Final Reflection

I honestly do not know where to start. This year has been incredible. Although we jumped around quite a few times, it all always worked out in the end and I’m able to say I’m leaving the class with a solid grasp on Environmental Science. I love how the class ties into current events such as agriculture along with pesticide usage, extreme weather, etc. For the future, I would perhaps break up each trimester into three or four sections where the class focuses on a current event / issue facing the world today such as a decline in bee population or how extreme weather / rising ocean temperatures will affect coastal cities such as New York and Miami. I also think the class should take more field trips and outdoor walks. Documentaries like Gasland are both entertaining and very informative, incorporating films such as those would be highly beneficial.

As for the video we started watching, it is very, very different, but in a good way. It’s certainly not what I expected from a documentary, but I feel as if the narrator does an excellent job getting his point across to the viewer. He notes the importance of the Earth and its resources without being overly cynical about it. He gets the point about how if we want to survive as a species, we better change our actions in a way that is not overly depressing but still equally pressing. The narrator is a fellow optimist like myself - I like that about him too. There is a lot of work that needs to get done, but we can do it if we all work together. The ned doesn’t need to be in sight. Hopefully the remainder of humanity shares my drive and enthusiasm to make real change.

Thanks for two incredible years, Jon. I’ve loved both Honors Biology and Honors Environmental Science. They were honestly two of my favorite classes ever and I looked forward to them each and every day. Sometimes, I think you second guess your decisions, and while the path the class has taken has been a little choppy at times, I still loved every second of it and I always walked away with a better understanding of the natural world around me. You’re an amazing teacher, Jon - don’t ever forget it (even when you steal all my friends from my free period by creating a new elective with Scott ;) ). You’ve inspired me to pursue the sciences in college, and I owe it all to you and your teaching. The plan is to become a doctor - we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be sure to keep you posted. And if you’re ever headed to the Galapagos again and looking for a travel buddy - I’d be happy to join you. :) Until we meet again…

All the best,

J.R.

P.S. I’ll be working at the Day Camp again this summer, so I’m sure I’ll see you around. I’d also be more than happy to take Happy on a walk every now and then on my breaks from caring for nine-year-olds - just let me know! :)

Agriculture Chapter: Sections 1-3 Summary

For our last topic of study of the year, my Honors Environmental Science class is diving into agriculture. Here is a summary of the first three section of our final chapter:

Section 1:

Agriculture is the process in which humans convert natural ecosystems into spaces where they can grow edible biomass for food and energy. Without agriculture, we as humans would not be able to survive. With the growing population of humans, we need a system, such as agriculture, that produces enough food to sustain all of the life on this planet. According to English economist Thomas Robert Malthus in the late eighteenth century, the human population grows exponentially while agriculture does not. Humanity’s solution to this problem was industrial agriculture. While this industrious approach to growing food does produce more edible biomass, it is highly unsustainable and poses a major risk to the environment.

Section 2:

The amount of land that can be used for agriculture on earth’s surface depends on a multitude of factors including temperature, topography, climate, soil quality, and agricultural technologies. Currently, as of the year 2000, approximately 37% of the Earth’s land is used for agriculture. Of that 33%, approximately 11% is used for growing crops and the remaining is used as pasture land (raising animals). Certain areas are better suited for farming than others, however technological advancements have helped to level the playing field.

Section 3:

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight and water into plant tissue. In order to do this, plants require carbon dioxide and water. While carbon dioxide is an essential part of photosynthesis, plants require four-hundred times more water than they do carbon dioxide. Therefor, droughts pose major threats to the survival of plants. In addition, plants also require nitrogen to grow which they receive through the soil. Prior to World War I, the most common type of nitrogen-rich fertilizer was livestock manure, however, synthetic solutions have since replaced manure.

Source: Habitable Planet Textbook

Image Source: http://images.wisegeek.com/escarole-farm.jpg

Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level Lab Report

Hello, everyone! These last few weeks in Honors Environmental Science have been quite exciting! We've spent our time in class compelleting this Lowest ObservableAdverse Effect Level lab. See below to find out more!

Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level Lab Report

Introduction:

The purpose behind this lab is to determine the lowest observable adverse effect level of Mr. Clean brand multi-purpose household cleaner on red winter wheat. This anthropogenic pollutant affects the surrounding ecosystem when released into the environment, our goal is to determine just how much multi-purpose cleaner can be released into a particular ecosystem before an adverse effect becomes noticeable. We hypothesize that Plant B, the plant receiving the 12% solution of Mr. Clean, will display the lowest observable adverse effect level.

Materials:

1. 150 hard red winter wheat seeds
2. 15 plant pots
3. Water
4. Soil
5. Drip Tray
6. Mr. Clean Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner
7. 100 mL or Larger Beaker
8. 10 mL Graduated Cylinder
9. Eye Dropper
10. Sticky Notes
11. Pen

Procedure:

1. Gather all materials. Align the 15 plant pots into three rows of five within the drip tray. In each row, assign a control and then label the remaining plants A - D.
2. Pour soil into all 15 plant pots. Fill pots approximately one inch down from the brim.
3. Plant red winter wheat ten seeds per pot. Once planted, place plants by a window with adequate sunlight.
4. Water each pot once every few days with the corresponding solution of Mr. Clean Multi-Purpose Cleaner and water.  
5. Each pot will be watered with exactly 50 mL of tap water. The control pot will be watered with pure tap water only. Plants A-D will be watered with the tap water in addition to a certain amount of Mr. Clean. See directed amounts. Only water when soil is mostly dry. If soil is damp, refrain from watering.
1. Control = 50 mL water only
2. Plant A = 50 mL water + 3 mL Mr. Clean (6% of 50 mL)
3. Plant B = 50 mL water + 6 mL Mr. Clean (12% of 50 mL)
4. Plant C = 50 mL water + 9 mL Mr. Clean (18% of 50 mL)
5. Plant D = 50 mL water + 12 mL Mr. Clean (24 % of 50 mL)
6. Record data day by day. Note the height of the tallest and shortest plant for each plant type (Control, A, etc.). Also make note of plant conditions such as their coloring and the dampness of the soil. Record for approximately two weeks.

Results:

In our experiment, we discovered that the lowest observable adverse effect level lies somewhere between 18% and 24%. Plant D, the plant receiving the 24% solution, was the first to show adverse effects. The Plant D plants were relatively shorter compared to the others. In our observations, it was quite clear visually that Plant D plants were smaller in size and fewer had sprouted overall. Therefore, our hypothesis is incorrect.  

Discussion:

While we believe our results to be accurate, if we were to complete this experiment a second time, we would change the way we measure the pants. In lieu of focussing on the extremes (tallest and shortest), we would measure all of the plants in each pot of each trial and calculate the average height. We would then use the average height of each plant type to determine the lowest observable adverse effect level.

Literature Cited:

Wagner, Travis, and Robert M. Sanford. "Experimental Design: Environmental Contamination." Environmental Science: Active Learning Laboratories and Applied Problem Sets. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. N. pag. Print.