Unit 11 Blog

Congratulations guys, we have made it to the end!!!  This is your last blog of the year, so make it count!  If you haven't realized it by now, the most amazing part of this blog is that you now have a FULL years worth of vocabulary and topics to review for the AP test at your fingertips! 
You're Welcome!

This unit has covered air pollution (indoor and outdoor), ozone depletion and global warming.  Below are suggested vocabulary words and pollutants to make sure you know.  Like the previous blogs, you do not have to define them in your blog unless you just want to! You do, however, need to make sure you discuss the topics provided for you thoroughly and thoughtfully in your own blog!

Suggested Vocabulary

Primary Pollutant

Secondary Pollutant

Thermal Inversion

Scrubber

Sick Building Syndrome

Global Change

Global Climate Change

Global Warming

Greenhouse Gase

Greenhouse Warming Potential

Positive Feedback

Negative Feedback

Air Pollutants (make sure you know the source, environmental effects and health effects of each- also, imagine the numbers are subscripts)

SO2

NOx

CO

PM

Pb

O3

VOC

Hg

CO2

Smog (sulfurous and photochemical)

Indoor Pollutants

Asbestos

Radon

VOCs

Greenhouse Gases

Water Vapor

CO2

CH4

N2O

CFCs

Discussion Topics:

Connections Discussion:

We discussed in class today that everything is connected (remember Joe's pond and Johnson's run??)  One of the main concerns about the increased carbon dioxide emissions is that they are linked to an increase in global temperature, rising sea levels and increased oceanic carbon dioxide concentrations.  These three things can have cascading effects on many different ecosystems globally.  Follow the link to the National Wildlife Federation website to read more information on how coral reefs are being negatively impacted by these global changes.  NWF- Coral Reefs  First, discuss the topics below in relation to the coral reef (the link should take you right there) then pick one other animal/plant/ecosystem from the menu on the left side and discuss in relation to your choice.  
Why is this animal/plant/ecosystem important?  Explain at least two ways that this animal/plant/ecosystem is directly impacted by increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, make sure to describe any negative effects these environmental changes have on coral reefs/your pick and the primary source of the carbon dioxide emissions.  What kind of economic impact does this have and what conservation efforts are being made to reduce the destruction?

Ozone Discussion
I can't say it enough, ozone is awesome and horrible all at the same time!  It's essential for life in the stratosphere but damaging in the troposphere!  In this discussion piece, I basically want you to summarize everything you know about ozone at each level!  Discuss the negative human health effects of both tropospheric (too much)  and stratospheric (not enough) ozone.  Describe the closed-loop chemical reactions associated with the formation and breakdown of stratospheric ozone (if you can find pictures or diagrams, feel free to insert here).  Explain how other compounds, particularly CFCs, interfere with these chemical reactions (again, a diagram would be helpful).  Finally, explain the role of tropospheric ozone in the formation of photochemical smog (diagrams, why not??  You chose how you want to convey your message as long as you understand what you are talking about).

Positive and Negative Feedbacks
Obviously climate change can be a hot topic to debate! Many arguments for or against global warming are based off of the idea that our actions will continue the cycle and magnify the situation (positive feedback) OR that the earth will correct the issue because ultimately a cycle will slow down or stop the process on its own (negative feedback).  Provide an argument for and against global climate change by giving and example of both a positive and negative feedback can increase or decrease the impact of climate change.  There are examples of this in your text, but I would encourage you to seek out other sources to see if you can find one that we have yet to discuss in class!  

BIG Picture Discussion
This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT. Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 15 and 19) and from the notes in class. There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth. 

Your blog is due by midnight on Thursday April 16th, I realize that is soon but remember I'm giving you class time to work on getting it all together with lots of BIG computers!!!  Happy blogging!

Unit 10 Blog

Energy!

I can't repeat it enough, this unit is SUPER important!  You need to be familiar with not only the content but also the math supporting the concepts!  Take your time and make sure your answers are thorough and thoughtful!  Below are some suggested vocabulary words and important units to be familiar with.  I have provided you with plenty of practice math in Schoology, don't forget to work through it! 

Suggested Vocabulary

Nonrenewable

Renewable

Fossil Fuels

Nuclear Fuels

Capacity

Efficiency

Cogeneration

Electrical Grid

Oil Sands

Bitumen

CTL

Fission

Fusion

Half-Life

Nondepletable

Peak Demand

Modern Carbon

Fossil Carbon

Carbon Neutral

"off-the-grid"

Fuel Cell

Electrolysis

Important Units

BTUs

Watt

kW

MW

kWh

ppm

ppb

mpg

Joule

MJ

GJ

EJ

Discussion Questions

Primary Source Ranking  

Rank the top 9 primary sources of energy using the following parameters (each parameter is a different list).  Your energy sources are: Wind, Coal, Hydroelectric, Biomass, Natural Gas, Solar, Geothermal, Oil, and Nuclear

List #1: Rank the sources in order of MOST environmentally friendly to LEAST environmentally friendly based on what you have learned in class.  Next to each source, give an example of the type of pollution produced by that source.

List #2: Rank the sources based on the MOST used to LEAST used source in the US.

List #3: Rank the sources based on the MOST used to LEAST used source WORLDWIDE.

List #4: Rank the sources based on the MOST amount of useful energy generated versus LEAST amount of useful energy generated by the source. 

Biofuels VS Fossil Fuels
Although the product of the combustion of each of these energy sources is carbon dioxide, which is considered to be a green house gas, biofuels are being sold as an alternative to fossil fuels.  If they both release the same "pollutant" how can one be better than the other??  Compare and contrast these two energy sources in terms of their availability and environmental impact, give examples of each, and explain the difference between the carbon dioxide released by fossil fuels and biofuels in terms of their impact on the carbon cycle.   

Nuclear Disasters
Chernobyl was the first major Nuclear disaster in the world, the effects of which can still be seen almost 30 years later.  Take a minute to watch the 60 minutes clip provided (about 10 minutes) 60 Minutes- Chernobyl.  Discuss the environmental, economic and human health impact (specifically the effect of ionizing radiation) of this disaster.  Give another example of a similar nuclear disaster at a different location.  Give an example of how nuclear waste is currently being disposed of, note the characteristics that make the location of the sites ideal.

ANWR
Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge has been a hot topic of debate for 1977.  Recently in the news because Obama proposed new wilderness protections that would further inhibit the prospect of drilling (Washington Post ANWR Article).    Take a minute to watch this 5 minute National Geographic clip provided National Geographic- ANWR. What type of biome is this classified as and why is it considered to be fragile and susceptible to damage?  Discuss the environmental and economic impacts of drilling in this area.  Make an argument for and against doing so.  

Reducing Consumption
The need for energy will never go away, our supply for most of our energy sources will eventually run out, so our options are to lower the amount of energy we require and look for alternative sources of energy if we would like to continue to consume it!  Give at least two suggestions for how we can reduce overall consumption of the oil needed for transportation and the fuels needed to provide electricity.

BIG Picture Discussion
This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT. Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 12 and 13), from the notes in class, the clips we watched and from your Switch Energy Project  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth. 

Your blog is due Thursday April 2nd by midnight.  Happy Blogging!!!

Unit 9 Blog

Unit 9- Waste Management

Hey guys!  Happy spring break!   Since this is a relative short unit, this will be a relatively short blog!  I will begin with suggested vocabulary, pollutants and a new section, diseases!   Like before, you only have to include them in your blog if you want to, but you are responsible for knowing them... especially the pollutants and diseases! 

The second section is your discussion section.  Please respond thoughtfully and thoroughly!

Suggested Vocabulary:

MSW

E-Waste

Closed-loop recycling

Open-loop recycling

Compost

leachate

Sanitary Landfill

Environmental justice

Incineration

Waste-to-energy

Hazardous Waste

Superfund

Brownfield

IWM

Epidemic 

Pandemic

Synergistic Interactions

Biomagnification

Persistence

Pollutants- you should know the health effects and common examples of each and where they can be found

Neurotoxins

Carcinogens

Teratogens

Allergens

Endocrine Disruptors

Diseases- you should be able to differentiate between historical and emergent diseases, explain what causes them/how they are spread, basic symptoms and how they are treated.  WHO website

Plague

Malaria

Tuberculosis

Cholera

HIV/AIDS

Ebola

Mad Cow Disease

Bird Flu

West Nile Virus

SARS

Discussion

Landfill Discussion

Now that we have seen a landfill in person (you did if you went on the field trip), discuss at least 3 types of materials that should not be placed in a landfill and explain the potential environmental and public health consequences of disposing of such things in a landfill.  Outline two methods for reducing the amount of these substances that enter MSW input.  

Recycling Discussion

Three common examples of items that can be recycled are paper, aluminum, and plastics.  Discuss at least one environmental and economic benefit and cost of recycling each of these items.  If your city only had the funding to set up a recycling center for one of these materials, which would you choose and why?  Finally, how would you persuade the members of your community that recycling is ultimately good for the community?

Superfund/Brownfields Discussion

We watched a news clip about the industrial waste buried under the Love Canal near Niagara Falls.  This area was a Superfund site but has been deemed safe enough for people to now live there and has since been redeveloped.  Explain the difference between a Superfund site and a Brownfield and give another example of each in the US.  There are two primary ways for turning these sites back into usable land by either removing the contaminated soil or by planting vegetation that would decontaminate the soil.  Explain two potential problems with each of these methods of reclamation. Reclaiming these sites is a debatable hot topic these days.  Explain one societal and one environmental for reclaiming and using the land.

BIG Picture Discussion

This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT. Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 16 and 17), from the notes in class, the clips we watched and from your reading and research.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth.      

Your blog is due Monday March 16th by midnight!  

Unit 8 Blog

Unit 8 Blog

To continue in the format our our second semester blog posts, I will provide suggested vocabulary for the unit and continue the emphasis on our discussion portion of your post.  You do not have to include the vocab as part of your blog, but you are welcome to!  You are required to answer each discussion portion of you blog thoroughly and thoughtfully.  Happy blogging!

Suggested Vocabulary:

groundwater recharge

floodplainLevee

Dike

Desalinization

Distillation

Reverse Osmosis

Point Source of Pollution

Non-point Source of Pollution

MCL

Clean Water Act

Safe Water Drinking Act

Types of water pollution- You should know the source and the potential human/ecological health effects of each:

Lead

Mercury

Arsenic

Acid deposition/Mine drainage

Pesticides

Pharmaceuticals

Hormones

PCBs

PBDEs

Oil

Solid Waste

Thermal 

Freshwater Resource Discussion

Underground aquifers, lakes, rivers and wetlands provide many ecological and economic benefits to their surrounding ecosystems.  Discuss both the ecological and economic benefits of each freshwater-ish source (I get that wetlands are not always freshwater... but they are super important!) giving at least two example for each.  Also give at least one example of how human activity can be harmful to each of these resources.

Water Diversion Discussion

Water is not always where we need it to be.  For thousands of years, humans have diverted water for their own needs via dams, dikes, and aqueducts.  Discuss 3 water diversion projects by first explaining the location of the source and then where the water ended up.  Next, for each example, discuss the ecological benefits and costs as well as the economic benefits and costs for each project (feel free to reference the work you did on your dam project if you would like or find some new examples that we haven't discussed!).

Water Quality Discussion

When we were at Parr park, we did several water quality tests to access the health of the ecosystem.  Discuss each test and what the test indicates about the quality of the water we tested including potential sources of the pollutant associated with the test.  In addition to tests humans can run on the water itself, there are many species that can be studied that give an indication of the health of an ecosystem.  These species are known as indicator species.  Give an example of a biological indicator species and explain how changes in its morphology or population numbers gave scientists an indication that something just wasn't right in the area.  Make sure to discuss what scientists believe to be the cause of this species change.   

Water Conservation Discussion

Only 3% of the world's water is freshwater, of that 3%, less and 1% is available for human use.  The 3 largest consumers of freshwater are agriculture, industry and household use, in that order.  Give at least two suggestions for how each consumer listed above could make changes to better conserve this valuable resource.     

BIG Picture Discussion

This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT. Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 9 and 14), from completing your assignments, the documentaries we watched and from your labs.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth.      

Blogs are due February 24th. Don't forget to PUBLISH your blog... saving and publish are two different things in the eyes of Google Blogger!  Happy Blogging! 

Unit 7 Blog

Welcome to the 2nd semester of APES!!!  

In the spirit of starting fresh, we are going to change up the way we write our blogs just a bit. First, I'm going to include a list of vocabulary words that I believe are important for the unit.  Instead of defining them like we have been, I'm encouraging you to make your own flash cards in a similar way that you have been doing so far this year (your own definition and draw a picture to help you remember them).  As we finish these last units, keep track of all of your flash cards to use as a study tool for AP test preparation.  That being said, you are no longer required to include vocabulary in your blog post!

Second, our discussion portion is going to the emphasis of our blogs.  This is an attempt to help you guys prepare for the FRQs that we will be working on for each unit and for your ultimate FRQ- the AP test!  The more comfortable you guys are with writing about these topics, the more information you will have to pull from and talk about when you are in an actual testing situation!  So.... here we go!  Make sure you pay attention to all parts of each question and answer each part thoroughly using complete thoughts and proper grammar!

Suggested Vocabulary:

• Maximum Sustainable Yield
• Clear Cutting
• Selective Cutting
• Ecologically Sustainable Forestry
• Urban Sprawl
• Urban Blight
• Smart Growth
• Undernutrition
• Overnutrition
• Agribusiness
• Energy Subsidy
• Green Revolution
• Waterlogging
• Salinization
• Monocropping
• Bioaccumulation
• Pesticide Treadmill
• Shifting Agriculture
• Desertification
• Nomadic Grazing
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Organic Agriculture
• CAFOs
• Aquaculture

Forestry Discussion

In many ecosystems, forest fires are an important natural process.  In recent years it has become more commonplace for prescribed burns to be used as an alternative way to manage forests.  Discuss at least one benefit and one cost for managing forests in this manner.  Make sure that for each example given, you discuss the economic, ecological and human impact of your example.

Global Nutrition Discussion

While meat is a regular part of most American's diets, many people in other parts of the world have a primarily plant-based diet because meat is very expensive.  Explain why meat production is more costly than grain production in terms of the amount of land required, the amount of energy and resources needed and the overall environmental impact of meat production.

Genetic Engineering Discussion

Genetically modified crops have become increasingly popular in the industrialized world.  Describe the benefits and costs of farming GM crops versus non-GM crops in terms of their environmental and economic impacts.  Make sure you discuss one at least one benefit and one cost for each impact.

Sustainable Agriculture Discussion

The dust bowl of the 1930's was caused by a combination of extended severe drought conditions in the midwest and poor farming practices.  Not sure what the dust bowl was???  Take a look at this 3 minute video to help you get a better idea of the utter devastation that took place!  Http://www.history.com/topics/dust-bowl/videos/black-blizzard

In an effort to avoid a second dust bowl, soil conservation has become a priority to many farmers.  Discuss at lease two examples of farming techniques that can be used to prevent soil erosion and improve soil quality.  For each example, discuss both the economic and environmental benefits of these techniques.  

Pest Management Discussion

Many farms have started using integrated pest management as an alternative to traditional pesticides.  Define IPM and give at least two examples of of how it works.  For each example, explain how this method of pest control is considered to be more environmentally friendly to farms than traditional pesticide use.  Additionally discuss whether or not the method is considered to be more cost effective than traditional pesticides. 

BIG Picture Discussion  

This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT (forgot what these were over the holiday???  human impact, environmental impact, economic impact and legislation that applies to the unit). Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 10 and 11), from completing your assignments, the documentary we watched and from your labs.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth.      

Blogs are due tentatively by February 3rd.  I'm still working out the remainder of the unit, but I expect to be testing that week.  Lastly, don't forget to PUBLISH your blog... saving and publish are two different things in the eyes of Google Blogger!  Happy Blogging! 

Unit 6 Blog

Hey guys!  So here's the dirt on dirt, since we have so many test grades this 6 weeks, this will be a shorter blog with only vocabulary and BIG picture discussion.  It will count as a quiz grade on this 6 weeks.  The instructions for the blog are below!

Unit Vocabulary- define each term in your own words and include a picture that ties in to the term to help you remember the definition.  

The list is below:

Asthenosphere

Lithosphere

Plate Techtonics

Tectonic Cycle

Divergent Plate Boundaries

Convergent Plate Boundaries

Transform Fault Boundary

Physical Weathering

Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Deposition
Cation Exchange Capacity

Base Saturation

Soil Degradation

Ores

Big Picture Reflection-  This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT.  Please tie in information you learned in your reading, from completing your assignments, the documentary we watched and from your lab.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth.      

Unit 5 Blog

Unit 5 Blog- The Human Population

Instructions for your Unit 5 blog are below.  Please pay attention to changes in the assignments.  

Also, THE BIG IDEAS are to cover the ENTIRE UNIT.  

You should be discussing your reading, labs, current event AND anything else you can tie in that we learned during this unit.  

If you only discuss your article, POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED!

Unit Vocabulary- define each term in your own words and include a picture that ties in to the term to help you remember the definition.  The list is below:

CBR

CDR

TFR

Replacement Level Fertility

Population Momentum

Net Migration Rate

Family Planning

Affluence

IPAT equation
GDP

Population Pyramid- no definition, just include an example of what a pyramid looks like for a country experiencing a high growth rate, stable growth, and a declining population. 

Making Connections- Review the theory of demographic transition.  Discuss the expected environmental impact associated with each stage of demographic transition (ex. as a country transitions from stage 1 to 2, stage 2 to 3, etc, what kind of impact does this demographic change have on the environment?)

Current Event- Find a current event that discusses the population control measures being taken in either India or China.  Summarize the article and discuss the pros and cons of these measures. 

Big Picture Reflection-  This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT.  Please tie in information you learned in your reading, from completing your assignments, the documentary we watched and from your current event.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.    

Turning it in- I have your link and will continue to put your feedback on the google doc I shared with you.  Blog is due Sunday November 30th (yep, thats right, you get through Thanksgiving break).