How do we reduce the impacts of it?

1. Pick an air pollutant. Where does it come from? Where does it go? Why is it harmful? How do we reduce the impacts of it?

 

 

 

 

2.Pick a wetland environment.

What makes it wet? Why is it valuable? What threatens this value? How can we reduce this treat?

 

 

3.Estimate your individual household water use. Compare with other members of your group. Estimate the average amount of water your group uses per week (per person).

Some steps to consider:

What are the different uses of water in your house?

How often do you use this water per week?

How fast is the water supplied?

How many people use this water?

Show calculations.

 

 

 

4.Household Solid Waste. Dig through your weekly trash.  Estimate the percentage of plastic, paper, food, metal, glass, other.  Estimate the total weight of your weekly trash generated by your household.  Estimate how much of the total is recycled.  How can you reduce the total amount o f your household solid waste. Compare with other members of your group.

 

 

5.1.) Find your household Electricity and Heating bills(oil, natural gas, or propane).  Determine your annual energy usage per household.  Note: If you rent and do not pay your own utilities, try to find this from your landlord.  If not available, find this number for the average American.

2.) Convert the total energy usage (for electrical and for heat) to gallons of gasoline (US) using the following website:

http://www.onlineconversion.com/energy.htm

3.) Estimate how much energy your household could realistically conserve.

4) Compare with your group （You can write freely）

 

Important qustion！

6.Make-Up Weekly Assignment Questions (2 pts each; expect 200-300 words):

1) Ecological Footprint Calculation. Calculate your individual ecological footprint. Describe the major contributors of your lifestyle to your ecological footprint.  What can you do to reduce your footprint?

2) Pick an ecosystem (e.g. hydrothermal vent, temperate forest, Arctic tundra, semi-arid desert, etc.). Describe the abiotic and biotic components that make it unique from other ecosystems. What could you measure that would indicate the “health” of this ecosystem as the climate changes.

3) Describe an “environmental success story”, a case study of an area/resource/system that has recovered. Describe the increased ecosystem goods and services that are once again provided to society that were not existent in its degraded state.