Assignment: Environmental Science and Human Population

Objectives/Competencies

• Describe the historical development of the environmental movement.
• Explain the role of science in environmental decision-making.
• Explain the concept of carrying capacity and the implication a changing human population may have on the environment.
• Explain how individual choices affect natural ecosystems.

Learning Activities

Required

• Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, Ch. 1no new messages
• Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, Ch. 25
• Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, Ch. 54

Environmental Science and Human Population Worksheet

Using the textbooks, the University Library, or other resources, answer each of the following questions in 150- to 300-words. Be sure to provide references for the sources you use.

Question

Is the current growth rate of the human population sustainable? Explain, using the concept of carrying capacity.

Using an internet search, provide a timeline of important events in the modern environmental movement since 1960.

Perform an internet search using one of these topics: car, electronics, water bottles, plastic grocery bags, food choice, home size, commuting and incorporate the "environmental impact" they may elicit.

Read one of the articles you find and explain:

• The environmental impacts of that item or activity.
• How you as an individual can reduce your impact on the environment as it relates to this item or activity.

Explain the relationship between three aspects of science: hypothesis, research/experimentation, and theory.