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Kathleen WaddleEnvironmental ScienceModule 5-Project

After finishing up this course I have learned a lot about the environment. The things we take for granite are very important aspect of everyday life. I have learned the amount of waste that I use and how I can reduce this, learn how to recycle more, and also how to help keep the earth a better place. I also learned the importance and negative effects of pesticides. There will always be pests around, but we need to find better ways to get rid of them besides all the harmful chemicals being used.

The following is a compilation of the entire project for this term. I have enjoyed doing the research and hands on learning experiences of this class.

Kathleen WaddleEnvironmental ScienceModule 1 – Project

Scientific method; requires a continual check to see if information that was collected

earlier is still supported by the facts. The scientific method is made up of several components

such as, observation, which uses our five senses to evaluate an event that has occurred. Also an

extension of our senses is microscope, thermometer, tape recorder, and X-ray machine. These are

used when our normal senses cannot detect a problem. The next step would be questioning the

observation. Why did an event happen, what can we do to prevent it from happening again, and

what affects does it have on the project. Next would be constructing a hypothesis, this is a way to

possibly have an answer to the problems that may have been an issue before. Testing the

hypotheses is next; we need to test it to make sure the hypothesis works with what we are doing,

and to make sure there are no problems that may come up. You need to be open to new ideas and

new information that may help with the project that you are working on. Also you need to be

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able to discuss your ideas with others and make a stand for what you believe and if your sure this

will help with the project, no matter how much you are being questioned about it.

Human interactions with the biosphere; humans are using unnatural sources that are

pushing the earth to its limits. Natural resources are being consumed faster than they can be

produced. At the rate that the humans are using up all the natural resource that the earth has, we

will have a shortage of resources that we can rely on. Some examples of natural resources are

water, people waste water all the time, trees being cut down for no reason, and too much

electricity is being used on an everyday basis. We need to learn to conserve water, and turn off

the lights and anything else that may pull electricity when it’s not in use.

Micro to macro processes in an ecosystem; the Microsystems deal with the individual or

social features that compromise the social identity of a group of people. However, a macro

system deals with the cultural influences of a group of people like in a communism or the

military, they need to work together so that they don’t cross over the other purposes.

Impact that human activities have on the biosphere; reproduction is a major human

activity affecting individual ecosystems and the overall biosphere. The sheer number of human

beings may be exceeding its manageable population level. The rapid expansion of the human

race is a key factor in upsetting the balance within and between ecosystems. Human demand for

resources leaves less for others. Mining, clear-cut logging and water over-consumption can

destroy natural habitats and cause extinctions. We also have land and water pollution that at a

high level, and also air pollution is getting worse. Even though we are trying to make a better

biodiesel for our automobiles, so many older cars are making the air pollution worse along with

the factories that do not follow the rules of the air quality community.

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Social responsibility in environmental decision making; before making any decision, a

company must perform a severe study of the relevant environmental, public health, safety and

social issues. Then they need to continue to monitor those issues during its period of

engagement. It is the duty of the company to make sure it is safe and legal to perform the duties

they are going to perform. They also need to make sure they are not hurting the environment by

the amount of work they are performing.

Nonrenewable and renewable natural resources; nonrenewable sources consist of things

that will take forever to reproduce such as iron, fossil fuels, mountains, and landscapes that have

been damaged by Mother Nature; these things take a long time to reproduce, so when they are

gone they are gone most likely for good. Renewable sources are things that can be reproduced or

regenerated by nature. Some of these are water, soil, vegetables, animals, and air; they go

through a process of repair. Even though they are renewable doesn’t mean that they are not

sometimes in a short supply. If we over use some of these items we may never be able to get

them back to the way they should be.

We need to think green, and try to preserve or natural resources for as long as we can. If

we keep using up the energy and water supply like we do we will have a shortage. The states in

the mid-west are going through a drought now because of not having rain for months. We never

know how precious nature is until it is taken away from us.

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Kathleen WaddleEnvironmental ScienceModule 2 – Project

Wildwood Recreation Site, located near Sandy, Oregon in a small town called Wemme,

is the area I chose, it took me about two hours to arrive here with a couple of my classmates.

Wildwood is at the base of Mt. Hood, and the weather was great, a wonderful day to do this

assignment. My observation began on August 12, 2012 at 4:30pm, the temperature was a warm

and breezy 88 degrees and the humidity was somewhere around 70 percent. This site has been a

part of the Mt. Hood National Forest since the early 1800’s, starting as a settlement area for

newcomers to the Northwest and ultimately becoming a lumber mill, which burnt down in 1932.

A flood came through this area in 1964, and ended up being declared a “national park” a few

years later. This site has so many different habitats to see and observe so it was perfect.

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The soil type was dusty, muddy, dry, brown, and dirty and the majority of it was covered

in pine needles, ivy, ferns and rocks. Although, I did come across some mushrooms growing off

of trees and in the ground of course, but other than that it was the typical plant life that you see

all the time, nothing really stood out to me as unique or different but from my observations, this

is the information I gathered about the surroundings:

Trees Flowers Ground Cover ShrubsDouglas Fir Trillium Grass Oregon GrapePine Dirt FernMaple, Green Leaf IvyAlder MossWestern Red Fir StumpsHolly Wood

Rocks

Insects and animal life here is interesting to say the least, there are so many different

kinds you’ll run into at different times of the year. One of the two main attractions at this site are

the fish in the Salmon River, depending on the time of year, you’ll also see different kinds of

salmon like: Spring Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon, also the Winter Steelhead. The fish can

be seen up close and personal in an underground window area, the habitat deep in the water is

much more different from the above water habitat; it was really neat to see the fish in their

surroundings. The second main attraction at Wildwood is the birds, there are so many you can

see flying around here and nesting in the trees, I witnessed a mother bird building her nest area

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for her two little chicks, it was really interesting to watch, birds are smarter than I thought they

would be that’s for sure. You can see some amazing birds like: Hawks, Owls, Ducks, Eagles and

Swallows, and that don’t even scratch the surface for how many different species are nested here.

Reptiles aren’t as popular as the birds, I saw one frog for a split second and that was about the

only reptile life I saw. Surprisingly, there is a great deal of mammals around here which shocked

me because you never really think about running into any of these animals until it actually

happens, but reportedly these animals have been spotted: Coyotes, Black Bears, Foxes, Bobcats,

Mountain Lions, Elk, Possums, Skunks, Mice, and Raccoons; which is only a few of the

mammals reported to be here. The animals and wildlife I witnessed are in this chart:

Birds Insects Reptiles Fish MammalsCliff Swallow Mosquitoes Frog Salmon River OtterBarn Swallow Red Ants Steelhead SquirrelsGreat Blue Heron Bees ChipmunkWoodpecker GnatsSong Sparrow FliesDoveTree SwallowRed-Winged Blackbird

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There are definitely quite a few wild animals running through this forest. Interesting

enough they actually have warning signs posted for Black Bears and Mountain Lions, which

only makes your heart, skip a few beats. The interactions between animals were slim to none

when I was there, but I do believe there would be quite a few interactions between the different

species that claim this site.

The Wildwood Recreation Site has many attractions, from the wildlife, river, trails, and

unique plants and mammals. Popular for camping, biking, fishing, and even hiking. Great site all

around with paved paths and a bridge crossing over the Salmon River. Which the Salmon River

is actually runoff from Mt. Hood, interesting enough this site has some great history behind it.

Animal and Plants Background Information"Wildwood Recreation Site." Sandy: The Bureau of Land Management, n.d. 10 August 2012.

<http://www.blm.gov>.

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Kathleen WaddleEnvironmental ScienceModule 3, Project

Personal Waste Generation, Measurement and Assessment

My household consists of one adult female, myself. I do not have that much waste in my

household. I take all of the clothing, furniture, and other resalable items to Goodwill, usually

once every 6 months. I live in a four-plex so I have recycle bins, and glass and bottle bins to use,

this gets picked up every week, and the garbage gets picked up once every other week. I have

one kitchen garbage can that holds a 13 gallon bag, and I empty that once a week.

Week One Week Two TotalsRecyclable - Water bottles, pop bottle, newspaper, cans, cardboard boxes, glass jars.

5 pounds 5 pounds 10 pounds

Compostable - Food pieces, yard debris. 3 pounds 3 pounds 6 poundsHousehold Garbage 13 gallon bag 13 gallon bag 26 gallonsReusable Items - Clothing, blankets, shoes, household items.

15 pounds X 15 pounds

Week Three Week Four TotalsRecyclable - Water bottles, pop bottle, newspaper, cans, cardboard boxes, glass jars.

5 pounds 5 pounds 20 pounds

Compostable - Food pieces, yard debris. 3 pounds 3 pounds 12 poundsHousehold Garbage 13 gallon bag 13 gallon bag 52 gallonsReusable Items - Clothing, blankets, shoes, household

X 15 pounds 30 pounds

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items.

This is pretty much consistent with what type of waste I have every week. Living alone I

do not have as much waste as the typical household. I am starting to recycle more, to where I

won’t have any household garbage; everything will be recycled or compostable. After studying

this module I realize that I do have some waste but not as much as I thought I did. I will keep

working on doing my part to help keep the earth cleaner and healthier for the future.

Kathleen WaddleEnvironmental ScienceModule 4, Project

Doing the foot print chart is going to be very interesting comparing myself and my daughters way of living. It is just the two of us in the household. With her being younger it is interesting to see how many acres she has to use for her age compared to mine. This is very interesting concept of the way to look at this.

Foot Print Chart

Myself: Acres used in 54 years of life time 5670Daughter: Acres used in 23 years of life time 2415

Acres for the household 210

Total Acres in United States: 2.3 billion – According to - http://wiki.answers.com/

Total Acres used in a lifetime 8452.50

My Daughter’s Chart: Obtained from - http://www.myfootprint.org/

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My Chart: Obtained from - http://www.myfootprint.org/

After doing the research, it is very interesting to see how much of this earth we are using

compared to others around us. My daughter’s footprint is less than mine because of her age. The

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ways that I can improve on this is to be more alert of the waste and pollution I put in to this

earth. I need to recycle, not use so many waste products, and be more aware of the electrical

power that is being wasted in my house hold. To reduce this I need to unplug appliances when

not in use, turn off any appliance when I don’t need it on. Small steps to save energy by every

household could save the earth, and keep it around for a long period of time.

In conclusion of this class I have set goals to recycle more, do more research on

pesticides and chemicals that are being used to get rid of pest and how the farmers are protecting

their crops. It will be a better place to live if all of us just took a step into helping keep the earth

healthy and green. We need to be aware of all the pollutant that’s are being put into the air, and

that are so harmful for everyone. So many chemicals are in the environment that it is not a

wonder we are not all sick. Better government regulations need to be made for the factories that

create so much pollution in our country.