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

9/11/14

Today's is to complete Assignment 4 (Parts A and B). You should review your notes for tomorrow's check-in.

Assignment 4A - Calculating Your Ecological Footprint

Using the information from Assignment 3, choose one of the following two links to determine your impact upon the environment.

Earth Day Network Footprint Calculator (a little easier, but might be wonky on your laptop and won't work on your phone)
Center for Sustainable Economy's Footprint Quiz (more detailed, but will work on your phone)

Assignment 4B - Reflecting On Your Ecological Footprint

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

1. Define ecological footprint.

2a. What is your ecological footprint?

2b. What is your reaction to your ecological footprint? How do you feel about it?

3. The average American consumes 30 times more resources than the average citizen of India. What is the value of being able to calculate your consumption of resources and see it evaluated in a relatively objective manner?

4. What is the connection between our ecological footprint and our discussions of sustainability?

9/10/14

Tonight's homework is to complete Assignment 3. See below. 

Assignment #3 Thinking About Sustainability and Our Own Lives

Answer each of the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences on another piece of paper.

On Sustainability

1. Which one or more of the four scientific principles of sustainability are involved in each of the following actions?

a. recycling a soda can

b. using a rake instead of a leaf blower

c. choosing to have no more than one child

d. walking to class instead of driving

e. taking your own reusable bags to the grocery store to carry things home in

f. volunteering in a prairie restoration project

g. lobbying elected officials to require that 20% of your country’s electricity be produced by renewable wind power by 2020

2. Read the following statements, choose the 5 that you find the most interesting, controversial, etc. and explain to what degree you agree with them and why you feel as such.

            a. Humans are superior to other forms of life.

            b. Humans are in charge of the earth.

            c. All economic growth is good.

            d. The value of other forms of life depends only on whether they are useful to us.

e. Because all forms of life eventually become extinct, we should not worry about whether our activities cause their premature extinction.

f. All forms of life have an inherent right to exist.

g. Nature has an almost unlimited storehouse of resources for human use.

h. Technology can solve our environmental problems.

i. I do not believe I have any obligation to future generations.

j. I do not believe I have any obligation to other forms of life.

Thinking About Our Own Lives

3. Gather and record as much of the following information as you can. This information will be used tomorrow to help you determine and calculate your impacts upon the Earth.

            a. Ask your parents/guardians how much your home’s electric bill usually is. Also ask if the electricity you purchase comes from renewable resources.

            b. Using the internet (ex. Google maps), determine the approximate distance of your commute to school and any job, internship, etc. that you frequently attend.

            c. Think back on any trips you have taken in the past year. Record where you went, how you got there (ex. car, bus, airplane), and research about how far away the place was.

            d. Record as many different foods that you have eaten in the last week as you can.

            e. Ask your parents/guardians how your apartment/house is heated (ex. oil, electricity, natural gas), how your water is heated, and how your stove works (provided there is one present).

            f. Investigate the cleaning products in your home to see if there are any that are non-toxic or biodegradable.

            g. Determine what you types of things your household recycles and how often. In addition, determine how often your household empties its garbage(s).

9/9/14

Tonight's homework is to read and take (no more than one page of) notes on p. 2 through 10 (Section 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3, Case Study, and The Closer Look) in Botkin and Keller. Bring the notes with you to class, but not the textbook.