Final Project: Fighting Air and Water Pollution (ENV110 Exploring Environmental Issues)

Due Date: By Sunday of Unit 7, 11:59 p.m. EST. Points: 100 Overview: Conduct a case study on a location of your choice and identify sources of air or water pollution. Discuss any environmental laws the pollutants or polluters are violating. You will have the option to discuss a relevant factor in your location, such as environmental injustice, epigenetics, or sustainable development. This will be due at the end of Unit 7. Instructions: • Research, find, and describe a case of air or water pollution from a location of your choice from

within or outside of the United States. • Discuss the pollutants and how they would be in violation of any current pollution laws or

legislation in the area. If here in the United States, how they would be in violation of the Clean Air or Clean Water Acts? Or perhaps the country you have researched has no restrictions on pollution for air and water, discuss how this would further endanger the lives of humans and wildlife in the area.

• Choose one (1) of the following special topics below and discuss how the source of pollution is contributing to it. Be sure to support your work with at least two (2) pieces of scientific evidence:

o An Environmental Injustice o A threat to Epigenetics by potentially causing inheritable gene defects o Defies sustainable development (contributes to the degraded environment and causes

harm to wildlife or the ecosystem)

Requirements:

• Provide multiple pieces of supporting evidence in your claims, using at least two (2) scholarly resources.

• Include all references and citations formatted correctly in APA.

• Project should be at least three (3) pages in length, with additional Title and Reference pages.

• Use complete sentences and appropriate grammar and spelling. Be sure to read the criteria below by which your work will be evaluated before you write and again after you write.

ENV110 – Exploring Environmental Issues

Final Project – Fighting Air and Water Pollution

Evaluation Rubric for Fighting Air and Water Pollution Project

CRITERIA Deficient Development Needed Satisfactory Proficient

Discussion of a Case of Air or Water Pollution

(0-14 Points) (15-18 Points) (19-22 Points) (23-25 Points)

Location is missing. Pollution type is not clearly identified and how it is affecting the air or water very vague or not explained. No scientific evidence provided.

Location is identified. Pollution type is identified, and how it is affecting the air or water is explained but lacking sufficient scientific evidence.

Location is identified. Pollution type is identified, and how it is affecting the air or water is discussed, though it needs a stronger scientific explanation.

Location is clearly identified. Pollution type is clearly identified, and how it is affecting the air or water is thoroughly discussed with a clear and accurate scientific explanation.

Laws/Legal Violations

(0-14 Points) (15-18 Points) (19-22 Points) (23-25 Points)

Little or no description of the presence or absence of environmental laws is provided.

Vague description is provided of the environmental law being broken with the release of the air or water pollution, either within the United States or in a country that has no law.

General description of the environmental law being broken with the release of the air or water pollution, either within the United States or in a country that has no law is provided, though key details may be missing.

Full description of the environmental law being broken with the release of air or water pollution. If within the United States, the Clean Air or Water Act is clearly addressed. If the country has no laws, that is also clearly addressed.

Special Topic Connection

(0-14 Points) (15-18 Points) (19-22 Points) (23-25 Points)

Special topic selected does not connect to the source of pollution and/or uses no scientific evidence to support claims.

Special topic selected connects to the source of pollution. One piece of valid scientific evidence is discussed.

Special topic selected connects to the source of pollution. Discusses two pieces of scientific evidence, though key details and connections may be missing.

Special topic selected connects to the source of pollution. Thoroughly discusses two pieces of scientific evidence that support it.

CRITERIA Deficient Development Needed Satisfactory Proficient

Resources in APA Formatting (0-8 Points) (9-11 Points) (12-13 Points) (14-15 Points)

Reference citations were not present, and/or APA style formatting has significant errors.

Some scholarly citations were missing, and/or citations have some issues with APA style formatting.

At least two scholarly resources were used and included, but citations have minor errors in APA style formatting.

At least two scholarly resources were used and included, correctly formatted in APA style.

Spelling and Grammar (0-5 Points) (6-7 Points) (8 Points) (10 Points)

Errors impede professional presentation.

Significant errors are beginning to impede professional presentation.

Few errors that do not impede professional presentation.

Writing and format are clear, professional, and error-free.