Enviromental Science

 “What is the essential dividing line between human beings around the world?” In your opinion, is there one fundamental difference that separates people of the world? What is the primary division of the world? As global citizens vs citizens of somewhere? As the winners and losers from globalization? As a clash of civilizations? There is no necessarily correct answer for this assignment – points will be given for clear expression of thought. An equally valid response is to explain why you think there isn’t one fundamental way in which the world separates. Assignment instructions: Part 1 Read the three articles: 1 – Friedman – It’s a flat world, after all 2 – Forsyth – Theresa May’s new 3rd way 3 – Gelfand – Here’s the science…Part 2 Summarize and explain the key global division identified in each article. This should be at least a paragraph per article. Part 3 Which of the three approaches do you find most convincing for explaining the world? Give justification for your answer. If you prefer a different framework for identifying the world (e.g. Huntingdon’s Clash of Civilization thesis), this is the point to introduce it. To have a chance of maximum points, you should try and explore how the three readings connect with each other, even though they use different frameworks. For example, are the winners and losers for Friedman the same groups as Gelfand identifies? Part 4 Depending on your answer to Part 3 – which single policy would you advocate for to improve the quality of life of those identified as losing out from globalization. For more information read this:

Climate change in the Bay Area and the drought effect on the ocean water, attracting great white shark to hunt seals as close as Alcatraz in the bay ·  Written project (minimum of 1750 words, or double that for team projects; include a References list & captioned maps/illustrations) due December 13,  ·   ·  Presentations (narrated PowerPoint presentation, YouTube videos or live) to be posted online for viewing or scheduled for December 2, 9 or 16  Instructions: 1.  You may work individually or collaborate in teams of two.  2.  Select a Bay Area environmental issue NOT discussed in detail in lectures, films, or readings. General topic areas might include agricultural preservation, air pollution, climate change/sea level rise, endangered species/wildlife, energy, environmental justice, housing developments, invasive species, land use planning, marine sanctuaries, parks/open space, sustainability, transportation, waste disposal, water pollution/resources.  3.  Find a more specific case study: how the topic you have selected is being addressed in a particular place and/or by a specific organization; a particular species or pollutant; a specific tract of land, community or watershed.  4.  Locate at least 5 references that will help you learn about this topic. Online references are fine. Provide a complete References list in your proposal (not just url’s but author, title, date accessed as well.) Your written project will need 5-10 References; be sure to cite all sources of facts, information and opinions.  5.  How are environmental groups’ actions and/or public policies shaping this topic in the Bay Area? Be sure to address any controversies or different stakeholder perspectives.  6.  Prepare a brief presentation (a narrated PowerPoint, video or podcast) to help your classmates understand what is at stake, why it is important and what you have concluded from your research. Individuals will have 5 minutes for presentations; teams will have double time. For more information on Bay Area read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Area 

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words: What are some environmental challenges facing your community? What are some environmental science issues that might never have solutions? What are the factors that have led to a lack of resolution? What are some potential effects of not addressing these concerns?

Define a problem currently being faced by the citizens of the Kathmandu municipality, Nepal and address sustainable development goals. SUSTAINABLE PROJECT RECOMMENDATION FOR MY PALIKA ?RECOMMEND A SOLUTION IN THE FORM OF A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT THAT IS LOW-COST, DOABLE AND CAN BE FUNDED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE PALIKA TO CREATE GREEN JOBS/REVIVE THE LOCAL ECONOMY IN A GREEN/CLIMATE-SMART/SUSTAINABLE WAY. ?HIGHLIGHT WHICH SDG CAN BE ADDRESSED BY THE INITIATIVE/PROJECT AND OUTCOMES/ IMPACT THAT CAN BE GENERATED ?TENTATIVE COSTS/PROJECT TIMELINE ?CHALLENGES THAT YOU MIGHT FACE TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT HOW WILL YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE PALIKA  (MUNICIPALITY)WILL BE RECEPTIVE TOWARDS YOUR PROJECT IDEA AND TAKE IT UP FOR IMPLEMENTATION

After reviewing Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and conducting an initial inspection of the areas at Acme Automotive Parts (AAP), you identify the following health hazards that you want to further evaluate: manganese fume (hand welding); copper fume (hand welding); lead fume (hand welding); 1,2,4 trimethyl benzene (paint booth); toluene (paint booth); and xylene (paint booth). Choose one of the compounds from the hand-welding operation and one of the compounds from the paint booth operation. Search the Internet, and find the following data concerning the two compounds you chose; LC50, IDLH, vapor pressure, vapor density, target organs, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive toxicity. (Hint: many of the variables can be found on SDS that can be accessed on the Internet). Write one paragraph on each of the compounds explaining what the data tell you about the most likely exposure route and risk associated with each compound. Your assignment must be a minimum of two pages in length, not including title or reference pages. Your assignment must use at least two references. One must be gathered from the CSU Online Library; the other may be your textbook. All references and in-text citations must be formatted according to APA standards.

Consider your current workplace or a workplace with which you are familiar. Of the three primary routes of exposure (inhalation, dermal, ingestion), which route do you believe is the most important for controlling exposures to health hazards? Give an example of a health hazard in the workplace, and explain why you believe the exposure route you chose is important for that health hazard.(Note: By a hazard in the workplace, we mean a chemical hazard, so name the chemical. Also, name the process the chemical will be working in. Then determine the various routes of potential exposure. You may also comment on the target organ or systemic effects). Assume that your input will be an informed opinion so expect to see in-text citations and reference sources used (as you would for any academic writing) unless you are the expert who wrote the article or book on the subject. Even then, it is a good idea to provide resources for the reader to be aware of of-Dr.B.Please include the name of the person or question to which you are replying in the subject line. For example, “Tom’s response to Susan’s comment.”

Choose a country of your choice other than the United States.  Using the Internet collect data about mortality and morbidity indicators about that country. A useful site that you will find helpful is the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook website:  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/. Now compare the five leading causes of death in the United States with the five leading causes of death in that country. Also locate the agent, host, environment details, and time, place, and person characteristics of any one of those. Some of the websites that you will find helpful in doing this would be the World Health Organization http://www.who.int/en/, that country’s health department, PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/, and Google http://www.google.com/. Summarize your response in a double spaced typed paper of 500 words. The grading of the paper will be done using the following rubric:

Assignment: Investigating a biome of interest. We’re discussing biomes and ecosystems this week in class as we begin our discussion of Earth’s biophysical systems. To help understand what biomes are and how they function, select a biome, research it online, and answer the following six questions:1.     Biome name? 2.     Where in the world does this biome exist? Provide the geographic description (location on earth using political boundaries) and the general latitude & longitude 3.     What is the average annual precipitation and temperature? How do precipitation and temperature vary throughout the year? That is, what is the seasonality (if any) of these environmental factors? 4.     Describe one plant that lives in this biome, and why it’s suited for this biome. 5.     Describe one animal that lives in this biome, and why it’s suited for this biome.6.     Discuss a current threat to this biome.Grading criteria:Include a list of properly cited references (APA style preferred)

Please watch all of the videos below before answering the questions that follow: Watch the Creation – Part 1 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQvup95nhvk(video) Watch the Creation – Part 2 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHRfv2ADqH8&feature=related(video)Watch The Sound of the Universe and the Creation of Mother Earth -http://www.incaonline.ca/the-sound-of-the-universe-and-the-creation-of-mother-earth/ (video)Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MUoTHPpqEMRead the Mi’kmaq Creation story- (pdf)What do these videos and readings reveal about where the world and Indigenous people began? How do these stories differ from your own creation stories, if you have one? Why do you think it might be important to know and hear these stories?

Discussion 1Calculate your personal ecological footprint using Global Footprint Network’s Footprint Calculator and briefly summarize your results. Were you surprised by any aspect of your ecological footprint? Discussion 2Select a pressing environmental issue that has personal relevance. You may find ideas from the textbook, from mainstream media, or from the list provided. Once you choose a large-scale issue, think about how the issue impacts you personally. For example, you may be interested in water quality (the larger issue). You could then consider how water quality impacts you in your daily activities such as drinking water that is contaminated with pharmaceuticals or agricultural waste (personal impact). Compose a brief (1- to 2-paragraph) introduction to your topic by stating why it is a pressing issue. Be sure to support your statements with facts and details from credible sources. State how the issue impacts you personally (1 paragraph) and include a summary of at least one local or regional problem associated with this issue (1 paragraph).Discussion 3Then, search Science Daily or a news story about a natural science topic that’s less than six months old. Make sure to choose a story that interests you, because you’ll use this news story for all the projects in this course. Once you’ve chosen a news story, summarize the main ideas from the article. Then, draft two questions that a natural scientist might ask about the topic. Include both the summary and the two questions in your initial post. As you write your questions, think about what you’ve learned about the natural sciences and scientific thinking in the module overview. For instance, if you chose an article on volcanic eruptions, you might ask: what causes eruptions to happen and how do we predict when they’ll occur? Make sure to include the news story title and a link to it in your post.