Running Topic Submissions Page

Week 5 Topic Submissions (1st):

What is Boise doing on a scholastic, corporate, community, level to help foster environmental knowledge and awareness in its residents?
Chapter 6 was on Environmental Conservation. I think it would be really interesting to have a presentation on environmental conservations that are near Idaho or in Idaho, and how they decided to preserve those particular areas or species. I think it would be interesting to learn about areas that are close by because I really don't know of many. (check this out... http://www.idahoconservation.org/issues/land/wilderness/boulder-white-clouds)
I was thinking about the difficulties related to repopulating native plant species in a burned area or newly undeveloped area. This would entail the service learning experience with a few of the chapters from the text book regarding the complexities of environments, biomes, micro climates etc. and invasive species. The project might entail researching various on going efforts to "re-engineer/ re-establish" a damaged environment, such as an industrial site, burned area, OILS SANDS area and showing case studies of successful reintegration rather than focusing on the failures and difficulties but possibly identifying some complexities? Re-hab of the oil sands might be interesting and how it might be accomplished since the soils have been disturbed as well as many macro and micro climates.
The importance of sustaining natural resources after natural or unnatural disasters. Background: It is a very important duty for humans to consider. (Ex. If we don't replant the sagebrush and bitterbrush that many native species currently thrive off of, we would notice a drastic decline in numbers in many once-native species). Also, we would see an increase of invasive species or non-native vegetation which could cause a lot of problems for future generations. Service Learning Duty: Fire Restoration (planting sagebrush and bitterbrush in areas that have been damaged by fires)
A topic could be all the ways to get involved in the community and help the green movement. It would just raise awareness of all the environmental movements already occurring in Boise and how easy it is to get involved. Everyone could do it because we are all in a Service Learning project and therefore already helping out the community. (check this out... http://www.wildwhiteclouds.org/events.html)
What is the government of Idaho/Boise doing to encourage citizens to reduce their environmental impact? How well are these policies working? Do they even exist? (have you looked at the recycle program? this might help - http://www.idahoconservation.org/issues/idaho-state-legislature/legislative-tracking)
What would happen if environmental scientists did not step-in by replanting native grasses? Would there be interspecific competition or would one have a greater chance of survival, or would it be possible for the invasive weeds to reach a carrying capacity while keeping the other plants/animals in a fairly stable environment?
Genetically modified food or seeds (check this out...http://www.treasurevalleyfoodcoalition.org/)
My topic would be on food supplies and its tie in with genetically modified foods and the import of foods. It would allow us to look at not only local issues but regional and global. It would tie in with many subjects we are discussing in this class over many chapters. It is a hot topic politically but also personally. I feel it would be worthy of a good discussion and research. Our food supply is very important and how it is being altered and changed is very worthy of discussion. We eat foods that are altered and told it is safe without knowing if it truly is, how there been enough research over time to know the full impact? Also food is traveling at great distances to reach us with many pesticides on them to keep them fresh. How is this changing our bodies and eating patterns and how we interact with our environment.
What is the USDA Research Institutute doing to promote greater stewardship of local agricultural ecosystems?
We could research the effects of the snow melt on the ecosystem. If in the last few years the snow levels are getting to be less and less, how is that effecting the living organisms, if at all?
What are local farmers doing to help benefit the environment?
regional invasive weed species; their impact to the surrounding ecosystem, and current mitigation programs.
How can the public become more aware of ways to contribute to helping and volunteering for local plant/animal preservation campaigns, such as trying to combat local biodiversity loss in the Boise area due to human activities. (My service learning project is working with Idaho Fish and Game and we will be replanting sage brush and bitterbrush for the elk and deer because a substantial part of their feeding grounds have been destroyed due to human developments and fire damage. The public is also allowed to volunteer but I do not think that it is well publicized enough, I think if people knew that our activities were destroying the feeding grounds for elk and deer they would be more apt to help, since the sage and bitterbrush also provide shelter from snow storms along with providing nourishment. )
Human impact on our environment, especially due to increased population and human sprawl. My major concern in a global perspective would have to be access to clean, potable drinking water, and how urban sprawl and our desire for an "easier" way of life is effecting our existing groundwater resevoirs. What I am thinking of specifically is not only the over-flowing landfills leaching toxic chemicals into the ground and what can be done about them (ie...the Thermal Gasification article I sent you), but also activities such as the planned Gold mining operations near Idaho City using Mercury to extract the gold from the ore, and the proposed gas/oil drilling taking place in Payette County and the effects of Hydraulic Fracturing ("fracking") or "mini-fracking" on existing groundwater supplies. Pennsylvania has been having major issues with their groundwater supply becoming contaminated from this same process(es).
the act of genetically enhancing food. I came up with this topic and think it will be good because of my service learning's. I am going to be making it clear to kids of the importance of eating healthy. And i feel strongly about the things people do to genetically enhance foods.
Is human intervention beneficial in terms of restoring core habitats (e.g. reintroducing native plant species) that have been decimated by natural disaster (fire), human intrusion (ranching, domestic animal grazing, etc.), or other means? If so, what are the benefits? Are the benefits worth the costs incurred for the restoration?
What are the most environmentally damaging practices we humans engage in, how necessary are they and what can we do to fix them?
i think we need to integrate enviromental health classes into our lower level education standards. i believe this would help give kids a better understanding of whats ging wrong with our plant, what we can do to help prevent alot of it, and also just get kids involved earlier. if kids go through the first half of their life thiking its ok to throw trash out the window, when they do finally learn that its bad it will be harder for them to adjust rather than if they would have been brought up that way.
The importance of fire restoration in desert ecosystems.
What is the importance of the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed?
USDA conducting snow surveys. It deals with with the most important substance in this state, our water. It is the driving factor behind our economies allowing for growth within our communities. This got me thinking, what would happen if the southern idaho climate were to change. It is already a high desert what if the low amounts of precipitation were become less. Going to other hand what if precipitation levels were to rise, what new opportunities would become available to Idaho.
I was thinking that the topic of alternative energy might be a good topic and other ways besides the known solar, hydro, wind, fossil fuels, geothermal, and nuclear. I have always had the idea that there might be a way to produce energy using the low and high tides of the ocean, or waves (how they move up and down) but I don't know if this has ever been tried.
I have concluded that examining the affects of global climate change or human habitation on the Idaho area would fit in with a lot of projects and be interesting to study. Many of the projects have a part in studying this or are directly related to this topic.
The fire restoration project put on by Idaho Fish and Game can be related to what we are doing in class in many ways. The objective of the fire restoration is to plant new sage brush in the fire stricken areas. This is rebuilding a habitat and creating diversity in the environment. Then the plants will end up being autotrophs and providing food for animals higher up on the food pyramid.
how invasive species are managed and what is being done about bringing native plant-life back into ecosystems, especially in the case of cheetgrass or zebra mussels in the US?

Week 6 Topic Submissions (2nd):

What are the potential affects that the current economic situation here in the U.S. could have on the environment and its resources both locally and globally?
How has poverty around the World effected the environmental practices in various countries? I highly recommend the book by Ruby Payne called Frameworks for Understanding Poverty if you haven't read it. It changed the way I think about poverty as a teacher.
Geothermal in Idaho, potential and limits
Global warming in Alaska I chose this topic because sometimes we are not aware that the global warming affects our (in this case USA) country too, and Alaska is a great example of that. I chose this topic too because it can be part of the first chapter when they deal with the environmental challenges that we are facing right now... Besides, I believe this topics will be helpful... http://www.eoearth.org/article/Impacts_of_global_warming_in_Alaska http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/pages/alaska.html http://www.besis.uaf.edu/global_warming/main.html
In class when we were playing Jeopardy I was thinking it would be interesting to learn more about Boise's biome; the native plants and species. I think it would be interesting to know more detail about the place we live. It could even be cool to look into the biodiversity we can see right around campus and the entire Boise area. Also, this could include changes Boise has gone through throughout the years.
Water, what steps are being taken to reduce water consumption in Idaho? Should the city and counties look at diversifying their landscape requirements to allow more drought resistant landscapes/ native than the old stand by of Kentucky blue grass and evergreens. Currently it is difficult to plant drought tolerant/ native species and get approval by the city because of their current policy of requiring so many trees, a certain amount of grass etc. Bend Oregon has adopted more native landscapes and have proven that native landscapes reduce cost, water, and can look ascetically pleasing and not to mention provide micro habitats for birds and other small species. Coincides with other SL projects and chapters in the reading.
What impact has environmental service-learning had on global climate change? -what are some good ways to get students interested in participating in these activities
So I am taking an Environmental Health course and today we had a lecture about food quality, and the FDA safe food standards. There was one slide that said "We wish to have safe food from farm to table," and another that talked about The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which we were told stated that food must be labeled with the included ingredients. I was wondering two things: one, if we are still today following The Pure Food and Drug Act then why are we not labeling foods that have GMOs? And two, in order for food to be "safe at the farm" shouldn't that entail the animals used for meat production? From the research I've collected, animals that are used for meat production are generally not raised in sanitary or safe conditions, and instead raised in a completely unethical manner. What can be done to regulate the ethical treatment of farm animals? What kind of policies could be implemented to enable the labeling of genetically modified foods and how many American's really want to know? (ignorance is bliss) Just as well what kind of policies could be implemented to enable nationwide sustainable agriculture in general?
why don't more places have opportunities for kids like the bogus basin snow school to learn about the environment and whats going on. we need to give kids a place to learn about it and make it a fun thing to learn. if kids are having fun and enjoying themselves then they are going to be more persuaded to learn it and remember it (check out: http://www.idahobotanicalgarden.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=16)
What about talking about our (human population) responsibility in reduction of our consumption of fossil fuels across the planet. Most people don't give a second thought to how they power their automobile, or even their homes, and the amount of energy consumed to produce what we use except to complain at the gas pump. Even then, we seem to find a scapegoat to blame high prices on, because Lord knows that it is never OUR fault or usage that drives the demand side of the supply curve.The recent unrest in Libya and the subsequent rise in our local gas prices can be seen as a bit of a "wake up" call as it helps to explain how the global economy is driven by ALL our actions. Libya produces less than 2% of the world's oil supply, and every bit of that gets exported to Europe. However, because China, India, and the US refuse to alter OUR lifestyles and choice of energy usage, investors are worried that if supplies are diminished to Europe, then a competition for the remaining reserves will ensue and cause a shortage of available oil to enter the US. Thus, we have watched gas prices increase by over 18 cents at the local pumps over the last 2 weeks. Understandable economics, really, yet I think that once more this is a teaching moment to all consumers worldwide that we are in this together. As mentioned the first week of class, the ability to affect our environment in either a positive or negative way is not an individual task, but rather a collective one.
As a group research topic, the group could research current policies and plans that are trying to limit population growth and then could suggest some of the group's own ideas of ways to curb population.
relating to chapter 3 and 4: Analyze in detail biodiversity in a few biological communities in the Boise area. What are the city, county, state, and other organizations doing to preserve and promote biodiversity in and around Boise?
Population Control: Define it and do we really need it? Why or why not? Are there moral or ethical issues with implementing population control policies? What about personal rights and freedoms? Is it possible that human rights abuses could result from population control policies? Are there any past or current examples of such abuses? Are ethically sound solutions possible?
Kids are our future, especially in environmental issues. What are some ways we can get kids outside and hands on experiences to shape the way they feel about the environment. Teaching kids at a young age about how to appreciate and protect nature can create long term effects on the earth.
Government rules and regulation and how they effect the environment.
What impact does the meat industry have on the environment and why is it categorically ignored/left out of climate change debates? We talk about renewable energy and fuel efficient vehicles, but if we just gave up meat we wouldn't have to worry about that stuff nearly as much! http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/51-percent-greenhouse-gas-emissions-come-from-meat-dairy-industry.php http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-greenhouse-hamburger
My topic submission for this week is about the effect chemicals or other harmful things found in and around peoples homes like cleaners, paints, fertilizers, asbestos, cigarettes/smoke, batterie acid, aerosols, etc., have on our environment and if they have a part in global warming, the hole in the ozone, and greenhouse gasses. Think about how many people are in this world, let alone in the U.S. and for every house there are sure to be a lot of these items and think of what we can do to make a difference in how we dispose of these materials and how we use them.
In other countries and even states there are rules or rewards for being smart with water. One thing I thought would be a good idea is to have a law or a reward system for people who water their lawns at night. It's alot cooler during the night so there won't be as much evaporation happening, which means their wouldnt be as much water taken out form the aquifer.
BUGS goes to schools in Boise to put in gardens and has their own garden for children to work in. In what way does this benefit the environment? Could there be any negative effects on the environment?

Week 7 Topic Submissions (3rd)

Why is it that our legislative leaders are more concerned with their pocketbooks and re-election funding than they are with actually doing something that can not only help their constituants, and the state itself, but ALSO the environment? Once more, greed rears it's ugly head in forming our legislation as we (the Idaho Legislature) will continue to give tax breaks and incentives to people that want to make movies in our state, but want to deny those same incentives to companies that produce Alternative Energies, jobs, and income revenue to the state coffers? My comment would have to be: What is the average citizen/student supposed to do once we get the public concerned/interested with actually wanting to make a change in our environmental situation, when the people with the power to actually enact something substantial only turn a deaf ear? http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/03/07/1555146_companies-examine-the-alternatives.html?storylink=omni_popular and http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/03/07/1555875/bill-to-extend-filmmaker-tax-rebate.html
I read an article on recycling glass in the Treasure Valley. Dumps have been overfilled with glass bottles and the city is running out of ideas. Since glass is too expensive to ship, many local businesses have been buying recycled cut off wine bottles, but this is still not enough. What ways can we recycle glass that is both economical as well as environmentally friendly. (Interesting article/blog related to recycling glass)
I would like to ask what kind of effect the late planting will have on the environment. Will the growth be stunted this late in the season? Will the seeds have enough time to ripen and fall and begin new roots before the weather gets too cold in the fall again?
The correlation between the our economy and the impact on the environment.
As we become more aware of our oil and fossil fuel shortages, our attention can also be directed to the other finite resources that we consume in massive, unsustainable amounts. One of these vital resources that we are abusing to the point of losing is potable water. The world population tripled in the twentieth century, but water consumption increased 7 fold. One possible topic could be to investigate what is being done to secure clean water, and additionally what is being done to provide water to those who are already suffering from not having this valuable resource.
I watched a video in my environmental health class and the question it brought up to me was that, if they can do this over seas, why arent americans and other countries buying this technology? it would greatl improve our oil consumption and our plastic recycling? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGGabrorRS8
The topic I am submitting is on our ecological footprint. This is a major issue in our world or our society. In chapter 4 of our book they talk about this and gives a web site, (http://www.wwf.org/footprint), you can go to and check out your footprint analysis. When I did mine I ended up with a footprint of 3.22. I don't consider myself a wasteful person. I recycle, compost and walk to school. I also turn off any unused appliances and lights as much as I can. But still I have a footprint of 3.22. If mine is so bad and I am actually trying to do something about it, then how bad is everyone else? At this rate we are not going to be able to survive on this planet for much longer. Life is not easy, especially if you are one of the people that are trying to lessen their footprint on our planet. Our society has made life such a rat race that people don't think about the damage they are doing and the long term problems it is going to cause. It is time for a change. NOW!
Why is it important to preserve the desert ecosystem?
Considering the oil sands class discussion (H2Oil video, etc.), what is being done on local, national, and global levels to reduce our dependency on petroleum based transportation? Considering the devastation that acquiring and refining petroleum causes to our environment, landscapes, water supplies, biodiversity, etc., why is the public not more informed and what can be done to promote greater public exposure to the situation? What alternative transportation options are currently in development and are they available to the general public? If not, why and what can be done to change this? If they are, what can be done to promote greater exposure and awareness? Eventually crisis will cause the demise of our petroleum dependency; a more preferable option would be voluntary change before crisis strikes.
The importance of keystone species and examples of how they stabilize ecosystems.
Why doesn't Boise have a recycling program that can benefit those who recycle with a reward? its working in other states why has it not been implemented here yet?
Boise river flood plain and existing and future construction in them
I read a while back that the going green movement has actually had negative affects on the environment when it comes to food and agriculture (like chapter 7). The negative effects have come from needing to use some agriculture resources for alternative fuels and things like that. This means that we are needing to produce more so that we can keep up with the food demand and the new fuel demands. It would be interesting to look more on the hidden effects of "going green" when it comes to agriculture and other areas.
From NPR: House Republicans took aim at climate change programs across the government. Many new House Republicans deny what scientists widely accept: Climate change will have catastrophic consequences, and people are a significant cause of it because they burn fossil fuels. During the House debate, a new Republican member from Kansas, Mike Pompeo, led a drive to slash funding for an EPA program that makes businesses report their greenhouse gas pollution. Perhaps make a movement to effect the politicians because I don't want to imagine what would happen if businesses didnt have to report their pollution.
What programs and organizations are there in the Treasure valley that encourage and facilitate the recycling of used batteries and electronic devices? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-waste
What is going to happen if we run out of clean drinking water? We act like water is everlasting and that we will always have free, clean drinking water. This is not necessarily the case. Places in Spain already charge for water at restaurants. We hear about multiple places all over the world that doesn't have easy access to clean drinking water. Yet in the US we take it for granted that we can turn on a faucet or a drinking fountain almost anywhere and get our clean free drinking water. We also use water for other things that contaminate it. Eventually we might not have any clean water accessible. What might this lead to? War perhaps? Not only with water, but with all other resources we need to survive, in the direction our society is going we're going to run out of our resources eventually. What will happen if we let our society get that far?
- What will be next, once we run out of oil in the world? Many experts claim that we only have enough oil for ten years, and bearing in mind that we totally depend on this resource, what are we going to do? I found this sources: - an interesting documentary (6 parts): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSQ0KtnaMVc - A kind of 'awful' song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGbc0X2VlpE&feature=pyv&ad=5233852182&kw=petroleum - A debate whether it is going to run out or not: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PxzsrbfRik -Few articles with different opinions: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/world-oil-supplies-are-set-to-run-out-faster-than-expected-warn-scientists-453068.html - http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=0423 - http://economics.about.com/cs/macroeconomics/a/run_out_of_oil.htm
How harmful can invasive species/noxious weeds be to native species and our ecosystem? -what are some good ways to interest people about this topic -How do we get people involved in restoring native plants and species in their original habitat.

Week 8 Topic Submissions (4th):

So my topic this week would be to see what would happen with water supply if the whole nation got rid of all the empty asphalt lots, on a smaller scale we could do it in boise.
With environmental awareness gaining more leverage in consumer-based industries, I think it would be interesting to look into if "green" products are really environmentally responsible. For example, gas efficent cars are being marketed as "green," "clean," and "earth-friendly." While they do consume less fossil fuels, the energy put into manufacturing, constructing, and shipping the vehicles is still excessive. It could be argued that the money put into making these types of vehicles could be put into improving our public transportation systems, and have more "green" results.
How can participation in the service learning project and our class lecture lead to spreading awareness and information about what we should be doing to lead environmentally responsible lives as humans on this planet? What information have we gathered that will aid in this process, and what is the best way to go about spreading information in an audible but reasonable voice?
Ch 10 discusses fresh water shortages. What places of the world has this problem, and what kind of solutions are being brought up to fix this problem?
What are the native tree and plant species in this valley (Boise), what were some native uses and natural remedies
I have heard some contradictions about clear cutting forests lately. I have heard that it is good because it has taken the place of forest fires and I have heard it isn't good. Both statements were made by scientists that specialized in biology.
I was thinking that last class we had a discussion over human effects on the world and how our actions are changing the environment we live in. I was thinking it might be fun for a group to put the ideas together that they find the most beneficial and easiest for individuals to do on a regular basis to help lower our impact and do a presentation on their ideas. We all want to help reduce our impact and sometimes we all just need some new ideas to help us along in the process. They could talk about short term and long term.
My submission which ties into restoration, looks at Moore's Creek outside Idaho City. There has been much work done by ducks unlimited to correct a stretch of the stream that was destroyed by placer mining up until the 1950's. Has this work been declared a success? I worked on this about 3 years ago and haven't heard much about he after affects of the project. The goal was to lower the water temperature and create pools of water to promote spawning. The type of work they do can't often be measured in short periods of time, while some marks can be reached how can the long term recovery of the stream be measured to know if it is working or not? How do you know the impact is making a difference. Can this be told alone by the biodiversity within the stream, or must you look at the entire ecosystem to measure this.
What are some practical renewable energy resources we can look into using in the future? Also, why is it necessary to take a step back from mass oil consumption?Ideas: -oil is becoming unpractical -wind energy -tidal energy -waste/garbage energy -solar power energy
Most of my ideas center around answering questions I have about the world around me and the information I have to work with, but there needs to be something actionable for us to work on. Answering questions is great for our own information, but what good is preaching to the choir? Let's put together a presentation and take it to some people. We could try to talk to classes at BSU, high schools, grade schools, etc.; or put together some usable info and try to present it to the admin at BSU or a legislator, depending on what we try to put together. Write a thing up and submit it to the Statesman. We could work up a poll and give it to everyone we know. Let's find out if the environment ranks 13th on people's list of what matters to them. Let's find out where our priorities are and find a way to act on them.
For a topic I was thinking what would you do to create the perfect green society?
Why don't we have a avalanche safety class here at bsu? To me that is a very important skill to have if you are an outdoor enthusiast. Hundreds of people are killed every year due to avalanches and the best way to prevent that is education. Sure there are lots of classes out there but for most college students they are too expensive. It would be an easy class to teach and I think a lot of kids would benefit from it. It could touch on how to look at layers of snow, how to use a beacon, use a probe, and proper shoveling techniques to dig someone out.
After just discussing the various biomes in general, and the splender and diversity of the coral reefs specifically, the recent earthquake and susequent Tsunami in Japan made me start wondering about the effects such an event may have on the various coral reefs that lay in the path of the massive amounts of energy created. I know that we (as a scientific community) have not been studying Tsunami's for a great period of time, and that literally they are still a complete mystery as to how they act, react, and their unpredictablility, but have they done ANY research on the possible devastation they may cause on the existing reefs?
what is Idaho fish and game/BSU doing to protect native species in and around the Boise area.
Did you know that each person in the US, on average, generates 5 pounds of solid waste each day? Yard trimmings and food residuals (scraps) constitute 26% of that solid waste? This equates to 1.3 pounds of compostable solid waste per person each day, or 400 million pounds of refuse (308 million people x 1.3 pounds), that could be diverted from landfills. Composting and vermi-composting reduce our contribution to the landfills and the finished compost can be used as a natural soil amendment and crop enhancer, and much more. Allied Waste of Boise reports that 50% of summer waste in the Treasure Valley is compostable. Is composting a viable way to reduce our environmental impacts? Can it be accomplished on a mass scale? What are the City of Boise, Allied Waste, local communities, and concerned citizens doing to promote awareness and generate interest in composting both at home and in the community? What can be done at local levels in the schools, etc. to increase awareness and generate interest? http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/Wormwoman_catalog_Worms_Eat_My_Garbage_3.html http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/composting/index.htm
Habitat degradation in the Boise foothills. What species are at risk? Are there agricultural concerns?
With the recent development in Japan and there nuclear power plant crisis. I think it wise to evaluate the proposal to for a new nuclear power plant here in Hamit Idaho. Do we want to invest 5 billion into nuclear energy or would it be smarter and safer to invest in alternative sources of Energy.
I recently heard that Idaho Power is going to release Silver Nitrate into the atmosphere to make it rain. This will fill the reservoirs to provide more power. The process is said to take away rain from the east. Is this true? And is this environmentally friendly?
What is the #1 human-caused source of greenhouse gasses? How much greenhouse gas does this industry create and how can it be reduced?
There is methane gas in the ice in places like Antarctica, if we can find a way to extract that gas and use it for energy who would be in charge of it? Who would be the owner of Antarctica? If the world warms up to a point where Antarctica melts or we take the ice for the gas, we already know there is land under that big sheet of ice... Who would be the people who get to live there, or would it even be livable and might this cause another war over land?

Week 9 Topic Submissions (5th - Final):

research how we could make our water more sustainable by changing the way we graze our land. Also another idea sense I am volunteering at the watershed it has got me thinking a lot more about how we clean our water and I was thinking a good idea would be to research the pros and cons of a watershed and if it is the best system we have
Based off of the graphic we saw in class that demonstrated obesity rates over the U.S., I think an interesting topic would be to provide some lifestyle alterations that people could make in order to help improve their overall health. Colorado is the only state remaining in the lowest percent obesity rate- I think it would be interesting to explore what it is that folks do there to maintain healthier lifestyles. It would also be interesting to look at how the rates differ across states in proportion to stress levels, environmental surroundings and conditions, and other social influences. In addition to lifestyle changes, research could be done to see what healthy options different communities provide here locally that are not being fully utilized- IE greenbelts, local agriculture, various forms of exercise etc.
I would be interested in knowing how often fires burn the sagebrush locally, and what the ideal fire regime would be to maintain the ecosystem.
During class we were talking about food waste and how much food the US wastes and how much money this costs each individual on average. I was wondering how much food does BSU waste? How much does Idaho waste? What can we do as individuals and as a whole to cut down or eliminate this problem.
My topic submission is about the quality and assurance of natural supplements and organic foods. Currently there is little oversight in an area that most people feel is self regulated. Because natural supplements and organic labeled foods are touted as an alternative to the current state of Food Inc, which is what most people call commercialized for profit food supplies. I raise the question of quality and accountability in even this area. Just as people are demanding to know about the corporate food practices, shouldn't the claims of anytime with regards to food be questions and proved. I question the honesty behind all labels. Organic, natural and even healthy, are all terms that get credit without it being earned. Why and how can it be questioned and validated.
I have noticed that the term 'green' is thrown around like it's going out of style, but what does it mean? It's been co -opted into a catch- all for everything from cleaning supplies to school supplies to buliding materials to dog food. My topic submission idea for this week is for us to look at green products and evaluate the accuracy of the claims. We should see what is meant by the term 'green', and determine how manufacturers area able to make the claim, whether or not they meet the standard. Is there a Federal standard or are companies free to market products as they see fit? If there is a standard, who made it up? I think we could also explore green building techniques (eg, LEEDS Certifications) and if they are enough to do anything? As in, are these standards just an example of marketing to bourgeois American pro- environmental sentiments, or can we make any substantial gains if we employ them? Who or what are green building products and techniques supposed to help? Do they help meet the bottom line first and happen to come from more efficient manufacturing processes, or is the intent to spit less waste into the atmosphere? Further, I want to explore the concept of building/ creating better, smarter products that are actually waste- free, instead of just less toxic. I read a book awhile ago called Cradle to Cradle. The premise was that the technology exists to make products in such a way that there is little to no waste and can be be reused indefinitely, but it would require restructuring all sorts of industry processes as well as designing things differently. Difficult, expensive, challenging, yes. Impossible, no. Necessary and a good idea, yes. I hope this is clear. I guess what I want to do with this is just answer some questions I have about some very fundamental assumptions we make about goods and services we buy, thinking they are environmentally friendly. My suspicion is that they don't do as much good as we think they do.
Is green wind energy really “green”? In 2009, 22,000 wind turbines killed 440,000 birds, mostly migratory birds and birds of prey. With the new federal plan to produce 20% of our electricity from wind by 2030, those numbers will increase, but to what extent? How do we ensure that our going “green” is really “green” for the environment as a whole and not just a facade?
Are there any efforts to preserve wildlife on campus? For example, are there any efforts to protect the waterfowl that live on the Boise River/ Greenbelt
Just read an article that wind turbines are going to be put to a halt in Idaho. Many are saying that it putting up these wind turbines are going to be more expensive and interfere with wild life. Are wind turbines cost efficient do the benefits outweigh the cost of producing them? What are the long term benefits of the wind turbines. http://www.localnews8.com/news/27243766/detail.html
We could do our projects the current situation in Japan and the radiation levels in the food and water and the effect that has on the worlds food production
Chapter 8 (Environmental Health) of our textbook starts off asking "What is health?" It then goes on to state that "The WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." I think that this is an appropriate subject given what we just learned in Chapter 7 about food and agriculture, coupled with the current concerns being propagated by an electronic media blitz of the Japanese crisis and subsequent radiation exposures. People seem to think that if they are exposed to a single gamma ray, that they will develope cancer and keel over dead within a week or two. They fail to realize the amount of radioactivity that they are exposed to every single day from just their household products and normal routines, or the amount of radiation that is present in even the most "organic" of foods which they may consume. There is 5-10 times more radiation given off from the granite counter top in their kitchen then they would receive during a standard x-ray at the doctor's office, which in turn is several hundred times the amount one would get from consuming the "tainted" food being found in the Japanese supply lines. "Health" is compromised when we let irrational fear consume our thought processes and even though our overall physical health may be allright, our social well-being is compromised when we let fear rathar than reason dictate how we lead our lives today.
whale hunting, which despite the fact it is forbidden, countries like Japan still hunt them. The Basque Country was one of the most important countries as for whale hunting (eventually, there is a town in Canada called Port of Basques) but not anymore. Here are some links for interesting articles and videos:http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=save-the-whales-by-hunting-them-10-05-23 http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/06/hunting-the-whales/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100625-whaling-whales-ban-iwc-japan-hunting/ http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1686486,00.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJvfjiCTvq4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru3aFjbdV9k&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9ax3bZkhI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t5wHTGbQEY&feature=related
I have recently read that coal power produces radioactive waste. Why have I not heard of this before and what is being done about it? http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste
Air Quality and Air Pollution. Where are the best and worst air qualities in the world? How is the population affected by different levels of pollution, and what health risks are attached to poor air quality. What measures are being taken by different countries applying to air quality regulation?
Hammer Flats: How to manage this new area now turned over to the Dept.of Fish and Wildlife, what approaches could be taken to better manage this area? Are people to have access, what other uses are there for this area? how much restoration should be done? Is there a way to bring revenue from this sites use to generate funds for future land purchases? Could this area some how be integrated with the use of the black cliffs? Main elements of this submission would be: new approaches toward managing and potential uses of this area, or is it management as usual. I think management of this area would tie into habitat and biodiversity needs as well as how to rehab and use an area discussed in the reading.
effects of fire on an ecosystem.
"Banning the Bottle". Here it is. This article talks about the issue of plastic bottle water and how it affects our world and us as people. It starts off by telling us that in 2007 Americans spent $11.7 billion on 8.8 billion gallons of bottle water. WOW! That’s like $1.33 a gallon, just for water. The article also says that in the United States alone, there were 2 million plastic water bottles used every 5 minutes. The article tells how people that consume bottled water do it for convenience or because they feel it is cleaner than tap water. That is a misconception. Some bottled water is just plain tap water and the others don’t get treated as good as out tap water does. They both are still expected to contain small amounts of contaminates. When the National Resource Defense Council tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of bottled water, (WOW), they found that about one-third of them exceeded industry standards for certain contaminants. Environmentally, it is not good. They use oil, an expensive and finite resource, to create polyethylene terephthalate plastic water bottles. In 2006, they say 17 million barrels of oil were used to make the bottles. 3.4 MJ are required to make one one-liter bottle, cap and packaging. A barrel of oil contains about 6,000 MJ. The burning of fossil fuels during the production creates gases linked to global warming too. Even though the bottles are recyclable, only about 20-30% at most are actually recycled. The rest end up in landfills, as litter, or in bodies of water. Once in a landfill, it takes about 1,000 years for a bottle to degrade. Another problem arises when they fill the bottles with water. Some companies use ground water causing the local water levels to drop, which in turn makes the local towns lose control over their water resources. They estimated that over 2.5 million tons of CO2 were emitted into our atmosphere from the making and transporting of the plastic bottle water. The health concerns are mostly due to the phthalates and other chemicals in the bottles. Phthalates disrupt testosterone and other hormones, are potentially carcinogenic, and can leach into the water over time. There are very few jobs in the industry of making bottled water. The plants disrupt the local communities by, the traffic, noise, pollution and depleting local water levels. The alternatives are to use a stainless steal bottle or re-use a bottle. They have also started to produce biodegradable plastic bottles. I chose this article because I feel this is a major issue in our society and there needs to be something done about it. We can not just continue to pollute and destroy our planet because people are too lazy to do the right thing. Every thing seems to be designed so people can be lazy or get more done in less time. Why can’t people just slow down and enjoy life instead of just rushing through it.
consumption, why do we as American culture consume so much? What kind of changes can we suggest to help reduce consumption without people feeling as if we are degrading their culture or way of life? How can we get them to see value in living a simpler and more sustainable lifestyle? Most of all how can we get big business to help reduce consumption? This seems contradictory, but I feel that business can still make a decent profit while promoting lower consumption.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0 This was from the first Earth Summit Conference in Rio, 1992. This young lady was only 13 years old and understands the simplicity of respecting our environment. I feel as though most children have some form of respect for the environment and at one point know what is wrong and right when it comes to taking care of our environment. My question is where does this knowledge go when we've reached adulthood? Does the media, and big business have any kind of influence on this change in thinking? Do education systems in America have any kind of influence? What kind of influence are we ourselves? What can we do to help children continue to grow with a knowledge and respect for the environment?

ENVSTD121 - Service Learning

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