1 – Oil Spill Bioremeditation Laboratory

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read the Oil Spill Bioremediation investigation manual. This lab will enable you to simulate the bioremediation of a marine oil spill.

The Process

Take the required photos and complete all parts of the lab assignment (calculations, data tables, etc.). Use the Lab Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template. Transfer any answers and visual elements from the Lab Worksheet into the Lab Report Template. You will submit the Lab Report Template through Waypoint in the classroom.

The Assignment

Make sure to complete all of the following items before submission:

• Before you begin the assignment, read the Oil Spill Bioremediation investigation manual; you may also wish to review the video, SCI207 – The Scientific Method(Links to an external site.).
• Complete all activities using materials in your kit, augmented by additional materials that you will supply. Photograph the setup following these instructions:
  • When taking lab photos, you need to include in each image a strip of paper with your name and the date clearly written on it.
• Use the Lab Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template.
• Must use at least two credible sources outside of the textbook and lab manual.
• Submit your completed “Lab Report” via Waypoint.

2 – The Journey to Sustainability

Prior to beginning work on this final paper, review all chapters of Bensel and Carbone’s Sustaining Our Planet text (2020).

In this paper, you will explore what a future sustainable world might look like, and in the process of doing so, extend your previous descriptions of selected terms and explain how they may play a role in aiding us in achieving environmental sustainability on a global scale.

The Journey to Sustainability

Imagine a future (probably a long time from now) in which human beings have achieved environmental sustainability on a global scale. That means that we as a species have figured out how to maintain a lifestyle that can go on indefinitely. Humans will exist in harmony with their environment, not needing more resources than can naturally be replenished. What would such a world be like? How might we get there from here?

In this final assignment, you will play the part of science-fiction writer, imagining and describing what a sustainable Earth, inhabited by humans, might look like in the distant future. You will need to provide examples throughout to support your descriptions. You should include all the terms that you have researched during Weeks 1 through 4 of this class, underlining each term as you include it. Be sure to expand on your terms and include other concepts that you learned in the course. Provide as detailed a picture as possible of how that future world might function on a day-to-day basis. In your paper, use grammar and spell-checking programs to insure clarity. Proofread carefully prior to submitting your work. Finally, you will submit the document to Waypoint.

Your paper will consist of seven paragraphs using the format below to address the elements with the assumption that environmental sustainability has been achieved:

• Paragraph 1:
  • Describe how the human relationship to nature will be different from what it is at present.
  • Examine how humans will cope differently with the ways that natural phenomena like hurricanes affect lives.
• Paragraph 2:
  • Describe what Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems will look like in a sustainable future.
  • Explain what humans have done differently to enable biodiversity and ecosystems to function sustainably.
• Paragraph 3:
  • Examine how agricultural production will be different in a sustainable future.
• Paragraph 4:
  • Differentiate between how humans will manage water resources (fresh water and ocean) in the sustainable future compared to how it is done now.
• Paragraph 5
  • Examine how humans will meet their energy needs in the future in a way that will enable maintenance of a sustainable, habitable atmosphere and climate.
  • Indicate the changes that humans have made that are enabling them to maintain a healthy atmosphere and climate for all.
• Paragraph 6:
  • Describe how waste management will be different in a sustainable future.
  • Indicate the changes have been made to how humans think about and treat what is currently called “waste.”
• Paragraph 7:
  • Summarize some of the major social, economic, political, and ecological choices and tradeoffs that will need to be overcome for this sustainable future to arrive. What are some of the major issues and challenges humans will have to face in order to achieve sustainability on a global scale?

The Journey to Sustainability final paper

• Must be seven paragraphs in length (350 to 700 words) (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style(Links to an external site.)
• Must incorporate all four of your previously selected terms.
• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice(Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Include two scholarly sources including the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources(Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper(Links to an external site.).
• Can include, as an option, a separate references list that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List(Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

3 – Week 5: Ecological Footprint Update and Course Reflections

Congratulations! You have reached the close of SCI207! Throughout this course, you have been keeping a journal about your experience in the class. The purpose of this activity is to enable you to reflect on your learning: what new things have you discovered, what surprises have you encountered, what topics or ideas you have found particularly challenging, and how the course is going for you. Throughout the course, you have been participating in the Environmental Footprint Reduction Project, and you have been using the journal as a space for a progress report on your efforts.

In your last journal entry of the course, look back over the class as a whole, including your experiences during this final week.

Complete the following:

• In the first paragraph or two of your journal entry this week, what new things have you learned? What experiences have stood out for you? What tasks or content did you find difficult or frustrating? What activities did you find surprising or exciting?
• In another one or two paragraphs, looking ahead and beyond the end of this course, what do you plan to take with you from this class? How has this course changed your outlook on the environment? How has it changed the way you live your life in relation to the environment?
• Be sure to include reflections on your experiences with the Ecological Footprint Reduction Project.

Your entry will be evaluated in terms of whether or not it met the topic and length requirements, and whether it is clearly written.

Your entry should be a minimum of one typed page each (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font) and will be submitted through Waypoint.