Project #1: Individual ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING Research Project

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Project #1: Individual ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING Research Project

Select and research an EDM RESEARCH topic of interest to you.

Connect your topic with either your major or a personal interest of yours, or BOTH.

Produce and publish a TEN paragraph multimedia paper (a paragraph = 5-7 sentences) as a STAND-ALONE post (with a sexy title) on our course blog.

To earn an A, your EDM paper must:

1. Have a specific THESIS statement, grounded in TIME and PLACE, in your opening paragraph.

2. Consist of at least TEN paragraphs of between 5-7 sentences each.

3. Contain no grammar, spelling, or mechanical errors.

4. Be illustrated with AT LEAST one photo or video embed for EACH paragraph, CAPTIONED and SOURCED with the URL.

5. Provide AT LEAST one direct quotation in EACH paragraph from AT LEAST 6 different texts. Cite all sources parenthetically à(Grinnell, 34)
6. Alphabetized bibliography, please!

7. Be presented with confidence in class (excerpted sections.)

137 comments:

Dr. WAugust 28, 2019 at 1:29 PM
For Thursday, September 5th's class, please post below the following:

1) Your ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING TOPIC (I suggest a REGIONAL or GLOBAL focus - off limits for a topic is "IPCC created anthropogenic CO2 climate change.")

2) THREE specific questions you hope to explore and answer.

3) SIX specific sources - titles and urls.

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UnknownAugust 29, 2019 at 6:44 AM
Post your deliverables here, please!
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AnonymousSeptember 2, 2019 at 6:33 AM
1) Topic: Exploring microplastic in drinking water from a global outlook

2) Does microplastic bioaccumulate in humans through drinking water, els-where, or at all? If microplastic does bioaccumulate will it be carried onto offspring? What are the effects (if any) of the bioaccumulation if present?

3)
1. "World health report raises concerns about microplastics in drinking water”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/microplastics-in-drinking-water-united-nations-world-health-organization-study/

2. “You’ve Been Drinking Microplastics, But Don’t Worry—Yet”
https://www.wired.com/story/microplastic-who-study/

3. “WHO publish report on microplastics in drinking water”
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326144.php

4. “Microplastics in drinking water 'don't appear to pose health risk,' WHO says”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/21/health/who-microplastics-drinking-water-risk-intl/index.html

5. "We 'eat a credit-card worth of plastic' a week. Do water filters help?"
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/we-eat-a-credit-card-worth-of-plastic-a-week-do-water-filters-help-20190826-p52kse.html

6. “WHO Study Finds No Evidence Of Health Concerns From Microplastics In Drinking Water”
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/22/753324757/who-study-finds-no-evidence-of-health-concerns-from-microplastics-in-drinking-wa
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AnonymousSeptember 2, 2019 at 10:16 AM
1. Exploring environmental risks from structural adjustment programs funded by the World Bank.
2. Questions
1. What risk assessments are already being done on structural adjustments?
2. What are the negative environmental affects on the counties that are
receiving these loans?
3. What is the risk or benefits to World Bank and the IMF for these loans and programs?

3. https://www.essentialaction.org/imf/environment.htm

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/34277054_Structural_Adjustment_and_the_Environment_Impacts_of_the_World_Bank_and_IMF_Conditional_Loans_on_Developing_Countries

https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/exrp/environ/

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02688867.1996.9727547

https://www.cbd.int/financial/fiscalenviron/kenya-structural.pdf

https://ips-dc.org/structural_adjustment_programs_poverty_reduction_strategy/

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AnonymousSeptember 2, 2019 at 1:06 PM
Topic:
Fast Fashion’s Environmental Impacts

Questions:
1. How did the mass production fashion industry start, how has it evolved to where it is now?

2. What hurts the environment from this “fast fashion” production cycle, and how much waste is being created (quantitative)

3. How do we reduce it, what efforts are already being put in place, and company initiatives to be more sustainable (like H & M Basics)

Sources:
1. What Not to Wear
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40477817

2. Fashion, Sustainability and the Anthropocene
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/utopianstudies.28.3.0482

3. Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry
www.jstor.org/stable/4626880.

4. Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands
https://doi.org/10.2752/175174112X13340749707123

5. Fast fashion and its impact on the environment
https://search-ebscohost-com.cobalt.champlain.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=136195776&site=ehost-live&scope=site

6. Fast fashion, secondhand shops, sustainability, and their relation
https://advance-lexis-com.cobalt.champlain.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:5V9V-4JX1-DY7P-T1MX-00000-00&context=1516831.
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AnonymousSeptember 3, 2019 at 8:51 PM
Topic: Environmental Issues in Native Communities (Ecocide)

Questions
How are Native American communities affected by encroaching land usage by corporations?
How do Indigenous cultures go about environmental decision making? WHat can we learn from this?
What decisions are made without the consent of native Americans?

Sources

Holistic risk-based environmental decision making: a Native perspective https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/abs/10.1289/ehp.02110s2259
Emerging Environmental Issues in Native Communities https://www.eli.org/vibrant-environment-blog/emerging-environmental-issues-native-communities
Native Americans and the Environment: A Survey of Twentieth-Century Issues https://www.jstor.org/stable/1185599?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Ecocide of Native America Book by Bruce E. Johansen and Donald A. Grinde Jr.
The Treadmill of Destruction: National Sacrifice Areas and Native Americans https://www-jstor-org.cobalt.champlain.edu/stable/3593065?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=ecocide&searchText=of&searchText=native&searchText=americans&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Decocide%2Bof%2Bnative%2Bamericans%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_SYC-4341%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3Ac38516d674b8fb2474d39abd74c9eb56&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Reflections on Conservation, Sustainability, and Environmentalism in Indigenous North America https://www-jstor-org.cobalt.champlain.edu/stable/3567675?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=ecocide&searchText=of&searchText=native&searchText=americans&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Decocide%2Bof%2Bnative%2Bamericans%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Brefreqid%3Dexcelsior%253Abecbced00449768e40d198c579517f16&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_SYC-4341%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3A3186445430c872bbc641af249761af06&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Protecting Earth Rights and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Towards an International Crime of Ecocide https://web-b-ebscohost-com.cobalt.champlain.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=1687f909-cd65-479b-8673-51303deb52d8%40pdc-v-sessmgr06&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=113234430&db=a9h
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Max PomroySeptember 4, 2019 at 3:08 PM
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Max PomroySeptember 4, 2019 at 3:11 PM
Topic:
United State’s development of a large scale cannabis market.

Questions:
-What is the long environmental impact of (currently) common growing methods?
-What are some methods in research?
-What are some current policies surrounding this topic? What are some suggested/drafting policies?
-What are some ethical/social issues surrounding this topic?

Specific sources:

-New Cannabis Research Center to explore environmental, social impacts of legalization: https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/01/29/new-cannabis-research-center-to-explore-environmental-social-impacts-of-legalization/

-California's Pot Farms Could Leave Salmon Runs Truly Smoked: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/01/08/260788863/californias-pot-farms-could-leave-salmon-runs-truly-smoked

-Marijuana Crops in California Threaten Forests and Wildlife: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/us/marijuana-crops-in-california-threaten-forests-and-wildlife.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

-Demand for pot will be much higher than anyone anticipated after legalization, says report commissioned for Health Canada: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/demand-for-pot-will-be-much-higher-than-anyone-anticipated-after-legalization-says-report-commissioned-for-health-canada

-Public lands sprouting marijuana farms: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Public-lands-sprouting-marijuana-farms-3270354.php

-Cannabis farming in California using so much water it could wipe out salmon population, biologists warn: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cannabis-farming-in-california-using-so-much-water-it-could-wipe-out-salmon-population-biologists-9775102.html

-Cannabis Carbon Footprint: Marijuana Industry’s Environmental Impact: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cannabis-carbon-footprint-environment_n_1832035

-Half-Baked Idea?: Legalizing Marijuana Will Help the Environment: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/would-legalizing-pot-be-good-for-environment/

-Poisons on public lands put wildlife at risk (VIDEO): https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/poisons-public-lands-put-wildlife-risk-video

-Pot: Not so green after all? : http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/pot-not-so-green-after-all/839/

-Water Boards Cannabis Cultivation: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/cannabis/
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Lily ParsontSeptember 4, 2019 at 4:11 PM
Topic: The global impact on the environment from non-recyclable packaging.

Questions:
1. What do we already know about what can and can not be recycled? Why can't these specific items not be recycled in SOME way?

2. Are people aware of how much plastic, wax, foam, aluminum, etc. they waste from purchasing multiple products with these types of packaging? Is there really anyway for people to avoid the wasteful packaging?

3. How can people create ways to either reduce or recycle these types of materials? Why have we not already come together to be inventive to save our planet from garbage islands?

Sources:
1. Non-recyclable materials list http://lausd-oehs.org/docs/Recycling/Non_Recyclable_List.pdf
2. Good product, bad packaging https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/jul/18/good-product-bad-package-plastic-recycle-mistakes
3. 29% of supermarket packaging is not recyclable https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/07/up-to-29-of-supermarket-packaging-is-not-recyclable-which-finds/
4. Sustainable packaging https://salazarpackaging.com/sustainable-packaging/
5. Packaging https://www.greenchoices.org/green-living/food-drink/packaging
6. Non-recyclables https://quinterecycling.org/you-thought-was-recyclable-but-isnt/
7. why can't all plastic be recycled? http://theconversation.com/why-cant-all-plastic-waste-be-recycled-100857
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AnonymousSeptember 4, 2019 at 5:38 PM
Topic: Ethically Expanding Ecotourism

1. How can more ecotourism opportunities be implemented while respecting local environments and cultures?
2. Does positive social and economical growth outweigh some of the negative aspects of development in remote areas?
3. Realistically, how can all of the facets of ecotourism be implemented on a single trip? (conservation, well-being of local people, education)

Sources:
1. https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/
2. Who Owns Paradise, Martha Honey
3. Blamey, Russell K. "Principles of ecotourism." The encyclopedia of ecotourism 2001 (2001): 5-22.
4.Peter A. Lindsey, R. Alexander, M.G.L. Mills, S. Romañach & R. Woodroffe (2007) Wildlife Viewing Preferences of Visitors to Protected Areas in South Africa: Implications for the Role of Ecotourism in Conservation, Journal of Ecotourism, 6:1, 19-33, DOI: 10.2167/joe133.0
5.Marina Novelli, Jonathan I. Barnes & Michael Humavindu (2006) The Other Side of the Ecotourism Coin: Consumptive Tourism in Southern Africa, Journal of Ecotourism, 5:1-2, 62-79, DOI: 10.1080/14724040608668447
6.https://www.intechopen.com/books/advances-in-landscape-architecture/role-of-ecotourism-in-sustainable-development
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AnonymousSeptember 4, 2019 at 6:35 PM
topic: sustainable consumption

questions
1. what is sustainable consumption (companies, examples, explanation, etc)? is it really that sustainable, and if so, how can it be normalized throughout society?
2. how do consumers feel when participating in sustainable versus unsustainable consumption?
3. why is sustainable consumption important for the future of our planet?

sources (titles/urls)
Goal 12: Responsible consumption, production
https://www.sdgfund.org/goal-12-responsible-consumption-production

Oslo Roundtable on Sustainable Production and Consumption http://enb.iisd.org/consume/oslo004.html

Sustainable consumption and production policies https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/sustainable-consumption-and-production-policies

Sustainable Consumption in Everyday Life: A Qualitative Study of UK Consumer Experiences of Meat Reduction
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/7/2307

Sustainable consumption in national context: an introduction to the special issue https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15487733.2005.11907962

Sustainable consumption – policy approaches for systems change https://ieep.eu/uploads/articles/attachments/6ba62504-96f4-463a-b077-b37cb739043a/Think%202030%20Sustainable%20consumption.pdf?v=63710011359

The sustainable consumption concept https://sustainableconsumption.usdn.org/concept/overview

The Sustainability of “Sustainable Consumption” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247739202_The_Sustainability_of_Sustainable_Consumption
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AnonymousSeptember 4, 2019 at 7:45 PM
Topic: The effects of deforestation for agricultural use

1. How is deforestation impacting vital species in these forests?
2. How does this deforestation impact emissions?
3. How does the harm/negative impacts of deforestation for agricultural use compare to the advantages of it?

Sources:
https://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/amazon/land-use
https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil/questions-and-answers#start
https://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/land-use/industrial-agriculture
https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/stop-deforestation/drivers-of-deforestation-2016-palm-oil
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/09/scientists-reveal-how-much-world-s-forests-being-destroyed-industrial-agriculture
https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation
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Holly FrancisSeptember 8, 2019 at 8:06 PM
Topic: the NRC and the use/funding of nuclear energy

Questions: Does the NRC continue funding new nuclear facilities? Do the NRC regulations exploit the environment and people? Are there other forms of energy similar to nuclear that are being researched and tested? Do we really need nuclear for a cleaner society?

Sources:
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/nuclear-power-and-the-environment.php
https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-nuclear-power-must-be-part-of-the-energy-solution-environmentalists-climate
https://www.apnews.com/2b7ebdbcec4b4b6788a7cf0468b1c054
https://allthingsnuclear.org/dlochbaum/the-nrc-and-nuclear-safety-culture-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/david-lochbaum-the-nrc-is-not-doing-its-job/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/give-the-nrc-credit-it-is-doing-its-job-well-11555520619
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Dr. WSeptember 9, 2019 at 6:17 AM
For Monday, September 16, please post your THESIS statement draft 1.0 here.

Be sure your THESIS STATEMENT meets these FOUR criteria:

1) Precise.
2) Provable (arguable) hypothesis.
3) Grounded in time. (DATES)
4) Grounded in place (WHERE.)

Be ready to present your thesis in class for critical discussion!

My example of a thesis that works:

"Moving into 2020, the United States as an Empire is threatened by both "imperial overstretch" globally and a domestic economy at home marked by an increasing wealth gap between the super rich and everyone else."
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Zach NewmanSeptember 9, 2019 at 6:23 AM
Topic: The effects of rising sea levels on coastal industries
Questions: How long will it take for us to see a noticeable impact on coastal industries? What industries are going to be effected and how much? What can be done to combat this?
Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/sea-level-rise/
https://climate.nasa.gov/resources/education/pbs_modules/lesson3Overview/
https://www.activesustainability.com/climate-change/sea-level-rise-causes-and-consequences/
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level
https://climate.org/sea-level-rise-risk-and-resilience-in-coastal-cities/
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AnonymousSeptember 11, 2019 at 7:01 PM
Topic: The continued production of gasoline powered vehicles.
Question: How long before all of these cars are obsolete?
Are car manufacturers preparing for the switch?
Which countries are working to solve this issue and how?
Sources:
https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/energy-independence/the-end-of-fossil-fuels
https://interestingengineering.com/what-would-happen-if-the-world-ran-out-of-crude-oil
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/eme801/node/486
https://evercharge.net/blog/electric-cars-vs-gas-vehicles-what-you-need-to-know/
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-that-will-ban-gasoline-cars.html
https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/car-emissions-and-global-warming
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lauratracey27@gmail.comSeptember 11, 2019 at 8:11 PM
Sustainable city development/ greening up cities
How can we sustainably develop and improve urban infrastructure to prepare for the coming rise in population?
How can we better improve and develop cities without gentrifying them?
How can we better prepare developing nations in order to prevent them from making the same environmental mistakes the U.S and other developed nations made during periods of industrialization and economic growth?

https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-11-sustainable-cities-and-communities.html

https://inhabitat.com/mvrdv-unveils-plans-to-transform-almere-the-netherlands-into-the-greenest-city-ever-built/

https://www.odi.org/publications/11291-financing-sustainable-urban-future-scoping-green-cities-development-bank

https://www.asla.org/sustainableurbandevelopment.aspx

http://csud.ei.columbia.edu

https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=25268

Global Environmental Politics (Dilemmas in World Politics) 7th Edition

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AnonymousSeptember 14, 2019 at 11:45 AM
THESIS STATEMENT:
Throughout history, indigenous people have been disenfranchised by industrialization and economic growth on a global scale because of industry exploitation of the natural environment.
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Zach NewmanSeptember 15, 2019 at 7:25 AM
Thesis Statement
Due to the risk of rising water in the modern era coastal industries have much to worry about, but if managed well they will be able to overcome this risk and end up the better for it.
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2019 at 1:35 PM
Thesis
Since The Bretton Woods Agreement in 1944, the Western World powers have used the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to promote Structural Adjustment Programs to develop the world in a way that best suits their neoliberal agenda and has contributed to environmental degradation.
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Max PomroySeptember 15, 2019 at 2:01 PM

Thesis statement: Many are quick to declare the growing hemp and cannabis industry as environmentally friendly, yet there are very few studies and fewer operations focusing on the ecological impact of this rapidly growing industry.
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2019 at 5:51 PM
In 2019, hundreds of millions of Americans unknowingly consume microplastics through the water they are drinking everyday.
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Holly FrancisSeptember 15, 2019 at 7:38 PM
Thesis: Since its first electricity generation in 1951, nuclear energy and its many latent issues has been overfunded and overvalued, especially by the NRC, disregarding any better alternative methods of energy.
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2019 at 8:37 PM
As ecotourism has become more common, it has become more necessary to assess the impact of tourism and development on remote communities.
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Lily ParsontSeptember 15, 2019 at 8:58 PM
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2019 at 8:59 PM
In the 21st century the continued production of gasoline and diesel powered vehicles is environmentally and economically counterproductive.
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Lily ParsontSeptember 15, 2019 at 9:00 PM
As more non-recyclable packaging enters global landfills and waste sites, the effect of these plastics, papers, foam, etc. on the environmental must be evaluated as a true environmental threat.
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AnonymousSeptember 15, 2019 at 10:39 PM
Thesis Statement:
Global mass deforestation for industrial agricultural use has caused extreme damage to vital ecosystems and species, releases large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere and has marginalized indigenous groups living in these lands.
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AnonymousSeptember 16, 2019 at 2:06 AM
thesis:

As we approach 2020, picture living in the United States as having a front-row seat to the glaring realities of overconsumption, careless waste, and overproduction in the saga of irresponsible consumerism; with the average American household having over 300,000 items in it and that number growing every year.
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AnonymousSeptember 16, 2019 at 6:24 AM
I will be focusing on the negative relationship between fast fashion and the environment throughout the 21st century.
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Dr. WSeptember 19, 2019 at 3:06 AM
DELIVERABLES DUE FOR MONDAY, SEPT 23:

Draft and post an INTRODUCTORY paragraph of between 5-7 sentences. Be sure to include your revised 2.0 THESIS STATEMENT, IN CAPS, n your introductory paragraph.
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AnonymousSeptember 22, 2019 at 9:41 AM
In a society riddled with the notion that consumerism is our duty, we often fall victim to this buy, buy, buy mentality. Leading us to fall for the trap set by our Capitalist Society in collaboration with the fashion industry to make us believe that we need to keep up with the trends. These trends have a name, fast fashion. These trends are not only taking away from personal expression through style and material choice, but they are creating a toxic relationship between fashion and the natural world. 21ST-CENTURY FAST FASHION IS CAUSING DETRIMENTAL HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF THE USE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS, THE INCREASE OF WATER POLLUTION AND THE DEVASTATING LEVELS OF TEXTILE WASTE PRODUCED IN THE PROCESS FROM CONSTRUCTION TO DISPOSAL.
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Max PomroySeptember 22, 2019 at 3:00 PM
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Max PomroySeptember 22, 2019 at 3:05 PM
Since a bill pass in 2017 which legalized recreational marijuana possession, use, and sales in the state, there has been a “green rush” of individuals and companies (mainly head shops and CBD retail companies) investing in the industry. VERMONTERS ARE QUICK TO DECLARE THE EMERGING CANNABIS SECTOR IN THE UNITED STATES AS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, YET THERE ARE VERY FEW STUDIES AND FEWER OPERATIONS FOCUSING ON THE ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF THIS RAPIDLY GROWING INDUSTRY. Current growing methods vary vastly in resource use as well as yield quantity and factors of control. Analyzing environmental benefits of a growing method is dependent upon electricity use, water use, nutrient/fertilizer ingredients, and risks of soil nutrient depletion.
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Holly FrancisSeptember 22, 2019 at 6:40 PM
Intro: ‘Clean energy’ is a hot and trending topic in the media and huge in environmentalist lingo, but this idea of clean is not being challenged enough. Nuclear energy is often considered essential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as air pollution, but the externalities are neglected in regulations. Furthermore, the public rarely has a say in how nuclear energy operates nor do they have the proper knowledge to contribute to the decision making process. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is the United States government body that controls the rules and inspections for nuclear energy, but, historically, has been the one to exploit the public and avoid true consideration of the energy’s latent issues. THE NRC HAS OVERFUNDED AND OVERVALUED NUCLEAR ENERGY EVER SINCE 1951, DISREGARDING ANY BETTER ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION.
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AnonymousSeptember 22, 2019 at 7:06 PM
The term ‘sustainable development’ describes growth that may continue with no negative societal or environmental impacts. However, is any infinite growth ‘sustainable’? Ecotourism is a medium in which the possibility of sustainable development can be explored, as there are many global examples of remote areas having significant natural value that have been developed in the name of ecotourism. ECOTOURISM INITIATIVES OCCURRING IN COSTA RICA AND ZANZIBAR STARTING IN THE EARLY 2000S SHED SOME LIGHT ON EXAMPLES OF BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF DEVELOPMENT ON SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT EXAMPLE OF THE DANGERS OF A PURELY GROWTH MINDSET.
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AnonymousSeptember 22, 2019 at 8:28 PM
In the United States, we ingest microplastic particles through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink everyday. A study published in June 2019 by Environmental Science & Technology concluded that the average American consumes at least 36,000 microplastic particles annually, through the daily consumption of food and water. Today, state policies and federal action are absent from this conversation even though the current microplastic findings continuously support the fact that microplastic particles do not belong inside human bodies. Hundreds of millions of Americans unknowingly consume microplastics through the water that they drink daily; IN 2019, WE MUST SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE U.S. CITIZENS ANNUAL INTAKE OF MICROPLASTICS THROUGH STRENGTHENING TAP WATER REGULATIONS IN OUR COUNTRY.
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AnonymousSeptember 22, 2019 at 8:36 PM
21ST CENTURY PRODUCTION OF GASOLINE AND DIESEL POWERED VEHICLES IS ENVIRONMENTALLY AND ECONOMICALLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. By continually investing in fossil fuel we are setting ourselves up for failure as these resources are run dry. Even soaringly popular electric vehicles haven't fully addressed the issue as the majority of their charging stations are powered by fossil fuel energy. Shifting our transportation paradigm towards sustainability is imperative to our economic and environmental health. Creating non-fossil fuel transportation alternatives is the future of this sector and of how our modern cities will operate.
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Lily ParsontSeptember 22, 2019 at 8:38 PM
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Lily ParsontSeptember 22, 2019 at 8:44 PM
With the development of many multi-national corporations such as Amazon and Walmart, packaging has increased immensely due to online shipping and deliveries. As a result of the popular Western ideas of placing more value into goods than into humans, this creates a lethal combination for the planet. These excess shipping materials take up space in landfills and have no other use, as much of them are single use plastics. The use of shipping packaging, and the lack of ways to responsibly dispose of it is presenting new problems that have previously not needed a solution. IN THE 21ST CENTURY, THE RAPID INCREASE OF NON-RECYCLABLE PACKAGING POSES A GLOBAL THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
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AnonymousSeptember 22, 2019 at 10:45 PM
The average American household has over 300,000 items in it and that number grows each year. Our dependence on producing and purchasing material goods has tremendously outgrown our need for them, yet we can’t stop. Our methods of production, as well as the disposing of byproducts and used products are often detrimental to public and environmental health, yet we don’t care. The buying, selling, and sharing of goods can provide income, livelihood, and community- but our obsession has the potential to cause more harm than good, and already has. AS WE APPROACH 2020, PICTURE LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AS HAVING A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO THE GLARING REALITIES OF OVERCONSUMPTION, CARELESS WASTE, AND OVERPRODUCTION IN THE SAGA OF IRRESPONSIBLE CONSUMERISM.
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AnonymousSeptember 22, 2019 at 10:58 PM
Since the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago, humans have cleared lands for the use of agriculture. With the industrial revolution and globalization of the last 200 years, these destructive land-clearing practices have exploded as we work to support our growing food systems. For instance, 41% of US land is used for livestock. Recent news has shown yet another example of this industries’ destructive behavior with the Amazon forest fires, many of which were started to clear land for cattle agriculture. GLOBAL MASS DEFORESTATION FOR 21ST CENTURY INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE HAS CAUSED EXTREME DAMAGE TO VITAL ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECIES,RELEASES LARGE AMOUNTS OF CO2 INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, AND HAS MARGINALIZED INDIGENOUS GROUPS.
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Zach NewmanSeptember 23, 2019 at 6:01 AM
Our world is in grave danger, facing threats to it's safety from all sides. The climate crisis is getting ever closer to a tipping point that we will not be able to get back from. However many people don't pay attention to this issue because they don't think it will have much of an effect on them and their jobs, this could not be further from the truth. Much of human industry was built along the cost to help with trade and now the rising waters puts them at risk. DUE TO THE RISK OF RISING WATERS IN THIS MODERN ERA TO WESTERN CIVILIZATIONS COASTAL INDUSTRY THERE IS MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT, BUT IF MANAGED WELL THEY WILL BE ABLE TO OVERCOME THIS RISK AND END UP THE BETTER FOR IT.
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AnonymousSeptember 25, 2019 at 7:06 PM
“The lungs of the world are burning:” The latest headline sweeping the globe, referring to the fires in the Amazon rainforest. This headline may be inaccurate, as the oceans are the lungs of the world, but it catches people's attention. Not in the rhetoric revolving this tragic event are the indigenous people being ignored by the media and the government. The amazon is but one example of how indigenous people experience devastation. SINCE COLONIZATION IN THE AMERICAS, INDEGENOUS PEOPLE ARE CONTINUALLY DISENFRANCHISED BY INDUSTRIALIZATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH BECAUSE OF SYSTEMIC EXPLOITATION OF THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. Environments like the amazon are crucial to indigenous cultures not only for the shelter they provide but also for their nourishment, resources, and biodiversity. Action needs to be taken not only for the sake of our environment, but also for fellow humans in need of advocates.
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Dr. WSeptember 26, 2019 at 3:08 AM
For Monday, September 30th's class, please post here:

1) Your REVISED Introductory 5-7 sentence paragraph with THESIS STATEMENT IN CAPS.

2) A numbered TEN bullet point OUTLINE mapping out the current "flow" of your research project. Paragraph #10 will be your CONCLUSION.

Go for it!

Dr. Rob
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AnonymousSeptember 26, 2019 at 6:28 AM

The world is currently experiencing a climate crisis that has been caused by human’s interaction and exploitation of the natural world. The way that the western world has developed has been the major contributor to the climate crisis. The western world has created international programs that aim to develop the rest of the world through loans in order to best benefit them. These programs aim to either develop the country through loans or if the country cannot pay back exploiting that countries resources through corporations and military bases being set up there. Since The Bretton Woods Agreement in 1944, the Western World powers have used the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to promote Structural Adjustment Programs to develop the world in a way that best suits their neoliberal agenda and has contributed to environmental degradation.
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AnonymousSeptember 27, 2019 at 8:16 AM
Each year billions of dollars are shredded and engulfed in flames as a way to keep the fashion industry exclusive and its products at market price. These dollars are made of cotton, nylon, polyester and a stew of toxic chemicals to replicate runway looks. In a society riddled with the notion that consumerism is our duty, we often fall victim to a buy, buy, buy mentality. Leading us to fall for the trap set by our Capitalist Society in collaboration with the fashion industry to make us believe that we need to keep up with the trends. These trends have a name, fast fashion. These trends are not only taking away from personal expression through style and material choice, but they are creating a toxic relationship between fashion and the natural world. 21ST-CENTURY FAST FASHION IS CAUSING DETRIMENTAL HARM TO THE ENVIRONMENT DUE TO THE USE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS, THE INCREASE OF WATER POLLUTION AND THE DEVASTATING BULK OF TEXTILE WASTE PRODUCED IN THE PROCESS FROM CONSTRUCTION TO DISPOSAL.
1. A brief history of how fast fashion came to be.
2. How it is still perpetuated, who are the contributors?
3. H&M how a company that is the epitome of fast fashion can try and counteract this with their “Back to Basics Collection”
4. The longevity of different materials and creation methods
5. Where does the money made from fast fashion go, who is benefiting financially?
6. Are there any brands that are doing an honest job with their clothing and NOT partaking in fast fashion?
7. How can other clothing companies follow the lead of those not participating in fast fashion, is there an outline they could follow?
8. Risk assessments on the harms of fast fashion.
9. Risk assessment of the effects on businesses that would choose to stop creating fast fashion clothing.
10. Alternatives assessment of the fast fashion industry as a whole.

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Holly FrancisSeptember 27, 2019 at 6:39 PM
Intro: Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima. Do these ring any bells? Nuclear energy is often considered essential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as air pollution, but the externalities are neglected in regulations and unplanned disasters have occurred and are difficult to prevent. Furthermore, the public rarely has a say in how nuclear energy operates nor do they have the proper knowledge to contribute to the decision making process. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is the United States government body that controls the rules and inspections for nuclear energy, but, historically, has been the one to exploit the public and avoid true consideration of the energy’s latent issues. THE NRC HAS OVERFUNDED AND OVERVALUED NUCLEAR ENERGY EVER SINCE 1951, DISREGARDING ANY BETTER ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION.

OUTLINE
I. Intro
II. Need for renewable/clean energy
III. Nuclear Energy
IV. Advantages and disadvantages (including 3 accidents)
V. NRC
VI. Main regulations
VII. Pros and cons of the NRC and its regulations
VIII. Effects of climate change and extreme weather events
IX. Alternatives
X. Conclusion
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AnonymousSeptember 29, 2019 at 3:25 PM
“The lungs of the world are burning:” The latest headline sweeping the globe, referring to the fires in the Amazon rainforest. This headline may be inaccurate, as the oceans are the lungs of the world, but it catches people's attention. Being left out of the rhetoric revolving this tragic event are the indigenous people ignored by the media and the government. The amazon is but one example of how indigenous people experience devastation. SINCE COLONIZATION IN THE AMERICAS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE CONTINUALLY DISENFRANCHISED BY INDUSTRIALIZATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH BECAUSE OF SYSTEMIC EXPLOITATION OF THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. Environments like the amazon are crucial to indigenous cultures not only for the shelter they provide but also for their nourishment, resources, and biodiversity. Action needs to be taken not only for the sake of our environment, but also for fellow humans in need of advocates.

1. Indigenous people first ecologists?
2. History of Indigenous people starting with colonization - case studies into specific tribes
3. Native Americans
4. Navajo ecology and government policy
5. Fishing rights
6. Indigenous in the Amazon
7. Conceptual framework: ways of thinking
8. Resource management
9. Ethics for resource management
10. Liberation of the Natural World
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Max PomroySeptember 29, 2019 at 4:01 PM
Since a bill pass in 2017 which legalized recreational marijuana possession, use, and sales in the state, there has been a “green rush” of individuals and companies (mainly head shops and CBD retail companies) investing in the industry. Vermonters are quick to declare the emerging cannabis sector in the United States as environmentally friendly, yet there are very few studies and fewer operations focusing on the ecological impact of this rapidly growing industry. Current growing methods vary vastly in resource use as well as yield quantity and factors of control. Analyzing environmental benefits of a growing method is dependent upon electricity use, water use, nutrient/fertilizer ingredients, and risks of soil nutrient depletion.

Policies
What are some current policies?
Suggested and drafting laws
Env impacts
Current growing methods- indoor/outdoor, scale, monoculture/polyculture
Impacts of illegal operations
Benefits of hemp (as a material)
Waste products
Cultural and ethical issues
Stigmas of smoking pot
VT culture and stigma
US culture vs worldwide stigma
Racism and pot- the war on drugs
Customer safety- labelling laws, child proof locks, animal testing
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AnonymousSeptember 29, 2019 at 5:00 PM
Microplastic particles are ingested everyday in the United States through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. A study published in June 2019, by Environmental Science & Technology, found that the average American consumes at least 36,000 microplastic particles annually through the daily consumption of food and water. Today, regulations involving the human consumption of microplastic particles are absent from regulatory agencies such as the FDA and EPA, even though emerging data on the human consumption of microplastic particles continuously supports the claim that: microplastics do not belong inside human bodies. Hundreds of millions of Americans unknowingly consume microplastics through the water that they drink daily; IN 2019, WE MUST STRENGTHEN TAP WATER REGULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ALL U.S. CITIZENS AVERAGE ANNUAL INTAKE OF MICROPLASTIC PARTICLES.

1) Intro
2) Study (referenced in intro) debriefed
3) Exploring the idea of “clean tap water”
4) Explaining how microplastic particles find their way into tap water
5) Microplastic particles found in tap water across US data
6) Known effects data
7) Current regulations
8) Stakeholders
9) Regulation suggestions/ overall reflection
10) Conclusion
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Lily ParsontSeptember 29, 2019 at 6:02 PM
Ever wonder where the pieces of plastic or annoying clothing tags go after opening something you just purchased off of Amazon? The Environmental Protection Agency calculated in 2015, there was 77.9 million tons of plastics and containers from packaging on earth, making up a major portion of municipal solid waste. The use of shipping packaging, and the lack of ways to responsibly dispose of it is presenting complex problems that have previously not needed a solution. With the development of many multi-national corporations such as Amazon and Walmart, packaging has increased immensely due to online shipping and deliveries. Implementing value into goods more than into humans has become more significant and worrisome since online shopping has become available, which creates a lethal combination for the planet. These excess shipping materials stay on Earth for years after being created and most have no other use afterwards, as much of them are single use plastics. IN THE 21ST CENTURY, THE RAPID INCREASE OF NON-RECYCLABLE PACKAGING POSES A GLOBAL THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

1. Intro
2. Why these small materials cannot be recycled into something new
3. Stop buying your necessities online, buy local, bring reusable bags
4. Data on the amount of nonrecyclable packaging created per year (EPA)
5. Difference between packaging and containers (EPA)
6. Plastics provide sales and marketing benefits (recycling as a business)
7. Is there anything being done to reduce nonrecyclable packaging
8. How to avoid nonrecyclable packaging
9. Alternatives to nonrecyclable packaging
10. Conclusion
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AnonymousSeptember 29, 2019 at 9:26 PM
The term ‘sustainable development’ describes growth that may continue with no negative societal or environmental impacts. However, is any infinite growth ‘sustainable’? Ecotourism is a medium in which the possibility of sustainable development can be explored, as there are many global examples of remote areas having significant natural value that have been developed in the name of ecotourism. In some areas, tourism development can be a major societal benefit. In others, it can be a detriment no matter how "sustainable" outsiders think it may be. Redefining growth, assessing impact, and creating individualized plans for different areas is essential before calling an activity or destination "ecotourism". ECOTOURISM INITIATIVES OCCURRING IN COSTA RICA AND ZANZIBAR STARTING IN THE EARLY 2000S SHED SOME LIGHT ON EXAMPLES OF BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF DEVELOPMENT ON SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT EXAMPLE OF THE DANGERS OF A PURELY GROWTH MINDSET.

1. Intro (Define ecotourism)
2. Exploration of the term sustainable development
3. Sustainable development as it relates to ecotourism
4. Replacing "sustainable development" with "systems development"
5. Costa Rica Pros
6. Costa Rica Cons
7. Zanzibar pros
8. Zanzibar cons (could the best ecotourism be staying home?
9. Wrapping up comparisons and reframing the way we think of development
10. Conclusion
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AnonymousSeptember 30, 2019 at 12:05 AM
Since the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago, humans have decimated lands for agricultural use. Destructive land-clearing practices have boomed over the last 200+ years since the industrial revolution as we work to feed a growing population in a globalized world. The US has cleared 41% of its land for livestock use--and this extent of land clearing is seen worldwide. Recent news has shown yet another example of this industries’ destructive behavior with the Amazon forest fires, many of which were started to clear land for cattle agriculture. GLOBAL MASS DEFORESTATION FOR 21ST CENTURY INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE HAS CAUSED EXTREME DAMAGE TO VITAL ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECIES, RELEASES LARGE AMOUNTS OF CO2 INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, AND HAS MARGINALIZED INDIGENOUS GROUPS.

1. Intro
2. Industrial revolution/industrial farming
3. Methods used
4. Cattle farming
5. Palm Oil
6. Case study of shade-grown coffee
7. Impacts on ecosystem as a whole
8. Impacts on indigenous peoples
9. How it impacts humans
10. Alternatives
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AnonymousSeptember 30, 2019 at 1:10 AM
1. intro -
The average American household has over 300,000 items in it and that number grows each year. Our dependence on producing and purchasing material goods has tremendously outgrown our need for them, yet we can’t stop. Our methods of disposing of byproducts and used products are often detrimental to public and environmental health, yet we don’t care. The buying, selling, and sharing of goods can provide income, livelihood, and community among other things- but our obsession has the potential to cause more harm than good, and already has. AS WE APPROACH 2020, PICTURE LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AS HAVING A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO THE GLARING REALITIES OF OVERCONSUMPTION, CARELESS WASTE, AND OVERPRODUCTION IN THE SAGA OF IRRESPONSIBLE CONSUMERISM.

2. what is consumption (definition, types, etc.), how does it impact the environment & how do production/waste factor in?

3. why do we “need” consumption? (root causes)

4. where did the term sustainable consumption come from? what does it mean? is it realistic?

5. brands providing better options for consumers, “sustainable” marketing, corporate responsibility/accountability?

6. consumer satisfaction when purchasing sustainably vs. not, do people like making a positive statement with their purchases? how can/do consumers make a difference for society and the planet?

7. how are the impact(s) from sustainable production different than the impact from unsustainable production? (tide versus seventh generation) do the environmental benefits outweigh the economic disadvantages?

8. sustainable consumption/globalization/localized world

9. lifestyle changes to be more sustainable

10. conclusion - what is sustainable consumption? is it actually better for people and the planet or is it just another greenwashing attempt by companies to suck people into the vacuum of consumerism?
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AnonymousSeptember 30, 2019 at 6:00 AM
The world is currently experiencing a climate crisis that has been caused by human’s interaction and exploitation of the natural world. The way that the western world has developed has been the major contributor to the climate crisis. The western world has created international programs that aim to develop the rest of the world through loans in order to best benefit them. These programs aim to either develop the country through loans or if the country cannot pay back exploiting that countries resources through corporations and military bases being set up there. SINCE THE BRETTON WOODS AGREEMENT IN 1944, THE WESTERN WORLD HAVE USED THE WORLD BANK AND THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND TO PROMOTE STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE WORLD IN A WAY THAT BEST SUITS THEIR NEOLIBERAL AGENDA WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION.
1. History of globalization
2. Background of SAPs
3. Case study
4. Case study
5. Environmental degradation
6. Social implications
7. Who is benefitting
8. Risk analysis
9. Alternatives assessment
10. Close
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AnonymousOctober 2, 2019 at 8:57 PM
21ST CENTURY PRODUCTION OF GASOLINE AND DIESEL POWERED VEHICLES IS ENVIRONMENTALLY AND ECONOMICALLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. By continually investing in fossil fuel we are setting ourselves up for failure as these resources are run dry. Even increasingly popular electric vehicles haven't fully addressed sustainability issues, one example being a majority of their charging stations are powered by fossil fuel energy. Shifting our transportation paradigm towards longevity is imperative to our economic and environmental health. Creating alternatives to fossil fuel transportation is the future of this sector and of how our modern cities will have to operate.

1) Intro
2) Issue with fossil fuels
3) Production of vehicles
4) Risks of electric vehicles
5) Regulations in place
6) Other countries efforts
7) Changing paradigm
8) Alternatives
9) Local initiatives
10) Conclusion
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UnknownOctober 3, 2019 at 2:59 AM
For Monday, October 7th's class, please post here TWO brand new BODY paragraphs of between 5-7 sentences each.

FOCUS ON: 1) writing with ACTIVE verbs (no "was/were" passive voice etc); 2) collapsing prepositional phrases; 3) including DIRECT QUOTATIONS to support your analysis.

Go for it!

Dr. Rob
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AnonymousOctober 6, 2019 at 3:14 PM
PARAGRAPH 1:
7. While there are brands, like the previously mentioned H&M that are notorious for disregarding the health of the planet with futile attempts at proving their loyalty to the environment by offering “sustainable” cotton basics. There are brands like Back Beat Co. that live in the same space of fashion-forward, youthful style that sincerely considers mother earth. The “about us” page on the Black Beat Co website claims “We incorporate environmentally-friendly practices in our designs by using low-impact goods like GOTS-certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, hemp, and tencel. We also use 100% post consumer recycled mailers and clothing bags for shipping” (Back Beat Co.).The site’s use of bold language is fitting for the company's bold commitment to deplete the fast fashion market and encourage small scale production operations using low impact materials.

PARAGRAPH 2:

2. Fast fashion was born in the late 1990s as online shopping and loitering in malls while eating soft pretzels became a popular favorite activity of the low rise jeans-wearing population who wanted runway looks for department store prices. This want from the public created the perfect storm for fast fashion’s ill practices to take over the clothing market. Taking advantage of laborers abroad became a critical element for fast fashions success story “[M]any mass brands force factories in countries like Bangladesh and India to compete against each other on pricing. Because the manufacturers want the business so badly, they play ball, agreeing to lower and lower rates for their work” (Brooke). The use of cheap, wasteful, synthetic materials played a key role too, but what really takes the cake in terms of what element fostered fast fashion’s success is the encouragement of the throwaway culture pushed by the fashion industry. It is responsible for “persuading us to keep buying new things” and guilty of manufacturing without asking themselves “is that planned obsolescence compatible with sustainability” (Massey, 3)?

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Lily ParsontOctober 6, 2019 at 7:07 PM
Throughout the plastic crisis in the 21st Century, many are wondering what can be done to resolve the immense amount of plastics being used globally. Even though there are multiple ways to decrease plastic, the majority of communities believe recycling will solve every human-caused flaw on Earth. Recycling is not the answer – it definitely helps, but it alone cannot revive the world’s degradation. On top of recycling every material that is not eaten or used again, the global population needs to reduce how much single-use plastic is bought. “There is a huge range of different types of plastic used in disposable products and packaging. One solution is to limit the types of plastic to a single standard which is easy to recycle. This might mean fewer colored plastics” (George, para 5). There are inventive ways that companies can make recycling more affective, but only the action of an individual will truly create waste disposal reform by not purchasing single-use plastics.

Plastic packaging is a broad topic that can be misleading for some because of its wide range of meanings. The EPA has precise definitions for what packaging and containers really mean, which help individuals understand what they’re contributing to, by purchasing online items to be delivered. “Packaging is the product used to wrap or protect goods, including food, beverages, medications and cosmetic products. Containers (usually boxes) and packaging are used in the shipping, storage and protection of products” (EPA, 1). The primary step of reducing plastic waste is educating the public on how their normal shopping habits are costing the environment. Examples like Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Fashion Nova, etc. are significant contributors to the plastic crisis because they lure the public into purchasing single-use packaging and containers. “EPA defines containers and packaging as products that are assumed to be discarded the same year the products they contain are purchased” (EPA, 1). The deadly cycle of shopping and “recycling” the packaging and containers, must come to a halt if the world wants environmental rejuvenation.
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AnonymousOctober 7, 2019 at 6:38 AM
The development of a country depends primarily on a material factor: first, the knowledge, and then the exploitation of all its natural resources” (Laugier 1948, 256). Cities generate 80% of the global GDP. By 2050, 90% of urban expansion will occur in the developing world. Can sustainable city design work as a catalyst to the kuznets curve? Why are third world countries conditioned to develop in the same destructive manner in which currently developed countries formed? Sustainable city design takes into account those systems failures, specifically in regards to the detrimental environmental impacts of economic development.

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UnknownOctober 7, 2019 at 7:22 AM
1.Kuznets Curve-caps
2. Greta green globalization
3. sources for data points
4. make first paragraph, expand on how economic development harms environment
5.describe Kuznets Curve
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AnonymousOctober 9, 2019 at 5:55 PM
In order to evaluate the role that ecotourism plays in the development of remote areas, it is crucial to ask the question: “is any development sustainable?” In the modern world, development tends to be directly related to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. However, many nations are still developing, and deserve the opportunity to grow in a way that benefits the health and happiness of citizens. The United Nations has a set of sustainability goals, which speaks to either a recognition by the U.N. that development can be sustainable, or an acceptance that development will continue and therefore needs a set of standards to make it as sustainable as possible. “The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030” (United Nations). In the interest of recognizing the reality that development is to continue, the goals put forth by the U.N. will be used as a framework for analyzing the ways in which tourism development impacts remote areas. The specific goals are shown in figure one. (Insert infographic depicting goals).
The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as: "Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities" (WTO). This definition hosts overlap with the Sustainable Development Goals put forth by the U.N., and ties economic and social development into the development caused by implementing tourism in remote areas. Adding or expanding tourism opportunities into a developing nation can be a tool in spurring the local economy, but can also serve as a detriment if not done in accordance with the framework laid out by the U.N., as well as the definition of sustainable tourism by the World Tourism Organization. This brings us to Costa Rica, an ecotourism hotspot that holds many examples of both positive and negative development at play.
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AnonymousOctober 9, 2019 at 11:01 PM
Paragraph 2: Industrial or totalitarian agriculture is the modern form of agriculture used today based off the industrial revolution, fueled by fossil fuels. Industrial agriculture took off at the start of the 20th century when the haber bosch process, which is an artificial nitrogen fixation process, was crafted. Norman Bourlag, an American agronomist known as the “Father of the Green Revolution”, cross-breeded wheat and corn for higher yields. Both haber bosch and Norman Bourlag are thought to have saved a billion people from starvation as populations continue to grow. However, the argument can be made that these processes manufactured this explosive rising population. Today, industrial agriculture looks like acres of all the same crop, heavily doused in synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and the mass murder of millions of cows, chickens, and pigs living in inhumane conditions.
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Dr. WOctober 17, 2019 at 3:05 AM
For Monday, October 21st class, please post here TWO brand new BODY paragraphs of between 5-7 sentences each.

FOCUS ON: 1) writing with ACTIVE verbs (no "was/were" passive voice etc); 2) collapsing prepositional phrases; 3) including DIRECT QUOTATIONS to support your analysis.

Go for it!
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AnonymousOctober 20, 2019 at 5:01 PM
In the late 1980s and moving into the 1990s, Costa Rica gained popularity and a reputation as an ecotourism hotspot, which caused an influx of travellers. “In 1922, the U.S. Adventure Travel Society dubbed Costa Rica the “number one ecotourism destination in the world,” and a survey conducted by Costa Rica’s government showed that most tourists were entering Costa Rica for eco-tourism related reasons” (Honey 160). In some ways, this influx improved the economy and gave locals a chance to start up businesses that relied on the budding tourism industry. However, the increased tourist interest in Costa Rica caused chain hotels and other luxury accommodations to start to move in, especially along the coast and in Monteverde, a biodiversity hotspot. Today, an estimated 65 to 70 percent of Monteverde’s income comes from tourism (Honey). In the 1990s, chains began moving to Costa Rica to capitalize on the profitable tourism. These chains outcompete and replace small businesses, making it difficult for local business starters in Costa Rica to start and maintain small businesses that would fit the criteria for ecotourism.
“While ecotourism has brought more income and opportunities, it has also increased social and economic inequality” (Honey 190). This quote speaks on the difficulty for local people looking to take advantage of the ecotourism industry to get their foot in the door and compete with larger corporations run by more experienced business people. Often, large corporations will edge local businesses out of the picture by buying out their land, or simply being able to offer better and more broadly distributed marketing. Though Costa Rica is not perfect in ecotourism practices, the country remains a trailblazer for ecotourism, and maybe even sustainable development. Costa Rica receives 1.7 million tourists per year, 80% of which participate in ecotourism activities. The economic benefits of this tourism add up to over 1.7 billion U.S. dollars per year (Embassy of Costa Rica). Tourism has greatly contributed to the development of Costa Rica. This development can be analyzed through the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
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AnonymousOctober 20, 2019 at 7:37 PM
Modern society has removed itself from being a part of the ecosystem when in fact, humanity plays a major role. Native Americans practice a balanced relationship with the planet because they realize the interdependence between human beings and nature. What is disappointing is these humans who show so much respect for their environment are often the ones who live in the most exploited and polluted natural environments. “Statements from indigenous people around the world indicate that they perceive themselves as having been “pushed to the edge of a cliff” by environmental problems caused by industrialism” (Grinde 1). Native cultures have drastically different views of their relationships to the environment than that of their Western colonial counterparts. Westernization has treated the environment as a resource to be consumed, while many native cultures believe that the environment is a “life” to be cared for and nurtured. The Native American environmental perspective differs from what is present in the post-colonial social, economic, and ecological system. “As the magnitude and complexity of environmental problems have increased, the scientific and technical competency of Native Americans has grown to the point where they now demand a meaningful role in risk assessment, remediations and restoration decisions” (Arquette). By respecting and acknowledging the importance of the local native perspective, we are taking into account those who will actually be affected by the environmental decision that is made. This is an element of alternatives assessment: including the community that will be affected by the decision that is made.

A perfect example of natural resource exploitation in the Americas is the recent fire in the Amazon rainforest. This fire was started because of land clearing for cattle and crops. According to Human Rights Watch, “Illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is driven largely by criminal networks that have the logistical capacity to coordinate large-scale extraction, processing, and sale of timber, while deploying armed men to protect their interests” (Acebes). Environmental decisions are being made without the consent of the people who will be affected by those decisions and the government is doing very little about it. This is illegal because it is explicitly written in Brazil’s constitution that they have the right to occupy the land they traditionally inhabit (Acebes). “It defines those lands as “those on which they live on a permanent basis, those used for their productive activities, those indispensable to the preservation of the environmental resources necessary for their well-being and for their physical and cultural reproduction, according to their uses, customs and traditions”(Acebes). The federal government is therefore responsible for demarcating and protecting Indigenous lands (Acebes). Because the fires were caused by private organizations there is little the government can do in regards to changing decisions that have already been made. Decisions which have cause mass environmental destruction. However, there are some alternatives that could be considered in regards to the way these problems are dealt with in the first place and how to deal with this specific issue moving forward.
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Holly FrancisOctober 20, 2019 at 10:22 PM
There are many studies and opinions that claim nuclear energy is a necessity in the energy solution the world needs. “Switching from coal to nuclear power is radically decarbonizing, since nuclear power plants release greenhouse gases only from the ancillary use of fossil fuels during their construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance, and decommissioning — about as much as solar power does, which is about 4 to 5 percent as much as a natural gas-fired power plant” (Rhodes). There is no doubt that nuclear energy reduces the amount of greenhouse gases being released; however, nuclear energy has a lot of concerning aftermath. Firstly, the nuclear waste made from the energy generation is dangerously radioactive with a half life of 24,000 years (SOURCE). Storing this spent fuel has been a controversial topic since nuclear energy took off and remains a debatable subject.

Moreover, there is the chance of major facility malfunctions which could irreparably damage the surroundings of the energy plant. This has happened in three large-scale accidents: Chernobyl in Ukraine, Fukushima in Japan, and Three-Mile Island in Pennsylvania. These facilities lost billions of dollars in damage and have caused some of the largest human-driven disasters. Chernobyl in 1986 is arguably the nuclear disaster that became the most known in the media. This disaster was caused by the power plant itself when the reactor became extremely unstable. “The accident caused the largest uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment ever recorded for any civilian operation, and large quantities of radioactive substances were released into the air for about 10 days” (World Nuclear Association, 2019). The possible fallout of a nuclear disaster is unprecedented in wider history and still remains difficult to regulate, prevent, and train for.
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AnonymousOctober 20, 2019 at 10:42 PM
Paragraph 5: Palm oil is known as the world’s most versatile oil due to its high melting point. “About 90 percent (2011) of the world’s palm oil is currently being produced in Malaysia and Indonesia. Indonesia’s oil palm plantations alone already cover 9 million hectares, an area the size of the state of Maine. 26 million hectares are projected by 2025” (Rainforest Rescue). Unfortunately, organic palm oil production is no better. Most organic palm oil is produced in South America built on former rainforests such as the Amazon. There is a group called RSPO which is a greenwashing organization to convey sustainable palm oil practices and to push the sale of it further. RSPO allows forest clearing with exceptions of primary and “high conservation value” forests which have been deemed off limits, however, the standards of primary and secondary forests are blurred and thus exploited. RSPO farms have been reported to displace farmers and indigenous groups, even with threats and arrests, and monitoring RSPO plantations is inconsistent and violators are rarely punished. “One huge source of global warming emissions associated with palm oil is the draining and burning of the carbon-rich swamps known as peatlands. Peatlands can hold up to 18 to 28 times as much carbon as the forests above them; when they are drained and burned, both carbon and methane are released into the atmosphere—and unless the water table is restored, peatlands continue to decay and release global warming emissions for decades” (UCSUSA). Along with these increased emissions, only about 15% of native animals can survive the switch from primary forest to plantation. Thus, these vital animal species are suffering, with many endangered.

Closing: Forests act as a carbon sink, storing carbon, aiding in maintaining low carbon emissions. The biggest issue of mass deforestation is that these carbon sinks when cut are then reduced into the atmosphere (the carbon is no longer stored!). This increases global carbon emissions considerably as we lose 18.7 million acres of forest yearly, or 27 soccer fields every minute. From an economical standpoint, while the agricultural industry is a main driver for land clearing, the loss of jobs from deforestation is immense. 13.2 million people hold jobs in the forest sector, while an additional 41 million people hold jobs related (WWF). As we continue to burn, cut down, and destroy our forests for economic value, the job market and people’s livelihoods suffer, along with irreparable damage to ecological systems and critical species.
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AnonymousOctober 21, 2019 at 6:17 AM
After World War II ended, the world economy had completely crashed and money had lost all value. The Bretton Woods Agreement in 1944 was composed of the Allied countries and aimed at rebuilding the world economy through trade agreements and international institutions. Through Bretton Woods the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were formed in order to bail out and loan European countries that were devastated by war. The United States dollar also became the standard currency over the gold standard. This centered the United States and its Allies as the global power and created a new world order.
The IMF and the World Bank started lending money through economic reform policies, called Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) beginning in the 1950s. The goal of these loans to help developing countries that are undergoing an economic crisis and poverty adjust their economy in order to boost the economy and have long term growth. The central part of these programs and loans is the concept of free market. Free market economies consist of deregulation and unrestricted competition in the private secretary. The country receiving the loans usually must reduce trade barriers, lessen regulation in order to attract foreign companies, increase production and trade, deregulate and privatize state owned enterprises, devalue their own currency, and cut public sector jobs and funding. All of the Structural Adjustment programs aim at increasing trade and international investment in the developing country.
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UnknownOctober 21, 2019 at 6:44 AM
1. singular to plural
2. sector not secretary
3. direct quotes. data points, transition
4. destructive controversial
5. central programs to better word for part
6. avoid usually not passive
7. better first sentence transition
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Max PomroyOctober 21, 2019 at 10:08 AM
(Policies section)
Under current federal criminal law, cannabis is classified as a schedule I narcotic, which means the drug’s manufacturing, possession and distribution is prohibited. This nationwide prohibition on cannabis began in 1906, and became a national issue in 1970 when the controlled substance act was introduced- this sparked what is known as the war on drugs. When it comes to cannabis, federal law and state law began to differ in 1978, when the first medical use exception was approved in court (for a patient with glaucoma). As of 2019, thirty two states, Washington DC, Guam and Puerto Rico have comprehensive medical marijuana programs, and ten states and Washington D.C. have recreational use programs in place. Although recreational cannabis use is legal across many states, the federal government maintains the right to seize assets of a cannabis operation, and confiscate merchandise.
As this industry gains momentum, many bills have been proposed to legally protect cannabis operations, address environmental impacts, and address social inequity involved in current legislation. Vermont’s proposed bill to senate- known as S54- authorizes the sale and regulation of Cannabis within the state. This bill establishes labelling requirements, recreational taxation, public use regulations, and requirements for the licensing of the five sectors within cannabis production, evaluation, and sales (s54 citation). The war on drugs has historically oppressed minority groups. Law enforcement and judicial bodies across America give disproportionately harsher sentences to people of color and lgbtq people. Within states which have legalized recreational use and sales of cannabis, those who have been incarcerated for cannabis related crimes, remain in prison for what is no longer a crime. In February 2019, senator Cory Booker proposed a “Marijuana Justice Bill,” which would not only federally legalize cannabis in the United States, but would also clear all criminal convictions related to cannabis (Shoot, 2019).
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Dr. WOctober 24, 2019 at 2:52 AM
For Monday, October 28 class, please post here TWO brand new BODY paragraphs of between 5-7 sentences each.

FOCUS ON: 1) writing with ACTIVE verbs (no "was/were" passive voice etc); 2) collapsing prepositional phrases; 3) including sexy DIRECT QUOTATIONS to support your analysis, and 4) Transitional sentences - smooth!

Go for it!
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Max PomroyOctober 27, 2019 at 4:26 PM
(Environmental impact section)
The newest innovations in eco-friendly packaging is bioplastics -fortunately for the cannabis industry- hemp is found to be a highly efficient base material for bioplastic known as hemplyne (NHA 2016) and cardboard (YBY 2019). There is significant plant product waste during cultivation of cannabis- this waste is still useful fiber that can later be utilized as packaging material. Industrial hemp is also used for material manufacturing, as it is very fast growing Bioplastic is projected to control 5% of the plastic market by 2020, and 40% by 2030 (Technician 2016). For companies who aim to apply conscious consumerism initiatives to their business should promote entirely compostable packaging.
The legalization of cannabis in the united states would end illegal cannabis growing operations which cause disproportionately more waste than legal cannabis operations (CCLT 2017). When illegal operations are busted, there is no government funding or appointed body to clean the sites, so many of the sites are abandoned and left as litter. Many illegal sites are off the grid, meaning solitary generators, which are highly fuel intensive, are used to power the facilities, pump water, power lighting, heat regulation, and air regulation. These operations also use a high amount of illegal toxins such as rat poisons, intense insecticides, etc.
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AnonymousOctober 27, 2019 at 7:23 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
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AnonymousOctober 27, 2019 at 7:24 PM
The most relevant Sustainable Development Goals in the case of Costa Rica’s ecotourism have to do with human rights and environmental impact. Environmental impact is covered in many of the sustainable development goals. Impact is a slippery slope when it comes to ecotourism in Costa Rica. On one hand, ecotourism promotes environmental awareness and protects local wildlife and natural areas. On the other though, as tourism in general becomes more popular, more people come to the area, which boosts the economy, while inevitably burdening the environment due to heavy traffic. There is also an issue of enforcement as well as overdevelopment. “Scant official attention is paid to the need for low-impact construction. Without enforceable zoning regulations and environmentally strict construction standards, few of Costa Rica’s hotels have been built with an overall rigor intended to limit impact” (Honey 210). Some say that this overdevelopment is turning areas that were once remote and unheard of by the masses into “the road more travelled”.

This brings in the question of authenticity, and is development negates the values of the travel remote areas as a key goal of ecotourism. Dave Seminara, a journalist for the New York Times discusses his experiences with development in a remote town Costa Rica, Santa Theresa. The roads in Santa Theresa remain unpaved, and as the area becomes more developed and frequented by tourists, the dust becomes more of a burden. There are major debates in the area about whether or not to keep the rustic integrity of Santa Theresa by keeping the dirt roads, or paving over them to tackle the dust issue. “Despite a decade of explosive growth, the region’s natural beauty remains intact, but Santa Teresa is no longer the undiscovered surfer’s paradise it once was.The town’s unpaved road, which feels very much like a simple path through a jungle, is now lined with eco-friendly lodges, yoga retreats and trendy restaurants serving organic food” (Seminara). This is a small debate in a sea of similar issues occurring across the country as the coasts become more developed and palatable for tourists in search of upscale and modern accommodations. Development brings in tourists, but can also cause tourism-entrepreneurs to forego the eco-tourism model in favor of the more profitable option. Reconciling the need for modern comforts while maintaining ecological integrity is a difficult balance to strike. However, in order to comply with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals relating to impact, these issues must be addressed.
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Dr. WOctober 31, 2019 at 2:50 AM
For Monday, November 4 class, please post here TWO brand new BODY paragraphs - paras #9 and #10 - of between 5-7 sentences each.

FOCUS ON: 1) writing with ACTIVE verbs (no "was/were" passive voice etc); 2) collapsing prepositional phrases; 3) including sexy DIRECT QUOTATIONS to support your analysis, and 4) Transitional sentences - smooth!
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Lily ParsontNovember 3, 2019 at 7:05 PM
All plastics are put into different specific categories for the recycling process, which can make recycling plastic packaging extremely difficult. Every kind of plastic you use or are near everyday are categorized into seven specific groups, which define how these plastics were created, how many chemicals can leach from them, and if they can be recycled or not. “While you may think nothing of these symbols, they can actually offer a great deal of information regarding the toxic chemicals used in the plastic, how likely the plastic is to leach, how bio-degradable the plastic is, and ultimately the safety of the plastic” (Barrett, 1). The way to find out which number your plastic item is, there is a recycling symbol with a number inside on the bottle of the item. Food wrap and plastic packaging is Group 3, which is usually nonrecyclable and is picked out during assortment in the recycling plants and thrown into the garbage. Where does all the packaging go? A landfill. Never to be touched again. The plastic envelopes that Amazon clothes come in and the plastic films hugging thousands of products are the main contributors to this nonrecyclable plastic epidemic. The flimsy, paper-thin plastics are the worst type of plastic on the planet because there is no realistic way for them to be recycled, causing workers to throw them out even when consumers have placed them into their recycling bins.

Although the topic of recycling can be a bit upsetting, there are easy ways that the public can make a valuable difference. “A life free of plastic would be difficult, though not impossible. There are many advocates for living a plastic-free life, and it all stems from potential health risks from using plastic” (Power of Positivity, 1). The first step to becoming a more sustainable, environmentally conscious consumer is to have tolerability to change and an open mind. Your life is going to change if you want to be a more sustainable consumer, and this is not a bad thing. You can start this process by stopping buying your necessities for your household online – go to the store instead. And while you’re at it, bring reusable bags and actually use them. There are multiple types of reusable bags like large ones for groceries, small mesh ones for produce, and tall ones for wine, etc. You’re already avoiding two types of plastic packaging – plastic grocery/produce bags and plastic wraps from online purchases. Give up the plastic water bottles. Buy a reusable bottle that will last you. Carry your own containers for take-out food and leftovers. Carry a stainless-steel travel mug for coffee. There are endless ways of reducing plastic in your everyday life.
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AnonymousNovember 3, 2019 at 7:10 PM
Despite the downfalls of development fueled by ecotourism in Costa Rica, the future looks bright. Costa Rica is a resilient country with ambitious sustainability goals being worked toward at this very moment. Tourism has positively impacted their economy, and with some work, could have significant positive impacts on the wellbeing of local citizens. Not every example of development spurred by tourism can say the same. In Zanzibar, tourism began to gain exponential popularity in the early 2000s. As development occurred in the interest of capitalizing on this newfound tourism industry, it became clear that the tourism occuring was not necessarily benefitting local people, the environment, or the economy in most cases. “Zanzibar’s booming tourism industry is rife with stories of corruption, greed, and loss -- of land, control, and opportunity” (Honey 256).
It seems that every story of positive development in Zanzibar regarding tourism comes with a “but”.
“Over the last decade, one of the positive developments has been the successful designation of a number of national parks and marine reserves. But despite these important achievements, the growth of tourism has led, outside the protected areas, to environmental damage, the undermining of social and cultural norms, and the very uneven distribution of economic impacts” (Honey 289).
Zanzibarians have felt these negative impacts immensely. Economically, unequal distribution has occurred in part due to lack of employment opportunities. Most tourism operations provide benefits to large corporations and profits do not go back into Zanzibar’s economy. One example of negative economic and social change caused by tourism is the fishing industry. Fish is in high demand by tourists, and therefor the hotels and commercial tourism operations cause overfishing. This means less yield for local fishermen. Also, Zanzibaris rely on fish as a source of protein. The healthy fish options once available have now become too expensive for the average family and Zanzibaris must subsist on cheaper, less healthy fish. Fishing is just one example. The impacts of development and the expanding tourism industry can be analyzed by taking a look at some of the UN’s sustainable development goals.
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Rowan LNovember 5, 2019 at 8:35 PM
We rely our transportation system on a finite resource without creating ourselves a safety net. Every year car companies are producing new petroleum fueled vehicles to drive their business. Research has shown that global carbon emissions account for up to 90% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Our transportation infrastructure was created surrounding fossil fuels extraction. Our entire economy relies on our supply of petroleum, not only to fuel our vehicles but to create many products for our convenience. We need comprehensive legislation that's going to help us transition into alternative transportation.
In 2016 was the first time over 70 million cars were produced in a year, this isn't even including vehicles used commercially. We’re on pace to reach this production milestone again this year. Globally there is estimated to be over a billion passenger cars on the roads today. “At some point, unconventional oil exploration will get so expensive that consumers will look to lower-cost alternatives. Oil will price itself out of the market before the world truly runs out.”(PSU) As oil is filtered out as our main energy source, car companies and energy infrastructure will have to follow suit. As fossil fuels become obsolete as will the cars fueled by them, leaving the majority of our transportation sector immobile. Preemptively creating solutions for this issue could prevent serious economic stress. Significant investment in renewable energies and comprehensive update to our transportation sector.
Even alternative such as electric vehicles have sustainability flaws that need to be addressed. Electric vehicles (EV) are more efficient on the road, however their production can be environmentally costly. “European Union study found that it takes more energy to generate and transport electricity to the EVs then it does to extract and transport petrol to fuel-powered car.”(IISD) It may not be immediately apparent to the consumer but the minerals needed for production of EVs. Creating more sustainable solutions for transportation would involve making renewable energy vehicles more reliable, affordable, and require less rare minerals.
There are emission regulations in place in the United States under the Clean Air Act. Though these were a step in the right direction we are far from taking the necessary action needed to combat our emissions. California is currenting leading the way in the US for fuels standards, “California is the only state vested with the authority to develop its own emission regulations. Other states have a choice to either implement the federal emission standards, or else to adopt California requirements (CAA section 177).”(Dieselnet) The California state government has taken serious initiative to limit emissions. It makes sense that the most populous state would want to reduce its carbon footprint.The Federal Government should take it as a sign, American citizens are demanding action on these issues. With the recent withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement it’s clear that our administration is concerned with economic growth over environmental sustainability.

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Rowan LNovember 5, 2019 at 8:36 PM
Many major countries around the world have set concrete goals to transition into renewable energy vehicles. These countries have recognized the social and environmental threat of climate change. Norway was the first country to introduce a plan to ban production of gasoline fueled vehicles. Their plan was announced in 2016 and aimed to ban the sale of gas vehicles through a pollution tax by 2025. (WorldAtlas) This has sparked other countries like Germany, China, Costa Rica, to create their own gasoline bans. “Poor air quality is considered one of the biggest environmental risks to the public health around the world. Cars, especially in big and crowded cities are major causes of air pollution. These gasoline cars emit high amounts of carbon gases into the air.”(Worldatlas) The safety of citizens is another serious concern as climate change accelerates. For the stability of our economy and our environment the US needs to create a plan to ban fossil fuel vehicles.
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AnonymousNovember 6, 2019 at 5:28 PM
Land clearing for agricultural purposes pushing native communities out of their homes is not the only land exploitation they face. The industrialized world’s insatiable craving for energy also negatively impacts the natural environments that are home to indigenous communities. One of the most talked about instances in the media was the Dakota access pipeline. This pipeline is intended to provide crude oil for fuel purposes. Crude oil is a type of fossil fuel used as a form of energy. According to Harris, “The $3.8 billion 1,168-mile Dakota Access pipeline, intended to carry crude oil through the Dakotas and Iowa, has generated extensive controversy, protests, and litigation over the past year—all centered on one segment of the pipeline’s proposed route” (Harris). This contentious segment of the pipeline has gained attention because it travels through sacred Native American land. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is one that has been vocal about the lack of environmental analysis according to NEPA. The Sioux Tribe also highlighted the fact that proponents for the pipeline have ignored the National Historical Preservation Act. “The Tribe expressed grave concerns over the impacts the pipeline would have on Standing Rock’s ancestral lands,” says Harris, “...which are of great cultural and religious significance, and the damage that a leak or spill into Lake Oahe could inflict on the Tribe’s drinking water supply and ability to use the water for irrigation and fishing” (Harris). The desire for fossil fuels not only surpass respect for native people, it also has serious environmental implications that affect the land as well as the people who inhabit it. The ones who are affected without their consent should not be the only ones speaking out about these issues. Furthermore, there are many other energy alternatives that could be implemented instead of searching for more non-renewable fossil fuels.
When it comes to risk assessment, “Scientists and activists alike have questioned [its purpose], suggesting that it appears to justify harm inflicted on certain people by using the vocabulary of science to draw attention away from the need for action” (Arquette). A more effective means of making environmental decisions is called alternatives assessment, which seeks other means of getting to a desired outcome that considered the vast complexity of connections in earth's natural and human systems. As far as alternatives for energy goes, Native Americans are already beginning to invest in renewable energy in which they are involved in the decision making process. This allows them to have a say in how this type of energy resource will affect the people of their community. One example of this is currently happening in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation in northern New Mexico. “The Jicarilla development will be one of the largest renewable energy projects on Native American land in the U.S.” says the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “...it highlights an emerging movement on tribal lands: The nation’s largest tribes, long dependent on revenue, jobs and power provided by fossil fuels extraction and generation, are seeking to create a new energy economy based on renewable resources” (IEEFA). A new generation of tribal leaders including a man named Cody Two Bears, have expressed their feelings toward to fossil fuel industry saying, “they exploit tribes and their land” (IEEFA). By supporting renewable energy, they are allowed energy independence from the fossil fuel industry. This proves that there is an alternative to fossil fuel extraction on lands that negatively affect native tribes. The alternative is to invest in renewable energy with their consent and community involvement. Without having indigenous people involved in the decision making process, their perspective will be overlooked.
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Dr. WNovember 7, 2019 at 2:56 AM
For Monday, November 11 class, please post here your CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH draft of 5-7 sentences. Your CONCLUSION should 1) summarize and 2) provoke - answer the "so what?" question.

FOCUS ON: 1) writing with ACTIVE verbs (no "was/were" passive voice etc); 2) collapsing prepositional phrases; 3) including sexy DIRECT QUOTATIONS to support your analysis, and 4) Transitional sentences - smooth!
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Lily ParsontNovember 10, 2019 at 6:03 PM
Single use plastics are an obscene detriment to the environment. However, there are multiple ways to negate the disastrous effects of these materials. Purchasing goods at a brick and mortar store instead of online, purchasing and actually using reusable bags and avoiding items with thin plastic on them are just some of the endless ways one can make a difference. The risk of continuing the widespread use of these materials is far too high, as they clog our landfills and destroy the natural world over time. Eco-friendly alternatives are not hard to find, and make little to no difference in the life of the consumer. Realistically, these plastics are not meant to be recycled, as they are meant to be thrown away and forgotten about. To reach a realistic goal of reducing plastic worldwide, there will need to be campaigns against companies that use these plastics more than others, such as Amazon, which uses single use plastics in every item that it ships. With genuine effort, individuals can create change within the plastic industry for a healthier environment for generations to come.
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AnonymousNovember 10, 2019 at 7:19 PM
Development is part of the human condition. We have a seemingly insatiable need to further our species, and we do this by “conquering” the world around us to make living conditions more convenient and comfortable. This raises the question of how development can be sustainable, or if the term “sustainable development” is an oxymoron. According to the United Nations, sustainable development can be achieved by adhering to their “Sustainable Development Goals”. Though there are some concerns with the realistic potential of these goals, they do serve as a framework in analyzing ecotourism activity as it relates to the development of remote areas. When it comes to ecotourism and the rising popularity of eco-focused travel, there is a tug-of-war between tourists seeking an “authentic” and “untouched” experience, and the desire to have a luxurious vacation with modern amenities. This conflict materializes in the form of infrastructure needed to accommodate the desire for modern comforts, as well as to keep up with the traffic of an influx of new travellers. Risk assessment plays a major role in the decision to implement or withhold infrastructure projects. When it comes to developing remote areas, corporate greed often takes a hold of projects, leaving locals to never see the profits of new projects. In developing remote areas, it is crucial to analyze more than just profits. This is why alternatives assessment is needed. Alternatives Assessment leaves space for locals to decide what happens in their areas, and for the environment to be considered in any decisions made. Without this consideration, remote areas such as Costa RIca and Zanzibar at at risk of being developed in the name of capitalism, with the end goal of profits over the wellbeing of local people and the environment.
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Zach NewmanNovember 11, 2019 at 4:56 AM
Our world is at risk and we must walk with careful steps to avoid tragedy wile dealing with the environment. The rising sea level is a direct representation of the issues we are dealing with and is something that can be seen as time passes. This obviousness of the problem makes it a very good way to judge how much our changing environment effects people. Jobs and lives are at risk from this issue and it should be taken as seriously as any form of natural disaster. However as we have seen problems are also opportunities not only to get past but improve on our lives and industry.
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AnonymousNovember 11, 2019 at 5:53 AM
Forests act as a carbon sink, storing carbon, aiding in maintaining low carbon emissions. The biggest issue of mass deforestation is that these carbon sinks when cut are then released into the atmosphere. This increases global carbon emissions considerably as we lose 18.7 million acres of forest yearly, or 27 soccer fields every minute. From an economical standpoint, while the agricultural industry is a main driver for land clearing, the loss of jobs from deforestation is immense. 13.2 million people hold jobs in the forest sector, while an additional 41 million people hold jobs related (WWF). As we continue to burn, cut down, and destroy our forests for economic value, the job market and people’s livelihoods suffer, along with irreparable damage to ecological systems and critical species. The alternatives to forest clearing for agricultural use are there and known, but not utilized, as we put output above long-term health, and continue in an industrialized model.

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AnonymousNovember 11, 2019 at 6:11 AM
Previously, risk assessment has been the dominant measure for indicating if a behavior conducted by a company or the government is permissible in the eyes of the law. Risk assessment has always aimed to protect environmental and human health, however we see countless examples of how faulty risk assessment has led to the endangerment of communities across the United States. Through negating clear alternatives, tens of millions of Americans have been subject to contaminated tap water in the United States; the failed risk assessments that have resulted in this statistic are also responsible for the millions of dollars in tax revenue that have been used toward repairing systems that were once approved. Today, there is a new contaminate that will soon be assessed across our country: plastic particulate matter. It is imperative that alternate assessment is used when deducing both the risk of plastic particulate matter in drinking water, for humans and the environment, as well as the alternatives for possible infrastructure/filtration options moving forward. As humans it is our job to learn from the mistakes we have previously experienced; it would be criminal, trivial, and ignorant to continue assessing risk through a risk assessment lens, which is why alternative assessment must be the way of the future. Furthermore, having access to clean drinking water should not be a question in the United States that we live in today. We must employ alternative assessment to preserve the purity of our waterways and ensure clean drinking water for all of our citizens.
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UnknownNovember 11, 2019 at 6:53 AM
- contaminant
- clean water as a right
- change statistic--> new world
- condensing repeating words
- accessing safety/danger instead of risk
- ignorant event criminal
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AnonymousNovember 11, 2019 at 6:54 AM
It is a disappointment that there is not a neatly packaged solution, tied with a bow to be offered to all of the 21st century fast fashion producers with blue prints as to how to avoid harming the environment with toxic chemicals, water pollution and the masses of textile waste that come along with production. Luckily, there is an almost as simple way to come up with solutions, a framework called alternatives assessment. If alternatives assessment is used to revamp the fashion industry's current environmental and social impacts, more people will be wearing high quality, low impact, fashionable clothing. All without bringing more ill fortune to the environment than is necessary. This would make for a healthier world with more opportunity for clothing to be worn and loved in years to come. The fall of fast fashion is contingent on your wallet, even if that wallet is from a factory in Bangladesh.

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UnknownNovember 11, 2019 at 7:42 AM
- blueprints one word
- better word than people
- OUR wallets
- break up first sentence--end at producers, the rest can say 'this industry harms by....' ? Take out blueprints?
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AnonymousNovember 13, 2019 at 3:13 PM
Indegenous people in the Americas have been dealing with the fact that their land has been stolen from them ever since colonization occurred. Most of the time the land that they inhabit is managed without their consent. One of the key elements to applying alternatives assessment to environmental decision making is the involvement of the community that will be affected by the decision. For too long, indigenous people have had to deal with their land being exploited and degraded, disregarding their voices and needs. By consulting the local tribes of an area of landon what would be the best steps to move forward in regards to agriculture or energy, taking some influence from native traditions can do more good than harm. Instead of dividing us into groups of who has a say and who doesn’t, we should all be a part of a collective conversation that involves the local communities in order to make local decisions.
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AnonymousDecember 1, 2019 at 10:47 PM
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z-1J5AEVLgV2evHOfNgPqHExpsQJ40kmP_K4X1H5ZgQ/edit?usp=sharing
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AnonymousDecember 14, 2019 at 3:11 AM
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aScdKZXgTXx4_SZUPSivSp2YwikFL1JFVcalGJXcubc/edit?usp=sharing
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