9/24/13

Tonight's homework is to prepare for your quiz on sustainability tomorrow in class. We will take time to review and discuss any questions that you have. I will be back in class tomorrow. Justice has been meted out. Rejoice.

9/23/13

Soon we will begin to discuss the Earth, its systems, its resources, and especially why it can sustain life. To help prepare, please read Chapter 1 of Rare Earth, by Peter Ward and David Brownlee, starting on page 1 through 13.

Re: Sustainability PBAT

There have been some concerns regarding the Sustainability PBAT since many students did not finish. The plans for Monday are not confirmed yet, but you will given a significant portion of the period to complete the PBAT if not the entire period. Be prepared to continue working on it in class.

Further specifications will be forthcoming.

9/20/13

Sorry for being a phantom teacher this week. Unfortunately, I will likely be absent again at least on Monday and possibly Tuesday. Your responsibility this weekend is to begin preparing for Wednesday's quiz on sustainability. See below.

Assignment #6 Sustainability Quiz Review

Topics to Know

·       Environmental science – definition, problems that ES is concerned with, causes of those problems

·       Environmentalism vs. ecology

·       Sustainability – definition, ways of measuring sustainability (IPAT equation), 4 principles of sustainable environments/sustainability

·       Ecological footprint

Practice Questions

Answer all of the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences wherever possible.

1. Define sustainability.

2a. Suppose new technologies allow cars to become more efficient and produce half the amount of polluting emissions. Using the IPAT equation, which of the following is the most likely outcome?

A. The impact on sustainability will be doubled.

B. The impact on sustainability will increase.

C. The impact on sustainability will not change.

D. The impact on sustainability will decrease.

E. The impact on sustainability will be halved.

2b. Explain your answer to question 2a.

3. Define ecological footprint. Be specific.

4. Suppose the world’s population stopped growing today. Answer each of the following and support your answer.

a. What (if any) environmental problems might this help?

b. What (if any) environmental problems would remain?

c. What (if any) environmental problems might population stabilization make worse?

5. In regards to the principles of sustainability, to what does nutrient cycling refer?

6. Thinking about the principles of sustainability, identify three ways that individuals can live more sustainably. Support each method you develop (by explaining how the method will make you or groups of people or all of humanity).

7. Define and describe environmental science.

8. Contrast environmentalism and ecology.

9/17/13

Tonight's homework is to continue to prepare for Thursday's in-class essay by:

1. making sure that you read and took notes on at least two case studies related to energy resources
2. watching and taking notes on at least one TED talk from "Plantastic!" playlist
3. summarizing your notes for the day

Managing Population Size - Case Study: China by GCSE/BBC

Population and the Challenge of Chinese Growth from East Asia Forum

Overpopulation Is Not The Problem by Erle C. Ellis, NYTimes

As before, points to include for the assessment of each case study are as follows:

1. Summarize the case study. Include an identification of and description of the environmental problems in the case study, their causes, and the solutions/remediation efforts.

2. To which principle(s) of sustainability (reliance on solar energy, biodiversity, population control, and nutrient cycling) does this case study connect? Support your answer.

3. What lessons that can be learned and applied from the environmental transformation/changes in this case study?

4. Based on this case study, what is your view of the sustainability of the human race?

9/16/13

Tonight's homework is to continue to prepare for your upcoming PBAT about sustainability by:

1. making sure that you read and took notes on at least two case studies related to energy resources
2. watching and taking notes on at least one TED talk from "The End of Oil?" playlist
3. summarizing your notes for the day

Just in case:
The Gulf Oil Spill by the Smithsonian
Have We Reached Peak Oil? by How Stuff Works


The How, Why, and How Much of Oil from SciShow

As before, points to include for the assessment of each case study are as follows:

1. Summarize the case study. Include an identification of and description of the environmental problems in the case study, their causes, and the solutions/remediation efforts.

2. To which principle(s) of sustainability (reliance on solar energy, biodiversity, population control, and nutrient cycling) does this case study connect? Support your answer.

3. What lessons that can be learned and applied from the environmental transformation/changes shown/mentioned in this case study?

4. Based on this case study, what is your view of the sustainability of the human race?

9/13/13

Our unit introducing environmental science and sustainability is already beginning to draw to a close. We will spend next week thinking and writing about the sustainability of humankind evidenced by different case studies you will investigate inside and outside of class. These investigations will culminate in a PBAT in class on Thursday, followed by a discussion and quiz on Friday.

Assignment #5 - Beginning to Evaluate the Sustainability of Humankind

This weekend's homework is to read and evaluate at least three case studies from the options among the links below. The format for taking notes about the case studies is also found below.

"Black Sea in Crisis"
"Ozone Hole Continues to Grow"
"Beepocalypse" from Time Magazine
"The Three Gorges Dam"
"Saving An African Eden"
"Off-Shore Wind Power"
"India's Population Passes 1 Billion"
"Watershed Sustainable Development"

NOTE: If you find alternative cases/articles that you are interested in, then please email me a link by 12:00 pm on Sunday so I can approve it. TED.com has some excellent presentations/videos/talks if you search "environment" or "sustainability."

Points to include for the assessment of each case study:

1. Summarize the case study. Include an identification of and description of the environmental problems in the case study, their causes, and the solutions/remediation efforts.

2. To which principle(s) of sustainability (reliance on solar energy, biodiversity, population control, and nutrient cycling) does this case study connect? Support your answer.

3. What lessons that can be learned and applied from the environmental transformation in this case study?

4. Based on this case study, what is your view of the sustainability of the human race?