Abstract This paper discusses how ecological footprints, effective ecological tools used to help maintain our world, impose many questions in sustaining the earth's life. Charts are included with the paper.
Defining Our Ecological Footprint
Dependency on Nature
Carrying Capacity of Cities and Earth Comparison between Countries
Natural Capita: Effects on the Earth Impact of the World Economies
Solutions
From the Paper "The world economy has a great impact on the ecological footprints of the world. Every country wants to obtain economic growth to produce more money. But in doing this, they have to deplete their natural capital, which in turn, is not helping in sustaining this world. As William Rees states, "there is simply not enough on the planet to sustain present international development trends using prevailing technologies" (Westra and Werhane ed. 1998, 115). So something drastic has to be done. As the ecological footprints of humans are already too large for the earth to handle, how can we accommodate the rising materials and rising in population, while trying to sustain the earth. Most analysts agree that it can happen in two ways: through a reduction in the standard of living or through the increase in material and energy efficiency (Westra and Werhane ed. 1998, 115). These two issues also apply problems, through cultural, economic, and social values. Especially in the more developed countries. To lower the standard of living would be outright rejected in the more developed countries such as Canada and the U. S. So indeed, most people agree that "global sustainability is achievable only through large increases in the consumption of goods and services in both poorer and richer countries" (Westra and Werhane ed. 1998, 115). But still a problem arises. There will still be inequity in the growth of the more and less developed countries. It seems the richer get richer and the poorer get poorer. A consensus seems to be emerging though. They say that the needed consumption will work if there is a reduction in the material energy costs of goods and services. "
Abstract This paper takes a critical look at the book "Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe", by Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee. It discusses their theories of the beginning of life on Earth and additional theories to life on other planets. It challenges their research and data and offers other explanations and theories.
From the Paper "Was the occurrence of complex life on the planet Earth an isolated event or simply the next logical step in evolution? Ward and Brownlee seem to believe complex life is unique to our home world or at least extremely scarce in the Universe.1 In addition to the factors in their Rare Earth equation, mentioned in their book are some specific factors peculiar to Earth that may have affected the development of complex life. Beginning with the planet Mars, W&B argue that the fossil record shows that the cooling Earth developed bacterial life as soon as conditions permitted. They suggest that this may be because the bacteria first developed on Mars, which cooled earlier, and that perhaps Earth was then seeded with these bacteria carried by meteorites reaching our planet after having been ejected from Mars by asteroid impacts. The low gravity of Mars makes this more likely, and it is estimated that ten percent of meteors ejected from Mars may impact Earth. A system lacking a Mars-like planetary companion might have been slower to develop bacterial life."
Abstract This essay details several ways to make our life on Earth better from an environmental point of view. It analyzes Thomas Berry's 'The Great Work', a standard work in the eyes of the ecological community discussing the progress of commerce and its relationship with the Earth. Berry encourages the work of changing the world's perspective from within by changing individuals to recognize a "new" reality actually as old as time itself. It also discusses the progress being done towards 'The Great Work' as well as other progress.
From the Paper "Thomas Berry's The Great Work is a standard in the ecological community, albeit from what may have been at first considered an unusual source: the author, after all, is an ordained Catholic monk. Long before Berry was a religious thinker, however, he was a boy gifted with a unique insight into the world, specifically the American world around him. He has followed that vision to illuminate"with a poet's lyricism"the contrast between what is needed, an interdependence on the earth, versus the "dam, plow and pave" mentality he found so prevalent in this culture growing up."
Abstract This paper is an examination of life on Earth from its humble beginnings on through the remarkably fecund Cambrian period. Among other things, this paper looks at the Earth's own unlikely beginning, the slow development of life on its surface and the perils it faces. Of special interest, the paper devotes a great deal of time to possible explanations for the recrudescence that took place during the Cambrain period.
From the Paper "The origins of life on earth have fascinated and engrossed scientists for generations. This fascination, of course, should not be surprising: as human beings, we have an instinctive need to know our past - perhaps because knowing our past gives our lives meaning and context and informs our present and future. Whatever the case may be, the study of life's origins has long been one of the chief pursuits of the scientific community. With this in mind, the following chapter will examine the history of life on planet Earth from the earliest days of our planet, on through the period in which the first simple, multi-cellular organisms emerged, to the "Cambrian Explosion" and the marvelous profusion of life that it created. "
Abstract An essay that describes market liberalism (otherwise known as libertarian economics) from the point of view of Al Gore. It is supposed to be part of an imaginary "new edition" of his extensive treatise on ecology and government, Earth in the Balance. It can also stand on its own as an opinion paper about environmental abuses by modern industry, and the worth of government regulation.
Abstract This paper illustrates the many flaws that were involved in the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil. The paper argues that, although the summit started with good intentions, it only stood to perpetuate globalization and allow transnational corporations to run roughshod over indigenous peoples.
From the Paper "The Earth Summit of 1992 appeared to be a new beginning for the environmental movement. Many world leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro to discuss the various effects of the human race on this planet and to offer solutions to pressing problems such as global warming, biodiversity, and poverty. The world has come a long way from that point; many blocks of sustainable development have come into being and various ideologies have developed, but few have become relevant to creating sustainability everywhere."
Abstract This paper is about the creation of the universe, and more particularly about the earth and its early development. To date, no conclusive answer has been drawn about the events of 10-20 billion years ago when the universe came into existence. The whole idea of the 'big bang' is still a matter of debate for scholars, and this paper will attempt to do no more than touch on some of the commonly held ideas about the origins of the universe and the earth. The paper will discuss a few of the events that followed the creation of the universe and the earth, and to explain events as they are currently understood. The format of the paper will be as follows: first, it will discuss the formation of the universe; second, the earth in some detail, looking at the creation of the oceans and the atmosphere; third, it will conclude with an overview of the topic at hand.
Abstract This paper discusses the experience of a secondary school teacher presenting Earth Science coursework, covering the various teaching related tools and skills necessary for teaching science in the secondary school setting.
Contents:
Objective
Introduction
Inquiry-Based Instruction Defined
Development and Demonstration of Inquiry Based
Learning Activities in Science Instruction
National Science Education Standards and Grade Appropriateness
Classroom Dynamics for Secondary School Instruction
Assessment in Earth Science Teaching
Design of Curriculum
Example: High-School Earth-Science Activity
Original Middle-School Earth-Science Activity
Teacher Presentation
Lesson and Activity Objectives
Grading for Science
National Norm Referenced Testing for Science
From the Paper "Earth Science is particularly complicated in relation to instruction in the contemporary classroom. This is because of the many political and social issues involved in this area of study which, in the eyes of many, is an area of religious import as well. Furthermore, the initiative to teach in an inquiry-based manner further expands the research and examination in relation to providing instruction in Earth Science. When considering a method of instruction it is critical to take into account the grade-level appropriateness in relation to the curriculum and inclusive classroom activities when planning the instructional lessons and accompanying activities."
Tags: classroom, students, education, curricular, field, trip, chemical
Abstract This paper discusses James Lovelock's book, "Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth", and his scientific perspective of the earth as a self sustaining organism with all systems within the earth being part of the of the self sustaining organism that is earth itself. The paper provides a chapter by chapter review of the book that takes us from the introduction of the book, through the recognition of Gaia to the issues concerning the physical makeup of the planet.
Outline:
Introduction
In the Beginning
The Recognition of Gaia
Cybernetics
The Contemporary Atmosphere
The Sea
Gaia and Man, the Problem of Pollution
Living within Gaia
Epilogue
From the Paper "The beginning of earth is both an indication of the instinctive or natural process by which earth came to exist, and the process by which Gaia came to fortify herself or program herself for survival. There is indeed a mechanistic undertone to this chapter, as the maintenance of the balance biosphere is a physical and incredibly complex mathematical process to scientists, but an instinctive and perfect process in nature for Gaia. The chapter builds upon the introductory premise that the perfection of earth's atmosphere as a highly unlikely occurrence, the synchronization of natural forces that gave rise to life and development of this planet. While faith-based individuals simply call this God, and science seeks to analyze and identify all the processes in evolution, Lovelock refers to it as Gaia, the notion that is earth and acts in a way that is perfect for survival and evolution, and gives rise to our complex natural evolution state of existence."
Abstract This paper describes Eratosthenes' calculation of the Earth's diameter, based on one assumption and two measurements, that the Earth was a sphere and that the two measurements made are the degree of the Earth's shadow at noon at two points and the distance between those points. It outlines how this experiment can be repeated by measuring the degree of the shadows cast at two locations either directly north or south of each other at noon on the same day and details the equipment required, the measurements to be taken and the mathematical equations involved.
From the Paper "Eratosthanes used the city of Syene in Egypt as the first point. This point was selected because it was known that on noon on the first day of summer the sun was directly overhead. This was known because people observed that at this time, the buildings cast no shadows (York University). Therefore, the degree of the shadow at Syene was 0o.
Eratosthanes then needed to know the degree of the shadow at another point either directly north or directly south, at the same time of day. Eratosthanes selected Alexandria as the second city. The degree of the sun's shadow was measured and found to be 7.2o (HEASARC)."
Abstract This paper will discuss the evolution of the Earth, with a brief explanation of how this process was started and how it continues. By understanding the growing process of the Earth structural growth, we can get a good look at the geological proof it has to offer. In the many faceted view of the Earth's history in geology, the growth of the planet can explain many structural changes involved.
Abstract This essay looks at why life forms on Earth can live on the Earth but cannot survive on other planets. In exploring this fact, this essay discusses scientific theories about the creation of the universe, how conditions on Earth support life, and how the conditions on other planets are hostile to it.
From the Paper "The current scientific theory about the creation of the universe states that at one time all the matter and energy in the universe was condensed in a very small and infinitely hot mass. About 10 and 15 billion years ago, a huge explosion, termed the ?Big Bang,? took place that sent matter and energy expanding in all directions, and the universe was born. The formation of the stars (including our sun), the galaxies, and the planets are all explained by the Big Bang theory. This hypothesis about the creation of the universe was developed following the observation by an American astronomer, Edwin Hubble, in the late 1920s that distant stars and galaxies are receding from Earth in every direction?indicating that the universe was expanding."
Abstract This paper explains that the Snowball Hypothesis for Earth, which is a theory speculating that the earth has experienced consistent cyclical hot and cold periods, can be considered a possible cause of the current trends toward warmer climates and rising seas. The author points out that the theory encompasses tropical sea-level glaciers, distributions of continents, carbon dioxide levels, solar input, banded iron formations and early bacterial life. The paper states that scientist speculate that approximately twenty thousand years ago, our deep ocean waters moved towards the freezing point, but those water temperatures were not near the equator as was the case during the Neoproterozoic period.
From the Paper "As we currently fear global warming, evidence may be pointing to eventual temperature shifts that follow the Yin and Yang of life. First, there are opposites hot and cold. The planet is merely going through its normal cyclical changes so we should not fear global warming any more than we should expect it as we should also expect another future snowball. "For the last million years, the Earth has been in its coldest state since the Neoproterozoic. We are now living in a relatively warm episode, some 80,000 years from the next glacial maximum, but some evidence suggests that each successive glaciation over the last several cycles has been getting stronger and stronger.""
Abstract This paper examines why Earth is the only planet in our solar system capable of sustaining life and how it is the only planet that has plentiful liquid water and an atmosphere that can protect the planet from the harmful ultra-violet rays of the Sun. The paper attempts to determine what makes Earth so special by using comparative planetology to understand what makes Earth a habitat for life and what makes it so different from the other planets in our solar system.
From the Paper "If we were to look at Earth as a starting point to compare the other eight planets in our solar system, the first thing we notice from space is the magnificent blue color and swirls of clouds. This is an inviting sight and is the first hint at why life is found on our planet. Earth has many features that the other planets do not have. Earth has many features that make it unique. Earth is made of rock and metal. It is one of the four terrestrial planets and has the largest Moon in the solar system. Earth has abundant volcanic activity because of its size in comparison to the other terrestrial planets. With the abundance of water and oxygen, Earth's atmosphere stays in balance and is able to continue supporting life. The liquid oceans help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the presence of a stratosphere helps protect the surface from the deadly ultra-violet rays of the Sun. Another unique feature of Earth is plate tectonics. Plate tectonics acts as giant conveyor belt that moves the mantle of Earth around, which constantly changes the look of our planet. Although Earth's interior needs much more exploration, scientists can tell about the composition of the deepest regions of Earth by using seismic waves following an earthquake. By reading this seismic data carefully, scientists get a better understanding of interior Earth."
An examination of the Gaia theory which maintains that soon after the formation of life, organisms began to change the environment, as well as adapt to this environment.
1,237 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 42.95
Abstract Gaia and the plate tectonics; is the Earth alive?
This paper examines the Gaia theory that has emerged concerning the earth, its formation, and the living and non living creatures that adorn it. The paper also examines plate tectonics, living organisms, formation of water, etc.
Tags: earthquakes, plate, tectonics, earth, gaia, water
