debate essay
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Part 3: Environmental Debates Attached to this project assignment are the basics of three ongoing environmental debates. Each attempts to present a key issues, pertinent facts, and resources to explore both sides of the debate. Select the debate that is most interesting to you, and write a short essay (1 page or less would be ideal) taking a position on the debate – chose the side do you agree with and justify why it is a reasonable position to hold
1. Use MS Word to help with spelling and grammar.
2. Essay content. Write paragraphs focused on:
a. A summary of the facts that define facets of the issue. Your essay must clearly summarize these facts, including citation of at least two “new sources” that you discover by researching the topic on your own. These can be from the popular media or a scientific journal. Include formatted citations for these documents. The items listed are to be listed as “Primary resources” and “Different perspectives” are provided for you to learn more about the topic and can be cited in your essay but, they do not count as any of the “new sources” that you discover on your own.
b. A summary of the two competing positions on the issue.
c. Your individual position and justification (i.e., why do you take this position). Add the key questions that remain unanswered in your mind about this issue. d. The issue as an interdisciplinary topic. Describe which of the key themes from our class are most relevant in this issue (at least two). If you’ve forgotten these themes, review Chapter 1 in your textbook. Additionally, describe the issue in the context of sustainability.
Theme 1: Human population growth amplifies our impact on the environment.
Theme 2: Sustainability & Carrying Capacity
To sustain human life and society, a necessary balance must be struck between:
•environmental protection • social needs •economics
Theme 3: Global Perspective & Interconnected Systems Environments are complex, interaction systems with multiple scales & feedbacks
Theme4: The urban environment
Theme5: people and nature
Theme 6: Science and value: Biodiversity
3. Writing style a. Your essay should be no more than about 1.5 pages (preferably 1 page or less!) of single-spaced text in the default format of word processing programs. Length is not important; clarity and completeness are important. b. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. c. No sentences should be copied directly from the article nor any of the sources. d. The essay should be well-organized and follow a logical progression. e. The essay should not contain errors in grammar and spelling (e.g., run-on sentences, sentence fragments, subject-verb disagreements).
