Our Questions for the Earth Systems and Resources Unit

Earth's Atmosphere

• What is the composition of Earth's atmosphere?
• How was the atmosphere created?
• What are the different layers of the atmosphere and what do they do? 
• What mechanisms are in place to keep the Earth's climates relatively stable?
• How do humans affect the atmosphere?
• How can we combat the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
• How has the Earth's atmosphere changed over the course of Earth's history?
• How does UV penetrate cells and alter DNA?
• Can the hole in the ozone layer be repaired or restored?

The Earth Itself

• Is it possible to build a planet that can house more people?
• What happens when the Earth's magnetic field reverses itself?
• Why is the Earth's core still hot?
• How does the tilt of the Earth determine the weather?

Earth's Oceans

• How do ocean currents control air temperatures?
• How did water arrive or begin on Earth?
• Can the Earth run out of water?

Other

• What happened to Mars to make currently inhospitable to life?
• How do we think that life originated?
• How rare are Earth-like planets?
• What are the chances of another extinction event on Earth?

9/17/14

Tonight's homework is to prepare for the sustainability quiz tomorrow (see the previous post for assistance) and continue working on your sustainability PBAT due on Friday.

Sustainability Quiz Review

Topics to Know

·       Tragedy of the Commons

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

·       Environmentalism vs. ecology

·       Sustainability – definition, ways of measuring sustainability (using the 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.

9/16/14

Tonight's homework is to complete Assignment 5, by completing the reading of the Introduction of Rare Earth. Additionally, you should continue to work on your sustainability essays, due in class on Friday and prepare for Thursday's quiz on sustainability.

Assignment 5 - Life on Earth… and in Space?

Read the introduction from RareEarth and answer the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences on another piece of paper.

1. What credible evidence or logical arguments support at least the possibility that extraterrestrial life exists?

2. What is the Rare Earth hypothesis that Ward and Brownlee posit?

3. Which characteristics of Earth (and its surroundings) may have contributed to the evolution of complex life upon it?

9/15/14

Tonight's homework is to continue working on your Sustainability PBAT essay (due Friday). Also, there will be a quiz on sustainability on Thursday.

9/12/14

This weekend's homework is to begin working on the Sustainability PBAT. On Monday, we will be discussing the sustainability of humankind, so everyone is required to prepare and bring a written page with them (either notes based on readings or your draft of the PBAT at this point). This way all participants in the discussion will be better informed and we can have a more meaningful discussion.

In Class on Friday

Use the following links to start gaining perspective, evidence, etc. in order to form a claim about the sustainability of humanity.

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Material World

At Home over the weekend

Gather further evidence and come prepared to discuss the sustainability of humanity in class on Monday. Coming prepared means you have a page of notes, ideas, evidence, etc. that you can share with your classmates.

Your textbook is filled with case studies and background information. For example,

“Pandemics and World Population Growth” p. 60

“The Prophecy of Malthus” p. 68

4.7 “The Human Carrying Capacity of Earth” p. 73

4.8 “Can We Achieve Zero Population Growth?” p. 74-75

“National Energy Policy: From Coast-to-Coast Energy Crisis to Promoting Energy Independence” p. 287
“Peak Oil: Are We Ready for It?” p. 304 and p. 323

“The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010” p. 552

Further resources

- Sustainability Rating for 30 Countries
- Worldwatch Report 186: Creating Sustainable Prosperity in the United States
- TED.org - the Plants and/or End of Oil? playlists have selections that could be helpful/interesting

An Example of Reading Notes