1.Based on this module when talking about biodiversity there are many threats which can harm certain places around the world; specifically, when referring to H.I.P.P.O. In 150-200 words describe which aspect of H.I.P.P.O affects your home state. You must include at least one source.

1. I am from Virginia and for the past four years there has been a substantial threat to the biodiversity within the state. This threat is due to habitat loss. The woodlands of Virginia are now being used for shopping centers, grocery stores and new roads for corridors. According to LandScope of America, 93,000 acres of Virginia’s landscape is being converted into spaces which are nonrenewable. This habitat loss has lead to fragmentation within the landscape. Fragmentation within Virginia has lead to the destruction of the natural vegetation in the area which could ultimately lead to erosion and the reduction of our water quality. There seems to be this domino affect which occurs when there are threats to our biodiversity. A threat can first be categorized under H.I.P.P.O, which is a broad term to identifying the biggest of threats. From there it spirals into subcategories which can affect another part of an area such as fragmentation and so on and so forth. This never ending cycle is one that is continually effecting our environment and the biodiversity on this planet.

Sources:

– Anonymous. “© Bruce McNitt/Panoramic Images (Virginia).” Habitat Loss in Virginia //            LandScope America. 2016. Accessed April 14, 2016: National Geographic

– Weber, Joseph. “Department of Conservation and Recreation.” Virginia Conservation Vision

-Natural Landscape Needs Assessment. January 11. Accessed April 14, 2016: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

2.Create a system diagram based on the above information highlighting the core ideas.

3.Biodiversity hotspots are all around the world. Pick one of these hotspots not mentioned in the module and find a current event happening, in regards to the threats of biodiversity of that particular area. (150-200 words) You must include at least one source.

3. One of the biodiversity hotspots I researched was New Zealand. In New Zealand there is a great threat to their biodiversity due to invasive species. Back in the 18^th century when the island was colonized by the Europeans many species such as sheep, cats, foxes and various rodents were brought along with them. These invasive species have now been affecting New Zealand’s native animals, therefore these natives are becoming extinct. For example, the islands numbers in birds and mammals are decreasing more and more due to that colonization in the 18^th century. Similar to the domino effect mentioned above, this information demonstrates a food chain process where the invasive species have become the predators and the native animals have become the prey. Due to this addition of new predators, the food chain in New Zealand becomes even more complicated. This complication ultimately creates threats like H.I.P.P.O to places known for their biodiversity.

Sources:

-Conservation International. “Biological Diversity in New Zealand.” Biological Diversity in New Zealand. July 3, 2014. Accessed April 14, 2016. doi: The Encyclopedia of Earth.

-Stephens, Tim. “Study Shows Biodiversity Benefits of Removing Invasive Mammals from Islands.” UC Santa Cruz News. March 21, 2016. Accessed April 14, 2016. doi:   University of California Santa Cruz.

2) This diagram shows the global rise in the issue of climate change which eventually lead to the creation of the Copenhagen Accord. Many countries were aware of the increase in global warming, however the US believed that the only way to fix this problem was to implement the Copenhagen Accord. This accord was an alternate form of the Kyoto Protocol and was one that would benefit the US greatly. However, there became an issue of finding other countries to support this law. Therefore, the US tried to gain allies of not only the big countries, but the under developed ones too. There were many approaches that the US used as persuasion which included money, threats, spying and cables. As explained in my diagram financial aid was used as an incentive to those who chose to support the Copenhagen Accord while also threatening those who opposed it. In regards to the threats some countries chose to accept the consequences addressed by the US and some chose to agree to terms such as Ethiopia. In regards to the tactic of spying the US managed to adhere certain cables of which each country could be bribed with. With all of these approaches there became a lack of trust among those countries due to the fact that some questions could not be answered. For example, one of those being that the US could not answer what form of financial aid these countries would receive i.e. cash etc. Due to this lack of trust and knowledge this resulted in the failing of the Copenhagen Accord and the failing in persuading policies on Climate Change.

3) Contrary belief climate change is mainly comprised of human’s interaction and activity in regards to the greenhouse gases. This issue can be compared to the module lessons on ethics and collective action. In helping the environment, we as a society need to not consider these virtue ethics but rather ethically act in order for the ends to justify the means. If we take action on this issue, the means could lead to healthy and sustainable environment. Its these environmental ethics that correspond to the concept of collective action. Climate change is one that affects everyone on this planet, no matter what the country. We can make ends justify the means, however it is very hard to do that without the cooperation of all parties involved. According to WikiLeaks, the United States had taken it upon themselves as an individual interest to change climate change for the sake of our country, no one else’s. This is proved through evidence of the spying and sending of cables. Instead of negotiating, the US also created ultimatums for countries who opposed the Copenhagen Accord. All of these tactics and self interests didn’t provide a solution but rather provided the same outcome as before. These actions therefore influenced my view on the State Department cables. I believe these cables should have been made public. The US was using these cables as a source of espionage in order to gain support from those countries and that is neither fair nor ethical. Despite these unethical decisions made by the US, it is still tough to say what should be done. I think we should start with reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by requiring an education program teaching each country of their fossil fuel use and how it can be reduced within that specific area. This could influence certain companies, vendors etc. to make a change in order to benefit their country. As you can see climate change has and will continue to be a rising area of concern and if we continue this trend our sustainability as a planet will be in danger.

My hometown is Leesburg, Virginia. Leesburg is located in Northern Virginia and is about 40 minutes outside of Washington D.C. After looking at the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, I was able to see the hazards that directly affect where I live. Based on the map my area is in zone 0 for earthquakes, zone 3 for tropical cyclones, zone 2 for hailstorms, zone 0 for extratropical storms, zone 3 for tornadoes and zone 1 for wildfires. While I find this map interesting in helping determine my areas natural hazards, I do think there are some flaws. It shows my hometown is in zone 0 for extratropical storms which is very surprising considering within the past couple years and especially this year we received over 48 inches of snow. Overall I think this map is very difficult to understand which specific zone your area is in due to the lack of clarity within the map itself.

A current disaster that I found using the Hungarian National Association of Radio Distress Signaling and Infocommunications’ (RSOE) Emergency and Disaster Information Service (EDIS) was a Volcano Eruption in the US state of Alaska. No one was found dead, missing or injured. My hometown will not be able to experience the same type of disaster. Though in the state of Virginia there are two extinct volcanoes, there are none in my area. A volcanic eruption cannot happen within my area because there no is no volcanic activity. The ones that are in the state of Virginia however are extinct, meaning that they have not had an eruption for over 10,000 years. The scale of this volcanic eruption relative to my hometown is huge. This volcanic eruption created an ash cloud that stretched more than 400 miles into the inside of Alaska. The town of Leesburg is 12.47 miles long that means the ash cloud was almost 32 times that of my hometown. It is difficult to determine the impact of this disaster if it were the same scale of my hometown. However, it seems as though all Leesburg residents would be effected by it, not just one set of people. In Alaska this natural hazard is affecting a lot of the air traffic within the state as the ash from the eruption is now 37,000 feet high. With a volcanic eruption everyone is vulnerable, however we have a very large community of elders within my town and I believe it would be harder for them to evacuate and withstand the effects of the air quality after the eruption. The only way we could reduce my town’s vulnerability would be to evacuate everyone as soon as possible and hope for the best.

Tornadoes are the main natural hazard for my hometown, according to USA.com. I can personally attest to this fact as it is true. While living in Virginia we had a tornado warning and had to go into our basement away from the windows for about ten minutes until the siren stopped. We live in an area with a forest in our backyard and after the tornado warning there were trees broken off and some very close to falling on the electrical telephone wires.

World Media Group. “Virginia Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes.” Virginia State Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes. USA.com, 2016. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

I think the actions that could be done to reduce vulnerability to the natural hazards in my town is to emphasize on what the module calls “Pre-event Preparedness.” If we could determine the natural disasters such as tornadoes further ahead of time that would allow my town and many others to be prepared and properly evacuate if necessary. This action would also allow ample time for those elders as mentioned above to be safe from any harm of the tornados. The best people to preform these actions would be meteorologists or the National Weather Service, which would be able to find out certain patterns of these tornados or natural hazards. As a resident of Leesburg I can do my best to become aware of the weather changes that occur in my hometown. I would also do my best to be apart of the emergency response in order to help educe harm.

1. My hometown is Leesburg, Virginia. It is about 33 miles west-northwest of Washington DC and is home to about 48,000 people. Leesburg is a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood founded in 1730. I have lived in Leesburg for the past 4 years and it is very family friendly. In Leesburg we have an old courthouse, some antique shops, bars with live entertainment and restaurants surrounded by cobble stone. Leesburg is located in, Loudoun County, the richest county in the United States and though many people drive places it is not considered an automobile suburb. On the weekends, especially during the summer you will see families and kids walking around all round town. This includes even walking and staying up after dark. I love Leesburg. It appeals to people of all ages and even though I have only been living there for four years it is a place I consider to be my home.

2. Where I live it can be compared to the town called Beacon hill in the module 7 reading. According to the reading Beacon hill is a hip lively town filled with very wealthy residents and many attractions. Leesburg is very similar as buildings resemble the those in the city, brick buildings, cobble stone ally ways and the buildings are squeezed together side by side. The atmosphere on the weekends is much like that of a City as well. There are live bands that play not only at the bars but on the “Green” for families and kids. Walking is common in Leesburg, however there’s still a use of automobiles as a source of transportation. Though both towns are alike, there are some things that Beacon Hill offers that could make my town more sustainable. If Leesburg made walking more accessible to its residents, we could cut down on pollution. This making Leesburg more sustainable for the future and a better way for pedestrians to interact with each other.

3. The second city I chose from this module was Copenhagen. This module mentions the importance and consideration that many people in Copenhagen have for cyclists. Leesburg is also home to many cyclists. To get to my house downtown we have to go through the back roads, as in roads that have twists and turns and have many hills. Its about a mile long and during the summer you will see hundreds of cyclists riding on them. The only problem with this is that we do not have bike lanes and many Leesburg residents are not considerate of these cyclists. The back roads are so narrow and hilly that those who drive are not able to pass them as it is very dangerous. Therefore, creating a major traffic jam and potential accidents. As stated in the module I think Leesburg could benefit from Copenhagen’s traffic calming program. My town does consider cyclists as pedestrians, if were were to immerse this idea into the residents of the town I think there would be a lot less traffic and pollution.

When I was in 6^th grade my family and I moved to Kronberg, Germany. Visiting a place and living there are two different things. When you live in a place you must adhere to the culture, respect the traditions and of course be willing to except new social norms such as the food choice. When I lived there, we always ate meat. Whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, some type of meat was involved. We ate lots bratwursts, schnitzel, pork and beef. We had a joke in my family that whenever we move back to the states we would all become vegetarians. I noticed that in the United States a lot of meals are served with the side of vegetables or fruits but in Germany the meals were served with even more meat. The vegetables grown in Germany are usually used in stews or soups rather a side. These social norms of Germany influenced how and what we ate as a family with every meal, especially when we went out to eat.

This social norm can be connected to the societal issue one being health issues such as cancer and the other to obesity/nutrition. By eating too much meat a person can become overweight very easily. While we as humans need protein in our body eating meat with every course, three times a day, seven days a weak is not healthy by any means. A study proved that 60 percent of the men and 43 percent of the women in Germany are overweight due to meat consumption. This meat consumption can also lead to the risk of getting cancer. If a person eats too much red meat it has been proven to increase the risk for colon cancer. While Living in Germany my family and I did not encounter cancer, however we did experience the weight gain. Over the course of living for one year I gained 15lbs. Based on this analysis I believe that the social norm should include eating meat like the Healthy Eating Pyramid suggests, however with a side of vegetables or fruit for a variety of nutrition.

Environmental Justice Case Study For The Detroit Intermodal Terminal Project

For the first case study I have selected the one located in Detroit, Michigan. The Domestic case study was done on “The Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal Project,” by Ashley Atkinson of the University of Michigan. The link is http://www.umich.edu/%7Esnre492/Publish/ashley.html. The Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal project (DIFT) is meant to help Detroit increase in the freight transportation business. This project aims to develop facilities that will be able to handle future freight shipments needed by those certain businesses. The DIFT project deals with what the module identifies as environmental justice. For a while Detroit was of the poorest and most dangerous places to live. Its this population living within this environment that will suffer from the economic development of the DIFT project. Businesses may benefit most from this project as stated previously, but environmental justice is the idea that there are also populations which will suffer from this type of burden. The people living in Detroit area will have to sacrifice their health as the DIFT project could “add to the existing health conditions.”

Unsustainable Case Study On Taking Control of Pollution in Mexico City

My second case study was on the control of air pollution in Mexico City, Mexico by Michelle Hibler. The link is http://www.idrc.ca/EN/Resources/Publications/Pages/ArticleDetails.aspx?PublicationID=567. The goal of this study is to reduce the emissions of pollution and to educate people within that area on hoe they can help find a solution. Due to Mexico City’s location there are low levels of oxygen; causing the combustion of other gases. These gases are penetrated by sunlight, leading to the creation of smog. This smog is a key factor in causing the emissions and human health issues within Mexico City. It is also stated that people within Mexico City don’t realize they too are a factor in causing this pollution. This case study relates to the idea of unsustainable development. This type of development indicates that there needs to be a cultural change among the people of Mexico City. In order to do this, it suggests the “need for better communication about government programs’ in improving air quality.” This would cause a break within the current issue of the unsustainable development within Mexico City.

Living in Los Angeles, California with Smog and Air Pollution

Both studies can be compared and contrasted to when I lived in Los Angeles, California. LA is known for producing a lot of smog due to the use of transportation as well as from the factories. These human errors are what causes an unstainable development, similar to the environment in Mexico City. These pollution emissions within LA do not effect one particular group in general, like the DIFT project within Detroit. Smog can effect every human within that particular environment, therefore disproving the idea of environmental justice in LA. In both cases it seems as though education and regulation could be the key parts in advancing development with the LA area. By educating people of the problem and enforcing certain regulations based on facility growth, this would be to aid in reducing the pollution problem. Examining where and when the certain case study takes place is important because it allows us to understand and see what specific materials and resources are available and who has access to those environmental goods for example in Detroit and Mexico City.

1A) Leesburg, Virginia is home to about 40,000 people, which is considerably big. The Potomac River is the main source of water for that area. The Broad Run Water Reclamation Facility (BRWRF) is an 11 million gallons per day reclamation facility that takes water from the Potomac and purifies it for household use. BRWRF is required to uphold state regulations due the fact that the water supply is from an upstream river. The facility must have a certain total of nitrogen demands, phosphorus demands, Kjeldahl Nitrogen demands and chemical oxygen demand limit. According to Loudoun.org BRWRF uses a series of technology as a standard precaution for environmental safety and water retrieval. They use a technology such as grit removal, primary clarification, fine screening, flow equalization etc. This process allows filtration and distribution among households and residences. Once this water leaves our houses it is transported into a septic tank, where it holds the all of the sewage under ground. This sewage is then transported back to Ashburn, Virginia where it is treated and recycled all over again into filtered water at the Broad Run Water Reclamation Facility.

1B) Activity Conducted: 2/9/16

ACTIVITY                                                                  GALLONS OF WATER

Shower                                                            5-gallons’ x 10 min = 50

Teeth Brushing                                                1-gallon x 2 min = 2

Hands/Face Washing                                                    1 gallon

Leg Shaving                                                                1 gallon

Dishwashing by hand                                                   2-gallons’ x 3 min = 6

Clothes washer                                                 25-gallons’ x 1 load = 25

Toilet flush                                                                   3-gallons’ x 5 times = 15

Glasses of water                                                            1 gallon

Total: 95 Gallons  

1C) When having a restriction of only using 2 gallons of water it really puts your life into perspective. This 2-gallon challenge did not go as planned as it was unsuccessful from very early on. I am big on cleanliness, therefore I usually take a shower every morning, however with this experiment my main priority was to give up a shower for a day. This being said I was able to focus on using those 2 gallons in a more useful way (saving approximately 50 gallons of water from not showering). Based on the chart created in Part 1-b I also use a lot of water when dishwashing by hand, therefore I decided to use paper plates, that way I could recycle them rather than wasting the water. Geography matters to water use because in certain areas of the world, such as North America, it is easy to use the water supply as if it will never run out. However, for the average person in Haiti and Mozambique 2 gallons of water must be carefully planned out on how much and where to use this water supply. We as a society tend to take this luxury as an advantage, which was brought to light through this experiment.

Sources for Part 1A: http://www.loudounwater.org/Residential-Customers/Water-Reclamation/

1. Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts (virtue ethics vs. action ethics)?

I believe that it is more important to be a good person rather than to perform good acts. A good person values things in their life whether it is their family, education etc. They do not hide who they are behind acts of kindness. For example, in our current society we see many athletes perform good acts such as working with charity ventures, starting programs and giving back to their communities. However, history has shown that just because they manage to perform good acts doesn’t mean they are necessarily good people. Ray Rice in particular is a good example of this. He started a charitable fund in his name but behind closed doors, he managed to knock out his girlfriend in an elevator and drag her body out of the setting. He got caught, proving that people can put on an act in public and perform good deeds to uphold their status. Based on this conclusion and the information in this module the concept of virtue ethics, I believe is more important than action ethics. We need to start with “what we should be” rather than “what we should do.”

5. Do the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matter as much as the pleasure and pain of humans (speciesism)?

I believe that both non-human animals and humans, experience just as much pleasure and pain as the other. It has been said that non-human animals don’t experience any emotion and that they don’t understand how to react in situations that are appropriate. However, I disagree with this statement. I have a dog named Bailey and though she isn’t the brightest dog out there she is still able to feel and love. My father travels a lot for work, so when he packs his suitcase she will lay by his side and follow him all over the house, knowing that he will be gone soon. When he eventually comes home and she hears that garage door open she has a routine. She will scramble to her bed, grab her bone, run to the front door while shaking her tail and whimpering with her nose placed in between the crack of the door. She may not be human but she feels pleasure and happiness just as a spouse would seeing their significant other when they come into the door.

6. Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less (selfishness vs. altruism)?

In response to this question I believe that my life is equally valuable to all walks of life, except those who choose to make decisions that are morally wrong, such as criminals. According to John Locke no one is ever born evil or innately good. We are born on a clean slate. Everyone has a choice of whether they want to be a good person or not. Therefore, I would say my life is worth the same as those who make good choices and are genuinely good people. For example, I believe that If someone murders another person, that murderer doesn’t deserve to live. Their life is not as valuable as the people who are good and making something of themselves. It may sound crude but I believe that that’s the truth. In relation to the concept of Distributive Justice, these criminal’s actions lead the consequences of being placed in jail or even the death penalty. People have a choice and if their choice is to perform acts that are morally wrong then I believe in that situation my life is worth more.

In my diagram I chose to focus on the relationship between the ecosystem and social system within the Indian society, more specifically in relation to the village shown in the film. The diagram I created displays the concept of a negative feedback loop. An example of a negative feedback loop within my diagram is the relationship between the smoke and its effect on creating biogas. Because firewood produces so much smoke, that smoke creates health problems. These problems are the main factor as to why biogas and the biogas tank was created. This negative feedback from the smoke persuaded D Vidya Sagra (the founder) to find a solution. Another factor to take into account with the ideas in my diagram is that it displays the concept of IPAT. The IPAT equation is used to show the relationship between the poor environment of this small village in India with its effect on the humans (more specifically the women and their children) living within that village. The rural animals, such as cows are able to contribute to a product called Cow Dung. This Cow Dung is the core resource used to power the biogas tank. The biogas tank is then able to produce compost and methane gas; which then allows the families to not only make a profit of selling this compost but as well as the ability to prepare meals in a safe environment (IPAT).

In conclusion the diagram I created is very similar to that in the Marten reading “What is Human Ecology.” In both diagrams they show the negative and positive feedback loops within the social system and the ecosystem. They provide connections between the the two different topics. The main way in which our diagrams are different however is the fact that he focused on more of how the environment aspect such as plants, water, soil etc effect the social system. In my diagram I focused on more specifically how animals such as cows contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment for those of the Indian village. What I learned by these comparisons is that diagrams can be different whether it be the content or context that it is referring to. However, in the end there are connections and links that can be found within all aspects of a diagram, whether that be positive or negative. I also learned that the social system and ecosystem though different, depend on each other a great deal. When one is effected, so is the other.

Hello My name is Alexis Jacuzzi. I am currently a sophomore at Penn State and living in downtown State College. However, I am from Leesburg, Virginia. I have moved seven times in the last ten years but I consider Virginia to be my home. I was born in California. My family and I then moved to Michigan, England, Germany, Florida, Connecticut and now Virginia. Through all of these experiences I learned about diversity and how each culture should not be considered right or wrong but just different. I am in pursuit of becoming a graphic designer. The creativity aspect in graphic design is one of my favorite things about this career. I also find it self rewarding seeing my work around town. Other facts include that I love playing soccer and hanging out with my family. With being able to explore the world at such a young age I was able to see all types of different lands and ecosystems. I am interested in this class because I want to learn more about our earth and how we can help as a society.

There are many issues when talking about geography. However, the one I would like to address is the issue of Human-Environment Interactions. This topic is very important especially when talking about whether or not “social and ecological systems can coexist” in the same environment. As I said above I was born in California and the dramatic change in scenery from when I was born 1996 to now in 2015 is substantial due to the fact of the horrible drought currently taking over the state. It is said in the module that the environment is not the only thing that effects our sustainability on this planet but as well as human interactions. This concept is important because if we as a society cannot find a resolution on how to balance our actions (governance) with the natural changes in our ecosystems then our earth is endanger.