Advanced Placement Environmental Science in the 21 st Century

1. Advanced Placement Environmental Science in the 21st Century Mark Simcoe Science Department Faculty Saint Ursula Academy Cincinnati, Ohio

2. The AP Environmental Science Course • One semester (block schedule) science elective offered to juniors and seniors • Prerequisites: biology & chemistry • Students take the College Board AP environmental science exam in May • Interdisciplinary course – besides science, draws on elements of economics, sociology, history, political science, and more

3. What is Environmental Science? • Study of how the natural world works (i.e. ecology) • Eg biogeochemical cycles, species interactions • How humans interact with the natural world • Eg water and land usage, atmosphere, energy • Problems that arise from these interactions • Eg water pollution & misuse, agricultural issues, deforestation, air pollution, climate change • Solutions to those problems

4. Methods Used in this Course • Most students find that while there is a lot of information, the information is not difficult to understand • Allows for use of flipped classroom • Technology play a major role- all students have tablet PCs • No note taking in class- students read & look at notes at home • Frees up class time immensely • Class time is spent doing labs, activities, watching films, student research and presentation • Strong emphasis on students teaching/presenting to each other on specific topics • My goal: variety • students never know exactly what to expect each day

5. Why is this class important for students today more than ever? • There are two problems for our species' survival - nuclear war and environmental catastrophe - and we're hurtling towards them. Knowingly. --Noam Chomsky • It's (climate change) the biggest issue the planet has ever faced. --Bill McKibben • It's obvious that the key problem facing humanity in the coming century is how to bring a better quality of life - for 8 billion or more people - without wrecking the environment entirely in the attempt. --E.O. Wilson

6. Why is this class important for students today more than ever? • No longer a field for “hippies” or “tree huggers” • Problems we are facing today are present now, immediate, and unavoidable. For example: • First 8 months of 2012 were the hottest in recorded U.S. history • More elephants were poached last year than any year since the global ivory trade ban in 1989 • Half of the Great Barrier Reef was lost in past 27 years • FDA has continuously rejected a ban on BPA in food packaging • Roughly only 50% (and falling) of world’s rainforests remain

7. “Controversy” that the class presents • “A lot of these issues can be politically sensitive.” • “I don’t believe in global warming.” • Science operates outside the realm of politics. • Science is not about ideology or belief. • Scientists base ideas on data, evidence, and experimentation. • The politicization of environmental issues

8. What are the Major Issues Today? • Although numerous, the 3 top environmental issues today are: • 1. Human population growth • Surpassed 7 billion in 2011 • Most of this growth occurring in developing countries that lack resources to handle growth • India expected to surpass China in population by end of this decade • How do we provide resources for all of these people?

10. What are the Major Issues Today? • 2. Issues of water • 70% of world’s water used for agriculture, 20% for industry, 10% for human use/consumption • Depletion of water reserves/aquifers is a fast growing problem • Eg Ogallala aquifer in central U.S. • Loss of water reserves in the form of melting mountain glaciers • Eg Himalayas • Water pollution remains a major problem worldwide • Increased concern for nonpoint pollution sources

11. What are the Major Issues Today? • 3. Climate Change • Many consider this the largest environmental problem today • Also considered the largest threat to humanity • Global warming is only one aspect of climate change

12. How is Climate Change Occurring? • The natural greenhouse effect of Earth • Sun’s energy travels down and reflects off Earth’s surface • Infrared radiation (heat) encounters greenhouse gases (CO2, H2O, CH4, N2O) in atmosphere • Heat is then reflected back to Earth, becomes trapped in atmosphere • Greenhouse gases serve as blanket that traps in Sun’s heat • Without natural greenhouse effect, Earth would be uninhabitable

13. How is Climate Change Occurring? • Humans are increasing greenhouse effect by increasing amount of greenhouse gases in atmosphere • Release of methane and nitrous oxide through agriculture and other activities • Deforestation – less carbon dioxide absorbed from atmosphere • Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide • Carbon dioxide levels have risen since industrial revolution • Humans have never seen carbon dioxide levels this high • CO2 levels in September 2012 were at 391 ppm • Correlation between CO2 and average global temperatures is clear

14. What are the Effects of Climate Change? • Global average temperatures are approximately 0.8 degrees Celsius higher than pre industrial times • 2 degrees C is considered the tipping point

15. What are the Effects of Climate Change? • Changes in global water cycle • Increased drought and wildfire • Major effects on agriculture • Increased deforestation • Decrease in snow, ice pack • Loss of Arctic sea ice • Loss of animal habitat • Will greatly affect planet’s weather

16. What are the Effects of Climate Change? • Increase in heat waves • 2012 could be the hottest year on record • Ocean acidification, ocean warming, sea level rise • Less dissolved oxygen in ocean, coral reef bleaching • Major threats to island nations, low lying countries • Major effects on global economy, environmental refugees

17. Positive Feedback Loops • Are not necessarily a good thing • With climate change, effects produced by warmer climate feed back to produce even warmer climate • This causes a domino or snowballing effect where problem gets worse and worse • Changes in climate can cause runaway effect where they are irreversible and perhaps unstoppable • Examples include albedo in the Arcitc, release of carbon dioxide from oceans, loss of forests, release of methane from Arctic

18. Solutions to Climate Problem • 1. Decrease deforestation, increase reforestation • Will increase amount of carbon dioxide removed from atmosphere • 2. Make transition from nonrenewable carbon-based energy to renewable energy • Solar and wind • Eg Harnessing only 20% of world’s wind could generate 7X amount of energy that world currently uses • Must conquer the “environment or the economy” mentality • Both can move forward in a positive way

19. Hope in APES • Study of these topics can lead to overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, negativity • Major challenge of teaching APES is instilling hope and avoiding feelings of hopelessness • Must constantly reinforce the idea that we do have solutions to these problems • Challenge is how to implement the solutions

20. Hope in APES • What reasons do we have for hope today? • People (especially kids) today are more aware & concerned for these issues than ever before • All 3 sections of APES that I teach are full • Numerous students after taking APES have decided to study environmental fields in college • Many students have become environmental “warriors” through this class • Technology gives greater connectivity, easy access to information, collaborative work, and organization of causes & movements

21. Hope in APES • The world’s youth are awakening to the need for deep transformative change and the fact that its realization will depend on their leadership. -David C. Korten, economist, author, & educator

22. Questions? Comments? • Contact me for further information for your own classes or personal knowledge: msimcoe@saintursula.org