ENVSCI
ardam
3 years ago
35
files (8)Assignment1SummaryandReflectionontheManNatureDivide1.docx
WritingSampleforPart2ofAssignment1.pdf
Two_SampleListsforPart1ofAssignment1D09132023.docx
- NorthAmericaPart2for10042023.pdf
- NorthAmericaPart1for10022023.pdf
- Intorduction09082023.pdf
- ManNatureDivide09132023.pdf
- ClashofCivilizations09252023.pdf
Assignment1SummaryandReflectionontheManNatureDivide1.docx
Assignment 1: Summary and Reflection on the Man-Nature Divide
The summaries and reflections on the topics that we will discuss throughout the semester are designed to insure that you have reviewed the PowerPoint presentations carefully and thought about the important points and critical issues.
All of the summaries and reflections will have the same format and include two sections: Part 1 - a simple list of important points and critical issues that we have covered in each of the subject or geographic areas, much like the table of contents of a book, an outline of a book chapter, or a list of key statements from each of the sections covered in one or more PowerPoint slides of each presentation, and Part 2 - your reflection or comments on each topic or one or more selected elements of each topic. The first part clearly represents a brief overview of each topic. The second part is designed to show that you have seriously thought about some of the important points and critical issues and to demonstrate your thoughtful reactions or creative ideas. For your commentary or reflection on the man-nature divide (Part 2), you may also choose to focus on the following points:
(1) What I have learned, particularly what I was surprised to learn or what I was shocked to know?
(2) What are the primary challenges facing the humanity, particularly the future generations, in the areas of environmental and economic sustainability?
(3) What should we do collectively to create a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations and how can I contribute individually to the solutions to our most critical and urgent environmental and development problems?
Part 1 (simple list of important points and critical issues) should be about 1-2 pages long (single space). Part 2 (your commentary or reflection) should be about 2-3 pages long (double space and 12-point size).
Please submit your completed assignment through the Blackboard by clicking
“ Assignments” and then following the on-screen instructions.
This assignment is due October 4, 2023.
WritingSampleforPart2ofAssignment1.pdf
SAMPLE NO: 1 FOR PART 2
In our study of the divide between man and nature, it was surprising to learn the extent of
how severely humankind’s endeavors have damaged the natural world. To me, the most
shocking aspect of manmade pollution are ocean garbage patches. Plastic refuse is a very
relevant contemporary issue. Each year approximately 1.15 to 1.40 million tons of plastic trash
enters the oceans by way of rivers (Laurent). When this trash is deposited in the oceans, it gets
carried and caught in vast oceanic currents, or gyres, and forms large patches of debris.
Ocean garbage patches are deposits of human refuse located in vast areas of the sea.
Trash from land ends up in the ocean where it makes its way to gyres that concentrate the
floating debris in a patch-like area. All five major ocean gyres contain garbage patches of various
sizes. These masses of plastic waste are possible because plastic is not biodegradable: meaning,
it will not break down but instead splinter into small pieces. Plastic is the most abundant waste in
the oceans due to its prevalence in consumer goods. It’s inexpensive and durable so it is used
often.
The largest ocean garbage patch is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the Pacific
Ocean between California and Hawaii. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch was first noticed in
1997 by yachtsman Charles Moore (Parker). This patch spans a staggering 1.6 million
kilometers, about three times the size of France (Laurent). Much of this debris is microplastic
particles and may be invisible to the naked eye but larger pieces of debris are present. A notable
amount of debris is from human fishing activities. Ghost nets, or abandoned fishing nets, are
extremely dangerous to wildlife as they can tangle in it. Ghost nets are also of issue to humans as
they can get stuck in boat propellers and impede marine activities. A little over half of this trash
comes from North America and Asia, the rest originating from marine activities such as boating
or cargo shipping (National Geographic Society).
The component of garbage patches that have the most effect on humans are microplastics.
Microplastics are less than five millimeters long and due to their minute size are difficult to clean
up. Microplastics’ large prevalence in our oceans means it often makes its way to the food chain.
Small animals mistake microplastics for food and ingest these pieces and the toxic chemicals
they contain, such as PBTs (Chen). Humans may become sick from their food sources being
affected through bioaccumulation, the process of toxic chemicals becoming more concentrated as
they move through the food chain.
Ocean garbage patches negatively affect the organisms that dwell in these aquatic areas.
The most notable ways in which wildlife is impacted is when the trash is ingested, or an animal
becomes tangled or trapped in the debris. Many marine animals mistake microplastics for food
and choke or starve to death when microplastics clog their digestive systems. In other species
such as albatrosses, they mistakenly feed plastic to their young, who die from starvation or
ruptured organs (National Geographic Society).
Efforts are underway to clean up marine debris. It’s been proposed that fishing gear be
tagged with the owner’s information in order to deliver fines to those who litter their equipment
in the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit organization established in the Netherlands, is
spearheading the effort to remove the waste from garbage patches using a net-like device to
capture debris (The Ocean Cleanup). Other ways to mitigate this issue include trash cleanup
efforts on land, to reduce littering of garbage, and improved waste management services.
In conclusion, learning about garbage patches was the most shocking piece of
information in this unit. Humans have harmed this planet in surprising ways. Oceanic garbage
patches are a dangerous way we have impacted the natural world because they adversely affect
marine life and human’s marine activities. Thankfully, efforts are underway to remove garbage
in the ocean by organizations like The Ocean Cleanup.
Works cited
Chen, et al., “Pollutants in Plastics within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre,” Environmental
Science and Technology 52, no. 2 (November 2017): 446-456,
http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b04682
Laurent C. M. Lebreton, et al., “Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly
accumulating plastic,” Scientific Reports 8, no. 4666 (March 2018),
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-22939-w
National Geographic Society. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic Society, 9
Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/.
Parker, Laura. “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Isn’t What You Think It Is.”
Nationalgeographic.Com, 22 Mar. 2018,
www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/03/great-pacific-garbage-patch-plastics-
environment/#close.
“The Ocean Cleanup.” The Ocean Cleanup, 2011, theoceancleanup.com/oceans/.
Two_SampleListsforPart1ofAssignment1D09132023.docx
SAMPLE NO: 1
Part 1
1. Earth is the only habitable planet in the Solar System. The solar system is approximately 5 billion years, while the older rocks on Earth have been dated at 3.8 billion years.
2. There are multiple components of Earth’s system that allow it to sustain life on its surface.
3. Life on Earth first appeared approximately 4 billion years ago and were likely bacteria. As life forms evolved on Earth, the class of hominoids emerged, eventually giving rise to homo sapiens.
4. Prehistory, or pre- literary history, is the period between the use of the first stone tools and the invention of writing systems.
5. The genus homo gave rise to homo Sapiens. The earliest expansion of hominins came from what is now the continent of Africa, about 200,000 years ago.
6. As humanity progressed, we went from hunting and gathering our food to building houses with stone and managing agriculture and Neolithic crops.
7. Humankind eventually began living in independent civilizations, in the Tigris- Euphrates Valley, the Nile Valley, the Indo- Gangetic Plain, the North China Plain, the Andes, and Mesoamerica.
8. The population of human beings has never stopped growing. As of September 2020, Planet Earth’s population is approximately 7.8 billion and exponentially rising.
9. There have been many philosophers, including Laozi, founder of Taoism, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
10. Daoism/Taoism placed emphasis on respecting nature.
11. Human- Centered Environmental worldviews, like Judeo Christian beliefs were less sympathetic towards nature.
12. Human activities have put the planet and our own lives in danger. Forests are disappearing rapidly, the ocean has dead zones, our ecological footprint is growing, and we are depleting the world’s oil reserves
13. There have been many famines and food & water security is an issue
14. Human activity has also threatened biodiversity: the current extinction rate is 1,000 times higher than the natural background rate.
15. Ocean garbage patches are made up of 80% land trash and endanger wildlife. Plastic trash and oil pollute the world’s marine waters and the effects can last decades.
16. Air pollution and water pollution also threaten human life as airborne illnesses can result or be exacerbated from clean air.
17. There have always been global periods of heating and cooling, but the global temperature has been steadily rising at a concerning pace for the past century. This is leading to melting glaciers and rising sea levels.
18. Human’s carbon emissions are also of concern. Using fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide speeds up climate change by heightening the greenhouse effect on our atmosphere.
19. Currently, people are becoming more disconnected with nature. They live in urban areas and do not reap the many benefits that spending time in nature affords us.
SAMPLE NO: 2
Part 1:
Our Place in the Universe
● Earth= only livable planet in the solar system
● Universe: size unknown, is all everything regarding space and time and all in between
○ Tried to be explored: creation of artificial objects leaving the solar system
■ Voyager 1,2, Pioneer 10,11, New Horizons
● Solar system: gravity-bound system of everything orbiting the Sun
○ Planets-Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
○ Age determined by meteorites
How Does Earth’s Life-Support System Work
● 4 components
○ Atmosphere (troposphere,stratosphere,mesosphere,thermosphere, exosphere), Hydrosphere, Geosphere, Biosphere
● Earth Science: all fields of natural science related to Earth
Living environment - Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere
● Life appeared around 4.28 billion years ago, and descended from an RNA world and may have spurred from matters in space
● Human evolution -process of evolution in which humans came from primates (genus Homo) and developed bipedalism, language, etc
○ Sapiens, Heidelbergensis, Erectus, Habilis, Australopithecus
■ Hunting-gathering- 1st successful human resource gathering method
● Human Prehistory- Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, Iron
History of Agriculture
● Invented during Neolithic era-Fertile Crescent, Indo-Gangetic Plain, North China Plain, Andes, Mesoamerica
Population:7.8 billion
● Growth factors: increased food production, technology that helped expanded habitability for humans, improved healthcare
● First colony: Jamestown, 1607
Introduction to Daoism: Human life is just part of a larger flow of nature (the Way)
Human-centered environmental worldview:
● Focus are the needs and wants of people (planetary management, stewardship)
○ Criticisms: we are inherently evil, ignorant of the world,and capitalism with degrade resources
● Rise of Judeo-Christian belief (gave way to colonization ie. Columbus)
● Industrial Revolution (1760- 1840)“tipped...balance of nature and civilization”(McHarg 1969)
Mayan Civilization (1800 BC-900 AD)
● Possible reasons for collapse: exhaustion of resources, warfare, drought
Rainforests are Disappearing: losing 18.7 million acres a year
Dead zones: areas that contain so much nitrogen and phosphorus brought by spring and summer that virtually nothing can live
● 400 worldwide, including in the Gulf of Mexico
We are living unsustainably:
● More developed nations use 70% of resource but account for only 17% of pop while less developed countries use the remainder and make up 83% of pop
● Poor biocapability (not regenerating enough renewable resources)
○ Food security and water scarcity (physical and economic) is impacted by this (1/8 globally is chronically undernourished)
○ Oil reserves will only last another 53 yrs
● Extinction: increased rates recently
○ BIggest ones: Ordovician-silurian, Devonian, Permian-triassic, Triassic-jurassic, Cretaceous-tertiary
● Garbage patches: (biggest one ->North Atlantic)
● Oil pollution in oceans (usually petroleum and crude oil) is major result of human activities (oil rigging, oil spills, etc)
○ Superfunds are sites contaminated by mismanaged waste (ex landfills)
● Air pollution is affecting the health of 1.1 billion (ie asthma, bronchitis, cancer, etc)
● Water pollution comes from point and nonpoint sources and make water unfit for human use, which contaminates drinking water and infects people with diseases like cholera
● Global warming has been causing sea levels to rise, an increase of wildfires, and mass extinction of species, which have been caused by increasing carbon emissions
○ Paris Agreement- meant to mitigate these effects but US withdrew
○ Increased urban population actually has long term health detriment
