Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

2.     Final Project: Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

 

         Resource: Appendix A

 

         Use the topic you chose as an environmental researcher for the Week Nine Capstone Discussion Question or choose another topic you have learned about over the past 8 weeks.

 

         Focus on a specific environmental problem within your selected topic. Your topic, for example, could be Atmospheric Issues, and your environmental problem could be global warming.

 

         Write a 1,750- to 2,100-word paper that formulates a mitigation plan for your specific environmental problem. Include the following:

 

o    Detailed description of the problem

o    Nonliving and living factors that contribute to or are affected by the problem

o    Positive or negative human impacts

o    Evaluation of current sustainability strategies and solutions

o    Your plan to reach sustainability (See Appendix F)

o    Benefits and challenges of your plan

o    Required government, societal, and global support

 

         Include at least four outside sources. Two of the four sources should be peer-reviewed. If you need assistance with identifying a peer-reviewed article, review Appendix G.

 

         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

 

         Post your paper as an attachment.

One issue with our environment today is the short supply of energy materials. With the increase in electronic devices and the increase in the population our energy usage will rise to the point that there is just not enough energy to go around. A continued use of non-renewable sources of energy will only deplete our supply of these materials. With the depletion of our supply of nonrenewable source materials, our ever growing needs for power on electronic devices and our increasing population growth we will run out of power in an unpredictable amount of time and none of the items we use this energy for will work. This could set the human population back to the dark ages, before technology. Imagine a world with no cell phones, no televisions, and no transportation vehicles such as cars or even airplanes. A world with no stoves or microwaves for cooking, no refrigerators or freezers for storing, no lights for seeing, no video games or computers to occupy our time. Without even things as simple as cigarette lighters or watches that run on batteries.

The conservation of energy is one solution to our ever expanding energy usage which people are trying to use today to preserve the limited nonrenewable resource materials. Conserving energy is in my opinion a short term solution to a real ongoing and increasing problem. Energy conservation will help us in our quest but is not a solution to the energy crisis. It is merely a stepping stone in our path toward sustainability. Conservation can go a long way in helping stretch our current resources and allow us a longer use of the resources we currently have, but even with our conservation efforts the energy supply will run out. What we need is a renewable source of energy that will not deplete our planetary materials and will make energy available enough for all the electronic devices and human needs for everyone for now and on into the future.

Our power currently comes from power stations that use a multitude of different types of materials to create the power we use today. The most common types of power plants in the past have been powered by nuclear energy or fossil fuels. Nuclear power is used to generate electrical power by harnessing the release of energy from the chain reaction of fission fragments flying apart and entering nearby uranium nuclei. The energy is then used to control and drive a turbine that generates electricity. (Hodgson, 2008) Nuclear power plants are a danger to those individuals in the surrounding area since it emits nuclear energy into the air. It is also dangerous to the environment at large because of the same nuclear emissions.

Fossil fuel power plants rely on oil or coal to heat water to the boiling point and the steam generated is then used to operate a steam turbine to create electricity. (Newton, 2003) A disadvantage to using fossil fuels as an energy resource is that they can be dirty to run and maintain since neither coal nor oil burns cleanly. The smoke coming out of the stacks can contain ash that can be deposited on homes, cars and other exposed surfaces. Coal smoke into the air is also the cause of acid rain that can damage many surfaces as it comes down and can also harm our oceans and rivers. Both of these methods are hazardous to the environment and our atmosphere, not to mention the health of the individuals who live near these types of power plants. Not to mention the price of oil skyrocketing or embargos on oil by countries in which we rely for importing.

There are a few power plants today that use biomass fermentation as fuel, which is the use of waste from sugar cane or other farm crops to boil the water in which the steam is used to move the turbines that create electricity. Some plants use solar panels, which uses the power of the sun to boil water; and some that are hydro powered, which is using running water to turn the turbines. These methods of creating power use renewable energy sources to create electricity for the world, crop waste, the sun, and water.

There are several additional methods of renewable materials to convert into power. Wind power is a great resource for a reliable renewable energy source. Wind power consists of using the power of the wind to turn giant turbines which in turn create energy that is pushed all over the world. The problem with wind power is it needs land in order to install the giant turbines needed, this cannot be done close to cities and must be in rural areas where the turbines will not interfere with everyday life. Even then you are at the mercy of the wind, without wind the turbines do not turn and do not create energy.

Solar power is another way to generate electricity. This uses photovoltaic cells that capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity, or by using sunlight to boil water which is used to provide power. Photovoltaic have been used for years in small applications such as a solar powered calculator. The problem with solar power is it is intermittent. A power plant that wishes to use only solar power will have to use it in combination with storage devices to run continuous power.

What we need is a way to generate power that does not interfere with daily life, will not harm the environment and maybe even help restore the ozone which in turn would help reverse global warming. Our solution I believe lies with something the Germans are already doing, they have a plant that uses a combination of wind, biomass, hydro and solar power to generate one hundred percent renewable energy. I am not so sure we have to use every source in each plant to make them produce one hundred percent renewable energy but certainly we should employ several ways in one plant.

I am proposing a sustainability plan of incorporating solar energy and biomass fuel as renewable sources to generate electricity. In order to put this plan in effect will be a four step process. Step one will be to research the best ways in which to use solar power and biomass fermentation in a power plant to create the most electrical energy and to be the most efficient. There needs to be research done on several different ways and the efficiency of these ways in order to determine the best option. Research needs to be done on how to get the biomass materials needed on a regular basis and the best ways to transport and install these materials to run the power plant. Some research will need to be done on any rules and regulations by the state and federal governments in the area in which the power plant will be installed. We will also need some research done on what kind of waste this process will create, if any, and how we will deal with the waste.

Step two will involve developing a new blueprint for the construction of the new one hundred percent renewable energy power plant. This will use all the research gained from the research phase and choose the best positions for each part of the plant. A contractor will be required to ensure the plant has everything it needs to be up to code and comply with all rules and regulations from the government on how such a plant needs to function properly and without any danger to its surroundings.

Step three will be to develop a presentation that includes all research and development paperwork. The presentation will consist of the reasons we cannot continue to rely on non renewable sources to generate our electrical power, and what kind of damage our current resources are causing to our environment and the individuals surrounding the plant itself. It will also include the blueprints approved by a licensed contractor, the costs of converting existing plants to renewable energy sources, and the costs of building a renewable energy plant from the ground up. I will conclude the presentation with a breakdown of the costs of installing new or upgrading existing plants with the damage and depletion of using non renewable resources to generate power. My conclusion will also show the benefits of switching to renewable sources to generate power and why we cannot afford to not switch.

Step four will be to organize a meeting with state and federal officials in order to get approval and/or funding. The meeting will need to include several officials from a few different environmental agencies and government affiliates. We need to have a good grouping of environmentalists, government officials, local officials and farmers who would be supplying the biomass materials. During the meeting I will present my plan for sustainability and impress how important it is that we as a country do something to preserve our environment and create a source of renewable energy for our ever growing population.

Step five will move us into the building phase of development. Putting in all devices in their proper places in order to be the most efficient according to the blueprints designed and approved by the contractor. Solar panels installed on the roof and other available spaces, converter boxes to change sunlight into useable energy, engines that run on biomass fuel, and of course the generators needed to change these energy sources into electricity.

One challenge of my plan is going to be the opposition in the government and local officials that might not want to spend the money that will be required to alter the existing plants since renewable resource materials will be more expensive than non renewable resource materials. Another challenge is finding farmers willing to gather their biomass materials since it is generally what is left on the ground after harvesting a crop and preserving and shipping it to the plant. Another challenge is to meet the regulations and requirements in order to run such a plant in a safe manner.

One benefit of my plan will be a reduction in the use of nonrenewable resource materials. Another benefit will be the air pollution will be less since the plants will not be using fossil fuels. One possible benefit is because of the reduction in air pollution our ozone could repair or reverse which will eliminate global warming as an issue. The residences around the plants will benefit with cleaner air and no harmful waste materials being dumped into oceans or rivers. With no harmful waste being dumped into our oceans and rivers will benefit our ocean inhabitants and allow them to live and thrive better due to the better environment.

References

Hodgson, P (2008) “Nuclear Power and the Energy Crisis” retrieved from EBCOHost University of Phoenix University Library on Jan 2010.

Newton, D (2003) “Power Plants” retrieved from EBCOHost University of Phoenix University Library on Jan 2010

Wikipedia (2009) “Power Station” Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org on Jan 2010

Wikipedia (2009) “Solar Power” retrieved from en.wikipedia.org on Jan 2010

Energy Resource Plan

.     Assignment: Energy Resource Plan

You are a board member of your Home Owner’s Association. At your next meeting, your goal is to educate other homeowners about energy conservation.

         Review the following Energy Resource Plan outline:

         Introduction:

         Provide information about why conserving energy is important.

         Renewable versus Nonrenewable

  Briefly distinguish between these two types of energy.

         Methods to conserve and help the environment

  What can each member do, personally, to conserve energy and help the environment at the same time?

  Provide at least three methods.

         Government efforts

  How can the government be involved in conservation efforts?

         Conclusion

  Wrap up the meeting with a brief summary of your main points.

  Provide some motivation for conserving energy with a memorable slogan, statement, or song, for example.

         Conduct either Option 1 or Option 2.

1.     Create a 7- to 10-slide PowerPoint^® that includes all of the elements in the Energy Resource Plan outline. Include speaker notes as appropriate.

2.     Write a 350- to 700-word paper that includes all elements of the Energy Resource Plan outline.

         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

         Post your paper as an attachment.

Conserving energy is important for not only the environment but our health. By conserving energy we are preserving our way of life. Some nonrenewable energy sources leek harmful gases into the air that destroy our ozone and cause all kinds of health issues for those who live where these gases are denser. Something as simple as turning off lights or appliances that are not in use can lower your electric bill. If everyone conserved just a little, when you add that to the millions of other users doing the same thing, it adds up to be a lot of energy saved.

There is one very distinguishable difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. It is their ability to be reused or not. Nonrenewable sources cannot be used again, once used. Renewable sources, obviously, are able to be used over and over again.

There are several things we can do to help conserve energy in our own lives that will also help the environment. One of the simplest conservation efforts is change all your incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent light bulbs. Not only will this give you up to five years per bulb saving you money, but it will also reduce your energy bill since fluorescent bulbs do not take as much energy to run as incandescent bulbs. Another way of conserving energy while helping the environment is to get involved and participate in Earth Hour every year. Earth hour is one hour every year in which everyone turns off every electrical appliance for a whole hour. This action symbolizes a world wide effort by the World Wildlife Fund to demand action on climate change. Besides the message this sends, everyone around the world turning off every appliance even for just one hour can save millions of watts of energy. Gasoline, being a major contributor to the pollution of the air and breakdown of the ozone, is one energy source you can cut down use of in order to conserve energy and help the environment. You can choose an alternative method of transportation, like a bicycle, carpooling, or take the city bus. You could also buy a hybrid car or other more energy efficient vehicle.

Probably the biggest thing the government can do to help with conservation efforts are to explore other energy methods such as biomass fermentation, use of solar energy, and wind efforts. Biomass fermentation uses the crop leftovers and converts this into gas for vehicles as an alternative to gasoline. Converting roofs into solar panels to run the electricity of the building is great way of using a renewable energy source.

Every one of us can do something to help; even the smallest effort of changing our light bulbs or carpooling to work can prove to be very helpful when combined with all the other people doing the same thing. Join a group such as participating in Earth Hour to tell our governments it is time for a change. If we can employ other energy methods to help us with our day to day lives without destroying our ozone or polluting our air or oceans we would be a healthier people and be able to extend the life of our Earth.

References:

No references were used that could not be considered common knowledge.

.     Assignment: Energy Resource Plan

You are a board member of your Home Owner’s Association. At your next meeting, your goal is to educate other homeowners about energy conservation.

         Review the following Energy Resource Plan outline:

         Introduction:

         Provide information about why conserving energy is important.

         Renewable versus Nonrenewable

  Briefly distinguish between these two types of energy.

         Methods to conserve and help the environment

  What can each member do, personally, to conserve energy and help the environment at the same time?

  Provide at least three methods.

         Government efforts

  How can the government be involved in conservation efforts?

         Conclusion

  Wrap up the meeting with a brief summary of your main points.

  Provide some motivation for conserving energy with a memorable slogan, statement, or song, for example.

         Conduct either Option 1 or Option 2.

1.     Create a 7- to 10-slide PowerPoint^® that includes all of the elements in the Energy Resource Plan outline. Include speaker notes as appropriate.

2.     Write a 350- to 700-word paper that includes all elements of the Energy Resource Plan outline.

         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

         Post your paper as an attachment.

Energy Resource Challenges

1.     CheckPoint: Energy Resource Challenges

 

         View the Alternative Energy VLR located under the Week Eight Materials section of your student Web page.

         Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following:

 

o    Describe all of the renewable energy alternatives presented in the video.

o    What are some challenges with using and managing these alternative, renewable energy resources?

o    Name at least one other renewable energy resource not presented in the video.

o    Include a response to the following statement: Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, oil, and natural gas.

o    Describe three common challenges with managing nonrenewable energy resources.

The video Alternative Energy VLR described several renewable energy alternatives. One source that was discussed was wind power. One challenge of using wind power is you need wind to power these turbines. Without the wind there is no power. Another source discussed in the video is solar power. There is the same challenge with solar power as wind power. If there is no sun, there is no power. The last renewable energy source discussed in the video is biomass fermentation. Farmers take the leftovers from harvesting their crops and scientists can turn that into ethanol which is added to gas, or can be used as an alternative to gas for automobiles. Ethanol is healthier for the ecosystem that petrol oil gasoline. One challenge of biomass fermentation would be the availability of the crop leftovers. Also this would rely on farmers gathering this material and recycling it to be used as fuel.

Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, oil, and natural gas. Renewable outnumber nonrenewable sources and are better for the environment. One challenge with managing these resources is the availability of the raw materials needed to produce them. Another challenge would be that they help destroy our ecosystem with every use. And a third challenge to managing these sources is the disposal of the waste products from producing these sources.

One renewable resource not mentioned in the video is the hemp plant. This renewable resource can be used to make eco-friendly clothing. A nutritional source, used in medicine, to make paper, building material, cordage and is very healthy for the soil it is grown in. Due to the stigma of being associated with marijuana, this resource has little hope of being used despite its ability to help our environment repair itself.

Water Resource Plan

2.     Assignment: Water Resource Plan

 

         Resource: Ch. 10 of Visualizing Environmental Science

         View the Declining Fish Stock VLR located under the Week Six Materials section of your student Web page.

         Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that includes the following:

 

o    A brief description of the water resource problem in the video and how it originated

o    A management and sustainment plan you think will benefit both sides of the issue

o    How your plan will be viewed, both negatively and positively, by the environmentalists and the fishermen

o    Other problems, besides declining fish stock, that result from fishermen’s techniques for catching fish

o    How your plan affects the community

o    Consider issues relating to jobs, resources, and lifestyles. Explain your answers.

 

         Use Appendix F as a guide when developing your sustainment plan.

         Include a minimum of two outside references.

         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

         Post your paper as an attachment.

The “Declining Fish Stock VLR” video outlined an overfishing resource problem. Scientists feel as though our fish population is declining specifically swordfish and tuna are becoming extinct. Commercial fisherman find their catches in the ocean and bring them on land to sell. This is how they live and earn money to support their families. They feel as though the ocean is a big place and it would take a long time to decrease the fish population to a significant degree.

The table below outlines the action items and describes the steps in my management and sustainment plan that will benefit both sides of the overfishing water resource issue.

Action Items	Action Steps	Timeline
Research studies from scientists on fish population and effects	Research studies from scientists on how they discovered the endangerment of fish population Research the short and long term effects of the depletion of fish in the ocean Research the benefits and disadvantages of ocean fishing on the commercial fishermen, their families, communities, and the world at large.	Month 1
Develop presentation	Educate the Commercial fisherman on findings of the studies and the effects Establish basic ground rules such as saving catch limits, controls on bycatching, protection of important habitats, and how to implement a monitoring system.	Month 2
Coordinate with local Associations for place and time	Enlist help from the Gulf Fisherman’s Association to schedule the best time and place to hold meetings And from local Commercial fishing companies Make a list of scientists that have helped with research and ask if they would speak at these meetings.	Month 3
Retrieve local fisherman membership lists and other interested parties	Create mailing for each member of GFA and all local commercial fishing companies informing of the meetings time and places. Mail meeting places and times to some scientists against fishing. Post presentation on GFA and other active fishing cites	Month 4

There may be some resistance on both sides of the issue concerning any new plan to reduce the likelihood of overfishing. The local Commercial fisherman will against any restrictions on their fishing since this is their livelihood, how they support themselves and their families. Hopefully by viewing the scientist’s studies and the effects of overfishing they will be more inclined to help protect the ocean’s environment and fish population.

The scientists may have some negative views on implementing my sustainment plan. Their view maybe to have a more restrictive and aggressive plan than the one I would outline. The scientists would be more concerned with saving the ocean’s environment than the effect it would have on the local fisherman, their families, communities or the world at large if fishing laws were too restrictive and aggressive. My hope is by hearing the effects of more restrictive and aggressive laws on the fisherman and environment they would be more inclined to go with a less restrictive rules that my plan allows.

The positive views of my plan is that each side and see how they affect the other and that they need to work together to address this issue before it is too late to help at all, and how important it is to do something now.

Fishing techniques include hand fishing, spear fishing, netting, angling and trapping. Some of these techniques have other environmental problems other than the declining of the fish stock. One hand fishing technique is called trout binning, and it involves striking rocks in a stream with a sledgehammer to stun fish. This kind of technique can cause rocky streams to become dirtier from the breaking up of rocks by the sledgehammer. All kinds of bacteria and algae can be forced downstream that was once a safer environmental area, due to the breakage. One method of spear fishing that has other lasting environmental problems is harpooning. Harpooning, along with other boat using fishing techniques, run the risk of hitting the native manatees as they cruise out into open water. Most believe the harpooning technique is inhumane and cruel to the whales being killed. Netting is a huge negative environmental fishing technique. The nets scrape across the bottom of the ocean floor and destroy fragile coral reefs and other fish habitats. Nets can also be lost at sea where they become a menace for all marine life for many years.

My plan will affect the fishing community in that there will be less fishing allowed, more monitoring to ensure laws are being followed. This will most likely cause some fisherman to bring home less money or cause them to demand a higher dollar amount for the marine life that was caught. There will be less fish and other marine animals caught for not only the communities but the world at large. Most lifestyles will have to adjust to accommodate the lower availability of marine life.

References

Brooks, G (2009) The Gulf Fishermen’s Association. Retrieved Jan, 2010. www.gulffishermen.org

Overfishing.com (2007) “What can I do to help” Overfishing – A global disaster. Retrieved Jan, 2010. www.overfishing.org

Water Resource Challenges

1.     CheckPoint: Water Resource Challenges

 

         Complete the Water Resource Challenges table in Appendix E by briefly identifying three fresh and three ocean water resource issues. Then, respond to the questions provided at the bottom of Appendix E.

 

         Post as an attachment. 

Axia College Material

Appendix E

Water Resource Challenges

Review Ch. 10 and 11 of your text, then complete the following:

Provide at least three freshwater and three ocean water resource challenges by filling in the following table. Then, respond to the question that follows:

Freshwater Resource Challenge	Description
The Growing Population	An increase in individuals put greater demands on freshwater supplies
Salt water contaminating coastal wells	Salt water can intrude on fresh water aquifers in coastal areas when the wells become overdrawn.
Pollution from industry sources being dumped into rivers	Factories or other industry companies dumping waste into the rivers contaminate the fresh water
Ocean Water Resource Challenge	Description
Polar ice caps melting	This puts more freshwater into the ocean and depletes the salt content of the ocean.
Oil spills	Spilling of oil in our oceans contaminate our salt water resources
Overfishing	Fishing that reduces stocks can upset the underwater ecosystems

In 200 to 300 words, respond to the following: Choose one fresh or ocean water resource challenge and describe in detail why the issue has become a problem and how human activities have contributed to the problem.

The resource I am choosing is one that I am very passionate about because it is directly linked to global warming. This is a real issue not a lot of people will recognize. Polar ice caps melting causing more freshwater to be dumped into the ocean. That brings down the salt content of the ocean. This also causes the sea level to rise. Melting of arctic ice could release huge amounts of methane into the air which is a harsh greenhouse gas. This gas would increase air temperature which in turn would melt more ice.

The salt content of the ocean decreasing could cause the warm Gulf Stream reverse and cause a colder climate for Europe. A decrease in the salt content could lead to colder winters, hotter summers and stronger, more frequent hurricanes. Humans need to recognize that we are the most contributing factors of effects on this Earth. Our pollution, overuse and littering of our waste cause all kinds of environmental problems that will cause decades, if not irreversible, climates. I live in a relatively cold state and people wish all the time for warmer weather. This should not happen. The snow and ice during the winter months act like a blanket to the Earth’s core and keep it warm. As anyone who has taken survival classes for blizzards. If you are caught in one, the best place to hide is under the snow near the ground where it’s warmer until the wind stops. That is because the snow acts like a blanket and keeps the ground temperature warmer than the air.

 

Atmospheric Issues

1.     Readings

 

         Read Ch. 8–11 in Visualizing Environmental Science.

 

2.     CheckPoint: Atmospheric Issues

 

         Review Ch. 8 & 9 of the text.

         Complete the Air Pollution Chart in Appendix D and respond to the questions provided at the bottom of Appendix D.

         Post as an attachment.

Axia College Material

Appendix D

Air Pollution Chart

After reviewing Ch. 8 and 9 of your text, complete the following table, then respond to the questions that follow:

Issue	Sources	Health/Environmental Effects
Carbon dioxide (CO2)	Combustion of fossil fuels, mineral or metal production, using petroleum-based products, and oxygen using species exhale	Health effects - Asphyxiation, Frostbite, Kidney damage, and coma. Environmental effects - rising temperatures and contributes to global warming.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)	CFC-containing aerosols, refrigeration equipment, and some foams.	Environmental effects – contributes to global warming and depletes the ozone. Health effects – the brain, eye, heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, reproductive system and skin.
Ground-level ozone (O3)	Motor vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents.	Health effects – Airway irritation, coughing, or pain, wheezing, inflammation, and difficulty breathing. Environmental effects – interfering with plants ability to produce and store food, damaging leaves on trees or other plants, reducing forest growth and crop yields.
Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)	Sulfur dioxide touches water droplets in the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide comes from burning of fossil fuels.	Health effects – Irritation of the eye, nose, throat bronchi and skin, cumulative lung damage and dental erosion. Environmental effects – Water PH changes which harms aquatic animals.

Note: Some pollutants may not have direct health effects.

Choose one of the following atmospheric issues: air pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, and acid deposition. Then, respond to the following:

• What air pollutants combine and contribute to this issue?
• Briefly describe the health and environmental problems caused by the selected atmospheric issue.
• Provide one key solution to help either reduce the effects or recover from the effects of the selected issue.

The air pollutants that combine and contribute to the global warming issue are mainly the additions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide which is released when burning fossil fuels.

The health and environmental problems caused by global warming are rising temperatures which cause ice caps to melt which causes oceans to rise which causes beach erosion. Rising temperatures will also cause an increase in infectious diseases, and prolong disease transmission seasons. The temperature can also affect the survival rate of Lyme disease carrying ticks.

The key solution as I see it would be to cut out using fossil fuels. There are other options than using fossil fuels. I am sure even more to discover.

Population Size

1.     CheckPoint: Population Size

 

         View the Ch. 7 Alien Invasion VLR located under the Week Four Materials section of your student Web page.

         Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following:

o    Explain the four factors that produce changes in population size.

o    Which factors affect population size in the video?

• What do you predict will happen to the nutria population after the land is depleted of the nutrias’ food resource(75)?

Four factors that produce changes in population size are listed as birth rate, death rate, immigration and emigration. Birth rate is indicated by the increase or decrease in the number of offspring during a given time period. Changes in death rate, is the increase or decrease of the number of deaths a species has during a given time period. Changes in immigration is the increase or decrease in the number of individual members of a certain species into a specific area over a given period of time. There is also changes in emigration, which is an increase or decrease in the number of individual members of a certain species out of a specific area over a given time period.

The factors that are previewed in the video that affected population size is the immigration of the nutria, the decrease of demand for nutria fur caused more nutria to survive. The environmental depletion of plants in the nutria’s habitat since most were release or escaped when demand decreased. The pest behavior includes destroying aquatic vegetation, irrigation systems, eroding river banks and displacing native animals. This destruction of the natural environment has created the need to eradicate the nutria.

Once the land is depleted of the nutria’s food resource, one of two things would happen. Either the nutria will adapt and move onto an alternate food source or they will die out. Given their ability to adapt to a new environment by being immigrated, I feel as though they would adapt and move onto an alternate food source. Given their natural food source is underwater plants, they may move on land and start feeding on land plants.

Succession and Natural Selection

2.     CheckPoint: Succession and Natural Selection

 

         View the Ch. 6 Succession animation located under the Week Three Materials section of your student Web page.

         Post a total of 200- to 300-words in response to the following items:

 

o    View the succession of the ecosystem in the Succession animation. Is it primary or secondary succession? Explain your answer.

o    Respond to question 9 under the Critical and Creative Thinking Questions in Chapter 6 of the text. Review Ch. 6 on natural selection to help you with your response. If you need additional help with your hypothesis, refer to the following article to see an explanation of how evolution could have occurred in a population of mussels: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/news/060901_mussels

9.  Although most salamanders have four legs, the aquatic salamander shown below resembles an eel. It lacks hind limbs and has very tiny forelimbs. Propose a hypothesis to explain how limbless salamanders evolved according to Darwin's theory of natural selection(158).

The succession featured in the animation is an example of secondary succession. Primary and secondary succession differ in that primary succession is a change in species composition that takes place where there was no soil or vegetation present; Secondary succession is a change in species composition due to some disturbance that destroys existing vegetation and that takes place where there was soil present. The animation showed an already existing forest and small river where beavers made a damn in order to create a pond for their home. This caused a pond to form, the trees to die and new vegetation to grow. With a bog mat forming across the top of the pond and peat growing on the bottom of the pond, over time trees begin to grow again. The end of the animation shows a bog forest and stream where the forest and stream existed before the beavers built their damn. This shows secondary succession, the change to the forest was because of the beavers building their dam.

Darwin’s theory of natural selection basically says the more capable or better equipped species will survive. This includes the same species with genetic differences. The salamander probably lived near water for generation, then a mutation happened and that salamander was better equipped at handling the water in his surroundings. So it prospered and reproduced, his offspring had the same mutation and they prospered. Being better equipped than other salamanders without the mutation, he would beat out the others of his species to food and shelter. This allowed him to live and his offspring to prosper.

Risk Assessment

2.     Assignment: Risk Assessment

You are a member of the Genericville City Council. A proposal has been brought forth to use the insecticide spray, Malathion. Currently, the council is split on its decision, and your vote will determine whether Malathion can be used in the city.

·         Read Risk Assessment of Malathion in Appendix B.

·         Create an outline of the risk of using Malathion according to the four steps of risk assessment presented in Ch. 4 Figure 4.1 of Visualizing Environmental Science.

·         Hazard identification

·         Dose-response

·         Exposure

·         Risk characterization

Decide your vote for the city council based on your outline.

·         Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that presents your evaluation of the risk of Malathion based on your outline. Explain the reasoning for your vote based on the four steps of risk assessment. Consider any relevant political, social, and economic aspects involved.

·         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Malathion is a pesticide that is widely used in agriculture, residential landscaping, public recreation areas, and in public health pest control programs such as mosquito eradication. In the US, it is the most commonly used organophosphate insecticide. Malathion is classified by US EPA as having “suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity.” Carcinogenicity is defined as any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer. They based this classification on examining liver tumors that develop in mice and rats at excessive doses. The Agency has also determined there is potential for inhalation exposure to adults and children if using ultra low volume (ULV) aerial applications such as we would for mosquito control.

Malathion is of low toxicity but absorption or ingestion results in its metabolism to Malaoxon. Malaoxon is the oxygen analog of Malathion and is even more lethal when exposed to a human body. There is a potential risk of drinking water contamination through ground or surface water. According to EPA model predictions and monitoring studies, Malathion and its degradate Malaoxon will most certainly reach drinking water sources which will then be ingested by the local residents. Chlorination phase of water treatment will turn any Malathion present in the water to Malaoxon. Acute exposure to extremely high levels of Malathion over a prolonged period of time can cause body-wide symptoms that could include skin and eye irritations, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, excessive sweating, seizures and even death.

There is also an exposure risk to mammals, birds and insects that eat grass for sustenance. The data indicated Malathion may be highly toxic to bees and other agricultural insects. Bees are already endangered and have been proven as a ecological need in order to pollinate our crops which are already overtaxed by our population growth. There is also a risk to some aquatic organisms such as the fish in the river near where we will be spraying the insecticide. The exposure risk to both Malathion and Malaoxon increases in toddlers if aerial spray is carried to any hard surfaces such as playgrounds.

The biggest factor to consider is the potential illness and fatality assessment. Currently, without using any methods of removal of the mosquito population, we can expect up to fifty cases of illnesses with around two fatalities from West Nile infected mosquitoes. According to a Florida Study using the same pesticide (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2005, Section 3), if we use the Malathion pesticide, we can expect as many as ninety cases of Malathion-related illnesses with up to four fatalities. That is an eighty percent increase in illness cases and one hundred percent increase in fatalities by using Malathion pesticide versus exposure to West Nile carrying mosquitoes. While mosquitoes can carry other harmful diseases West Nile is among the most lethal diseases known to be carried and transmitted by mosquitoes.

There is also the mosquitoes themselves to consider. The mosquitos, for the most part, are nectar feeders. The females generally only feed on human blood while developing eggs. While they may seem at the present time to be pests, we are always discovering new information about the world around us. Once upon a time bees where considered a pest, a pest that stung and can cause death in individuals with an allergy. Now we know they are an essential part of our ecological system without which we would all most certainly suffer extreme food hardships if eradicated.

After careful consideration from both sides of the issue, while the risk is undoubtedly low as to the exposure or untimely illness or death by Malathion or even Malaoxon exposure, my vote will have to be against using Malathion to control the mosquito population. I feel there are other ways to protect the citizens of Genericville and its tourists against any potential disease carrying mosquitoes without the necessity of eradicating the mosquito population which may upset a delicate balance in our ecosystem that we are yet unaware of.

Dictionary.com (2009) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Carcinogenicity Retrieved Nov 2009.

EPA (July 2006) http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/REDs/malathion_red.pdf Retrieved Nov 2009

Regulations.gov (Sept, 2005) “Overview of Malathion Risk Assessment” Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2004-0348 http://www.regulations.gov Retrieved Nov 2009.

Wikipedia.com (Oct 2009) “Malathion” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malathion#cite_note-12 Retrieved Nov 2009

Wikipedia.com (Oct 2009) “Mosquito” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitoes Retrieved Nov 2009