Class, let us start this course by discussing sustainable societies. There are many factors that dictate our lifestyles, resulting in either sustainable or unsustainable societies. What are the factors that make a society sustainable? Can you discuss examples in either your city or state?
Ecological Changes (graded) |
Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact in the environment. There are many things that can impact the organisms in the environment. Look around your city or state and outline some ecological changes that may have resulted from environmental issues. Are these positive or negative?
week 2
Threatened and Endangered Species (graded) |
In the upper Midwest and Northern states, the grey wolf was an endangered species. It had been hunted nearly to the point of extinction. Threatened and endangered species exist all over the world. What is the difference between a threatened and endangered species, and are there any examples in your state or country?
week 3
week 3
Immigration (graded) |
The United States has grown primarily through immigration. People come to the United States for a chance at a better life. Look around you at everything in your life. People were willing to leave it all to come by foot, boat, or plane to live in the United States and Canada. Yet, in recent years, the thought of immigration has become a hot topic. What are your thoughts on the two types of immigration: legal and illegal?
Global Birth Rates (graded) |
Populations grow when birth rates are higher than death rates and when migration levels are low. Fertility rates are high in developing countries. Why do developing countries have high fertility rates?
| week 4 |
Fossil Fuels (graded) |
Whether you love petroleum or hate petroleum, the fact is that you use it every day in your car, plastics, foods, medicines, health and beauty aids, fertilizers, pesticides, insulations, and polyesters (to name a few things). What are some other things that petroleum is used in?
Renewable Energy (graded) |
What are the environmental, economic, social, and political concerns of using renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass, tidal)?
week 5
Water Pollution (graded) |
Water pollution takes a huge toll on society, both environmentally and economically. Countries fight over water, cities and states sue over water contamination up a river, and other states are now forming pacts limiting water distribution from various lakes and reservoirs. As we learned in Week 1, good or bad, water does not go away; it stays as part of the hydrologic cycle. What is polluted water?
diss 2
Global Water Pollution (graded) |
Why is water pollution more common in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and South America and rarely in developed countries?
week 6Warming Oceans (graded) |
The climate on the earth as a planet has changed many, many times. The concern now is the impact that change can have on the human inhabitants. If the oceans warm a few degrees, what impacts can you see on the landmasses, biologic community, and human populations?
Responses to Climate Change (graded) |
The concern about climate change is global. What is your city or state doing to educate, mitigate, and adapt to climate change?
week 7
Waste (graded) |
Do we ever really throw away anything?
Lifestyle Choices (graded) |
Lifestyle choices that impact the environment are made by each of us every day. What are some examples of choices that you have made?
