it's a Journal

Journal 4 – Poisoned Waters – ENVS 100 Online Class

This week we look at water. AFTER doing the Module 4 readings and perusing some websites, view the PBS-Frontline film Poisoned Waters. Then, discuss your research findings and reflections.

• GOAL: Learn about two imperiled estuaries – Chesapeake Bay and our own Puget Sound – including their histories and threats to their health.

• Watch the film: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters (click "Watch the Full Program") (or at the college's Library Media Center)

• Take notes as you go. Pause it when you need to. It may be helpful to view the film with captioning/subtitles on.

• Afterward, answer the following questions in detail:

1. What are the main concepts? (highlights for an interested adult)

2. What new terminology did you learn? (select a few terms)

3. Which figures and diagrams are particularly useful? (sketch/describe)

4. How does this connect with information from earlier in the quarter? (connections)

5. What is the most interesting thing you learned?

6. What is the most important thing you learned?

• PBS posted this basic outline of the film. Select ONE of the topics below to write about in more depth. Use the film itself, PLUS at least 3 resources of your choosing*. Cite your sources!

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?

• Be sure to reflect on what you learned – Take notes and record thoughts in your journal notebook, then post your finalized journal entry to the JOURNAL 4 discussion board in Canvas before the deadline. Include full citations for all of the sources you used!

• Bonus: Research another waterway – outside North America (that is, not USA or Canada) – that is imperiled due to water quality and/or water quantity issues. You may choose a river, bay, groundwater system, etc. Discuss the scientific and historical/political/ economic reasons for the waterway’s current situation. What is being done to solve the problem? What more can and should be done, in your opinion?

* One excellent resource is Clearing the Waters: A Focus on Water Quality Solutions (UNEP & Pacific Institute; 2010): http:// www.unep.org/PDF/Clearing_the_Waters.pdf

Additional WATER Resources (You might need to refresh/reload some of the URLs twice.)

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.) • 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

Washington/Pacific Northwest: • Washington Department of Ecology (WA ECY) Environmental Assessment – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap • USGS Washington Water Science Center – http://wa.water.usgs.gov • Northwest Maps – http://www.nwmaps.net • Curriculum for the Bioregion – http://bioregion.evergreen.edu • WA ECY 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 – https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/0701023.pdf o Economic Impacts of Climate Change - http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/economic_impacts.htm

Rivers and watersheds • Interactive real-time streamflow data for Washington – 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

Flooding* • Recurrence Intervals and 100-Year Floods – http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/100yearflood.html (the examples are from our area) • Two 500-Year Floods Within 15 Years? – http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/50#.VxhCKBMrJE4 (podcast) • Significant Floods in the U.S. During the 20th Century – http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fact-sheets/fs.024-00.pdf

Water source protection • Consider the Source: Protecting Your Drinking Water – https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-04/documents/drinking-water-pocket-guide.pdf

Water conservation • Water: Use It Wisely* – http://www.wateruseitwisely.com • National Geographic Fresh Water – http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater • Water Footprint Calculators* :

o http://waterfootprint.org/en/about-us/news/news/grace-launches-new-water-footprint-calculator o http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/personal-water-footprint-calculator o http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/personal-water-footprint-calculator/personal-calculator-extended o http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-the-water-footprint-of-your-food.html o http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/product-gallery o http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources

Several towns’ water information* (You may need to phone your utility providers) • Kirkland: http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/Public_Works/Utilities/Water • Bellevue: http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/environmental.htm • Redmond: http://www.redmond.gov/Environment • Bothell: http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/CityServices/PublicWorks.ashx • Renton: http://rentonwa.gov/living/default.aspx?id=1832

Several towns’ Annual Water Quality Reports* (You may need to phone your water provider) • Kirkland: http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/Public_Works/Utilities/Page614.aspx • Bellevue: http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/drinking_water.htm • Redmond: http://www.redmond.gov/Environment/DrinkingWater • Bothell: http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/CityServices/PublicWorks/WaterSewerService.ashx?p=1290 • Renton: http://rentonwa.gov/living/default.aspx?id=1824

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*

o http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water o http://www.queensu.ca/sustainability/sites/webpublish.queensu.ca.suswww/files/files/storyofbottledwater.pdf = Bottled Water Myth vs Reality o http://www.storyofstuff.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/storyofbottledwater_footnoted_script.pdf = Footnoted Script

• WI’s annual bottled water report – http://datcp.wi.gov/Food/Food_Safety_for_Consumers/Bottled_Water/index.aspx • Open University video – http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/science/environmental-science/bottled-water?track=727c9c1cbe