1) As discussed in Module 10, species are becoming endangered daily due to biodiversity threats and changes. Using a credible source, choose one species and within 250-300 words explain why that species is threatened or endangered? If that species were to become extinct, how would that affect biodiversity? Make sure to incorporate different concepts mentioned throughout the module in your response.

When looking up threatened species, so many different types appeared online, however, I am going to focus on Pacific Salmon. This species interests me because I personally love to eat salmon and reading about the endangerment of salmon really makes me think twice about my own actions. When salmon are first born, they travel from freshwater rivers and lakes to the sea. We all know how popular Salmon is among humans and animals. It is sold at restaurants, at grocery stores, eaten by indigenous people and consumed by all types of other animals. Therefore, salmon plays a vital role within freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Some threats that are affecting salmon are from illegal poaching, habitat destruction, different developmental activities, unregulated over harvesting and climate change. Since people constantly consume salmon and our population is rapidly growing, fisheries are over harvesting, therefore killing more and more salmon. Meaning that as humans are killing lots of salmon, other animals are also eating salmon and environmental changes are causing salmon to die. It is undeniable that the salmon population will soon go extinct if we keep up this mass killing of salmon. If salmon were to go extinct, not only would humans and animals diets change, but also some animals wouldn’t receive appropriate nutrition. Secondly, salmon are a part of the food chain, meaning that other animals would suffer from either a lack of food or they may rapidly populate because they aren’t being eaten. Therefore if salmon were to go extinct, not only would that affect us anthropocentrically, because our economy would decrease and we’d lose food options, but ecocentrically the environment would not be healthy. This can exceed resilience, ultimately disturbing our ecosystem and biodiversity.

“Pacific Salmon.” WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

2) During this module, we read an article about honeybees and the colony collapse disease. Create a system diagram representing colony collapse of honeybees and its affect on biodiversity. Be sure to include at least 5 components on the system diagram.

3) In this module, we have read about how rapidly biodiversity is decreasing due to different human-environmental threats. Imagine we are now in the year 2025, do you still think the decline of biodiversity will be an issue? Please explain why or why not using 150-200 words.

During this module, we read about how the rate of extinction is increasing because of an increase in human population, consumption levels and mobility along with habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and over harvesting. Since our population is rapidly growing I think sustaining biodiversity is still going to be an issue in 2025. Although through conservation triage and IUCN protected area categories we are trying to maintain biodiversity, as our population grows we are only going to need more and more resources. Thus meaning that we will rely on expanding industries or using even more of our natural resources to attain these necessities. Unfortunately, this is what leads to a loss of biodiversity, which can cause our ecosystem to collapse. Hopefully at this point in time, we will have more beneficial alternatives for human-environmental activities that will help keep the richness and variation of living organisms. But at the rate we’re at, our population growth along with climate change, deforestation and pollution will only keep increasing causing a loss of biodiversity.

1)

2) My diagram focuses on the major issue of climate change and the attempts of the Copenhagen accord and WikiLeaks cables to help trigger climate mitigation. Climate change is an issue for all nations, which is why the Copenhagen accord was created. We must reduce human activities that are causing excess greenhouse gases in order to reduce climate change. Unfortunately, not all nations view climate change as a priority issue due to their lack of money or resources. Most countries focus on what is most beneficial to their economy and therefore don’t concentrate on environmental issues. As a result, the US State department started bribing and spying on other countries in order to gain support. Some countries refused US aid because they didn’t want to take financial aid from the US only for political purposes. Saudi Arabia, the 2^nd biggest oil producer, decided to accept US aid as long as their economy wouldn’t be comprised. The US aid within Saudi Arabia would cause a decrease in the amount of oil or fossil fuels used in efforts to reduce climate change. Similarly, poorer countries accepted the US aid because they overall needed assistance and money from an outside source. However, this is where the question of ethics comes into play. Is bribing other countries with money in order to support the US ethically correct? Or should we let these countries decide their course of action on their own? 116 nations are apart of this climate treaty showing that if we collectively take action, we can accomplish more. However, it is essential that we make sure the measures we are taking to achieve climate mitigation are ethical.

3) I believe it’s important to recognize that climate change is an ongoing issue, especially with our increased use of greenhouse gases. We are rapidly using up fossil fuels, which can’t be replaced. Overtime, this will lead to an unsustainable environment along with the loss of essential resources. I think it is imperative that the public knows what is happening within the world, especially when it could ultimately affect our own lives, from an anthropocentric point of view. Even though the leaking cables, as discussed in the article, informed everyone about the issues arising, there could have been a better way to update the public. The goal of the government is to create policies and regulations that benefit the people, therefore the people should have a say in what is happening around the world. The US initially had an altruistic, collective goal in mind by wanted all countries to reduce green house gases in order to achieve climate mitigation. However, the way the US approached this issue was wrong. It is not ethical to bride or threaten other countries into supporting certain views. Although climate change affects the entire world, it is important for countries to want to limit their use of greenhouse gases on their own or unless they specifically ask for help. Bribing only makes the US seem brash and immoral. Maybe if countries provide videos and statistics of what the future could look like with a depletion of fossil fuels then the public, along with other country climate leaders, would want to get involved with the accord and sustainability. From listening to each other, we can come up with collective ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases used, while also coming up with new innovative alternatives.

1)According to the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, my hometown Potomac, Maryland experiences heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones. The Nathan World Map overall, is a generalized look on natural hazards that occur in the world. It does not specifically address each city and their natural hazards. According to the Nathan World Map, Maryland experiences heavy rainfall and the coast experiences tropical cyclones or hurricanes, which is accurate. However, Maryland also has lots of meteorological hazards such as cold waves, heat waves, hurricanes, freezing rain and even the occasional tornado. I don’t think the Nathan World Map is suited for identifying natural hazards in cities because shows outline of natural hazards worldwide, however, not for specific cities.

2)I decided to look into the heat wave in Kenya, Africa. Residents throughout Kenya are experiencing unusually high temperatures, which are causing an increase in water usage, dehydration and human discomfort. In Potomac, Maryland, heat waves can occur, however, we are better prepared for them than Kenya. We have multiple reservoirs throughout Potomac, better education on heat waves and better technology. This makes Potomac less vulnerable to heat waves than Kenya. The scale of the heat wave for Kenya is seen as local since it is only affecting the residents of Turkana County. These high temperatures are causing the residents to experience restless nights and dehydration. If this disaster occurred in my hometown, it would be seen as a big issue since the population in Potomac is much greater than the counties in Kenya. However, since there is less vulnerability in Potomac, wealthy families would be able to travel away from the heat and technology would be easier to purchase. In order to reduce vulnerability in my hometown, it is important to be prepared and become familiarized with heat waves. By having enough water, fans and air conditioning in Potomac, residents would be living in much better conditions, therefore less vulnerable, than the residents of Kenya.

3)In Potomac, Maryland, we are susceptible to a variety of meteorological, geological and hydrological hazards, however, Potomac is still at a relatively low risk compared to the rest of the US. Potomac has experienced droughts, heat waves, cold waves, hurricanes, freezing rain and tornados. One rather traumatic event that occurred in Maryland was an F3 tornado with close to 200 mph winds. It occurred in 2001 and caused 55 injuries, 2 deaths, and $101 million property damages. Since I was so young when this tornado occurred, I didn’t really learn about it, however, I remember my parents teaching me different procedures to take incase a tornado ever occurred again.

http://www.homefacts.com/tornadoes/Maryland/Montgomery-County/North-Potomac.html

4)In order to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in Potomac, it is crucial for all residents to be educated on the issues and be provided governance. Education allows for residents to learn how to avoid or reduce impacts. Cities could provide articles, or classes to take on impacts and reduction of natural hazards in order to better prepare and educate their residents. Through governance, the government could create policies, agencies, and support groups for natural hazards in order to warn and make residents aware of the hazards ahead of time. I believe that residents have the capability and most influential impact on reducing vulnerability through the way they teach their families, children or peers about these natural hazards. If I learn about the proper procedures and how to stay safe and prepared during natural hazards, I could teach others to educate them as well.

1. My hometown, Potomac, Maryland, is a relatively large town near Washington DC. The total population is 44,965 people with a total area of 26.6 square miles. From my house, I can drive 20 minutes to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, 10 minutes to the metro station and 40 minutes to Washington DC. With that being said, Potomac is an automobile suburb because it is nearly impossible to live in the town without having at a car. Our shopping malls, food stores and office buildings are a 10 to 15 minutes drive. The urban density in Potomac is lower than Washington DC, because the houses are designed for families and include lots of land in between. On the other hand, Washington DC, is an area where there are sideways to encourage walking, and the buildings are densely packed together. I enjoyed growing up in Potomac, because I was able to easily travel to so many different areas and still live in a house with a backyard.
2. In Bogota, Colombia, every Sunday and holiday the city holds a car-free event, known as Ciclovias. This event restricts cars from driving on roads or decreases their speed limit on roads allowing people to safely bike, walk and skate in the streets. Bogota is similar to Potomac, Maryland because the speed limits in our neighborhoods are typically reduced 20 to 25 miles per hour. I live in an area where there are constantly people outside walking around or biking for recreational purposes, and even though it would be highly impossible to completely eliminate all vehicles for a whole day, having a decreased speed limit help’s regulate accidents. It would be beneficial to try Ciclovias in my hometown in order to improve sustainability, however, the challenge is defying the social norms. So many people drive places just because it is efficient and everyone else does it. If cars were banned for a day and people had to bike or walk everywhere, lots of people would complain, even though it promotes resident health
3. Finally, I’m going to discuss Curitiba, Brazil. This city has created the best bus system in the world through generating a bus that efficiently travels to different streets and into the city center. This relates to Potomac, Maryland because we also have a bus system here that takes people to different spots throughout Potomac. For instance, the bus goes to the metro, schools, shopping malls and through a few neighborhoods. Unfortunately, buses don’t run as frequently in Potomac as they do in Bogota and aren’t as large, therefore people end up waiting hours for the bus to arrive. To create better sustainability in Potomac, I think it is important for more people to travel by bus, instead of car. This could help eliminate excess pollution and traffic on the streets because a single bus would be transporting lots of people. Therefore, this would have a beneficial and positive impact on our environment and human activity. Unfortunately, this would involve people changing their habits, which is difficult for most people.

1. My father works for the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and constantly encourages my family to eat healthy, all natural meals. Therefore, he always buys fruits, vegetables and meats from small family run farms. He consistently lectures us on everything such as the benefits of grass-fed cows versus corn fed cows and the mistreatment of animals at factory farms. Growing up, I was always surrounded by food from small family run farms, which influenced me to want to continue this shopping pattern. The social norm in this situation is my father’s influence on my family’s eating habits of small family run farm products. When I was younger, I remember asking him why certain meats were more expensive, and he would explain to me how different small farms and factory farms prepare and house their animals. This influenced me to want to only eat meats and produce from small family run farms.
2. I understand not everyone is fortunate enough to eat food products of small family run farms, since they can be pricey. In today’s society, a major issue is the increase in amount of industrial agriculture and the decrease in amount of small family run farms. Most people tend to purchase industrial agriculture or factory farms products because they are cheaper and produced in bulk. Although in some ways this can be beneficial, factory farms are notorious for mistreating, spreading bacteria among their animals and polluting the environment. I found it interesting that because factory farms feed their cows corn instead of grass, that more methane is created, which causes greenhouse gasses. Factory farms do not insure if the food being sold is all natural or if the animals were treated in an ethical manner. I believe that if our society creates more small family run farms, instead of increasing the number of factory farms, then people would be able to purchase cheaper food, eat healthier meats and know that animals are being treated properly.

The case study from the Colby- Sustainable Development website concentrates on traffic congestion in London, England. Traffic congestion in the inner city is detrimental to the population and environment, ultimately causing constant traffic, inefficiency to drivers and an increase in air pollution. To fix this issue, London has implemented a license system, which charges a single flat-rate to ones license in the inner city between 7 am to 6:30 pm on Mondays to Fridays. As a result, there’s been an enormous decrease in miles driven and an increase in public transportation, which inevitably decreases traffic congestion and pollution. Socially, this system saves time, reduces accidents and reduces CO2 emissions. The license system exemplifies the geography term, sustainable development. Throughout time, the people of London recognized the depletion of gas as it becomes scarce, the cumulative role of pollution, and the social role that traffic has on individual lives. Therefore, to sustain a life where future generations will be happy and have unlimited resources, it is necessary to adopt a system to limit congestion.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Allison.htm

The case study from the “Farming First” website focuses on the “Family Program” in Peru, which exporters Comercio&Cia set up, to give farmers credit for coffee sold. Previously, coffee producers had low levels of fertilizer and low incomes. Neither banks nor the government provided farmers with any credit when they were at this high risk. As a result, Comercio&Cia launched the “Family Program” which not only provides credit but also trains farmers in agronomic management. This program gradually expanded and helped farmers diversify their farm production and increase their income. Socially, this program improved family relationships and promoted biodiversity. The term historical geography is important in this case study because through this program, coffee farmers were able to diversify and specialize their farm produce. By learning throughout history, Comercio&Cia started a program that provides credit, increases incomes, and teaches skills to farmers in order to be successful.

http://www.farmingfirst.org/2011/01/credit-for-fertilizer-helps-peruvian-coffee-growers-improve-livelihoods/

The case study on the license system for traffic congestion and the case study about the “Family Program” connect with my hometown Potomac, Maryland. I live about 40 minutes from Washington, DC, so I understand the congestion of traffic. As a result of this congestion, we have express lanes that have different toll prices during rush hour in order to decrease the demand. Similar to London, Maryland provides numerous methods of public transportation such as the metro or buses. In the past, toll expressways and public transportation did not exist; however, neither did this high demand of traffic. Therefore, it is necessary to decrease driving to protect the environment. The second case study does not relate as well to my hometown because farmers in Maryland don’t have the same issues as Peruvian farmers. Our farming conditions are very different so it is challenging to compare the two different countries. Nonetheless, two issue Maryland farmers have are an increase in suburban development along with an increase in pollution of chemicals into rivers.

1-A

I am from Potomac, Maryland, which is apart of Montgomery County. The water supply source for my hometown is the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). Our water supply comes mainly from the Potomac River at an intake stream near the Great Falls and also reservoirs on the Patuxent River, the Tripdelphia and T. Howard Duckett. These reservoirs together can hold 10.2 billion gallons! The water from all these sources travels to either the Potomac Water Filtration Plant or the Patuxent Water Filtration Plant, which can treat up to 285 and 70 MGD (millions of gallons per day). These water sources bring the untreated water to a series of pressurized pump stations, where some chemicals get added such as carbon, acid, permanganate and coagulant. Then, the chemicals and water get mixed all together. Once the water reaches the sedimentation basin, the sediments and dirt get sorted and filtered out of the water. Afterwards, the water is pumped into water storage while disinfectant chemicals are added, such as chlorine, fluorine, etc. From the water storage, the clean and purified water gets distributed to our homes and fire hydrants where it can be used for our own purposes.

1-B

Water Usage (in gallons): February 7, 2016

1-C

Restricting my water usage to 2 gallons was challenging. According to 1-B, I used 92 gallons/day. I limited my shower to 5 minutes, which was still 25 gallons! Next, I decided to follow the phrase “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” to refrain from flushing. I still brushed my teeth 2 times, however, I turned the faucet off to conserve water. Lastly, I used reusable bottles and soaked my dishes when cleaning instead of leaving the faucet on. I failed using under 2 gallons of water because I showered and washed my hands and face to stay clean. Having the luxury of clean water is definitely taken for granted, but this experiment made me aware of how much water I waste. Compared to part 1-B, I used less water but not under 2 gallons. I learned ways to limit water usage like turning the faucet off or not flushing the toilet. Limiting personal water usage is an individual action; it makes a huge difference because all actions impact the environment. Through taking responsibility of our actions and maintaining sustainability, we can together create a collective action and conserve water. Using collective action, we will find a way to conserve water.

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

This has always been a question I have wondered about. I would say that it is more important to be a good person than to perform good acts. Let’s say a politician donated ten thousand dollars to a charity, but only to get more people to vote for them, would that make them a good person? They performed a good act, however, what matters the most are the intentions or reasons behind the act. I think it is more important to be a good person because virtue ethics is what ultimately decides how you act. If you are a good person, you will most likely want to help others and therefore be motivated to donate money or be passionate about what interests you. Although performing good acts is taking initiative to get the task done, it is simply going through the action and that doesn’t necessarily mean there is any passion involved. Module #3 talks about how these 2 types of ethics are usually intertwined together and I believe this is the most constructive way to take action.

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

Although some people argue that humans feel emotions and have better reasoning and judgment, scientists have discovered that most non-human animals have these same abilities. I believe that both non-human animals and human’s pleasure and pain should matter the same amount. The reason for this is that, if other non-human animals have the ability to feel emotion, reproduce and have reasoning, then what makes us more important? This concept made me think about Robin Williams and the gorilla Koko, who he would work with weekly. Koko, not only learned how to communicate in sign language, but also had the emotional capacity to become depressed when hearing about Robin William’s death. Having this knowledge that non-human animals also go through these painful emotions, how can we put ourselves before them? I realize that in present day society it is almost impossible to convince everyone speciesism is a concept to protest, however, I still think it is important to remember the emotional capacity that non-human animals have. Maybe this could help eliminate excess animal cruelty such as hunting animals for fun or abusing animals.

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

I strongly believe that all lives have the same value. My reasoning for this may come off as a bit morbid, but I think about life worth through people who suffer from depression. You can never tell who is hurting inside. Whether it is a hometown friend, family member, celebrity, political or even yourself, we all go through the same emotional rollercoaster and therefore all of our lives are worth the same. Celebrities who have money, fame, a great education, suffer from depression just like an average man who lives a typical, humble life. The idea that anyone has the ability to feel certain emotions is what confirms that our lives are all worth the same. Although this is my belief, I understand that not everybody feels the same way. Instead of becoming completely absorbed in selfishness or altruism, we need to find that happy medium where we all are content with ourselves and understand the value of every single persons life.

The core values of my Biogas diagram are to visually express the powerful effect that Biogas generators have on the social system along with the ecosystem. The creation of Biogas technology has numerous beneficial effects on the environment and humanity, as opposed to cutting down trees to use as fuel for cooking. As shown on my diagram, the red comments indicate the negative effects that cooking using fuel from trees causes. Whereas, the blue comments represent the positive outcomes that Biogas generators cause which help to maintain sustainability. Instead of just burning trees and creating fuels that can only be used once, Biogas generators place waste through a rotting process allowing us to reuse animal dung as compost. This ultimately increases sustainable development.

When looking at Gerry Marten’s diagram 1.5, some similarities I noticed are that we both mention the social system and ecosystem and their effect on one another. For instance, we both listed human population as having a large impact on the environment. We all know that our population is what ultimately effects our demands, level of consumption and technology, therefore it makes sense that human population will have a large effect on our environment. However, one major difference I noticed is that my diagram focuses on the schooling and the child aspect of the social system. Families, who can’t afford the Biogas generator, have their children work by gathering branches and helping cook. Unfortunately, the time children spend finding branches limits the opportunity they have to do school work. I mentioned in my diagram how the Biogas generator doesn’t run on fuel from trees and therefore children don’t need to be working as much and can focus on school. Although mine and Marten’s diagram focus on different aspects of Biogas generators, together they show different ways to interprete the effects of a Biogas generator and how the social system and ecosystem interact in so many different ways.

Hello everyone! My name is Caren Levin and I am currently a sophomore attending Penn State, University Park Campus. I grew up in Potomac, Maryland, which is about thirty minutes outside of DC. I’m studying Early Childhood Education (Pre-K to 4) and hoping to receive a minor in Spanish along with an ESL certification. After I graduate, I want to teach kids in kindergarten or first grade. I am taking this course because I am interested in learning about the affects between human-environment interactions in more detail. Now more than ever, it is important for us to be conscious of our actions, which are constantly leaving traceable marks on the earth. I am also hoping to learn more about sustainability.

After completing Module 1, one topic that really captured my attention is the social science perspective. It is important to recognize why and how people are affecting the environment. How are we causing depletion in natural resources? Why should we respond to changes in environment policies? If people were more aware of their actions, could we prevent animal extinction? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves in order to protect the earth. Natural resources can’t always be replenished. I think if more people took the time to understand human impacts on the environment, the environment impacts on humanity, and environment policies, then people will be more mindful of their actions. It is essential to look at these different ideas from a variety of perspectives.