topic: the hydrosphere: fresh water
Open Course Library ENVS&100 Learning Activities
READINGS FOR Module IV: The Hydrosphere: Fresh Water
The Habitable Planet Textbook http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/
• Unit 8: Water Resources Earth's water resources, including rivers, lakes, oceans, and underground aquifers, are under stress in many regions. Humans need water for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and industry; and contaminated water can spread illnesses and disease vectors, so clean water is both an environmental and a public health issue. In this unit, learn how water is distributed around the globe; how it cycles among the oceans, atmosphere, and land; and how human activities are affecting our finite supply of usable water. 1. Introduction 2. The Global Water Cycle 3. Distribution of Freshwater Resources 4. Groundwater Hydrology: How Water Flows 5. World Demand for Water 6. Depletion of Freshwater Resources
7. Water Salinization 8. Water Pollution 9. Water-Related Diseases 10. Major Laws and Treaties 11. Further Reading
The Water Footprint http://www.waterfootprint.org
• Read these 2 short articles. Take notes. Define unfamiliar terms. (The main site has lots of interesting facts and figures!) o http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Hoekstra-2010-TheEnvironmentalist_01March_Issue93.pdf o http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Hoekstra-2008-LeadingPerspectives_1.pdf
The Story of Bottled Water http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water
• View this short film. Take notes. Pause when needed. Two related resources are: o Bottled Water FAQs: http://storyofstuff.org/story-of-bottled-water/story-of-bottled-water-faqs o Footnoted, Annotated Script: http://storyofstuff.org/wp-content/uploads/movies/scripts/SoBottledWater_Annotated_Script.pdf
Poisoned Waters http://video.pbs.org/video/1114515379
• View the entire film. Take notes. Pause when needed. Consider viewing with captioning/subtitles on.
➢ Why are America's waterways in peril? ➢ What warning signals does nature give us? ➢ What is the biggest polluter of water? ➢ How can communities fight industrial pollution? ➢ How can we save habitat for endangered species?
➢ Why is stormwater runoff a major new threat? ➢ What's in your drinking water? ➢ How does land use affect water quality? ➢ What are the costs of sprawl? ➢ Is there a smarter way to grow?
• NOTE: You will be journalling in detail about the Poisoned Waters film this week (Journal #4), so you need only address this film briefly in Q&A #4 (for example, something in it may be your “most interesting/relevant”).
Supplemental
• Environmental Science: A Self-Teaching Guide, by Barbara W. Murck – Ch.3: The Hydrosphere and the Atmosphere; Ch.12: Water Resources; Ch.13: Water Pollution and Soil Pollution
• Earth Science CK12 Flexbook (https://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-For-High-School/) – Ch.13: Earth’s Fresh Water; Ch.21: Human Actions and Earth’s Waters
• Environmental Science in the 21st Century – The Hydrological Cycle; Water Issues: Groundwater (https://web.archive.org/web/20160309213150/http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/environment-book/contents.html)
• Life Science CK12 Flexbook (https://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Life-Science-For-Middle-School/) – Ch.25: Environmental Problems
• ESA Issues in Ecology: Water in a Changing World – http://www.esa.org/science_resources/issues/FileEnglish/issue9.pdf • Free Course: Water Use & the Water Cycle – http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=399566&direct=1 • Sustainable Solutions for Water Resources – http://webpages.uidaho.edu/sustainability/chapters/ch07/index.asp • Clearing the Waters: A Focus on Water Quality Solutions – http://www.cep.unep.org/meetings-events/lbs-regional-experts-workshop/UNEP
%20-Clearing%20the%20Waters-A%20focus%20on%20water%20quality%20solutions.pdf/view
Last update: 10/15/17 gj
Open Course Library ENVS&100 Learning Activities
Additional Readings (related to specific module-level objectives) – REFRESH/RELOAD if a page doesn’t load properly
Introduction and overview • You may find it useful to refer to a geology textbook’s water chapters (I have a few on reserve at the library.) • Good introduction to water – https://web.archive.org/web/20120407065626/http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/cepublications/eb1622/eb1622.html • Nice diagram – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/groundwater/resources.html • U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) – http://water.usgs.gov • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – http://water.epa.gov • What you can do to help – http://water.epa.gov/action • Safe Water (now called “Ground Water & Drinking Water”) – http://water.epa.gov/drink/index.cfm • Kids’ Stuff – http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/index.cfm • Global Water Resources & International Disputes – http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=399875&direct=1 • Climate, agriculture, and food security – http://www.cgiar.org/www-archive/www.cgiar.org/pdf/CCAFS_Strategy_december2009.pdf
Washington/Pacific Northwest: • http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap • http://wa.water.usgs.gov • http://www.nwmaps.net • http://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/resources/bioregion/bioregion.htm • Climate change – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange
o Climate Change: Effects in Washington – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/effects.htm o Facing the Challenge of Climate Change – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0701023.pdf o Economic Impacts of Climate Change – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/economic_impacts.htm
Rivers and watersheds and groundwater • Real-time data – http://wa.water.usgs.gov/data/realtime/adr/interactive/index2.html • Surf Your Watershed – http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm • Surf Your Watershed Activity – http://www.foothill.edu/fac/klenkeit/nsf/curriculum/GISSurfYourWatershed.pdf • Groundwater infiltration - http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=398860§ion=2
Flooding • http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/100yearflood.html (the examples are from our area) • https://web.archive.org/web/20130624123801/http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/50 (podcast) • http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fact-sheets/fs.024-00.html (published in 2000)
Water pollution and source protection • Protecting Your Drinking Water – http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps59545/swppocket.pdf • NIEHS water pollution info/activities – http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/exposure/water-poll/index.cfm#geninfo
Water conservation • Water: Use It Wisely – http://www.wateruseitwisely.com • National Geographic Fresh Water – http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/?source=NavEnvFresh • A Water Footprint Calculator – http://waterfootprint.org/en/water-footprint/ • http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123483638138996305.html (and “view interactive”) • http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-the-water-footprint-of-your-food.html
o Interactive graphic: http://www.waterfootprint.org/files/SWF_InfoGraphics o Poster: http://www.waterfootprint.org/downloads/Poster-A3-WaterFootprint-of-Products.pdf
Several towns’ water information (You may need to phone your utility providers) • Kirkland: http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/Public_Works • Bellevue: http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/environmental.htm • Redmond: http://www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/publicworks/publicworks.asp • Bothell: http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/CityServices/PublicWorks.ashx • Renton: http://rentonwa.gov/living/default.aspx?id=1824
Several towns’ Annual Water Quality Reports (You may need to phone your water provider) • Kirkland: http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/Public_Works/Water/Annual_Water_Quality_Report.htm • Bellevue: http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/drinking_water.htm • Redmond: http://www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/publicworks/environment/drinkingwater.asp • Bothell: http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/CityServices/PublicWorks/WaterSewerService.ashx?p=1290 • Renton: http://rentonwa.gov/uploadedFiles/Living/PBPW/UTILITIES/Water%20Quality%20Report%202010%20(9).pdf
Bottled water and tap water • Water on Tap: What You Need to Know – http://water.epa.gov/drink/guide • Drinking Water and Health: What You Need to Know – http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/index.cfm • The Story of Bottled Water – http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater • WI’s annual bottled water report – http://datcp.state.wi.us/fs/consumerinfo/food/health/bottled-water • Video – http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/science/environmental-science/bottled-water?track=727c9c1cbe • OER Commons PDF – http://www.oercommons.org/courses/but-it-s-just-a-bottle-of-water/view
Last update: 10/15/17 gj