Environmental Science

Answers to quiz 1.1, in complete sentences.

1. Earth is compared to a spaceship because it is also a closed system. For the most part resources do not enter or leave the earth.

2. Energy from the sun is an example of a renewable resource. It can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes.

3. Mercury, lead and some plastics are examples of nondegradable resources. They can not be broken down by natural processes.

4. Biodegradable substances can be broken down by natural processes. Examples are: sewage, paper, wood, food.

5. Biodiversity is defined as the # and variety of species that live in an area.

6. Environmental science involves many fields of study so it is considered to be an interdisciplinary science.

7. Hunter-gatherer societies occurred prior (before) the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution.

8. Hunter-gatherer societies changed their environment by burning praries which prevented the growth of trees and by spreading plants/seeds to new areas.

9. During the agricultural revolution plants and animals were domesticated. This led to population growth.

10. The over hunting of large animals was not the direct result of the industrial revolution.

Chapter 1, section 1, outline

Assigned 8-14-08 due Monday 8-18-08

Outlining is an important skill to develop. The goal is to pick out the information that is most important and leave behind the fluff so that your final result is a condensed version of the original. The process of outlining is an important skill and the resulting outline is a good tool and study guide. When we have quizzes, they will often be open note so if you have a good outline the quizzes should be a breeze.

Directions: Outline chapter 1, section 1 (pages 5-8). First read the objectives and key terms (page 5). At a minimum, these should be explained in your outline. The outline should be a brief summary of the chapter. Read one paragraph at a time and then sum it up it a phrase or two. It is not necessary for the outline to be in complete sentences. A finished outline will probably be 1-2 pages if hand written or less than 1 page if typed.

After you finish your outline, re-read the objectives to see if your outline meets those objectives. Then read the section review and see if you can answer those questions in your head. You do not have to answer the on paper but you should be prepared to answer them if you see them on a quiz or a test.

An example of an outline of the first paragraph might be as follows:

Environment – everything around us, natural or man made, living and non-living, more than what we can see, made of complex relationship with all around us.

The outline of the second paragraph should contain a definition of environmental science but does not have to contain the details about Keen High School’s mussel research.

Week 35, Environmental Science, Mr. Vaught May 5^th – May 9^th , 2008

Objectives:

1. HFACEnvironmentalScience.blogspot.com

2. Finish chapter 21, economics, policy and the future

3. Finish lab report on natural antibiotics

4. Begin review for Final exam.

5. Extra credit: field guide and community garden and news articles.

6. Continue labs, Winogradsky column, look at water samples with microscopes

Monday: 05-12-08

Questions on lab reports

Handouts/homework:

Tuesday: 05-13-08

Exam chapter 21, take home, you may use notes and books

Turn in outline 21.3 and rough draft of lab report

Handout/Homework:

Wednesday: 05-14-08

Return rough draft of lab reports for final draft, due Friday

Review for final, chapters 8,9,10

Homework/handout:

Thursday: 05-15-08

Review chapters 11, 12

Handout/homework:

Friday: 05-16-08

Review chapters 13, 20, 21

Turn in final lab reports

Turn in journals, and chapter 21 take home exams.

Homework/Handout:

Environmental Journal Topics

051208 At what level of government do individual citizens have the most influence?

051308 Sketch two population pyramids, one for a developed country and one for a developing country.

051408 Give an example of a captive breeding program that was successful. How do they work and what are their limitations?

051508 Describe the 6 steps of drinking water treatment and why we do each step.

051608 Name 4 types of air pollution that may cause cancer.

Chapter 21.3 outline: Importance of Individuals

Table 4: early environmentalists – concerned about the environment

Henry David Thoreau – Walden Pond

John Muir – naturalist, explorer, founded Sierra Club

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt – conservation president, national forest, parks, monuments

Alice Hamilton – diseases caused by chemicals (like lead)

Rachael Carson – biologist, pesticides, Silent Spring

Paul Ehrlich – ecologist, The Population Bomb

Jane Goodall – primate behavior research, endangered species

Marion Stoddart – A river ran wild, Mass. river

Jacues Cousteau – French oceanographer, documentary films to promote env. awareness

Garrett Hardin -- “The Tragedy of the Commons”

1960s – Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring  congress passed the Wilderness Act  designated wilderness areas, allowed minimal impact activities like camping and hiking

1960s – disasters

Air pollution in NYC blamed for 300 deaths

Bald eagle becomes endangered through use of DDT

Oil spill, pollution

Applying your knowledge

Voting – for candidates that support issues that are important to you. – influence

Candidate legislative history through media, voter organizations, Web sites

Non-profit organizations

Weighing the evidence – “think globally, act locally” – every day actions have broad effects

Be aware of how actions affect our environment

Consumer Choices – “reduse, reuse, recycle” actions people can take for the environment

Chapter 21.2 outline: Environmental Policies in the United States

Struggle to use resources in a sustainable way

History of US Environmental Policy

1800s people used resources indiscriminately – prairie, forests, animals destroyed

1900s people began to recognize consequences

John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt called for increased protection and management of lands

Established national forests, parks, and agencies to manage them

1930s crop disasters, dust bowl -- poor farming practices causing soil erosion and poverty

Began to focus on soil conservation, waste disposal and pollution problems

1970 First Earth Day and the EPA created – enforces clean air and clean water acts

Set standards for acceptable levels of pollution

Uses regulations and economic incentives

Environmental concerns conflict with politics, migration, trade, personal freedoms

Environmental Impact Statements – governmental agencies are required to file this report for any proposed projects that would have a significant impact on the environment

Such as Dams, highways, airports

States the need for the project, impact, ways to minimize impact

Public feedback taken into consideration

Also used when proposals to change the way resources are used

Glen Canyon Dam upstream from the Grand Canyon

Unfunded Mandates and Economic Impacts

Limit federal governments ability to pass environmental laws

Can not have Unfunded mandates – regulations that do not provide funds for implementation.

Federal gov. must now pay for any new laws that cost more than 50 million to implement

Agencies must assess the environmental and economic impact

Influencing Economic Policy –

Individuals, consumers, businesses, media, and organizations can influence policy

Federal, state and local environmental laws

Individuals have more influence on local laws and representatives

Local Governments and planning boards, city councils, hold public meetings

Decide how land is used and developed, where businesses and housing are located

Plan public facilities like waste disposal and recycling

Often local governments do not work together

State governments – may set laws with higher standards than federal

California vehicle emissions standards to lessen air pollution

Have control over how to implement standards

Lobbying – organized attempt to influence law makers, urge them to vote a certain way

Both industry, businesses, and environmental groups, unions

Media and Sources of Information about environmental topics

Reports are often brief and leave out important info.

Should evaluate sources for bias and accuracy

Other sources are scientific reports, magazines, and Web sites, local meetings and news letters.

Chapter 21.1, economics and international cooperation

7 million people on earth, use more resources, live longer

Sustainability – when humans use resources in a way that we can survive forever

Must take into account economics, political science, and environmental science

International development and Cooperation

Globalization – environmental, social, economic conditions cross borders

People and countries debate about how to deal with environmental problems, population growth, resource use and pollution

The World Conservation Union (1948) – sustainable development

Earth Summit (1992) – Agenda 21, plan to address many environmental problems

World summit on Sustainable Development (2002)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1988) – climate change

Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer (1987)

Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change (1997)

US did not sign because costs a lot and requires developed countries to reduce their production of fossil fuels but not developing countries

MARPOL – marine pollution, regulates dumping waste and oil near shore. (1973)

CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (1973)

Law of the Sea (1982) designates deep sea resources as “the common heritage of mankind”

Economics and the Environment

Economics – the study of the choices people make as they use and distribute limited resources.

Markets – self-contained economic system

value – how much something is worth, benefit of a product or service

economic growth – increase in the flow of money and products in a market

Economic systems may not take into account external factors that do not have a direct or obvious economic value, like wildlife and pollution

Environmental problems seen as market failures because the market does not reflect its true price

Regulation and Economic incentives

Fines and jail

Paying for actions that benefit society, rebates, low-interest loans for those that build solar homes

Charging or taxing those that hurt the society, pollution tax

To link economic decisions with environmental effects

Private Efforts – businesses and private organizations

Recycle waste, save cost and public image

Research and environmental management plan

Nature Conservancy – nonprofit organization, collects donation of money and land to create preserves

Week 35, Environmental Science, Mr. Vaught May 5^th – May 9^th , 2008

Objectives:

1. HFACEnvironmentalScience.blogspot.com

2. Begin chapter 21, economics, policy and the future

3. Conduct lab on natural antibiotics

4. Extra credit: field guide and community garden and news articles.

5. Continue labs, Winogradsky column, look at water samples with microscopes

Monday: 05-05-08

Substitute did not hand out work sheets  free day

Handouts/homework:

Tuesday: 05-06-08

Present papers on antibiotics

Quiz 21.1 economics and international cooperation

Handout/Homework: quiz 21.1

Wednesday: 05-07-08

Antibiotics lab, write observation, hypothesis, and procedures

Homework/handout: Outline 21.2, due Thursday

Thursday: 05-08-08

Lab: examine bacterial growth

Environmental policy

Handout/homework:

Friday: 05-09-08

Lab: examine bacterial growth, write notes for results.

Begin lab reports

Turn in journals

Homework/Handout: Outline 21.3

Environmental Journal Topics

050508 No journal

050608 Describe the intention of each of the following. CITES, MARPOL, Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol. Which do you think was most successful? (p 534-535)

050708 Give examples of 3 federal agencies and list their environmental responsibilities. (p540, table 3)

050808 If you were to our state representatives about an environmental issue what would you talk about? Write one paragraph with supporting arguments.

050908 What is an environmental issue that you feel strongly about? What could we or should we do about it? Is this a local, state, or federal issue?