Environmental Science
Complete: a minimum of 1000 words (total assignment) and three scholarly resources. (Note: References do not apply towards the word count).
Q. What are acceptable sources of information for my responses?
A. The primary source of answers comes from the course Read and Attend sections. I consider a source as scholarly and academic if it is published in an edited book (not a textbook), in a peer-reviewed publication, in an academic journal, or by a university press. Most web sources will not meet the criteria for a scholarly source.
Note: Academic journals are located in the University Library (CLICK HERE) online, or through Google Scholar.
Wikipedia is not credible and must be avoided. Other sources such as study.com and coursehero practice plagiarism and are to be avoided. Newspapers and magazines are not scholarly sources and do not count as a source.
Citing a source does not give license to copy word-for-word or verbatim, which is still plagiarism. You must paraphrase the information in your own words. Plagiarism may result in zero points for the entire unit assignment and/or course failure.
1. Define “environment” in your own words. Be sure to include the terms biotic and abiotic in your answer. Identify four biotic biosphere components and four abiotic biosphere components in your current environment.
2.Differentiate between the “conservation ethic” and the “preservation ethic.” Be sure to identify one person associated with each in your answer.
3.Explain the idea of environmental justice and give one example of an environmental justice issue.
4.Differentiate between anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism.
5. Thoroughly explain Garrett Hardin’s tragedy of the commons.
6.Describe a negative feedback loop and a positive feedback loop using your own words. Which type of feedback loop is seen most often in nature?
7. Thoroughly describe the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Be sure to use the word “entropy’ in your description. Which law explains becoming sweaty after exercising?
8. Use your own words to thoroughly describe the electron movement in a single covalent bond.
9. Thoroughly explain what it means to say that energy flows through an ecosystem while nutrients are cycled within an ecosystem.
10. Explain how human activity has altered the global carbon cycle. Why is the alteration of the carbon cycle in this way a concern?