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Diminishing Wilderness, 2005.
This paper discusses that the main reason for most endangered species is habitat destruction and suggests ways of overcoming the problem of the diminishing wilderness.
1,155 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, while some animals are resilient enough to cope with major habitat destruction, others, particularly those animals who have evolved to live in very specific types of habitat, cannot. The author points out that the ecological problem for the pygmy-possum was that the mountain on which the females live became a popular ski resort area with a road cutting across the path the males used to get to the females; ecologists solved the problem by constructing a corridor --a man-made tunnel under the road--for the males to use to get to the females. The paper stresses that biologists need detailed information about the ways endangered animals live, feed and reproduce in order to find a solution to diminishing wildernesses.
From the Paper
"There are numerous examples of habitat destruction and its effects on wildlife. For instance, the Richmond birdwing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly found in subtropical rainforests in Australia. This butterfly feeds almost exclusively on one plant -- the Richmond birdwing vine. As habitat shrank, a second problem developed: a vine called Dutchman's pipe pushed out the Rhichmond birdwing vine. The butterflies laid their eggs on the Dutchman pipe, which made a good environment for the eggs but was poisonous to the caterpillars. The result was that the butterfly lost nearly 70% of its habitat, and a further decline because of the intruding vine, which was not native to the area."
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Gentrification and Universities, 2005.
This paper examines various gentrification programs to develop a way that the University of Southern California (USC) can create a neighborhood that retains its original lower income residents.
1,680 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses a new-style gentrification movement, driven primarily by universities' faculties and staffs, seeking housing in the campus neighborhoods to be closer to their jobs and to take advantage of cultural benefits of the university area, forces long-time and mainly lower-income residents out of the area. The author reviews programs at the University of Pennsylvania in gentrifying West Philadelphia, New York University in New York City and Emory University in Atlanta and highly recommends using the model of developer James Rouse's 36 years old planned community of Columbia, Maryland, which is openly dedicated to racial and socio-economic diversity. The paper recommends that, in order to preserve a mixed neighborhood in the vicinity of USC, the university, using its human assets to help in this effort, must be proactive and prevail upon government to assist by offering various concessions to developers and grants to individuals.
Table of Contents
Shared Prosperity Program
The NYU Partial Solution
Financing Fixes
West Coast Solutions
Deep South Suggestions
A Lesson from the East Coast
Summary
From the Paper
"While the university itself cannot change any local housing and development ordinance, it can encourage the city to follow at least some of the steps taken by New York City last year when it realized much of its own subsidized or low-cost housing was about to become much more expensive because of the way the original legislation was written. At that point, the city began discussions with the City's pension funds, which make investments in order to grow, concerning the possibility of developing new loan programs for developers that would provide long-term low-interest financing for all those developers who were willing to retain their buildings as low-income buildings. USC could also seek assistance from large pension funds locally that typical invest in real estate."
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Rainforests, 2005.
This paper discusses the ecological problems of the rainforests.
1,335 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that tropical rainforests are dense, wet forests, found in high rainfall regions close to the equator; however, most of the rainforests have been destroyed in the last 50 years. The author points out that one of the main reasons for destruction of the rainforests is logging; corporations have convinced many rainforest countries that it would improve their economies to allow companies to use these lands, and now these countries' economies have become dependent on it. The paper concludes that the sustainable development of the rainforests will probably not be achieved until issues like poverty and consumer demands are resolved.
From the Paper
"The rainforest provides many benefits to humans, animals, the world, and our environment. However, there are many dangers to the rainforest. One danger is that people and corporations are destroying trees in the rainforest. They are also killing animals that are in the food chain and destroying their habitats. The rainforest is home to over fifty percent of all plants and animals on earth. The rainforest breathes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. Some rainforests are an untouched frontier, with many new animals and even new tribes of people."
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The Houston Light Rail, 2006.
A look at the light rail system implemented by the city of Houston, Texas in an effort to alleviate some of the traffic congestion.
1,096 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper overviews light rail technology and, specifically, Houston's light rail system. It also investigates whether or not the light rail has been a partial solution to Houston's crowded streets. Also, the costs of the system are discussed as well as future expansion plans.
Table of Contents
Light Rail Technology Overview
The Houston Light Rail System
Has the Houston Light Rail Been a Partial Solution
to Traffic Congestion in Houston
Costs of Building and Operating the Houston Light Rail
System and Future Expansion Plans
Opportunity Costs
MetroRail Accidents
From the Paper
"Light rail systems typically are operated by electricity that is delivered through overhead lines. Occasionally, they use a third rail for its electrical power, whether they are standard or special third rail systems that only transmit power when the train is on that segment of the track. A few use diesel powered trains; however, this is often used as an interim measure until funding is available for the installation of electric power."
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Fair Trade Chocolate, 2006.
A discussion of the definition of the term "fair trade chocolate".
1,761 words (approx. 7.0 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 56.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how fair trade chocolate is supposed to give growers and workers of the cocoa bean a better wage than that paid by the international cartels of chocolate buyers. It also explains how fair trade chocolate could help alleviate the the problem of the millions of hungry and starving poor that exist in the world in spite of the abundance of food. Additionally, the paper presents a history of fair trade chocolate and how it contributes to the concept of sustainability.
From the Paper
"It is likely that more people are familiar with the term Fair Trade Coffee, simply because major coffee house chains have begun promoting their organic fair-trade brews. When most people think of chocolate, it is more likely to be a foil-wrapped mass-market candy bar, perhaps a Kit Kat, that is wolfed down to quiet hunger pangs without a thought to the plight of the people who produced the chocolate. As there are no trendy, global chain 'chocolate houses,' there is no monolithic commercial avenue through which to either purvey fair trade chocolate, or make its advantages known."
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Environment of Brazil, 2005.
A look at the complicated environmental, social and political issues concerning land ownership in Brazil.
2,512 words (approx. 10.0 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 76.95
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Abstract
This paper presents an overview of the heated land ownership issues in Brazil. The paper considers the murder of American Catholic nun and activist, Dorothy Stang back in February of 2005 and what it means in light of all these issues. The paper considers political, historical and social aspects of the land ownership problem as well as its impact on the Amazon forest in Brazil.
From the Paper
"The week before Stang's murder, the missionary had asked for protection from Nilmario Mranda, the government's Human Rights Secretary. In a statement, Miranda, "likened Stang to Chico Mendes, the rubber-tapper and environmental and social activist whose December 1988 murder in the Amazon jungle also caused a national and international outcry." According to CPT, which has been documenting the violence in the Brazilian countryside since the 1980's, Para is the Brazilian state with the largest number of murders due to conflicts over land. CPT reports that thirty-three of the seventy-three killings of this kind committed in 2003 occurred in Para and that during previous years, the northern state regularly accounted for more than half of the murders."
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Global Warming: Literature Review, 2005.
A brief literature review of the studies which have been performed about global warming.
1,021 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that much of the current existing literature on global warming is based on the same preliminary studies, focuses on the same or similar elements and in general demonstrates considerable shortcomings in forming a comprehensive understanding of the overall problem of climate change.
From the Paper
"Global warming is a hot topic. Literature, publications, and opinion pieces on global warming appear almost daily in news sources and academic journals. The Internet is also replete with sources on the topic of global warming. Because global warming affects the Arctic at a far faster and more intense rate than it affects other parts of the globe, global warming in the arctic deserves far more media attention than it has received thus far. Nevertheless, many articles in trade publications can help researchers initiate a study of global warming in the arctic. Perhaps because the arctic is relatively uninhabited, the effects of global warming do not seem as severe there as they might in more populous regions of the globe. However, studies show that the Arctic exhibits the early warming signs of global warming before they reach the rest of the inhabited world. Based on a literature review conducted on the Internet, global warming in the Arctic deserves more attention and research."
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Poisoning the Planet, 2005.
This paper is an extensive discussion of the many ways in which the planet is being destroyed and the efforts required to save it.
8,255 words (approx. 33.0 pages), 27 sources, MLA, $ 176.95
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Abstract
The paper explains that lack of awareness of threats to the environment and man's greed for wealth and short-term gains have caused the four billion year old bio-geophysical system to be destroyed. The author points out that experts are of the view that the economic value of the rainforest will increase by leaving the rainforests as they are and reaping its nuts, fruits, oil producing plants and medicinal plants rather than simply cutting them down to generate grazing land for cattle or for timber. The paper relates that, if the exploitation at the present rate goes on unhindered, the coastal regions will be annihilated and the ecosystems and the communities of plants and animals they house will be extensive depleted.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Pollution of our Waterways
Loss of Rainforests
Decimation of Forests
Wetlands disappearing
Ignoring Global Warming
Acid Rain
Fish Die
Animal Species are Threatened
Mercury Levels in Water
Unhealthy to Drink or Swim in Large Portions of our Coastline
Call to Action on Matters of the Environment
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Presently, the effluents find their ways to the Great Lakes in several ways. However, the main three vents of effluents are seen at the point source, non-point source and atmospheric pollution. The point source pollution occurs when the effluents come to the waterway by means of a particular entry point like a drainpipe draining directly into a river; it is known as point source pollution. The Industrial water wastes and sewage treatment mechanisms are considered to be the significant offenders of such type of contamination. Contrary to the point source pollution, non-point source or NPS pollution stems from many different dispersed sources and is quite difficult to standardize and manage; hence many experts consider that NPS pollution is the most hazardous confronting the Great Lakes today."
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The Kyoto Treaty, 2005.
This paper discusses the problem with increasing worldwide emissions by the burning of fossil fuels as addressed by the Kyoto Treaty.
1,305 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, by slowing and stopping the upward trend in greenhouse gas emissions, which started in industrialized countries 150 years ago, the Kyoto Treaty hopes to move the world toward preventing dangerous interference with the climate system. The author points out that countries, which have accepted the Kyoto Treaty, have committed themselves to reducing their emissions of six key greenhouse gases by at least 5%. The paper relates that scientists have identified that health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife and coastal areas are vulnerable to the changes, which global warming may bring. Chart.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Atmosphere Changes
Changing Climate
From the Paper
"The Arctic is warming rapidly, with the loss of polar ice projected to accelerate global warming, according to a four-year scientific study of the region conducted by an international team of 300 scientists. About half the summer sea ice in the Arctic is projected to melt by the end of this century, along with much of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The study also confirms that the warming is human-caused, through heat-trapping emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The United States is the largest world contributor of those emissions and has yet to enact limits. It is clear that pollution that causes global warming to prevent dangerous changes in the climate must be reduced; however, the United States as not agreed to the Kyoto Treaty."
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Cod Changes the World, 2005.
An analysis of "Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World" by Mark Kurlansky.
1,254 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
Environmental science is not just one science and is not concerned only with the environment. Instead, environmental science covers a wide variety of topics from several different areas. This paper states that the additional areas also go beyond science and link environmental science to subjects such as politics, history, economics, and human geography. One way to consider the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science is to look at an example from the real world. This paper explains how "Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World" by Mark Kurlansky offers a good example. It points out that the book describes the impact that cod has had on the world and its basis is environmental science. It also shows the other topics and subjects that became part of the story of cod. This book is considered, with a focus on how it shows that environmental science is interdisciplinary.
From the Paper
"Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World shows on many occasions that environmental science is also political. One example is seen where Kurlansky describes the fishermen of Sentinel Fishery, Newfoundland, trying to protect their source of cod. The book describes how the fishermen had claimed for years that offshore trawlers were taking their cod and greatly reducing the supply. As the text notes, "government scientists had ignored the cry of inshore fishermen... the deafness proved costly" (Kurlansky 4). After the fish had declined, the Canadian government finally closed the Newfoundland waters to groundfishing and the cod levels began to improve. The text notes that this was largely a political problem, where the fishermen knew that action needed to be taken, but where the government refused to listen to the fishermen. This has changed now, with a program now in place that allows scientists, the government, and fishermen to work together. One of the important things to note in this case, is that the decision to close the waters to groundfishing could only be done by the government. This shows the direct link between environmental science and politics. The other important thing to note is that fishermen and scientists now work together to maintain cod levels, with the government acting like middlemen. Kurlansky describes the program saying that "a few fishermen in each community are sentries, measuring the progress of the cod stock by catching fish and reporting their findings to government scientists" (Kurlansky 4)."
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"The Cod?s Tale", 2005.
A review of Mike Kurlansky's book about cod fish and how they have impacted human history for a millennia.
1,149 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper introduces, summarizes and reviews Mike Kurlansky's book "The Cod's Tale". The paper explains that Kurlansky's book is not only a history lesson from a new perspective, but a cautionary tale for the future as well.
From the Paper
"Determining appropriate environmental policies is very often a hazardous endeavor. Largely, this is because potential costs and benefits associated with environmental problems can only be speculated upon, rather than empirically determined. It is not clear, for instance, how much reducing a factory's greenhouse emissions will quantitatively help society; nevertheless, making good decisions regarding these issues demands that we weigh calculable figures with estimates, and sometimes, estimates with estimates. This makes the already fierce setting of environmental debates an even more perilous battleground. Imperfect information influences individuals, environmentalists, government officials, and businesses in ways that generally require them to reach their own conclusions, and apply their unique perspectives. This unique attribute of environmental science makes it a wide-ranging field that often requires the groups involved to make informed decisions, derived from such varying disciplines as physics and physiology. Mike Kurlansky's The Cod's Tale helps to demonstrate the enormous tasks environmental scientists are faced with, as well as the substantial social implications associated with their conclusions. "
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Climate Change Projections, 2004.
An analysis of the projections of climatic change and the expected impact on world agriculture.
1,201 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the expected changes in climate and the ensuing affects on world agriculture. The paper claims that it is critically important to research climatic change since it affects everything on earth: man, beast, fish, fowl and organism. It also explains how climatic changes will affect the water temperature and the quality of the air.
From the Paper
"Climatologists now have stated it is with the realm of "certain probability" that humans absolutely have induced global climatic disturbances resulting in a complete change in current conditions. Furthermore, the affect that has been projected for human health is one stated to be of a nature that is diverse, "unpredictable in magnitude" and slow in emerging. Specifically stated is that the "Adverse effects are likely to outweigh beneficial effect substantially" (McMichaels, et al eds., 2004) However the changes that may be witnessed sooner rather than later are those experienced from the affects of agricultural production difficulties and disasters and mass failure of crops due to unforeseen tragedy and destruction within the earth's biosphere. "
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Indoor Pollution, 2005.
Proposes steps for better indoor air quality.
2,200 words (approx. 8.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 68.95
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Abstract
This report discusses viable options for reducing indoor pollutants in order to improve air quality. This work focuses on three major concerns in regard to indoor air quality-- poor ventilation, indoor smoking and other indoor pollutants. The media bombards us daily with information regarding external pollution, such as the emissions from automobiles, water contaminants, basic garbage and of course the smoke stacks of industry. But, most people may not be aware of the high number and the effect of indoor pollutants. The paper explains that from this lack of knowledge stems the problem of also not understanding how important it is to reduce indoor pollutants as best we can in our homes, schools, restaurants, bars and other public places.
From the Paper
"The homebuilding industry has a big responsibility to consumers in regard to proper ventilation. That is because there are a plethora of products that are in the typical home such as specific types of plywood or particleboard that have been shown to emit a very significant amount of formaldehyde and other gaseous pollutants. "Research by the ARB, the EPA, and others has shown that indoor levels of some pollutants, such as formaldehyde, chloroform, and styrene, range from 2 to 50 times higher than outdoor levels." (Air Resources Board) Although consumers may not be aware of these scenarios, when possible, manufactures, builders and other entities in the industry should avoid having those products purchased and installed in homes. Even new carpets and furniture must be aired out by the manufacturer or distributor prior to delivery in order to eliminate the many toxins that are used in the manufacturing and storing of these possessions".
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Kenai Fjords National Park, 2005.
An examination of the physical geography of the Kenai Fjords National Park and the surrounding region.
2,371 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 18 sources, MLA, $ 72.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the prominent features of physical geography both within the park and the surrounding region. The focus of the paper is on the physical geography, including topography, minerals, glaciers, soils, animals, plants, environment and climate. Glaciers and the effects of glaciation on the Kenai Fjords National Park and surrounding region are
also discussed in some depth.
Outline
Topography
Rocks and Mineral
Soils
Glaciers
Animals and Wildlife
Plants
Surrounding Bodies of Water
Rivers and Lakes
Environment
Climate and Weather
Geopolitical
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The Kenai Fjords National Park is located on the Kenai Peninsula off the southern part of Alaska. The Park and the surrounding region are known for a wide variety of climates, terrain, and flora and fauna. The region also contains reserves of oil, natural gas, and coal. The Peninsula provides a microcosmic view of the overall Alaskan ecology- all the various types of terrain native to Alaska can be found within the Kenai Peninsula. The region is also home to some of the largest glaciers outside of the Arctic Circle."
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Technology and Global Ecosystem, 2004.
An analysis of the implications of technology and the global ecosystem.
2,302 words (approx. 9.2 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 71.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the debate over whether or not technology threatens the integrity of the global ecosystem. The paper presents the warnings that global warming, acid rain and the eventual exhaustion of the world's natural resources are just some of the unintended consequences of the imposition of man-made technology on earth's ecosystem. To determine the accuracy of these warnings, the paper provides an examination of the implications of technology and the global ecosystem, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
Outline
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Negative Impacts of Technology on the Global Ecosystem
Positive Impacts of Technology on the Global Ecosystem
Conclusion
From the Paper
"It should be pointed out from the outset that biological organisms have been influencing the global ecosystem in one fashion or another since the world was created. According to David J. Tenenbaum's essay, "Where Do We Stand? Global Ecosystem Assessments Ask the Big Question" (2001), "The degradation of ecosystems is literally ancient history. Desertification -- an enduring ecosystem degradation -- gets much of the blame for the decline of ancient civilizations in the Middle Fast" (588). More contemporary examples of this process occurred during the severe soil erosion of the Dust Bowl in the U.S. Great Plains during the 1930s. This modern encroachment on the ecosystem started with unsustainable farming practices and was made even worse by a continued drought. Tenebaum reports that all told, desertification is damaging 30 percent of irrigated areas, 47 percent of rain-fed land, and 73 percent of rangelands today (589). "
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