SCI241 Discussion Questions

Week 2

1.     Discussion Questions (DQs)

DQ 1 Due Date: Day 1 [Main] forum

·         Use the Internet to retrieve articles on at least two common digestive problems. Suggested resources include the following:

o    The Health and Wellness Resource Center located under the Specialized Article Databases in the Axia Library at https://axiaecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/gotoLibrary.asp

o    http://www.webmd.com

o    http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/yjada/home

What are some of the ways these two digestive problems can be remedied or relieved? Do you think home remedies might work better than some of the suggested treatment methods you have read about? Why or why not? Explain your answer, including appropriate APA citations from your database search.

            I chose for my two common digestive problems heartburn and constipation. Heartburn can generally be relieved by taking some kind of antacid, such as Tums or Rolaids.  For more frequent heartburn there are longer lasting medicines such as Zantac or Prilosec.  Some individuals require prescription medication to relieve their frequent heartburn.  A few home remedies are to eat several small meals instead of two or three large ones, wait for two to three hours before lying down, and stay away from food that might make heartburn worse, such as spicy food, chocolate, mint or alcohol.  (webmd, 2007)  Several of these home remedies might help infrequent heartburn that might be associated with eating too much or too spicy.  For more frequent heartburn or heartburn that might have a more serious cause medication and a doctor visit might be necessary.

            Constipation is generally cured by a laxative, such as Peri-colace or Milk of Magnesia.  Some home remedies that can cure constipation are to drink two to four glasses of water, add fruits or vegetables to your diet, or eat some prunes or bran cereal.  You can try several things to prevent constipation, eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fiber, exercise regularly, and move your bowels when you need to.  (webmd, 2008)  These home remedies for fighting or treating constipation can help unless you have a more serious constipation issue, which could include blood in your stool, losing weight, severe pain or it lasting more than two weeks.  These issues require a doctor visit. 

WebMD (Sep, 2007) “Heartburn – Prevention” retrieved from www.webmd.com on Feb 2010

WebMD (Sep, 2008) “The Basics of Constipation” retrieved from www.webmd.com on Feb 2010

DQ 2 Due Date: Day 4 [Main] forum

·         Think of some of your favorite foods when you were 10 years old. Are they still your favorites? Do you think you will be eating the same foods you eat today 20 years from now? What are some of the reasons dietary modifications may be needed in different life stages? Provide three examples to support your answer.

            My ultimate favorite food to eat for as long as I can remember is Beef Stroganoff, but they way my mom made it.  It is still my favorite thing to eat today and I have her recipe and eat it as often as I can.  It is a little more expensive to prepare than the normal meal that I can afford, but that really is the only reason I do not eat it more often.  One other food that I love to eat and I would not be able to give up permanently no matter how old I got is chips with dip.  It is a snack food I love to eat.  My inability to give it up has contributed to middle life weight gain I never suffered from before and have had to reduce my intake. 

            As far as what I will be eating twenty years from now, I believe I will be modifying my overall diet as I age but I can not give up my ultimate favorite foods.  I have already modified my diet to include more foods that include Iodine to help my thyroid function more properly and have added a superfood powder that gives me the equivalent of seven servings of vegetable nutrients to substitute the low vegetables that are in my diet. 

            Given family history I can only assume weight will be an issue with me more and more as I get older and this will be a major reason that I will need to modify my diet.  Another reason that is huge in my decision to modify my diet to a healthier intake is the diabetes that runs in my family pretty heavy.  I have suffered gestational diabetes while pregnant and this can be a precursor to diabetes later in life.  Diabetes being linked to weight gain, which I am suffering from now, has been a strong motivator to alter my diet now and not wait any longer.  A third reason to modify my diet in my later years is because of heart disease which is also in my family history.  My maternal grandfather had two before he was fifty and the second he died from, my mother had a small heart attack as well as my maternal uncle. 

            These are three reasons I will need to modify my diet the later stage of my life, I am sure this could be said of many other individuals also.  Heart disease, obesity, and diabetes are killers and many family trees are like mine and have more than one and sometimes all three. 

Week 4

1.     Discussion Questions (DQs)

DQ 1 Due Date: Day 1 [Main] forum

·         In our society, there are weight loss programs that recommend low fat, no-fat, or high protein diets. Should we eliminate fats from our diets altogether and increase proteins? What are some of the benefits that unsaturated fats and proteins provide when included in a balanced diet? Explain your answer.

            You hear it all the time, “everything in moderation” this also includes fats in our diets.  We should never eliminate any one thing from our diets.  Moderation is the key, also the correct form of fats.  Unsaturated fats, such as omega 3’s, can actually help lower cholesterol and reduce our risk for heart disease.  They can prevent growth of plaque in our blood vessels and reduce clotting and blood pressure.  Unsaturated fats can also affect the immune system by decreasing inflammation. 

            Getting the correct type of protein is also important for weight management.  You again do not want to ingest too much protein but there is the right amount.  You also need to watch the type of protein in your diet.  Most high protein meats are also full of saturated fats which can increase your risk for heart disease.  However, choosing lean meats or vegetable proteins can help you get the protein you need in your diet without increasing your saturated fat intake. 

1.     Discussion Questions (DQs)

DQ 2 Due Date: Day 4 [Main] forum

·         If you have ever poured oil into a glass of water, you have seen that these two substances do not mix. Knowing this, how do lipids move through the body so they can be digested and absorbed? How are lipids stored in the body? Explain your answer.

            Fat, or lipid, digestion occurs in the small intestine.  The gallbladder releases bile to break down large fat drops into smaller drops and then are broken down further by fat-digesting enzymes from the pancreas.  Once the fat is absorbed, most of the bile returns to the liver to be reused. Lipids are categorized into two groups, water-soluble and water-insoluble.   

            After eating lipids are absorbed into the intestinal cells.  Lipids that can be dissolved in water are absorbed from the intestines into the lymph and enter the bloodstream directly.  However, lipids which are not dissolvable in water have to first be covered in a water-soluble envelope to form lipoproteins called chylomicrons and then travel to the intestines which absorb the lipoproteins and pass them into the bloodstream that way bypassing the liver. 

Week 6

DQ 1 Due Date: Day 1 [Main] forum

·         What are some of the health problems associated with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder? Explain, from a physiological standpoint, how eating disorders may lead to health problems. Provide at least three examples to support your answer.

            Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where the individual thinks they are too fat and has a strong desire to be thin.  They try restricting their dietary intake of nutrition, over exercise or use purging in order to lose weight.  This causes some of the health problems for the individual inflicted with this life-threatening disorder.  Starvation symptoms can arise such as apathy, exhausted, or depressed.  Fat stores can deplete, muscles start to waste away, inflammation or swelling lips, flaking or pealing skin, dry or brittle hair can also be physical complications of this disease.  Anorexia can also delay menstruation and can issues with bone density.

            Bulimia nervosa is another eating disorder that can cause many health complications.  This is a disorder which causes the individual to overeat and then purge or induce vomiting to avoid absorbing calories that would cause the person to gain weight.  Purging by vomiting can damage the esophagus as it brings up stomach acid into the throat and mouth.  It also can cause tooth decay, mouth sores, swollen jaws and even changes in stomach capacity.

            Binge-eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder and is usually classified in the “eating disorders not otherwise specified” or EDNOS.  This disorder can be just as deadly, causing a range of complications such as being anywhere from above normal body weight to obese or stretching the stomach during a binge and starving it while fasting.  Most often individual with this disorder get treating for overweight issues without resolving their binge-eating issues. 

            Besides the physical complications, all of these disorders can cause an unhealthy body image as well as low self esteem and we are constantly bombarded with television and magazines betrayal of the ideal body size.

DQ 2 Due Date: Day 4 [Main] forum

·         Visit the American Obesity Awareness Web site at http://www.obesity.org/information/factsheets.asp and read about the health effects of obesity. What does the Web site tell you about obesity that you were not aware of before? Explain what you have learned.

            After reading the obesity site, I can say I did not know about coloration between obesity and cancer. It apparently takes an important role in cancer, kidney cancer in men and women and endometrial cancer in only women.  Obesity could also be responsible for colorectal, gall bladder and thyroid cancers.  This is done by mostly studies and statistics between obesity and cancer death rates.  According to the American Cancer Society in 2002 cancers linked to obesity in women was around 51% and in men 14%.  And for cancer-related deaths for women is 28% while for men it is 13%.

Week 8

 DQ 1 Due Date: Day 1 [Main] forum

·         Review the following Web sites:

o    http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html  

o    http://www.fightbac.org 

o    http://www.foodsafety.gov

Food-borne illnesses may cause serious health problems. How are food-borne illnesses contracted? What are some ways you can protect yourself and others from food-borne illnesses at home? Provide three examples to support your answer.

Food borne illnesses are contracted through the food we eat.  Some food-borne illnesses are salmonella, botulism, e. coli, hepatitis a, staphyloccus.  We can protect ourselves from food-borne illnesses by cleaning our hands after touching raw meat or before touching our food we eat.  By keeping our food preparations separated according to raw meat and vegetables we can eliminate cross contamination.  This simply is contaminating our food we are not cooking with the food that needs high cooking temperatures. We also need to cook our food at proper temperatures to kill any bacteria that might be accompanying our food.  One more important procedure we can do to protect ourselves it to refrigerate our food promptly and properly to ensure limited bacteria growth after cooking or preparing food. 

DQ 2 Due Date: Day 4 [Main] forum

·         Review the following Web sites, performing a search using the key words hunger, poverty, and malnutrition for the first three Web sites:

o    http://www.who.int/en

o    http://www.unicef.org

o    http://www.un.org/summit/hunger.html

o    http://www.thp.org/what_we_do/program_overview/intro_video

Undernutrition continues to be a chronic problem for many countries throughout the developing world. What are some of the health problems associated with undernutrition? Explain the cycle of malnutrition. Who does it affect? Explain your answer.

Some health problems associated with malnutrition are an increased risk of infection and infectious disease such as tuberculosis.  Each vitamin or mineral deficiency can result in different health problems.  A deficiency in omega fats can result in cardiovascular disease. A deficiency in sodium can result in hyponatremia.  A lack of iron contributes to anemia.  Low iodine can result in goiter or hypothyroidism.  Niacin – Pellagra, Vitamin C – Scurvy, Vitamin K – Hemorrhage, and Magnesium – Hypertension, among many others. 

According to , malnutrition in some countries can start with infancy.  Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) occurs when the mother is of low weight and short stature before pregnancy.  The mother also gains too little weight during pregnancy.  IUGR infants suffer from impairment and an increase risk of diarrhea and pneumonia.  There is a higher risk of neonatal death and significantly reduces body size, composition, and lowers muscle strength.  IUGR can also affect neurological dysfunction.

Infants who have IUGR become stunted children and then stunted adults. These children also suffer episodes of diarrhea and pneumonia.  This can also delay menarche.  After childhood there is a higher risk of high blood pressure, non insulin-dependent diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer.  And if not treated an adult women can repeat the cycle for the next generation when she becomes pregnant. 

                                   

http://www.ifpri.org/publication/life-cycle-malnutrition                   

ACC225 Discussion Questions

Week 1

Discussion Question Two

Due Date: Day 4 – Main Forum

Post your response to the following:

Describe one of the four basic financial statements, and answer the following questions: Balance Sheet

1.      For what is it typically used?  A balance sheet is typically used to show the balance between incoming and outgoing items. 

2.      What information is the most valuable?  The difference between total assets and total liabilities would most likely be the most valuable information on this particular financial statements, however all information on this statement could be considered important. 

3.      How does it complement another financial statement?  This statement compliments others by combining information from the Income statements, statement of owner equity, and statement of cash flows.

Also, respond to a classmate who selected a different financial statement from yours.  How do the financial statements tie into one another?

                                                                            

           For this question, I chose a balance sheet.  Balance sheets are probably the report I am most familiar with having used it for my personal life on a regular basis.  A balance sheet is typically used to show the balance between incoming and outgoing items.  It is a great way to keep track of whether you have too many bills, or an overabundance of cash.  This is important so you can tell at a glance when you can afford that high expense item or whether you are spending too much.  The difference between total assets and total liabilities would most likely be the most valuable information on this particular financial statements, however all information on this statement could be considered important.  This statement compliments others by combining information from the other three types of financial statements:  Income statements, statement of owner equity, and statement of cash flows.  This statement takes information from each of the other three and combines them in order to review them together on one sheet.  

Week 3

1.     Discussion Question  1

·         What is the difference between cash basis and accrual basis accounting? Why do accrual-basis financial statements provide more useful information than cash-basis financial statements? Describe when each method (cash basis and accrual basis accounting) would be appropriate to use.

            There is one major difference between cash basis accounting and accrual basis accounting.  Cash basis accounting requires that all revenues are recorded when cash is received and expenses when cash is paid.  Accrual basis accounting requires that revenues are recorded when earned and then matched to expenses during the adjustment process.  Accrual basis accounting has the advantage of recording a true account of each months expenses and revenues such as a payment that is made for several months is recorded on each month the payment is covered for the part of the payment that month covers.  An example would be a company’s lawyer.  Big companies and some small ones that could afford to keep an attorney on retainer would pay stipends to a lawyer in order to keep that lawyer on call for several months just in case they would need to call on their services.  The stipend on a cash basis accounting report would report the payment in the month it was paid regardless of how many months it covers.  Accrual basis accounting would have the payment separated into the monthly charges and recorded in each month for that charge instead of the entire payment.

            Cash basis accounting would be more appropriate to use when you need to know exactly how much cash you have each month over a certain period of time.  Accrual basis accounting would be more appropriate when you need to know how many expenses are applied for each month over a certain period of time. 

1.     Discussion Question  2

·         The Ritz Manor is a popular seaside resort. A double room costs $220 for one night. To reserve a room, guests must pay one night’s stay in advance. On each floor of the hotel, Vendalite Company operates vending machines with energy bars, juices, and other snacks for guests. Vendalite stocks the machines and collects revenue every week. Total average weekly revenue from these machines is $720. The Ritz Manor is entitled to 30% of the revenue from the machines. Vendalite sends a check to the Ritz Manor once at the end of each quarter for the resort’s share of the revenue.

• Based on this information, what type of adjusting entries does the Ritz Manor have?
• How are the amounts of these adjustments determined?
• Which accounts are affected?

            Ritz Manor would record each payment for the guest night stay as a cash entry and a revenue entry in the amount of $220 per day.  This is an example of how to handle unearned revenue.  Each month Ritz Manor would need to make an accounts receivable entry for the monthly revenue from Vendalite and revenue entry, this is an example of accrued revenues.  Each quarter a cash entry would be made along with a decreased adjustment in the accounts receivable entries when the check arrives.  The monthly accounts receivable entry would be the total average monthly revenue times thirty percent.  This amount is roughly $1296 every month. 

            These entries would affect several accounts, cash account, accounts receivable account, and the revenue account. 

Week 5

  

1.     Discussion Question 2

·         Read the BTN5-3 Ethics Challenge on p. 218 of Fundamental Accounting Principles. Discuss the ethics of what Amy is doing. Are there any consequences to her actions? How does the store account for Amy’s returns?

            Consequences are, in my opinion, dependant on your point of view.  From Amy’s point of view there seems to be little consequences except betraying herself and her own ethics.  If she buys the suits from the same store each time, she may get a reputation by the store as someone who they do not want to sell to because they would know her as a customer who returns what is bought more frequently than keeping.  If she used several stores, she might get that reputation from several stores depending on how often she bought them and how many times she visited each. 

            From the store’s point of view the sales from each suit is basically lost to the company.  High end stores will most likely not resell the suit, or may resell at a discounted price. Some stores might dry clean the returned items for resale as long as nothing is wrong with the suit in question.  Going with Amy’s estimated cost for a suit, and taking for granted she goes to the same company each time, they stand to lose between $400 and $800 a year.  

            The store would account for Amy’s return by debiting their inventory, or add it back into inventory, the price of a resale suit. 

1.     Discussion Question 1

·         Find the financial statements of a service company and of a merchandising company: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072512431/student_view0/chapter1/text_company_links.html. What items appear on the merchandising company statements that do not appear on the service company statements? Why is there a difference?

            I reviewed the financial statements of BJ Services Company on Google finance, and Charming Shoppes, Inc. on their own website.  Both sites had their financial statements available quarterly and annually.  First I examined their income statements; they both appear pretty similar with several sections covering every avenue of income and liabilities, including stock options.     

            Examining their balance sheets, the service company had a few more accounts in their total current assets section, such as construction in progress – gross, and their buildings – gross and land/improvements – gross accounts were in addition to their property/plant/equipment, total – gross.  Their total assets section, Charming Shoppes also had a few extra accounts, such as the income taxes payable, and discontinued operations – current liability accounts.  This seemed to be a common thread in the service company’s balance sheet in each section of their report. 

            Next I examined their cash flow statements, and I found another case of the service company, Charming Shoppes, Inc included many more accounts in each section of their report than the merchandising company, BJ Services. 

Charming Shoppes (2009). Financial statements, Income statements, Balance sheets, Cash Flow Statements retrieved from http://www.charmingshoppes.com/investors/financial/ index.asp on March 2, 2010

BJ Services (2009) BJ Services Company financials, Income statement, Balance sheet, Cash Flow retrieved from http://www.google.com/finance?fstype=ii&q=NYSE:BJS on March 2, 2010

Week 7

1.     Discussion Questions

·         Choose a popular merchandise or service company. How might the company use accounting information systems? In what ways do these systems benefit the company? In what ways might the systems be challenging for the company?

            When thinking of a popular service company, Merry Maids immediately popped into my head.  I worked for a short time, two days, for a company similar to Merry Maids.  Merry Maids is a cleaning service.  Labor employees go to customer’s homes and provide cleaning services on their houses.  These types of companies have standardized the work they do for each customer so it makes it easy to determine the supplies needed for each job.  This type of company would use their accounting information systems to keep track of inventory supplies, supplies each worker takes with them out of the shop, how many jobs each worker completes daily and even how many miles each worker drives each day.  The company could find challenges in each aspect that could only be countered by rigid and accurate measurements on what is actually needed for each job.  For example, if you know that a laborer completed three jobs and all within five miles of the office and the employee records more fifty miles driven you have to question why the extra twenty miles. 

1.     Discussion Questions

·         Megagrocer is a grocery chain that operates five stores. The stores are supplied with produce, meat, dairy, and dry goods by six separate vendors. In addition to the stores, Megagrocer maintains an ecommerce site through which customers may order and pay for groceries. The groceries are packed and delivered to customers from one of the five stores in a Megagrocer van by that store’s personnel. Think about the accounting information systems that Megagrocer might use.

• What types of source documents might be collected by Megagrocer to be processed by its accounting information systems?

o    Why are those documents important?

            Some source documents that MegaGrocer might collect to be used and processed by their accounting information systems would be cash register receipts from all their sales to customers, invoices from their suppliers, employee earning records, delivery receipts, bank statements, and inventory records.  Each of these documents are important in different ways.  They need the invoices from their suppliers, inventory records, cash register receipts and delivery receipts to justify the inventory records.  Delivery receipts and cash register receipts are needed to calculate the amount of sales done each day.  Bank statements are needed to match with deposit records for verification their deposit was correctly entered into the bank as matches their records.  And, employee earning records are important to calculate how much labor they are spending against their incoming. 

Capstone Week 9

 1.     Capstone Discussion Question

·         A major network is launching a reality program called The Accountant. A group of recent accounting graduates will be competing for a spot in a national accounting firm. What would make someone a good candidate for The Accountant? Describe three challenges the candidates must complete on the program, using as much detail as you can.

      The challenges must test contestants’ skill in challenges related to topics covered in this course. Be creative. Describe how the challenge will test the contestant’s accounting skills and knowledge as well as the skills the contestant must have to complete each challenge successfully.

            If I had a reality program called “The Accountant” for a major network that the contestants would be competing for a spot in a national accounting firm I would pick contestants who already held a degree in accounting along with several years of experience to back up their working knowledge of accounting.  I would also pick someone who could handle the stresses of being on television and had an engaging personality to make viewer like the contestants and root for their success.  I would also have these individuals take an aptitude test in order to rate their actual knowledge of accounting.      

            I would have at least three basic challenges for the contestants.  First would be to create an accounting department for a generic company that includes all forms and personnel needed to run the business.  This would show their knowledge and skill at knowing what is needed and involved with an accounting department.  Second would be to create and internal control system to handle and protect all the accounting information. This would test the contestant’s knowledge on the workings of internal control.  Third would be to take a billing cycle from general ledger to closing.  This challenge would test their actual knowledge of accounting reports, formula’s and how to maintain figure integrity.

            I would probably have some question and answer portions that would test the contestant’s ethics, vocabulary and accounting facts.  I would make the Q&A portion first and then the basic challenges would be for the few individuals who came through that portion with enough points.   

SCI275 Discussion Questions

Week 1 DQ1

Post a response in your own words defining environmental sustainability. Then, list three behaviors of your own that threaten environmental sustainability. How could you change those behaviors to reduce threats to environmental sustainability?

Environmental sustainability is the capability to continually practice habits and procedures that will maintain or improve the quality of the environment. Three of my behaviors that threaten environmental sustainability are: I do not recycle to the best of my ability, I usually have every light on in the house longer than I need to, and I still accept styrofoam food containers. In order to recycle more I need to find where the facilities are that except the recyclables I use in order to turn them in. I can remember to turn off lights that I am not using or do not need. There are a few things I could do about the styrofoam food containers, I could petition the cafeteria at work to stop using these containers or I could bring my own from home.

DQ2

  Review Ch. 2. Post a reflection on your own worldview and compare it with the worldviews presented in the text. Provide examples of the benefits of your view to defend your position.

My view of the world, this is not a concept I actually have thought about. After reading the two extreme world views I would have to say I am definitely well into the deep ecology worldview. I believe all life forms have value whether we as humans recognize it. I also believe that even though we are more intelligent does not mean we have the right to abuse the earth for our own betterment. I believe that if we as humans do not change soon and radically there may be no Earth left for our children or grandchildren to live in. We are headed for a severe natural disaster that will shake the entire Earth and very few people in this world recognize it and even few are willing to do anything about it. How many people out there throw trash on the ground, or walk past trash on the ground and say to ourselves, “its not my problem”. But they are wrong, it is their problem, it is my problem, and your problem and everyone’s problem. And this is only one example of how we abuse our Earth. This is a living, breathing environment and every push or pull we do has an effect for good or bad. Each of us needs to recognize that something is wrong and what we do to help the destruction and alter our actions for the betterment of this Earth as a whole. I guess this would be my worldview, inadvertently told while thinking about what I believe.

I would say this is pretty close to the deep ecology worldview. I envision a world where every person on the planet recycled, did not use non recyclable materials, had medical herbs more readily available and widely used, had jobs that were satisfying to themselves and helped in some way the world and/or their neighbors, never went hungry, parents had more time to spend with their children, school was fun and educational, and no individual every did without anything they need. 

Week 3 DQ 1

Review Ch. 5, The Flow of Energy Through Ecosystems. Then, complete Appendix C. Post your response to the following:

Identify the fruit or vegetable you selected and relate the second law of thermodynamics to the changes in energy observed in Appendix C. How did the amount of energy gained compare to the amount of energy lost as heat at the second through fourth trophic levels?

Considering the amount of energy required to produce animal-based foods and goods, should humans change their habits so they consume products closer to the bottom of the food chain because it is more efficient?

The fruit I researched was the blueberry. According to the second law of thermodynamics as a primary consumer the total energy available is 84. The energy gained, ten percent, is 8.4, and the total lost, ninety percent, is 75.6. As a secondary consumer, which humans are when we eat meat from an animal that ate the blueberries, the energy available is 8.4. The total gained is .84 and energy lost is 7.56. As a secondary consumer we can only use one percent of the total energy the producer originally had available. The other ninety-nine percent is lost and is unusable by any energy user.

Confronted with this data I would definitely say it would be more beneficial as a consumer to be the primary consumer instead of the secondary consumer. We all hear that we should eat more fruits and vegetables because they are healthier for you. It has never been explained quite this way before and is a lot easier to see the importance of consuming more fruits and vegetables and less meat in our diets. 

DQ2

Use the Ch. 6 Biome animation located under the Week Three Materials section of your student Web page to identify which biome you live in by clicking on the colored area of your general location. Post a brief description of your biome by responding to the following:

Provide a one-sentence description of typical precipitation and temperature for summer and winter. Use terms such as cool, cold, warm, hot, dry, and wet.

The area of the world where I live is in the temperate forest biome, we usually have hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters.

Week 5 DQ 1

na3.     Discussion Questions

·         Go to the Emissions Calculator Web site at http://airhead.cnt.org/Calculator/?sid=a743a150a5f5ff4c72817e723b7c8c14. Fill out the survey to the best of your knowledge to calculate the total pounds of air pollution your household emits. 

Address the following: What was your highest contributor? What can you do to lower your total? What is your greatest challenge in lowering your total? When you review other students’ posts, suggest how they might control air emissions for their situations.

After using the emissions calculator, my highest contributor to air pollution was our SUV. We have a 93 Jimmy that is needed to get me to and from work and the kids to and from school. My boyfriend usually goes out to friends at night and sometimes that can be a lot of miles in a day. We go through about ten dollars of gas a day with all of our running around. In a perfect world, one thing that could be done to lower our total is to reduce the need for the car by walking or biking more. 

The biggest challenge in lowering this is the temperature during the winter. Today temperature stayed in the single digits with periods of negative degrees, with wind chill even lower. Sub zero temperatures make it hard to walk or bike when we need to go somewhere.

This graph-your emissions profile-measures the pollution you created over the course of a month. You emitted 1443 pounds of air pollution in December.*

Say what? 1443 pounds is a lot of chocolate, but is it a lot of pollution? You can judge by comparing yourself with the second bar on the graph, which represents the emissions profile for an average American--1,654 pounds. Many would argue that just one pound of pollution is too much, but we live in an imperfect and complicated world, so set your own goals for where you would like to be on this graph tomorrow or next year.

Your biggest source of emissions in December came from the category: Driving. We have provided some suggestions for how to cut emissions in this area. Some of the changes we suggest are easier than others, but we hope they all help you imagine ways that you can fit emissions reductions into your life and better prioritize your emissions reduction actions. If you only had time to cut your emissions in one area, what should it be?

Your emissions profile tells you how much pollution results from your lifestyle; our product search tool helps you easily improve your profile by providing emissions data on a variety of common household products.

And as a registered AirHead user, you can come back every month and re-calculate your emissions to track your progress. If your emissions seem uncharacteristically high this month-because you took a plane trip or because, say, natural gas prices are unreasonably high-check back again for the satisfaction of seeing your profile improve. We're not interested in artificially inflating your profile; browbeating isn't really our style.

DQ2

·         Review the variety of indoor pollutant hazards posted on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html#Refguide.

Address the following: Describe at least three potential indoor air quality (IAQ) hazards in your home. What are the possible health impacts of each hazard? Do you believe your health is at risk based on your exposure to the three IAQ hazards? Why or why not? What can you do to reduce exposure to the hazard?

The number one most potential indoor air quality hazard is cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, lung cancer or heart disease. A second potential hazard would be Nitrogen Dioxide that can be found in tobacco smoke and will have all the same health hazards as environmental smoke. A third potential hazard could be a biological. My youngest daughter still wets her bed. This can cause a few potential health hazards due to breathing in affected bedding. These effects can be eye, nose, and throat irritations, shortness of breath, dizziness, fever or digestive problems.

Our health is at risk from the cigarette smoke in the house since it has two potential health hazards and is the most prominent air hazard in the house. To reduce exposure we can quit smoking or at least moving any smoking outdoors. An air filter can also cut down on potential air hazards, along with opening windows for ventilation.

Week 7 DQ 1

·         View the Don’t Say Goodbye VLR located under the Week Seven Materials section of your student Web page.

Address the following: Identify a viewpoint given in the video that highlights the importance of biodiversity. Do you believe that every species is connected to one another as expressed in the video? Why or why not?

The viewpoint expressed in the video is that all life is connected, no matter how big or small. When one species goes extinct it threatens the life of everything else on Earth. This is a viewpoint I share, I believe that all life needs all other life. This planet evolved, it weeded out the bad stuff and nurtured the good stuff. The circle of life has worked for millions of years. Plants grow up from the ground, they feed off the ground, animals eat the plants, and some other animals. When animals die they decompose back into the ground and fed the plants. If we take one item out of that list the whole process breaks down. Not to mention the numerous medicines and such we have discovered in places previously thought of as nothing good can come from.

DQ 2

·         Choose one of the following terrestrial resource challenges: loss of agricultural land or reducing solid waste.

Address the following: What are the challenges of managing your chosen terrestrial resource issue? What human activities contribute to the problem?

The terrestrial resource challenge I choose is the loss of agricultural land. There are two major challenges to managing loss of agricultural land. One challenge would be overpopulation. With more people needing more space to live, eliminates land that could be used for agriculture. Another challenge would be erosion that loses precious topsoil. Topsoil is the most fertile part of the earth to grow healthy crops. Without the topsoil it is harder to crow the fruits and vegetables that are increasingly necessary to feed this ever growing population.

Week 9 Capstone DQ

1.     Capstone Discussion Question

·         Post your response to the following: If you were an environmental researcher and were given funding to assist with one environmental issue, which of the following topics would you choose to spend your funds on?

o    Human population

o    Atmospheric pollution

o    Water resources

o    Terrestrial resources

o    Energy conservation

·         What influenced your choice? What would the ultimate goal of your research be?

If I was given funding to assist on the environmental issue of my choice, I would definitely chose energy conservation. Energy conservation could save the climate and save money in every household. These are only two reasons I choose this issue. Saving the environment is a very important issue, and energy conservation could go a long way in making the environment better. The ultimate goal of my research would be to find and develop a universal energy source that would not only heal the environment but also improve the lives of every individual on this planet.