The question sets each refer to information contained in one of the sections of the Casey article. Answer these further questions by performing in depth research (please cite your references at the end of your submission, in Harvard referencing style). It is recommended that you use resources such as Google Scholar, or Web of Science data-base, to find journal-based articles. Sources such as Wikipedia and Science Daily are good springboards into primary resources (see the Reference Lists at the end of these web pages). Popular science magazines such as Discover, New Scientist, Scientific American, have web pages. You can download full articles from these magazines through the Web of Science data-base on the UWS library web page. ANSWERS MUST BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
Research Question set 1.
a. What is the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre?
b. How many gyres are there?
c. Which gyre is closest to Australia? Does it have a ‘garbage patch'?
d. What are the two oceanic factors that contribute to formation of gyres?
e. What is the global oceanic conveyer belt? How do the gyres and the ocean current conveyer belt, of which they are part, influence climate?
f. Why is Portugal warm, whilst Nova Scotia in Canada, at the same latitude, is cold?
Research Question set 2.
a. Write a chemical equation for the formation of polycarbonate plastic, using structural formulae.
b. Cellulose is the world's most abundant biopolymer. Explain how the synthesis of cellulose by plants and some bacteria resembles the human synthesis of plastics.
c. Cellulose and other polymers such as starch eventually break down and are recycled. Does this happen with plastic? Why, or why not?
d. What are some uses for polycarbonate plastic?
e. What is bisphenol A?
f. What are some possible biological and environmental consequences of the use of bisphenol A in plastic production?
Research questions set 3.
a. Research recent journal articles that describe a method for making biodegradable plastic. From a list of at least 5 publications, select the paper that you think best attempts to find a method for replacing non-biodegradable plastics.
b. What paper have you selected? State the author's names, date, title, and journal title and page numbers.
c. In less than 100 OF YOUR OWN words, summarise the Abstract of this article.
d. Identify several two environmentally positive and two environmentally negative aspects of biodegradable plastic production described in the article you have selected. 2 marks
Research questions set 4.
a. What does William McDonough mean by ‘cradle to cradle' manufacturing standards? (View TED talk by William McDonough,
http://www.ted.com/talks/william_mcdonough_on_cradle_to_cradle_design.html)
b. How did Curtis Ebbesmeyer's work with rubber ducks and sneakers revolutionise oceanic science?
c. How has Charles Moore contributed to our knowledge of oceanic plastics? (VIEW TED talk by Charles Moore,
http://www.ted.com/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html)
d. Who is Dr Britta Denise Hardesty, and what is CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research organization) doing about marine plastic debris? (VIEW Catalyst ABC ‘Plastic Oceans'