10	5-7	2-4	0-1
Explanation of Rationale	Makes most of the stakeholders happy	Makes half of the stakeholders happy	Makes one or two stakeholders happy	No one is happy
Quality of Presentation	Well organized and easy to read	Somewhat organized and easy to read	Easy to read	No organization, poorly done
Supporting Evidence	Each allocation has a firm rationale	Some of the allocations have a rationale	Rationales are mostly missing	Arbitrary
Tie-ins to World Water Resources	Delineates fresh/salt water concerns, considers aquifers, pollution, and the water cycle, considers factors like grey water, reuse of water, and sanitation, provides for animal and human needs(be sure to distinguish between needs and wants)	Delineates freshwater concerns, considers aquifers, pollution, and the water cycle, considers factors like reuse of water and sanitation, provides for animal and human needs(be sure to distinguish between needs and wants)	Delineates freshwater concerns, considers aquifers, pollution, and the water cycle, considers sanitation, provides for human needs(be sure to distinguish between needs and wants)	Does not tie-in World Water Resources

Water Filtration System

2011-12-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Materials for Friday

Some of the materials you may need on Friday

Empty 2 liter pop bottle
Sand
Gravel
Screen
Charcoal
Fiberglass batting
Cotton
Filter papers
Empty 8-20 ounce plastic bottle with lid

Task: Clean and filter a sample and sanitize it using materials in the classroom.
Submit a sample to be compared against others in your classroom for color, pH, and microscopic composition.

Water Purification Methods and Poverty Traps

2011-12-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Complete the Quick Topic

Your goal: To create your own idea of what a poverty trap is.

To start, read http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=5032

In environmental science, we need to look at the world as a whole in terms of sustainability. If individuals matter, we need to look at natural capital, solutions, tradeoffs, degradation and still consider the fact that individuals matter.

How does water quality connect with the following image

To answer this question, we need to look at water treatment options

How does a desalination plant work?
Build your own chlorinator

Biosand Water Filters

Water Buffer Strips

Case Study Notes

Assignment for Friday (Due Monday)

2011-12-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Go to the Sinkhole Case Study and take a look. You should be able to answer the questions posed (no, you don't have to write them down....today)

Upcoming Air Pollution Quiz Friday.

2011-11-30T10:27:00.000-08:00

Review: Take a careful look at the Linoit, especially the pictures in pink.

Know the effects of El Nino and La Nina on weather in Iowa.

Understand the trace amounts of chemicals which can affect the carbon cycle.

Be able to define extreme weather.

Understand the mechanism ocean acidification as a problem.

Be able to explain who is most vulnerable to flooding.

Be able to discuss acid rain affecting others besides those creating it.

Your Carbon Footprint

2011-11-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

You sit down to a lovely dinner featuring Fareway protein (chicken from North Carolina or beef from Texas), Idaho potatoes, green grapes (from Chile), green beans frozen from the last farmer's market, and bread and butter from Kwik Star (shipped in from Wisconsin). What is the carbon footprint of this meal?

Well, first we need to figure out what a carbon footprint is. Wikipedia can help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint

You have 10 minutes to develop your logic.

Part 2: Watch the video

 Part 3:&nbsp;

Do you really think it matters that America eats food with a large carbon footprint? Remember, the KCRG guys said yesterday that we all change the environment, but that a large group of people change it more than a small group of people.
Would you be willing to can or freeze your food?
Would you be willing to avoid buying fresh fruit that traveled outside the bounds of the US?
Grocery prices are most affected by what factors: wages, packaging,or shipping costs?
Farmers markets have become popular with a slogan of "buy fresh, buy local". Do you shop at these? Why or why not?
Sometimes we can decrease our meal cost by substituting ONE item. Which would you pick in this meal?

Quick Topic on Extreme Weather

2011-11-23T09:50:00.001-08:00

Discuss Extreme Weather Questions

Sources and Sinks for CO2 and Methane

2011-11-22T11:30:00.000-08:00

Atmospheric science

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2_human.html

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/439.html

Carbon Sequestration

========
Carbon Dioxide Lab from Chapter 2

Data document

Monday, 11/21

2011-11-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

Please go to bgreentv and summarize 3 videos using the following QuickTopic space.

Include the following:

Name of Clip
Summary
Group Point of View (agree with what they are doing)

Discuss BGREENTV (air pollution)

Take Home Essay for Population Unit

2011-11-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

You must create a reflection that establishes your viewpoint about golden rice. Provided is a GMO (genetically-modified) rice case study

a) a preventative to the tragedy of the commons or

b) a tool that will cause the tragedy of the commons.

Your reflection must include the following:

evidence that supports your position, pro or con
application to one of the countries you studied on the population pyramid
your own position on common values society should share
your own position on sharing or trading resources in the world
your own position on the best form of politics to avoid the tragedy of the commons

This reflection is your unit 2 test. The format is up to you.

30 points

Explanation of thesis, pro or con (5 points)

Application to one of the countries studied (5 points)

Your explanation of our moral obligation to all seven billion people on this planet in terms of food (5 points)

Your explanation of how much charity vs. trade we should provide or expect on this planet (5 points)

Your explanation of how politics could help or hinder such an effort. (5 points)
Quality (5 points)

Avoiding the Tragedy of the Commons with Your Own Population Plan

2011-11-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Today, you will pick a partner and you will work together. You need to pick a country from North America, South America, Africa, and Asia.

Write your country names on the board under your groups. Once you pick a country, no one else can have it. NO ONE MAY PICK THE US, INDIA, OR CHINA.

Enter the basic data you find at the Information Please Almanac or the CIA Factbook at this shared data sheet

Eight pillars for population stability (from your book)

family planning
health care
national population rules
improve the lives of women
educate the population
help men become better parents and should responsibility for birth control
stop consuming so many resources

Now, using the data gathered yesterday and the eight pillars of controlling population, think about the four countries you have. These four countries will need to have the same decisions made for each of them, and they may need to transfer resources or people from one country to another.

How will you:

make certain that there is access to clean water
everyone gets fed adequately
there are enough workers to take care of the old
there are enough workers that are skilled in the jobs available in society
raise the longevity expectation
lower the infant mortality
make sure people are motivated to work
keep political stability
allow the resources to be used
keep the religious groups and community values intact
the populations of the four regions stay stable

You must create at least 3 artifacts and a presentation for others in the class. This is due tomorrow at the end of class. (artifacts include diagrams, a list of legislative rules, color-coded charts, etc.)

Age-Structure Diagrams

2011-11-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Population 1

Population 2

Chapter 5, Book

Explain why the 8 factors listed for population control are effective in a first world country, not as effective in a second world country, and least effective in a third world country.

Thursday, 11/10/11

2011-11-09T22:34:00.000-08:00

FIRST 20 MINUTES: Finish the video

SECOND 40 MINUTES: Read the case study on deer management.
Decide which of the role players in the scenario is the most reasonable, and detail why you believe this to be so. Pick an area of the country where deer are plentiful (no more than 1/4 of a state) , and then another where deer are not plentiful. Think about the biome that is represented by these two settings.

Use the 4 study questions found in the case study to help think about how you will manage deer herds in these two settings. (kill 'em, introduce tertiary predators, stop hunting, sterilize them, or a million other things.) Create a comparison poster or digital artifact that shows me your understanding of the deer's role as a consumer, the links it has to the food web, and how the tragedy of the commons can be dealt with.

LAST 20 MINUTES: Explain how aging the deer population can impact how we understand the dynamics of deer in a location by trying to understand the resources found here

Is the Tragedy of the Commons Avoidable.

2011-11-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

First 20 minutes

A later paper is in the front chalk tray; called "Revisiting the Tragedy of the Commons". Please read it. As you do so, we need to ask ourselves if the three observations, or assumptions, at the beginning of the chapter are true. If we could set these up, perhaps we could avoid a tragedy of the commons.

1) How likely is it that we can develop a series of judgments and values for the world that can be mutally agreed upon?

2) How do we communicate the judgments and values to the whole of humanity?

3) Who administers and corrects when the judgments and values are in disarray?

Think carefully about these statements. You'll be using the opinions and answers to these questions on Friday.

====

Second 30 minutes:
Games on the Tragedy of the Commons

Play one of the Single Person games on the tragedy of the commons (farming or whaling). When you get done, you will be having a discussion on Quick Topic

Discuss Tragedy of the Commons

DRINK Break
Last Chunk of Time

To the Textbook! Please watch at least 30 minutes of the Chapter 5 video, and answer the following questions:

As you watch the video, think about the following focus questions as a note-taking strategy.

1. What is the value of census information?
2. What kinds of problems do social demographers help solve?
3. Why focus on U.S. population dynamics in particular?
4. Why is there disagreement about the carrying capacity of the Earth?
5. What assumptions are used to determine sustainability?
6. How does an increasing global market influence sustainability of the planet?
7. How does technology relate to sustainability of the planet?
8. What is meant by market based solutions to sustainability?
9.What are the trends as a region moves from pre-industrial to industrial characteristics or from rural
dominated populations to urban concentration?

Is the Tragedy of the Commons Real?

2011-11-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

The Tragedy of the Commons

NIMBY

We'll need to read and understand these two above articles, and then apply the concept in the face of new developments needed to accommodate or make life convenient for growing populations.

Tragedy of the Commons

definition:

examples:

assumptions:

Is it inevitable?

===
NIMBY

def

How is it similar or different to Tragedy of the Commons?

========

Do these factors affecting population represent Tragedy or NIMBY concerns? Or is something else afoot? Explain your reasoning.

inadequate housing resulting in slums made of tin and cardboard
hunger affecting 1 of 7 people (in America, 15% of the population receives food benefits)
death rates due to malaria

What do you think of World Population?

2011-11-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

http://7billionactions.org/data

http://www.worldof7billion.org/wall_chart

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

Looking through these websites, you should be able to tell me

what the Millenium Developmental Goals are/whether they are realistic
the state of population in an underdeveloped country
reasons why populations has grown so much since the mid-1600s.

This can be a one-page summary, a poster, or a series of notecards.

Lab: Biomes Application

2011-11-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

You have Tuesday and Wednesday to divide and conquer. You will have access to this information on Thursday.

Biome interactive lab

===Case Study 1====

Coyotes in a Texas biome

Oysters in Cheasapeake Bay

====Case Study 2====
Geochemical Effects of the Dead Zone

Geochemical effects of Fish

Types of Biomes

2011-10-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Biomes Project Reflection

2011-10-27T23:28:00.000-07:00

Find three recent news articles that specifically impact your biome and read them. Examples of this could be an industrial project, a nutrient spill, an endangered species designation, or some other impact. A link must be provided for each article, as well as a short summary. This must be done individually and posted here

On Monday, your group must be ready to present your Linoit or Pinterest to the class. You will have a 3-5 minute presentation, so you should spent some time as a group figuring out how that will go.

Biomes Project

2011-10-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Using a team of 3-4, you will select one biome and develop the following as a linoit or pinterest project.

food web including producers and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree consumers
characteristics of min and max temperature, elevation, wetness and location on earth
interrelations of 4 biogeochemical cycles shown for one species and a human being.

Project must show or explain the pictures provided.

chapter 4 env sci

Chapter 2 Notes

2011-10-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

Once again, we turn to the textbook online in Chapter 4. Here, however, we are asking ourselves: What visuals matter and how are they connected. You must create at least one (or more) visual for each section, culminating in a large poster that details the basics of

biomes
energy flow
ecosystems
food webs
carbon cycle
water cycle
nitrogen cycle
population control

We will be discussion sections 1-5 tomorrow. Large group meeting at 2:30

Chapter 1: Evolutionary History

2011-10-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

Notes from Chapter 1

Our BACKCHANNEL

New Scientist essay

Stephen Jay Gould

Welcome to Environmental Science

2011-10-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Your textbook is online: The Habitable Planet

Today we are dividing and conquering the chapter by whiteboard.

Final Post in Environmental Science

2011-03-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

Throughout this class, we have talked about the 5 pillars of sustainability and how they affect decision-making in the environment. Today, you receive your FINAL assignment:

Pick one topic of your choice: energy use, ecosystems, economics, geochemical cycles, water quality, poverty, and agriculture. Now, pick a specific event within the topic.

Now, apply the pillars of sustainability to the topic. Create a product that you can share with other people in your class on Monday.

Grading Rubric.

Quality of product: 0-10 (yes, quality does matter)
Is each pillar of sustainability addressed? (0-10)
Is a specific topic addressed and talked about 0-5)
Is EVIDENCE provided for your point of view (0-5)

Personal Post on Energy

2011-03-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Based on your findings on the energy museum boxes, answer the following questions in a webcam interview or a 1 page paper. You may add to your museum box

References include prior knowledge, but you may benefit from the energy calculators found here
a) Is is possible to have a sustainable energy plan in the US? in the world?
b) What are you willing to do in your own home to minimize your energy usage. List at least 8 specific items.
c) Do energy star appliances help in this quest? Explain, referencing an energy star label
d) Given the choice, what type of energy would be most useful for heating in Iowa?
e) Iowa guidelines for energy include R20 for walls and R30-R45 for ceilings. Why is there a difference, and what does this mean for old house?
f) Can mining for oil and coal be done sustainably? Why or why not? Reference the five pillars in your answer. What implications does this have for your future?

Museum Boxes

2011-03-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

You will be creating a museum box that tells about energy sources and applications.

The box must contain the following artifacts:

a) a comparison of active solar vs. hydroelectric power

b) an explanation of the role of insulation in helping a passive solar system

c) three benefits of a passive solar system

d) an explanation of strip mining, open pit, and subsurface mining

e) a pro-con list of either geothermal, wind, or biomass energy

f) 5 ways to improve energy efficiency

g) your opinion on cars of the future

Accompanying your museum box must be a list of works cited, submitted by your group to marciarpowellATgmailDOTcom

Garden Reflection or Mind Map

2011-03-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

So you have planned your garden, planted the seeds, and got ready to reap the harvest.
Then, the bugs came. The rains fell, or didn't. The soil varied depending on the location of your garden.

How would an unchecked population explosion affect your species diversity?

Rank each of your plants as needing a lot, a moderate, or a little water. To do this, think of the final product. Really juicy fruits or veggies need much more water than fibrous or grassy counterparts.

Would you prefer an organic or non-organic means to control your bug or weed population? Explain why.

Based on the size of the garden you planted (remember, you had a 60 x 80 foot area available), what strategies would use for weed control?

How much food do you anticipate raising? Estimate the number of people it would feed.

Would preserving the food using canning or freezing or drying be an attractive choice for you and your family? Why or why not?
===========

In this unit, we talked about water, agriculture, and the atmosphere. How do the concept maps shown in the original handout affect your garden? For each of these categories, you must provide at least five specific connections to your garden.
===========

For each of the subcategories, there were misconceptions listed. A misconception is a common idea that is WRONG, but widely accepted. Examine the misconceptions in your handout. At least one misconception from each category can be connected to your garden. Explain how.

Watch the video clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQVll-MP3I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXmF_erEv1o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVyxMXHbTio&feature=related

Spring is in the Air, and the Gardens are coming

2011-03-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

To start with, you'll need to head over to PlanGarden and get an account. You and another person need to create a MEDIUM size or larger garden with a diversity that includes at least 15 species of vegetables and 5 types of herbs. You must effectively utilize the space in your garden, but also remember that aesthetics is a value that is appreciated in the environment.

CHOOSE TO SHARE YOUR GARDEN. Only 2 people per project.

Dimensions of the garden: 60 x 80 You must plant at least one 60 foot row of each and make a digital or scaled drawing.

Make a table of the species you are planting:

Species | Plant Spacing | Seeds or Plants?| # of Plants | Days to Harvest

Now, layout your garden. Use companion species as needed or desired.

==============

At this point, you need to see Mrs. Powell.

onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/images/b-1300-2.jpg">

*Crops impacted
*Organic
*Non-organic

So What Happened?

2011-02-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

SHOW YOUR NARRATIVE AND THE POSTER TO THE TEACHER BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THIS STEP

Use the following resources to determine what happened to the Klamath Basin by printing them out and highlighting them.

The Hydroelectric Settlement

The Restoration Agreement

Now, make a t-chart that contrasts YOUR decision with the decisions presented above. How close were you to the decisions made by the legal system? Why do you think there were differences?

=============

Take a look at crop & land use in Iowa by going here Based on the land use, what will this mean for water efforts in Eastern Iowa? Could something like the Klamforth Basin happen here? Explain your reasoning.

=============

Turn in your t-chart, your highlighted copies and your explanation.

The Klamoth Water Basin Crisis

2011-02-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

In this case study, students examine global water shortage problems in the context of the current Klamath Basin water crisis. Two main perspectives are addressed, agriculture and the environment, along with multiple other perspectives including Native Americans, hydroelectric dams, and the fishing industry. Students learn about and discuss competing interests for water and analyze and critique scientific data, maps, and graphs.

Important Note: Native Americans are considered sovereign citizens of BOTH their own tribe and the United States. So, negotiating with Native Americans means that they have the same rights and respect due to them (according to the Federal Code), as negotiating with a country like Great Britain or Saudi Arabia.

The Case to Consider

Power point overview

YOUR TASK Come up with a compromise that you feel deals with all the issues in a fair and equitable manner. Detail this viewpoint using a poster, and an accompanying narrative. Your poster must include a pie chart that divides the water available.

You must deal with:

fresh water shortages
the purpose of a wildlife refuge
Native American rights
fishing rights, including harvest, spawning, and various methods of capture
hydroelectric dams and their purposes
community needs
agricultural irrigation needs

Grading:

Poster: 20 points....10 points comes from visual appeal, 10 points comes from content, including the rationale for your decision and your water distribution pie chart.

Narrative 30 points... This is one page. It must include 7-9 reasons for your decision and who benefits and who loses for EACH decision.

Group size MUST be 2 or 3 people.

Guided Reading: Water, Soil, and Agriculture

2011-02-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Today, you will be focusing on self-guided notes:

Chapter 8: Section 3-8

Focus on the Key Concepts found in these sections, and be ready to discuss your understanding of the terms.

Chapter 7: Section 1-5

Focus on the relationships detailed in the Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Sulfur Cycles as you read this.

**For each section, you should be writing 1-4 sentences, or creating a graphic that lists pertinent information. I will ask to see these materials tomorrow FOR EACH PERSON. These must be generated by hand, not copied and pasted.**

Take Home TEST (40 pts)

2011-02-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

This activity is a one to two page paper, emailed to marciarpowellATgmailDOTcom by Wednesday, 2/23. Margins must be one inch, double-spaced, with a 10 or 12 point font.

You must also turn in the two highlighted articles that we used on Wednesday through Friday, 2/16-2/18

Based on the five pillars of sustainability, is there a way to grow bananas that is a social good (that is, it has limited toxicity, positive economic benefits, and avoids poverty traps)? You may structure the banana farm any way you wish--as a coop, a banana republic, a subsistence locale, or a small business with less than 20 workers.

Your answer should demonstrate a knowledge of the terms found in this unit. You opinion should be clear. Evidence from the articles on bananas should be quoted in " " One or two graphics to show me complicated concepts may be used.

GRADING RUBRIC

Opinion (0 to 8 points) Your opinion that bananas may or may not be grown sustainably is supported with at least three pieces of evidence from the reading.

Social Good (0 to 6 points) Whether growing bananas can be termed a social good or not will be considered, based on evidence presented.

Toxicity and Business Structure (0 to 6 points) What type of business structure is best for the worker, and how does that affect the toxicity to which the worker is exposed?

Economic Understanding (0 to 8 points) Each economic term used correctly will be considered for 1 point, to a maximum of 8 points.

Sustainability (0 to 6 points) Each pillar of sustainability identified will be considered for 2 points, to a maximum of six points.

Grammar (0 to 6 points) Grammatical structure, including an introduction, a conclusion, and complete sentences will be considered for a maximum of six points.

Toxicity Factors

2011-02-16T01:04:00.000-08:00

Imagine you are detasseling and a toxic cloud is dumped upon you by a crop-duster who didn't realize you were there. Or you get sprayed by Roundup because the wind is variable and you are doing spray work on an open tractor in the field? What's an acceptable level of chemical risk? That's the question that you need to consider as we do the activity on Wednesday. Here are the concerns:

Human health and toxicity

· acute effects: symptoms that appear within 24 hours
· chronic effects: long-lasting symptoms as a result of exposure
· epidemiology: how diseases are controlled and transmitted from one individual to another
· transmissible disease: something that is contagious
· risk analysis: process of defining and identifying potential problems
· risk assessment: a step in risk management that tries to figure the probability of an event happening and the resulting
· risk management: the entire process of assessment and analysis

We will be studying the case of Ecotourism found here and here

Water Purification

2011-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

You will be given a sample of water that needs purified for drinking on Tuesday. This water must be cleaned using at least a 5 step process, and then presented to me in a clean pop bottle that is 20 oz in size.

You must bring your own materials for filtering....they will not be supplied, but are easily available at Walmart or other locations in Manchester.
==Create a poster that explains your process.

List at least 3 resources.

Groups are individual or groups of TWO. Did you notice the size? TWO.

==Questions to think about:

1. How long per day would people need to devote to purification? How would this compare to your own life?
2. When should mechanical straining be done? Why?
3. After adding iodine or chlorine products, the water should stand for at least 30 minutes before drinking. Why?
4. What would the temperature of the water have on the effectiveness of the treatment in killing microorganisms?
5. In our own culture, we often desire infusions of plant matter (spices, teas, coffees). Why is this not the case for the water we were purifying?
6. Finally, do you think a treatment lagoon or septic system with a leach field, like those found here Iowa, will affect water quality in a positive, neutral, or negative way. Explain your reasoning.

You can do this!

Social Good---How Individuals can change the world

2011-02-11T11:24:00.000-08:00

Social Good is when people do something to help other people solve their OWN problems. So, rather than giving people bottled water, you give them a pump so they can pump their own water, and you train someone in the community on how to fix the pump. Or you give someone a chlorinator, or teach them basic hygiene.

There are dozens of organizations devoted to producing clean water across the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEnlrE4iMBU&feature=related

http://www.hopethroughhealinghands.org/the-water-hope-campaign

http://hopewater.org.au/

http://www.waterhope.org/

http://ammanimman.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_water_purification

But social good is more than a local effort. It also involves influencing people with political or economic power. Dolphin-safe tuna boycotts or fur-protests can change society. How do you do that?

You need to pick an issue of global importance to a subsistence family in a specific country and determine HOW you can develop a movement on a global front. Problems may include food security, access to medicine, access to child vaccines, access to health care, education, increased shelter (not water).

How do you:

develop a plan?

develop a relationship with the people who need help?

answer critics?

Who is providing:

the equipment?

the repair?

the training?

How do you deal with:

limited technology

hostile government?

funding?

Finally, remember that these people are poor--not stupid. They want a hand up, not a hand-out.

Here is where you find your locale and your issue:
http://www.fao.org/economic/es-home/en/

Here are some links on HOW to do that in terms of technology, but what are some 'old-school' ways to do this (you know, for that older generation)
http://mashable.com/channel/channel-social-good/
http://blogs.sitepoint.com/2008/10/21/twitter-as-a-tool-for-social-change/
http://www.socialbrite.org/

Present a one-page individual report, with at least 3 resources.

The Banana Problem

2011-02-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Apply the concepts from the basic economics lab of yesterday to the issue of bananas in the supermarket. What does this mean? It means you will learn about banana production, and then use each one of the words in the blog post below and apply it to the cultivation, harvest, sale, distribution, or environmental programs associated with bananas. Here are 5 links to help you:

http://www.impactlab.net/2006/05/14/banana-problems-ahead/
http://www.globalissues.org/article/63/the-banana-trade-war
http://members.tripod.com/foro_emaus/p1ing.htm
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/no_bananas.shtml
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/nelsons/banana/

Basic Economics

2011-02-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

You are helping a young middle schooler understand the basics of economics through a series of hands-on examples while you babysit and fix him/her lunch. The materials you have available to you are a bag of mini-mms (in individual packages), paper plates, glass plates, a four cup pan, 2 mugs, silverware, 100 poker chips, a television, six packages of Easy Mac, eight bottles of water, one can of pop, dish soap, a towel, a marker, and two apples, a head of lettuce, and three dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies. If you want, s/he may invite a friend to lunch. The water in the house is off and the microwave is broken (but the stove works).

Your story can take the form of a series of cartoons, a mind-map, drawings, or a creative story. No more than three people per group, please. You will present this understanding to the class on Wednesday.

How do you explain:

economic good
economic need
economic want
market demand
basic nutrition
malnutrition
clean water
hunger
scarce resources
economic resource
factor of production
GDP (gross domestic product),
non-renewable resource
internal costs
external benefits
external costs
cost benefit analysis
pollution
recycling
social good
unemployment
employment

Sites to use to find the answer

http://www.mcwdn.org/ECONOMICS/EconMain.html

http://www.strom.clemson.edu/becker/prtm320/economics_primer.html

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/economics-for-dummies-cheat-sheet-uk-edition.html

http://www.primarygames.com/socstudies/lemonade/start.htm

The Poverty Trap

2011-02-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

Your goal: To create your own idea of what a poverty trap is.

To start, read http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=5032 Each one of these poverty traps needs to be converted into a visual flow chart. Here's an example of one:

Now, in environmental science, we need to look at the world as a whole in terms of sustainability. If individuals matter, we need to look at natural capital, solutions, tradeoffs, degradation and still consider the fact that individuals matter. As such, we have to develop ways out of the poverty trap that are sustainable.

Use your pictures and see how they connect with this bigger picture of poverty by adding them on around this image (which is provided for you). You will need to take a careful look at this to see the picture.

Write an essay response (3-6 paragraphs) on ways to dismantle poverty traps and post to your wiggio drop box for your group.

Inertia, Persistence and Resilience

2011-02-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

(According to Wikipedia)

Resistance and inertia (persistence)

Resistance and inertia deal with a system's inherent response to some perturbation.

A perturbation is any externally imposed change in conditions, usually happening in a short time period. Resistance is a measure of how little the variable of interest changes in response to external pressures. Inertia (or persistence) implies that the living system is able to resist external fluctuations. In the context of changing ecosystems in post-glacial North America, E.C. Pielou remarked at the outset of her overview,

"It obviously takes considerable time for mature vegetation to become established on newly exposed ice scoured rocks or glacial till...it also takes considerable time for whole ecosystems to change, with their numerous interdependent plant species, the habitats these create, and the animals that live in the habitats. Therefore, climatically caused fluctuations in ecological communities are a damped, smoothed-out version of the climatic fluctuations that cause them."^[3]

[edit]Resilience, elasticity and amplitude

Resilience is the tendency of a system to return to a previous state after a perturbation. Elasticity and amplitude are measures of resilience. Elasticity is the speed with which a system returns. Amplitude is a measure of how far a system can be moved from the previous state and still return. Ecology borrows the idea of neighborhood stability and a domain of attraction from dynamical systems theory.

Case Study

Laws of Thermodynamics and it's relationship to population

2011-01-31T09:43:00.000-08:00

http://mindbites.com/lesson/3969-biology-bioenergetics-the-laws-of-thermodynamics

Birth Rate, Death Rate, and Fertililty Rate

Calculation

1) Globally: Crude BR= 22, crude DR = 9. r = ?

2) More Developed countries (MDCs) crude BR = 11, crude DR = 10. r = ?

3) LDCs: crude BR = 25 crude DR = 9. r = ?

4) Determine the population change in a country which begins a year with 1 million people, has 1675 births, 450 deaths, 325 immigrants, 150 emigrants: N(1) =

5) Globally, over past 100 years, which has dropped more dramatically? BR or DR? Give three reasons why.

Case Study 1

2011-01-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/2-lake_nyos_a.pdf

Read, and complete the questions at the end. Drop in the Wiggio.com drop box for the class

The Case for Optimism in the Face of Climate Change

2011-01-28T11:17:00.001-08:00

http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_brilliant_makes_the_case_for_optimism.html

Do you Believe in Global Warming

2011-01-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

PROS:

CONS:

PRODUCT:

CONNECTION TO OTHER GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

EFFECT ON THE OCEAn

Controlling a Biosphere Cycle

2011-01-26T11:27:00.001-08:00

Use the worksheet provided and the simulator to do the following activities provided here

Words to Understand for Tuesday

2011-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

As we take a look at these ideas of biomes and food webs, other vocabulary comes together. We need to look at this vocabulary in terms of the areas that we are studying.

For each of these, look at the link, and try to come up with a definition of your own. This WILL be handed in.

Law of tolerance

Range of tolerance

Energy flow

Limiting factor

Ecosystem

Terrestrial ecosystem

Aquatic ecosystem

Carrying Capacity

Niche

Movie Madness

2011-01-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ecosystems, Habitats, and Pieces

A Smaller Piece

BIOSPHERE CYCLES

Biomes in Depth

2011-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

Watch the video found here

OR

look at the site found here

OR

check out the information found on biomes in the previous post.

Compare a biome found in the continental US to a biome NOT found in the continental US. Make a poster or t-chart that lists similarities and differences in terms of temperature extremes (how hot and how cold), precipitation amounts, types of precipitation, and winds.

For each biome, find a relevant ecosystem and draw a food web with at least 12 pieces. You must include all components of an energy pyramid .

Based on this idea, what biome is richer in biodiversity? Why do you believe so? Can you suggest a calculation that estimates your point-of-view?

Energy Pyramids

2011-01-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

These two pyramids are similar, but different. What happens to the energy conversion rate as we move from a lower trophic level to an upper trophic level?

What implications does this have for an ecosystem if a disease hits a) the secondary consumer or b) one of the primary producers? Speak in terms of diversity, please.

Food Webs in Iowa

Unit 2 Text Book

2011-01-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=4&secNum=0

and

http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=9&secNum=0

Unit 2: Activity 1

2011-01-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

When a habitat is very diverse with a variety of different species, it is much healthier and more stable. One of the reasons for this is that disease doesn't spread as easily in a diverse community. If one species gets a disease, others of its kind are far enough away (due to the variety of other organisms) that disease is often stopped at the one or two individuals.

Based on this table, excerpted from http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/ATG/data/released/0534-KathyParis/index.php, What is diversity and how is it figured?

Cape Wind: The challenge

2011-01-13T11:19:00.003-08:00

Cape Wind is an offshore wind project that is proposed off of Nantucket Sound

It is also a NIMBY issues

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

http://www.capewindmovie.com/

http://www.saveoursound.org/

Pick a Person:

a) barista, making $20000/year

b) fisher, making $50000/year

c) homeowner, Wampanoag tribe member, and food stand operator, making $30,000/year

d) homeowner who uses the place as a second home

e) construction worker, making $70000/year

f) environmentalist, making $25000/year

g) energy executive, making $2,000,000/year

Pick a location

a) on the Sound

b) within 1/2 mile of the Sound

c) in an apartment

d) within 5 miles of the Sound

Pick a health issue

a) none

b) epilepsy

Pick an ethics viewpoint

a) sustainability for the world!

b) sustainability if it doesn't cost me money!

c) my way or the highway!

d) protect the animals!

Outline your profile on a sheet of paper. Each person in your group must have a different profile.

Do some research to come up with the rationale for why this might be a NIMBY project.

List 10 pros and 10 cons of the project.

Day 2

Have a discussion from the point of view of your profile. Use the pros and cons to discuss your ideas with another table.

Based on your profile, write a one page summary to explain your view for whether the project should go forward. These reasons for a pro or con choice must be supported by the evidence you gather (that is, does the evidence (not just the opinion) match your viewpoint. This is hard, because feelings don't sway a judicial decision--evidence does. Evidence usually takes the form of numerical data, financial impact, or the more nebulous 'cultural significance'

Each person will be individually graded. You may hand-write these or submit them in the drop box at wiggio.com

Cape Wind: The challenge

2011-01-13T11:19:00.001-08:00

NIMBY and AFFLUENZA

2011-01-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

How are NIMBY and AFFLUENZA related? How are they different?

Affluenza

The Response Crew (Caoimhin)

Affluenza

NIMBY and the local environment
Overcoming NIMBY
NIMBY and land development

Tragedy of the Commons vs. Sustainability in Population Growth

2011-01-07T12:13:00.001-08:00

Statements:
1. Because our population will soon be at seven billion people and continues to grow, we need to
expand land area available for living and growing food by cutting down the rain forest.
2. Without reducing rapid population growth, it will be impossible to solve the world’s global
challenges.
3. With seven billion people commuting from one place to another, drilling for more oil is necessary
to fuel more cars.
4. In order to feed our population, we must use pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and genetically modified crops to increase farm yields.
5. With new technologies used to gather fish, we must have international laws to ensure seafood is
harvested sustainably.
6. The Earth can support seven billion people now and will be able to support any number of human
in the future.
7. In an effort to feed a population of seven billion, people in developed countries should reduce the
amount of meat they consume.
8. Science and technology will ensure that food production and energy supplies keep up with the
demands of a growing population.
9. With human population at seven billion, we must protect endangered species habitats by not
developing on them for any reason.
10. There is nothing I can do to help alleviate population pressures.
11. Governments in countries with fast-growing populations should make laws to limit the number of
children that couples can have.
12. In a real crunch, jobs are more important than environmental quality.
13. With seven billion people on the planet, water pollution is inevitable and we should not waste
money trying to prevent it.
14. Even though I am only one person in seven billion, I still have a responsibility to keep the Earth
healthy; what I do makes a difference.
15. Automobile makers in this country should be required by law to make all their vehicles fuelefficient, even though the vehicles may become more expensive.
16. If China and India can each take care of over a billion people on relatively the same size land as the
U.S., then the U.S. should accept immigrants until it reaches a billion people as well.
17. All high schools should be prohibited from distributing contraceptives to students under the age
of 18.
18. Arable land should never be used for housing, businesses, or other non-agricultural uses because
we need all available farmable land to produce food.

Taken from Worldof7Billion.org

Tragedy of the Commons

2011-01-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

The tragedy of the commons is a dilemma arising from the situation in which multiple individuals, acting independently and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long-term interest for this to happen. (from Wikipedia)

Tragedy of the Commons

Personal Solutions

Tragedy Revisited

Unit 1 in stereo

2011-01-06T11:24:00.001-08:00

OK, not really, but this is a visual copy. Click here

Population Dynamics Data

2011-01-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/demographics/

Fill out the data table below by pasting it into an OPEN OFFICE document and using the link above. You must EMAIL the results to marciarpowellATgmailDOTcom Work in teams of 3 or less.

DEMOGRAPHICS DATA TABLE

LESSON 1

Lesson 1: Step 1
Country	Birthrate	Death Rate	Population Growth 2005	Population Growth 2050	Relative place in Transition	Social Factors 1	Social Factors 2	Social Factors 3
USA
China
Egypt
India
Italy
Mexico
Nigeria

Lesson 1: Step 2
Country	Shape of Pyramid: Prediction	Shape of Pyramid: Simulation
USA
China
Egypt
India
Italy
Mexico
Nigeria

Sustainability

2011-01-04T12:12:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/v/B5NiTN0chj0

Sustainability and Natural Capital

2011-01-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Imagine the State of Iowa is locked into place, with no resources able to flow out or in. How will Iowa look in 6 months? 10 years? 100 years?

Define your answer in terms of sustainability, population, and natural capital.

Environmental Science

Final Assessment

Personal Change Project Reflection

Lorax Reflection

Personal Change Project

Energy Comparisons

Klamoth Basin Crisis

Water Filtration System

Water Purification Methods and Poverty Traps

Assignment for Friday (Due Monday)

Upcoming Air Pollution Quiz Friday.

Your Carbon Footprint

Quick Topic on Extreme Weather

Sources and Sinks for CO2 and Methane

Monday, 11/21

Take Home Essay for Population Unit

Avoiding the Tragedy of the Commons with Your Own Population Plan

Age-Structure Diagrams

Thursday, 11/10/11

Is the Tragedy of the Commons Avoidable.

Is the Tragedy of the Commons Real?

What do you think of World Population?

Lab: Biomes Application

Types of Biomes

Biomes Project Reflection

Biomes Project

Chapter 2 Notes

Chapter 1: Evolutionary History

Welcome to Environmental Science

Final Post in Environmental Science

Personal Post on Energy

Museum Boxes

Garden Reflection or Mind Map

Spring is in the Air, and the Gardens are coming

So What Happened?

The Klamoth Water Basin Crisis

Guided Reading: Water, Soil, and Agriculture

Take Home TEST (40 pts)

Toxicity Factors

Water Purification

Social Good---How Individuals can change the world

The Banana Problem

Basic Economics

The Poverty Trap

Inertia, Persistence and Resilience

Resistance and inertia (persistence)

[edit]Resilience, elasticity and amplitude

Laws of Thermodynamics and it's relationship to population

Case Study 1

The Case for Optimism in the Face of Climate Change

Do you Believe in Global Warming

Controlling a Biosphere Cycle

Words to Understand for Tuesday

Movie Madness

Biomes in Depth

Energy Pyramids

Unit 2 Text Book

Unit 2: Activity 1

Cape Wind: The challenge

Cape Wind: The challenge

NIMBY and AFFLUENZA

Tragedy of the Commons vs. Sustainability in Population Growth

Tragedy of the Commons

Unit 1 in stereo

Other Population Links

Population Dynamics Data

Sustainability

Sustainability and Natural Capital