Major Concepts from Each Chapter
Based on Miller's 11th Edition of Living in the Environment from Ben Smith, Palo Verdes High School
Units    123456789101112    13

Unit 1 Environmental Problems and Critical Thinking
1. Exponential growth and Linear growth 
2. Sustainabilty
3. Solar and Earth Capitol
4. Doubling Time
5. Rule of Seventy
6. Economic Growth
7. Gross National Product
8. Gross Domestic Product
9. MDC's vs. LDC's: Compare/contrast
10. Resource(s)
11. Nonrenewable Resources
12. Renewable Resources
13. "Potentially" Renewable Resources
14. Biodiversity
15. Sustainabilty Yield
16. Global Commons
17. Tragedy of the commons
18. Anthropogenic
19. Point Source Pollutants/Pollution
20. Nonpoint Source Pollutants/pollution
21. Economic depletion
22. Pollutant Severity Factors
23. Biodegradable
24. Pollution Cleanup vs. Prevention
25. "Carrot" and "Stick" Approaches
26. Poland Case Study
27. "Key"/ Major Environmental Problems/Causes
28. "Root Causes" of Environmental Problems
29. "Connections" between Root Cause and Problem
30. Julian Simon vs. Anne and Paul Ehrlich: Views
31. Ehrlich-Holdern Equation
1. Conservationists vs. Preservationists
2. North American Bison: Case Study
3. Hunter-Gatherers
4. Agricultural Revolution
5. Agroforestry
6. Subsistence Farming
7. Shifting Cultivation
8. Slash-n-Burn Cultivation
9. Significant Effects of Shift from H-G to Farming
10. Industrial
11. Industrial Revolution
12. Advanced Industrial Societies
13. Frontier Expansion
14. Federal Government Role in Resource Conservation
15. "Environmental Legislation"
16. Significant "Environmental Events"
17. Rachel Carson
18. Gifford Pinchot
19. John Muir
20. Carol Browner
21. Lester Brown
22. "Science"
23. Scientific Data
24. Hypothesis
25. Theory vs. Law
26. Scientific Method
27. Control vs. Variable Group(s)
28. Independent Variable(s)
29. Dependent Variable(s)
30. Environmental Science: "define."
31. Feedback Loops
32. Gaia
33. Homeostasis
34. Butterfly Effect
35. Time Delays
36. Synergy
Unit 2 - Abiotic and Biotic Parts of Ecosystems

1. Matter, Elements, Organic compounds
2. Ions, Isotopes, Molecules, Atoms
3. Atomic Number, Mass Number
4. Chemical Formulas
5. High-Quality vs. Low-Quality
6. Forms of Energy
7. Heat and TEmperature
8. Electromagnetic Radiation
9. Ionizing Radiation
10. Major Energy Resources used Today
11. Energy quality
12. Physical and Chemical Changes
13. Law of Conservation of Matter
14. Circle of Poison
15. Nuclear Changes
16. solar-Hydrogen Revolution
17. Half-Life
18. Laws of Energy
19. Biota and the Second Law of Energy
20. Environmental Problems Linked to the Matter and Energy Laws
1. Basic Processes Maintaining Biota
2. Major Living and Nonliving Parts of an Ecosystem 
3. Fate(s) of Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem
4. Roles of different types of Organisms in an ecosystem
5. Atmosphere, Troposphere, Stratosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, Ecosphere/Biosphere
6. Biogeochemical cycles, N, O, H, P, S, Water
7. Biota Classification
8. Major Biomes
9. Climate
10. Ecotone
11. Habitat, Niche
12. Population, Community
13. Orgasm, Species
14. Aquatic Life Zones
15. Auto- and Hetero- Trophs
16. Producers and Consumers
17. Detritus
18. Photosynthesis and Aerobic respiration
19. Matter Cycling; One-way Energy Flow
20. Range of Tolerance
21. Law of Tolerance
22. Acclimation
23. Threshold Effect
24. Limiting Factor(s); Limiting Factor Principle
25. Food Chains and Food Webs
26. Trophic Levels
27. Ecological Pyramids
28. GPP and NPP
29. "The Specifics" of the Major Biogeochemical Cycles
30. Specialist and Generalists Species
31. Native Species
32. Alien Species
33. Indicator Species
34. Keystone Species
35. Species Interaction
36. Fundamental and Realized Niche
37. Predator-Prey Interactions
Unit 3 Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
1. Climate determining Factors
2. Wind as a Transport
3. Where is "Away"
4. Principle types of Biomes
5. Climate Influence on Biome types
6. Types of Aquatic Life Zones
7. Climate vs. Weather
8. Global Air Circulation: Solar Energy, Earth's Surface, Earth's Axis, Earth's Rotation, Properties of Air and Water
9. Hadley Cells
10. Ocean Currents and Climate: e.g., ENSO
11. Atmospheric Composition and Climate
12. The Greenhouse Effect and the Ozone Layer
13. Topography and Climate
14. Microclimates
15. Rain and Shadow Effect
16. Weather Extremes
17. Climate and Regulation
18. Deserts, Grasslands, Forests
19. Effects of Latitude and Altitude on Climate and Biomes
20. The Kangaroo Rat: Adaptation; Keystone sp. 
21. Permafrost
22. The Coastal Zone and the Open Ocean 
23. Estuaries
24. Coral Reefs: Significance of
25. Freshwater Lakes: Zones of
26. Thermal Stratification: Epiliminon, Hypoliminon, Thermocline, Fall and Spring Turnover
27. Watersheds
28. Nutrients and Age of Lake
29. Wetlands
Unit 4 Evolution, Biodiversity and Community Processes
1. Environmental Stress; Influence on Biota
2. Populations Adapting to Environmental Changes
3. Emergence of Life on Earth
4. Communities Adapting to Small- and Large-scale Environmental Stress
5. Human Impacts on Populations, Communities, and Ecosystem 
6. Ecosystem Restoration
7. Stability in the Face of Change: Inertia/Persistence
8. Population Dynamics: Population Size, Density, Dispersion, Age Structure
9. Biotic Potential
10. Environmental Resistance
11. Carrying Capacity
12. Population Growth Curves: S-, Overshoot
13. R- and K- Strategies
14. Survivorship Curves
15. The Oxygen Revolution
16. Evolution, Adaptation, and Natural Selection
17. Differential Reproduction
18. Coevolution
19. Speciation, Extinction, and Biodiversity
20. Reproductive Evolution
21. Adaptive Radiation
22. Ecological Succession / Community Development Orderly Sequence?
23. Primary Succession
24. Pioneer Species
25. Secondary Succession
26. Inhibition, Tolerance
27. The Role of Disturbance
28. The Hubbard Brooks Experiment Forest / Borman-Likens
29. Monocultures
30. To Mimic the Processes of Nature
Unit 5 Sustaining Ecosystems and Wildlife
1. Major Types of Forests
2. Tropical .Deforestation
3. Tropical Deforestation
4. Fuelwood Shortages
5. Old-Growth Forests: Pacific NW Case Study
6. Commercial Importance of Forests
7. Ecological Importance of Forests
8. Madagascar Case Study
9.  Extractive Reserves: Chico Mendes
10. Chemical Prospecting
11. Decreasing Tropical Deforestation
12. Debt-for-Nature Swaps
13.  Costa Rica:  CAse Study
14.  Western Canada:  CAse Study
15. The Chipko Movement
1. Conservation Biology
2.  Wildlife Management
3. Types of Public Lands in the United States:  Multiple Use, Moderatedly-Restricted Use, Restricted Use
4.  Management of Public lands in the US
5.  Forest Management
6. Fire Ecology
7.  Sustainable Forestry
8.  Reforming Federal Forest Management
9.  Reducing Wood Waste
10.  Alternatives to Traditional paper
11.  Rangeland Management
12. Riparian Zones
13. The Coyote Case Study
14. Wild Game Ranching
15. National Park Management
16. Wilderness Management
1. Reasons to sustain / preserve / protect wild species
2. Bioethics and Wild species
3.  Reducing the erosion of biodiversity
4. Background and Mass extinction
5. Endangered and threatened species: examples of ...
6. Causes of premature extinction: root causes: habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation, commercial hunting / poaching, predator / pest control, climate change & pollution, deliberately introduced species, accidentally introduced species
7.  Protecting wild species from extinction: CETES Treaty, E.S.A.
8.  Privatizing Wildlife Protection
9. Wildlife Refuges: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge case study
10. Gene banks, Botanical Gardens, Butterfly Farms, Zoos
11. Wildlife Management: manipulating vegetation and water supplies, sport hunting, migratory waterfowl
12. Fishery Management: freshwater and marine
13. Magnuson Fisheries Management & Conservation Act
14. Advantages and Disadvantages of ITQs
15.  The Whaling Industry
Unit 6 - Mineral Resources
1. Earth Structure and Composition
2. Earth's Internal zones
3. Composition of Earth's Crust by mass: the big 8
4. Continental vs. Oceanic Crust
5. Internal and external Earth processes
6. Plate Tectonics
7. Plate boundaries
8. Erosion vs. weathering
9. Mass wasting
10. Frost wedging
11. Mechanical and Chemical weathering
12. Rock Cycle: Rock types
13 Mineral vs. rock
14. Types of coal
15. Reserves
16. Formation and Concentration of mineral resources
17. Extracting Crustal Resources
18. Acid Mine Drainage
1. Economic depletion
2. Depletion time
3. 1872 U.S. Hardrock Mining Law
4. Superfund legislation
5. Reserve to Production ratio
6. The "New Gold Rush"
7. Reforming the 1872 Mining Law
8. Antarctica Case Study
9.  Biomining
10. Mining Oceans
11. Mineral substitutes
12. Soil layers, components, and types
13. Soil profiles
14. Soil horizons
15. Humus
16. Infiltration, Percolation and Leaching
17. Soil Texture
18. Soil Porosity and Permeability
19. Loam
20. Soil pH
21. Soil Erosion: Major agent of
22. Soil as a Potentially renewable resource
23. Desertification: Australia Case Study
24. Soil Conservation Approaches
25. Maintaining and Restoring soil fertility
26. Salinization and Waterlogging
Unit 7 - Air Pollution, Global Warming and Ozone Loss
1.  When is a Lichen Like a Country 
2. The Atmosphere 
3. Troposphere – the Weather Breeder 
4. Stratosphere – Earth's Global Sunscreen 
5. Mesosphere
6. Global Processes in the Atmosphere 
7. Disruption of the Earth’s Gaseous Nutrient Cycle 
8. Urban Outdoor Air Pollution from Smog 
9. Major Types and Sources of Air Pollution 
10. Photochemical Smog – Brown-Air Smog 
11. Air Pollution in the Past: The Bad Old Days 
12. Industrial Smog- Gray-Air Smog 
13. Factors that Influence the Formation of Photochemical and Industrial Smog 
14. Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition
15. Acid Deposition 
16. Areas Most Affected by Acid Deposition 
17. Effects of Acid Deposition 
18. Acid Deposition in the U.S. 
19. Effects of Acid Depletion on Soil Nutrients and Forest Productivity
20. Reduction of Acid Deposition 
21. Indoor Air Pollution 
22. Types and Sources of Indoor Air Pollution
23. Figure 18-10 
24. Asbestos 
25. Radon Gas Contamination 
26. Effects of Air Pollution on Living Organisms and Materials
27. Human Health and Air Pollution 
28. Death Rate Due to Air Pollution 
29. Damage to Plants due to Air Pollution 
30. Aquatic Life and Air Pollution 
31. Materials and the Harmful Effects of Air Pollution 
32.  Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution
33. Laws to Reduce Air pollution in the U.S. 
34. Controversy over Stricter Particle Emission Standards in the United States 
35.  Improvement of US Air Pollution Laws 
36. Use of Marketplace to Reduce Pollution 
37.  Protection of the Atmosphere 
1.  A.D. 2060: Hard Times on Planet Earth 
2. Greenhouse Effect
3. Causes:  Carbon dioxide , Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Methane , Nitrous Oxide 
4. Global Warming: 
5. Scientific Consensus about the Earth’s Past Temperature 
6. Computer Models to Model Greenhouse Warming 
7.  Scientific Consensus about Future Global Warming and Its Effects 
8.  Warmth of the Earth: Solar Outputs, Oceans, Water Vapor Content and Clouds , Polar Ice 
9. Air Pollution and Climate 
10. Carbon Dioxide Levels Affect Photosynthesis and Methane Emissions 
11. Possible Effects of a Warmer World: Food Production, Water Supplies, Forests and Biodiversity,  Sea Levels, Weather Extremes, Human Health
12. Scientific Consensus About Global Warming 
13.  Global Warming, Kirklans's Warblers, and Adelie Penguins 
14.   Solutions: Dealing with the Threat of Global Warming (19-4,) 
15. Possible Methods to Slow Global Warming: Energy Efficiency , Technofixes, Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
16. Preparations for Possible Global Warming 
17.  Ozone Depletion
18. Chemicals that Cause Ozone Depletion 
19. Chemicals that Deplete Stratospheric Ozone 
20. Seasonal Thinning of Ozone over the Poles 
21.  Ozone Depletion and the Ultraviolet Zone 
22. Ozone Layer Protection
23. Cancer You Are Most Likely to Get 
24. Ray Turner
25. International Treaty to Slow Ozone Depletion 
Unit 8 (17) Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health - 1/16
Unit 9 (10, 11, 26) Human Population - 2/16
Unit 10 (13, 20) Water and Water Pollution - 3/6
Water
1. Percent of Earth's surface covered by water.
2.  Water's unique physical properties.
3. Freshwater resources: amount of Earth's water that is freshwater; that is readily available freshwater
4.  Amount of Earth's freshwater that is locked up as ice caps and glaciers.
5. The hydrologic cycle: what major processes occur in the cycle? Significance of this cycle?
6. Infiltration and percolation: what is the difference?
7. Evaporation and transpiration: what is the difference?
8. Soil moisture and surface runoff: what os the difference?
9. Drainage basin, watershed, and floodplains: how do these terms differ?
10. Groundwater, zone of saturation, water table, and aquifers: how do these terms differ?
11. Confined and unconfined aquifers; how do these terms differ?
12. Natural recharge and recharge areas: how do these terms differ?
13. Cone of depression and fossil aquifers: how do these terms differ?
14. World water use: Agriculture, Industrial, Domestic: how do these terms differ?
15. Comparison of water use in MDC's and LDC's:
16. freshwater shortages, draught, desiccation: 
17. Human actions which increase flooding:
18. Channelization and levees:
19. Contribution factors regarding flooding in Bangladesh:
20. Methods of managing water resources
21. Supplying more water:
22. The Aswan Dam case study: explain the significance of this project; costs and benefits.
23. Dams: costs and benefits
24. The water challenges in California
25. The Aral Sea case study: discuss the major points of this case study:
26. Ramifications of overusing/over tapping groundwater resources:
27. Ways to slow groundwater depletion:
28. the Ogallala aquifer case study/example of groundwater use:
29. Designation: Most widely used methods of desalinating:
30 Distillation:
31. Reverse osmosis:
32. Cloud seeding:Towering icebergs:
33. Ways to use water more efficiently: price of/cost; full-cost pricing; incentives, regional water author.
34. Ways to reduce irrigation losses: efficient irrigation systems; grip irrigation, center-pivot, gravity flow:
35. Ways to use water more efficiently in industry:
36. Ways to use water more efficiently in homes and businesses:
37. The Columbia River Basin: Uses and Abuses:
38. restoration in the Florida Everglades/
Water Pollution
1. Identify the common classes of water pollutants and give two examples of each.
2. Name four diseases transmitted to humans through contaminated water.
3. Distinguish between point and nonpoint sources of pollution.
4. Briefly discuss the availability of clean drinking water for the Earth's human population.
5. Draw an oxygen sag curve to illustrate what happens to dissolved oxygen levels and B.O.D. levels in streams where degradable, oxygen-demanding wastes are added.
6.  Describe  cultural eutrophication; discuss methods of preventing it.
7. Discuss the major sources of nutrient-overload in lakes and ponds.
8. How does biomagnification differ from bioaccumulation.
9. Distinguish between thermal pollution and thermal enrichment.
10. The Great Lake case study.
11. The Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge case study.
12. Lake Baikal case study.
13. Discuss the water quality of coastal wetlands, include ways to protect these areas,
14. Name and discuss the the major pollutants of ground water.
15. Explain why cleanup of groundwater is difficult.
16. Discuss three ways to prevent groundwater pollution.
17. Briefly describe the major laws which protect water quality in the United States of America.
18. The Chesapeake Bay case study.
19. The Valdez oil spill.
20. The Woburn , Massaschusetts case study.
21. Describe ways to prevent  and reduce surface -water pollution resulting  from agriculture.
22. Describe primary, secondary, and tertiary sewage treatment (wastewater treatment)
23. Discuss of the problems with drinking bottled water.
24. Describe five home-water purification devices; include the pros and cons for each.
25. Discuss advantages and disadvantages to:
          A) Combined sewage/storm runoff systems.
          B) Separate sewage/storm runoff systems.
26. Describe "Black Mayonnaise"
27. Explain "Thermal Shock"
28. Define dredge spoils.
29. What is meant by "effluent".
30. Which soil test would be most helpful in deciding where to place a septic tank.
31. Water Quality Tests: examples of, what is gained from these tests, ramifications of.
32. Minimata, Japan case study.
Unit 11 (15, 16, 22) Energy Resources and Solid/Hazardous Waste - 3/26
Renewable Energy
1.  How should energy "alternatives" be evaluated?
2. What are the benefits and drawbacks of the following alternatives?
  A- Improving energy efficiency:
  B- Using solar energy to heat buildings and water to produce electricity:
  C- Using flowing water to produce electricity:
  D- Using wind  to produce electricity:
  E- Using biomass to heat buildings and water, for producing electricity, and for transportation:
  F- Generating hydrogen gas and using it to produce electricity, heat buildings and water, and to propel vehicles:
  G- Extracting heat for the earth's interior:
3. Define net energy and net energy ratio:
4. Describe the first and second laws of Thermodynamics:
5. How is it that such a large percentage (about 48%) of commercial energy is waster?
     -Explain
6. Define Cogeneration:
7. Discuss four ways to improve energy efficiency in industry:
8. Briefly describe "nesawatt revolution"
9. Discuss four ways to save energy in the transportation sector:
10. Briefly explain what is meant by "hard" and "soft" energy paths:
11. Describe what is meant by "a sustainable energy policy":
12. Distinguish between active and passive solar heating:
13. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using water to produce electricity via the following methods: tidal power, wave power, ocean thermal currents, and solar winds.
14. Describe four ways to save energy in homes and buildings:
15. Identify the major characteristics of a solar envelope home:
16. How do photovoltaic (PV) celss(solar calls) work?
17. Identify three "natural cooling" ,methods:
18. Briefly describe the major characteristics of solar thermal electric generation plants.
19. Identify the recommendation that the Armary Lovins would most likely make in regard to the desire/need for more electricity:
20. Identify and discuss the major trends in fig. 4-7, pg. 78: Commercial Energy Use in the World, MDCs, LDCs, and the United States.
Nonrenewable Energy
1. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of: (be familiar with energy units for each)
  A- Oil
  B- Natural gas.
  C- Coal
  D- Conventional nuclear fission
  E. Breeder nuclear fission
  F- Nuclear fusion
2. Briefly describe how fossil fuels form:
3. describe primary and secondary oil recovery; explain tertiary recovery:
4. What is the "life span" of (a) proven and (b) estimated oil reserves, globally?
5. Identify the percent of the worlds oil reserves that are located in the United States:
7. What percent of the oil used in the United States in 1994 was imported?
8. Discuss the economic and environmental forces associated with Alaska's North Slope and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:
9. How would the price of oil change if full-cost pricing was utilized?
11. Identify the problems associated with "shale oil":
12. What are "gas hydrates:?
13. Explain what tar sand and bitumen are:
14. Discuss the major drawbacks to producing synthetic crude oil from tar sands:
15. Discuss the major environmental impacts of synfuels:
16. Identify  the major gases which comprise natural gas:
17. Contrast conventional and unconventional natural gas.
18. What is LPG and where( in what situations) is it primarily used?

19. What is LNG?
20. Identify the specific areas of the world which contain the greatest natural gas reserves:
21. Compare the three major types of coal in regard to energy content, moisture content, and sulfur content:
22. Describe fluidized-bed combustion:
23. describe coal gasification:
24. Describe coal liquefaction:
25. Discuss the significant advantages and disadvantages of (a) surface mining, and (b) subsurface mining:
26. compare the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy for each fossil fuel and for nuclear power:
27. DEscribe the "hidden costs" of fossil fuel utilization:
28. Explain :the basics" of generating electrical power:
29. Contrast fission and fusion; give one example of each.
30. Describe how a nuclear fission reactor works:
31. If a nuclear fission reactor lacks a cooling tower, how is the plant water cooled:
32. Explain the concept of radioactive decay:
33. What are common units to express radioactivity?
34. Compare the "intended" and the "actual" operating life of nuclear power plants:
35. What are the decommissioning options regarding worn out nuclear power plants:
36. What does "embrittlement" refer to?
37. Is nuclear fusion a feasible option at the present time?
38. Identify and discuss the methods of managing low- and high- level radioactive wastes:
39. Describe the significance of the clean air act on coal burning; explain :pollution permits" and "allowance trading":
40.  Discuss four major components of a sustainable energy policy or strategy for the United States; for all nations:
Solid and Hazardous Wastes
1. Definition of  "solid waste"
2. Definition of "hazardous waste"
3. Major sources of solid waste in the United States.
4. The amount of the worlds solid waste that is produced in the United States; the percentage of the worlds population that lives in the United States.
5. Municipal solid waste (MSW)
6. Explain what is meant by a "high waste/high throughput society"
7. Identify 5 materials which are not considered hazardous waste based on the narrow, official definition of a  hazardous waste material.
8. What does the IWM stand for, and what are the 6 solid waste management alternatives (options) involved.
9. Methods of producing less waste and pollution: e.g. redesigning packaging, recycling, lg. scale compost.
10. Discuss the benefits of producing less waste:
11. What is meant by clean production, or industrial ecology? Discuss the goals of this approach:
12. Discuss the costs and benefits of reuse regarding :r refillable containers (bottles primarily), Bags (canvas, other cloth material), Tires.
13. Discuss the cost and benefits of recycling regarding: Organic solid waste (composting), Paper, paperboard, cardboard, aluminum, plastics
14. Discuss what takes place in composting: what type of process is occurring? Describe the conditions in the compost bin/chamber/digester.
15. Discuss the costs and benefits of centralized recycling plants (Materials recovery facilities)
16.  Discuss the costs and benefits of the Source separation approach to recycling:
17. does recycling make "economic sense"? Discuss:
18. Summarize the obstacles to reusing and recycling:
19. Discuss 8 potential ways to overcome the obstacles of recycling:
20. Discuss the methods used by Germany to reduce waste, beginning in the early 90's:
21. Have recycling rates gone up or down, on a global basis? In the United States?
22. What materials are recycled to the greatest extent in the United States?
23. Discuss pros and cons of solid waste incineration.
24. Approximately what percentage of the MSW in incinerated in the United States:
25. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of land filling MSW:
26. Describe the components of a sanitary landfill.
27. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of land filling MSW:
28. Describe leachate; how is it produced? 
29. Approximately what percentage of the MSW is landfilled in the United States of America.
30. Identify the major hazardous waste land disposal methods which are utilized:
31. Be familiar with lead, dioxin, chlorine, PCB's: how have these substances entered the waste stream, or environment? Describe the major effect(s) of each.
32. Identify pros and cons of: exporting wastes; ocean dumping;
33. Identify and discuss the major legislature pertaining to solid waste and/or hazardous waste:
34. Love canal; case study:
Unit 12 (12, 21) Food Resources - 4/6
Food Resources
1. World food production: major crops, major trends, significant impacts.
2. Major problems/Challenges regarding food/food production.
3. Potential solutions to these (#2 above) problems
4. Types of agricultural /methods: names, discussion of each, pros and cons with each.
5. traditional subsistence agriculture.
6. Interplanting: polyvarietal cultivation, intercropping, agroforestry (alley cropping), polyculture.
7. Traditional intensive agriculture
8. Plantation agriculture.
9. Industrial agriculture.
10. Sustainable agricultural systems: requirments/ingredients.
11. The green revolutions: I, II
12. Relative impacts of eating meat-inclusive diet vs. vegetarian diet: discussion of
13. "Swidden"/"Milpa"/"Cultivation with forest:/:Bush Fallow"/"fang" agriculture.
14. Nutritional diseases: undernutrition, malnutrition, marasmus, kwashiorkor
15. Food additives.
16. Increasing crop yields/increasing food supplies:(17-23, others to include??...)
17. Genetic engineering and selective breeding.
18. New food sources
19. Cultivating more land.
20. Hydroponics
21. Improved irrigation
22. Better food distribution.
23. Mariculture, aquafarming, fish ranching.
24. Fishing techniques: purse seining, drift netting, trawling: pros and cons of each.
25. Overfishing and habitat degradation( of coastal zones, shipping channels, estuaries/deltas, the open ocean)
26. Government agricultural practices
27. International Food relief.
28. Land reform.
29. World food supply.
30. Case studies: China, Africa, Bluefin Tuna in the West Atlantic
Protecting Food Resources
1. Types of pesticides used: general categories and examples.
2. "The Perfect Pesticide" characteristics of: (be gentle).
3. "The Ultimate Pest"" characteristics of.
4. First and second generation pesticides.
5. Broad- and narrow spectrum:
6. "Lesser-Known" uses of pesticides( the non-agriculutural, non-lawn use):
7. DDT: Classification as a pesticide: impacts of DDT.
8. Pros and cons of pesticides.
9. The pesticide treadmill: discussion of, impacts of, prevention/avoidance of.
10. Pesticide mobility: potential threats to wildlife, to humans, to wild humans ( Excellent, your reading the bioaccumulation prep. handout!!!), bioamplification/bioconcentration.
11. Agent Orange.
12. Malathion.
13. Bhopal, India case study: Methyl Isocyanate.
14. FIFRA: discussion of this law, what it states, and what it requires.
15. The "Circle of Poison".
16. The Delay clause.
17. Biological control of pests: methods techniques, discussion, examples, pros, cons:(18-28)
18. Bioengineering
19. Natural predators
20. Biopesticides
21. Insect birth control
22. Pheromones
23. Hormones
24. Hot water
25. Soap-n-water
26. Radiation
27. Vacuuming (really)
28. Various trapping techniques
29. Integrated pest management (IPM): discussion of, pros and cons
30. "Against the Grain"*(video): be familiar with the "big ideas" in this piece: e.g., Discuss the potential economic and environmental benefits of a given chemical company buying a seed company.
*Based on the book Against the Grain, Biotechnology and the corporate takeover of your food, (Common Courage Press, 1998) Marc Lappe and Britt Bailey.