1. Describe biodiversity in your area and how it is being threatened

I am from Hatfield PA, about 45 minutes north of Philadelphia. It is a suburban area and I feel as though it is high in biodiversity. There are many animal and plant species all around the town but I feel like in recent years it is being threatened. One major issue with biodiversity is deforestation. They are cutting down many trees to open up space for restaurants, company buildings, and houses. In fact, about five years ago I would see deer in my backyard almost everyday but now they had to cut down the woods to expand my neighborhood and I will go weeks without seeing a deer. This is a major issue because the animal species environments are being depleted by humans and eventually they will become extinct. This is not only a problem in my hometown but around the world as the population is growing at an exponential rate and they need a place to live and work. Humans must be aware of the impact they are having on the animal and plant species and figure out a way to make it sustainable.

2. Pick an Endangered Species and state why it is endangered and how could it be prevented

The animal that I chose to research is the Galapagos Penguin. The reason I chose this animal is because I went on vacation to the Galapagos Islands last year and we went on a tour and they told us about Penguins becoming endangered. They are the only penguin found north of the equator. Penguins are threatened by pollution, bycatch, and climate change. These are all created by humans so it shows that there is an interconnectedness between humans and animals. Species such as dogs also carry diseases that can spread to penguins as well, and cats pose as a threat as predators. One way that we can prevent the penguins from becoming extinct is finding renewable energy sources that do not cause pollution to the atmosphere. In turn, this will lessen climate change which also has a large impact on the lives of the penguins. One major issue for sea animals is trash in the ocean. The trash can rap around the necks of the penguins and kill them. Other environmental issues that are not caused by humans is El Nino. They cause mortalities up to 77 percent from the previous year with dramatic declines of prey species and reduced breeding success. El Nino is an anomalous warming of the eastern pacific ocean that leads to climate changes all across the world. This change of temperature will not only affect the penguins, but the food they eat can also die out. Penguins are dying out from the phenomenon and they are slowly becoming extinct.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/galapagos-penguin

My systems diagram begins with the burning of fossil fuels at a faster rate in which they can regenerate. Over the past several years, we are becoming reliant on fossil fuels as a source of energy. Whether it is to heat our homes or to drive our car, people around the world are burning fossil fuels each and every day. This is a major problem because we are burning them at a faster rate so eventually we will run out and also because these gases are being emitted into the atmosphere. They are being trapped and this ultimately leads to Climate Change. Often times, global warming is the only topic that comes to mind but we fail to recognize the change in precipitation patterns as well. Noticing that issue needs to be addressed, the United Nations Climate Change Conference proposed the Copenhagen Accord. The Copenhagen Accord is an upgraded version of the previous document known as the Kyoto Protocol, which focuses on bettering the Climate Change issue worldwide. Since the United States is by far the leading country in the amount of fossil fuels burned, ultimately resulting in the country that has the largest impact on climate change, they were a big catalyst to get this bill passed. Originally, many countries were not in favor of the Copenhagen Accord so they went beyond legal measures to try to persuade them to approve. The first tactic that they used was money. The poorer countries were promised financial aid to help repair the global warming that they did not cause. Next, they spied on several countries that originally opposed to access information from them and give them reasons as to why they should sign the proposed treaty. Lastly, they used a little hostility to threaten countries like Ethiopia by saying if they would not sign, the United States would not longer aid them in anyway. With these three tactics that many question whether or not they are ethical, 140 countries signed the treaty. That is 75% of the world agreed. Coming together to fight the Climate Change problem as a whole is known as Climate Mitigation.

In my opinion, I think the State Department Cables was wrong to keep this information secret. If they publicized this information, they would not have been exposed by WikiLeaks. One other problem that I have with this issue is that I have never heard of the Copenhagen Accord or any of the components of the treaty. The reason I think this is a major issue is because Climate Change will only be achieved through collective action. It is great for individuals to ride their bike or walk to work instead of driving a car, but there will not be a noticeable difference unless a collective action is taken. We learned a few units back about the impact Copenhagen as a city had by encouraging the people to ride their bikes everywhere in the city. Many people adapted this practice and they were aware of the positive impacts both on their health as well as the benefits on the environment. Since this Accord was kept secret, the people had no say in how they would go about Climate Mitigation. The State Department should have informed the public about possible ways that the country could go about these changes and possibly had an open brainstorm or vote as to what we the people believe will be the best option. Furthermore, I think the United States needs to lead this charge. Instead of worry about what other countries are doing, we need to focus on ourselves first. We are the leading country in greenhouse gas emissions. If we show other countries that we can adapt sustainable practices that better the environment, they will follow. This is a large complex issue around the world that can be broken down by country, to state, all the way down to an individual person, that all need to come together to fight against Climate Change.

I live in Hatfield PA, which is an hour north of Philadelphia. I found that my town is at medium risk for tropic cyclones, low risk for hailstorms, and medium risk for winter storms. I think these are all very accurate representations of my county. As for Tornados, we are in Zone 2 and I have never witnessed a tornado in my area. I think Zone 1 would be more appropriate because we have had some warnings for Tornados in the past but none have formed. The same goes for wildfires as the map shows Hatfield as Zone 1, but I have never witnessed one before that has caused damage. One good indication that this map is accurate is that Hatfield is in the area of warmer temperatures during El Nino and that is very apparent this past summer. I think this is a very good map to look at the global patterns of natural hazards but it can be very difficult to narrow it down by state or county.

On March 31^st 3:34 UTC, a wildfire broke out in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Nine people were killed and there was high damage to the area. Based on Nathan’s World Map, it shows that Hatfield is at very low risk for wildfires. In fact, I have never heard of a wildfire breaking out anywhere in my area. The reason being is because it is an urban area with very low amounts of forest, as well as wildfires most often break out in dry areas. Therefore, my hometown is not vulnerable for such hazard. The scale of the disaster is similar to my hometown. The fire broke out in Pikangikum First Nation, which has a population of 2,100 people compared to 3,000 in my hometown. The reason that scale is so important is because that will determine how many people are impacted. If a wildfire broke out in a major city (which is unlikely), there would be more fatalities then a small county. Lastly, the level of vulnerability changes in retrospect to location, age, etc. A person that lives directly next to a large forest has a higher vulnerability than someone who lives in the middle of town with no forest around them. Age is also a factor because younger generations could possibly escape faster than an elder if they had to run to save their life. Although it is not necessary in my town, to reduce the vulnerability of wildfires, a town could cut down the number of trees. This will cause other environmental issues but it will lessen the possibility of a lightning bolt striking a tree and inducing a fire. They could also inform the people about the proper precautions if a wildfire were to break out and how they could escape.

Hatfield has had 14 major disasters declared. Most notably, 5 floods, 4 storms, and 3 hurricanes top the list. The disaster that I remember most vividly was Hurricane Sandy. We were out of school for four days, the power in my house was out for a week, and my basement flooded. Since, hurricanes are very rare in this area, we only had one sump pump, but it did not work once the power went out. In the south, they would be prepared for these large storms so depending on the level of vulnerability, most often times there is a different level of preparation. Another hazard that I remember is an earthquake that occurred six years ago. I was at a waterpark with my family and we were waiting in line and the ground began to shake. Since we are not used to it, we thought nothing of it until later that evening when the news declared it was in fact a small earthquake.

“Hatfield, Pennsylvania.” (PA 19440) Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News, Sex Offenders. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

The most important strategy to protect ourselves against natural hazards is to be aware. In my town, they are not very likely so they can easily catch the people off guard. As long as everyone is informed about proper precautions, everyone should be in good shape. We now live in a world that is dominated by technology so if there is a flash flood warning, tornado warning, etc. we often get a notification to our cell phones to get inside and stay safe. One group that is very beneficial and has a strong impact is elementary schools. They are required to do a certain amount of drills throughout the school year to inform the kids what they should do if a natural hazard were to occur. For example, we would have tornado drills and all the kids would go into the hallways where there were no windows and cover our heads. This will protect from flying debris that can cause serious damage. Town officials can also give warnings days in advance if a possible hurricane is on the way to evacuate the town or any necessary precaution to keep the people safe.

I am from a mid-size automobile suburb called Hatfield Township, 45 minutes north of Philadelphia. Hatfield has roughly 23,000 residents. There are sidewalks that line the entire down for people who exercise or walk their dog, as well as many bikers that ride around. Although many people use this as a source of exercise, to get from place to place it takes a lot of time to walk. The closest grocery store from my house is roughly four miles away. The high school that I attended covered 5 townships and boroughs and took me nearly 15 minutes to get there each morning. I graduated with 1,000 kids in my class so it takes a lot of time to travel throughout the school district. I have been living in Hatfield Township my entire life and I love it there and the sense of community the town has. Sometimes I do wish I lived in a smaller town my friends and I could ride our bikes to each other’s house or go out in the backyard and play football; instead, I have to drive nearly 20 minutes to meet in the middle of all of us.

The first city that I would like to compare my town to is Copenhagen. I think it is very interesting how they have changed the city from automobiles crowding the streets to become biker friendly. It is a great example how a social norm can be transformed with the help of city leaders. With new laws and biker lanes that are put in place allow the city to have a different perspective on the energy that they are saving and the healthy habits that come out of it. In my town, for the most part the only time I see someone riding their bike is to go out for a stroll to get exercise. Since my high school is so crowded, there would be a lot of traffic in the morning to get to school. Instead, if the school would have a lot of bike racks and encouraged kids to ride their bikes in the morning, there would be less traffic for those who live far away as well as a way to exercise early in the morning. This would also lead to a more sustainable practice by not burning fossil fuels into the environment, increasing the air quality of the atmosphere.

The second city that I would like to compare my town to is Venice, Italy. Although it is hard to make many comparisons because the city is surrounded by water whereas Hatfield Township is landlocked, I think their modes of transportation are very interesting. I went to Venice when I was younger to visit family members and I was amazed by the way they traveled to get to and from places. There were barely any cars on the street as many streets were filled with people walking right down the center of them. They also use boats to travel further distances, which is a good exercise as well as a sustainable method for the atmosphere. Hatfield cannot transform to being boater friendly but it can take note on how many people walk from place to place. The way the town is designed makes it impossible to walk everywhere, but having a state of mind to know that walking instead of using a car helps the environment allows us to take that opportunity any chance we have.

One social norm that was very prevalent in my area was eating dinner at Chipotle. Growing up with both of my parents born in Italy, I was not exposed to many foods other than spaghetti, chicken parmesan, and other Italian dishes. I would eat spicy foods very rarely and was never a huge fan of them. At the beginning of high school, a new Chipotle was built within a half mile from my house. There was a huge buzz around the neighborhood and whenever I would always drive by, the line would be out the door. My friends and I decided to go one day after to school and now I eat there at least once a week. Social norms can greatly impact food choices because the long line represented that a lot of people enjoyed eating there and it gave me a reason to try it for the first time. Although it is not the healthiest food, it is very convenient and delicious.

Although Chipotle is very good, it has several societal issues. On average, a burrito contains more than 1,000 calories, including a full day’s worth of sodium, and 75% of recommended amount of saturated fat. This ties directly with the obesity issue. The consumption has gone up dramatically in recent years and many people can gain weight from it. It also relates to the sustainability issue because the ingredients that go into a burrito are limited. Chicken, steak, tomatoes, guacamole, etc. all come from animals and plants that have a limited population. If Chipotle and other restaurants continue to use these ingredients, eventually we will run out, which makes this production unsustainable. Given this connection to obesity and sustainability, my view on the social norm is that people must watch what they put into the burrito and not eat there as often. For me, I am active and go to the gym very frequently so the obesity issue is not a concern but the sustainability issue is a concern for all customers.

The first case study that I chose was Wind Power in Denmark and it came from Colby-Sustainable Development (http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/Vogel.htm). Investments in alternative energy sources have become more important for countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels and other limited resources because of the increasing levels of scarcity. Many countries are looking for renewable energy sources that are sustainable and will not have a negative impact on future generations. Wind energy is a great way for a country to develop both environmentally and economically. Since the 1970s, Denmark has been looking for a way to save limited resources by conducting a wind power project as their new source of energy. Today, they currently generate more wind power per person than any other country in the world. Implementation and technological development has provided unmatched cost and energy efficiency for Denmark in which they can continue to expand to help future generations.

The second case study that I chose came from Center for Global Health Development and it focused on Curbing Tobacco Use in Poland (http://www.cgdev.org/page/case-14-curbing-tobacco-use-poland). Since the 1980s, Poland has been conducting research to see the impact of smoking and how it links to lung cancer. They found that tobacco is the second deadliest threat to adult health as one out of every ten adults die from it. In the eighties, Poland had the highest rate of smokers in the world. Nearly 75% of middle aged men smoked every day and this caused Poland to have one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the world. In 1995 the Polish parliament stepped in and passed groundbreaking tobacco-control legislation. It banned smoking in health centers and enclosed workspaces, banned electronic media advertisement, and banned sales to minors. This law has led to positive development for the Polish people. Cigarette consumption dropped ten percent in the next decade, which lead to 10,000 fewer deaths and a thirty percent decline in lung cancer.

Both of these case studies can be related to Hatfield Pennsylvania in which I have been living my entire life. In comparison to Denmark, there are several wind turbines in the town as a source of renewable energy. Another major project that is currently being implemented is solar power. All of the roofs in my neighborhood have switched to solar energy as a way to protect the natural resources and as a way to increase energy output that is safe for the environment. The second case also relates to not only my hometown; instead, America as a whole. The government has increased limitations for tobacco usage to protect the well being of the citizens. The percentage of smokers has gone down dramatically in the past century due to raised awareness on the effect that it has on the people. Examining a place where these cases exist is very important to understand because we must take into account the resources available. For Denmark, it was stated that they used to rely heavily on fossils fuels and natural resources but they were aware this practice would not be sustainable for the future. Time is also very important in development because for Poland, they had such high numbers of deaths due to lung cancer, which was limiting their development as a whole. This new law that was put into place was served to increase the wellbeing of the people as well as development of the country.

1A.)

In my hometown of Hatfield Pennsylvania, we get water from the North Penn Water Authority. In this system, approximately 15% of the water is treated groundwater and the remaining 85% is treated surface water from the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant located in Chalfont. The source water that is treated at Forest Park Water is from the North Branch Neshaminy Creek. The FPWTP combines conventional treatment processes with advanced techniques to ensure water safety for the customers. Upon the completion of the treatment process, water is distributed through a vast system of water main pipes, valves, fire hydrants, and booster stations that is known as the distribution system. The distribution system ensures that an average 10 million gallons per day is distributed to 30,000 customers in 21 townships and boroughs in Montgomery County. The largest distribution system is the water mains that stretch over 560 miles ranging in diameter. In addition, over 11,500 valves are placed in strategic locations to allow this water to travel to where it needs to go. This water could travel directly into the homes for customer usage, or it is stored in the water storage tanks throughout the area. Once the water is goes through the drain, it is pumped to the North Wales Water Treatment plant. The system uses gravity to drain the water out of the houses and it is carried to this physicality where it is treated and then distributed back into the North Branch Neshaminy Creek.

1B.)

Activity                                        Times a Day                                   Gallons Used         

Brushed teeth                                     3                                                 0.9

Wash Hands/Face                              6                                                  6

Shower (8 Minutes)                             1                                                 40

Toilet Flushes                                      5                                                 15

Drinking Water (16.9 oz. bottle)          4                                                 0.5                  

Total Gallons                                                                                  62.4 Gallons

1C.)

I tracked my activity for the entire day on Monday and I found that I used roughly 62.4 gallons of water. This number varies on the day, for example if I did a load of wash that day, but this is a good estimate for a typical day. Since I am a freshman living in a dorm, I do not have to do the dishes, which could bring this number down slightly from what it would be if I were living in an apartment. On Tuesday, I attempted to live on only two gallons of water and it was very challenging. To knock off the largest daily supply of my water, I did not shower. Luckily I did not do any physical activity the day before so I did not smell. The next activity that I knocked off was flushing the toilet. I only flushed the toilet one time when it needed to be flushed which ended up saving 12 gallons. I still drank the same amount of water and washed my hands the same amount of times but for a much shorter period. The same goes for when I was brushing my teeth as I only turned it on when I needed to rinse my mouth. Overall, I calculated to use only 7 gallons of water. Although this exceeds the 2-gallon mark that is being used in Haiti, I thought I did a very good job saving over 50 gallons from my typical day. I believe this was a great individual action and it can be used as a collective action if a larger population did this activity. I feel as though this mark of 7 gallons would be unachievable due to the lifestyle that we live in, I think each person can significantly lower their daily water usage. As for the North Penn Water Authority, there are over 30,000 customers and if everyone lowered their usage, there would be drastic changes to the environment. There is a limited amount of drinkable water for humans. In fact only 1% of the world’s water is safe to drink. Eventually, we will not be able to sustain this amount of water usage so cutting down each day could set a mark that can be sustained.

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

I believe it is more important to be a good person than to perform good acts. Virtue ethics emphasizes what we should be, whereas action ethics is what we should do. Although it is very hard to define the two, I think a good person performs good acts on a daily basis. The way they carry themselves, the way they treat others, the way they impact society, etc. are all considered action ethics.. Any given day a person can do one of these good acts but that does not necessarily make them a good person. For example, someone could get away with a bank robbery and then donate some of the money that they stole to a charity. Donations money is a good act but this person is far from a good person. I believe virtue ethics is the way of displaying all of the acts a person has performed throughout the course of their life. Of course sometimes people do not always make the right decision but I think good people learn from their mistakes and show that through the actions in which they perform.

Does the process by which decisions are made matter more than the outcomes of these decisions (procedural justice vs. distributive justice)?

I believe procedural justice is more important than distributive justice. Although it is not directly related to ethics, I think it is very important to look at it from a sports perspective. I have played baseball my whole life and I look compare procedural justice to practice. I played baseball my entire life and I would spent endless hours in the batting cage trying to get better. I would have to fight through struggles, but I would always preserve through it to get better. I view distributive justice to the games itself. On any given day, a person could have a bad game, but that does not define them as a person or as a player. In a real life situation, a person must make decisions on the fly. Say a person had too much to drink and they decide to drive home. Although there is a chance the outcome is positive and make it home safely, they are not thinking about the process and all the negative possibilities there are. I believe in most circumstances the process by which someone follows will most of the time lead to the correct outcome which is why I think it is more important.

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

I personally believe that it depends on the animal. I have grown up with a dog my entire life and I feel as though she is a part of my family. If anyone were to hurt or abuse her I think they should face the same consequences as though they hurt or abused a human being. On the other hand, animals in the wild that are needed for food or are threatening to any human being do not matter as much as humans, Deer, cow, pig, etc., are all converted into meat that humans eat. This is very essential for our diet and the amount of food that we have on earth. I also believe that if a human is endangered by an animal they have the right to protect themselves against that animal. I personally have never went fishing or gone hunting in my life because I do not want to disturb these animals but overall I think it is essential to human lifestyle.

The core ideas behind my diagram is that is simple but it displays how human ecology is present in India. Human ecology is the relationship between the people and the ecosystem and the impact they have on each other. My diagram begins with the increasing population in India. This results in an overall decrease in wood that once fueled the fires in homes. A new idea was formulated, which is known as the Biogas Generator. It is fueled by cow dung and it replaces firewood. Children were once spending much of their day retrieving firewood for their mothers and missing out on much school work. This new advancement allow them to focus on school and the family will still have easy access to fire. The remains of the generator is mixed with worms and different material results in compost. They are making a business out of it by educating others of their new ideas, as well as making a profit to support the family. The older siblings and mothers said that this money is used to help the young children to get educated. The structure of my diagram is very similar and it covers the same basic ideas as Gerry Marten’s figure. We both go into depth on how the generator is fueled but mine is different in the fact that I touch on the compost and how they use it as a way of making money. I found it very beneficial to compare diagrams at the end because it was a way to look at human ecology in a different perspective to see how they connected the social aspect and environment.

Hello everyone! My name is Douglas Apple and I am currently a freshman at Penn State living in Pinchot Hall. I have spent my whole life growing up in Hatfield PA, which is 45 minutes north of Philadelphia. I am majoring in Turfgrass Science and minoring in Business Administration. Being involved in the Turf Club, I have had the chance to meet with many Golf Course Superintendents from around the area. They have taught me many tips to be successful and I hope to be in their position in the future. Although I have been living in the same town my whole life, I have had the luxury of being able to travel and learn a lot about many different places in the United State. I have never been out of the country, but I have gone to many different states as my family loves to travel. The reason I took this course is because I have had an interest in Geography ever since the Geography Bee’s in Elementary School. I also took a course in high school that was very interesting about the way human’s and the environment interact and I hope to expand my knowledge in this course. One very important thing about me is that I am a die hard Philadelphia sports fan and there is nothing that causes greater misery.

The topic that caught my attention in module one was visualization. Being a visual learner, I would much rather interpret maps, watch videos, or look at a picture and describe it rather than reading a textbook. Visuals can greatly benefit understanding, but shown in the module they could be very misconstrued. One part of the module had a map of the subway systems in London that was very simple for people to follow and the other map showed much more detail for how long the trip would actually take. I think it is very important for both of these maps to be hung up at the Subway Station. For tourist who are trying to get around the city, they would want a map that is very simple to get them from Point A to Point B. For a local, they would want to see how long it would take them to get around the city because they are probably very familiar with the Subway Systems. Another part of the module showed that in the video, maps can be misleading. This morning on the radio they had a listener who was driving to Alaska. The people on the station were than discussing how the map of the United States can be very misleading because Alaska is normally portrayed in the corner of the map as an island. The reason behind this is because they do not want to show the whole country of Canada just to show Alaska. I thought this was very interesting because for children who are reading the map could be very confused to think that Alaska is an island. I hope to go into greater detail regarding maps and visualization.