Kristen McGee/Cassels 5-4-10

What then Shall we do?

1. Describe four major context for outcomes from environmental education. 1. Environmental literacy- Broad environmental literacy would make ever citizen fluent in the principles of ecology. They would also have a working knowledge of the basic grammar and underlying syntax of environmental wisdom. This would give people a sense of duty to care for and manage wisely our natural resources for the long haul. 2. Citizen science- This is where real people join up with scientist to answer real life scientific questions. This is a hands on learning experience for students and people who just want to learn more about their environment. Students and neighborhood groups team up with scientist and university personnel to collect data. Their results have made it all the way to official government policies. 3. Environmental engineering and education- The need for both of these fields opens up a lot of job opportunities in many environmental fields. Trained professionals are needed in these professions at every level. The biggest need over the next few years will be for environmental educators to help train an environmentally literate populace. Teaching others responsible consumerism, waste disposal, and respect for nature can and should be incorporated into reading, writing, arithmetic, and every other field of education. 4. Green business and technology- Many companies believe that having a green outlook within their business is a strategic move. Many are exploring programs and products to decrease environmental impacts. 2. List five things that you can do to reduce your environmental impact. I always considered myself to have a minimal carbon footprint. My parents raised me to give more back to the land than I use. After taking this class and doing the Myfootprint.org I realized that there is always room for improvement. There is so much more than I could be doing. For Example1. Reduce plant watering with rain barrels to collect gutter runoff.

2. Reduce your consumption of laundry detergent and fabric softener with reusable dryer sheets and soap nuts. 3. Reduce the amount of things you throw away by using ebay, craigslist, and freecylce 4. Dont buy products with bulky packaging 5. Finally, after taking this class Ive made it a personal goal to recycle all plastic stuff this year. So far Ive done a pretty good job. I even got my mom involved in it. I wash off the plastic utensils you get in from take-out and stock them in my car or in my camping bag so I have extra utensils. I try to get a lot of use out of the plastics I cant throw away. Ive even resorted to cutting up water bottles and using them as plant/flower holders! Every bit counts when a lot of people are doing it.

3. Identify seven of the ten biggest environmental organizations. 1. The World Wild Life Fund- The World Wildlife Fund is perhaps one of the bestknown organizations for the protection of endangered species and their habitats around the world. Greenpeace- They support ocean conservation, climate change prevention, forest preservation, and the protection of endangered species. National Wildlife Federation-The National Wildlife Federation strives to protect wildlife at all costs. National Audubon Society- The National Audubon Society has been around for years and focuses on the protection of birds and other wildlife. They also try to conserve national ecosystems and habitats so that species wont become extinct. Ducks Unlimited- The protection of the fast-dwindling wetlands is this organizations biggest priority, and with good reason with rare waterfowl disappearing from the skies, we could be looking at a lot of extinction. Ducks Unlimited works to stop that from happening and to this day, has a myriad of habitats where ducks and other wildlife live happily. Izaak Walton League- the League takes a common-sense approach toward

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protecting our country's natural heritage and improving outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans. 7. Sierra Club-Founded by John Muir. The Sierra clubss mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

4. Identify two goals or objectives from the UN millennium goals that believe are the most important for environmental science. The most important goal to me would be to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other diseases. Thinking back on the case study that we did on the filarial worm. I believe that it is important to eradicate these diseases from underdeveloped countries. We have the ability, he medicines and the power to educate. There is no reason we should sit back and watch people suffer and or die from such preventable diseases. The second would be to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Its not that there is not enough food on the planet. Its that it is being used improperly. No child, woman, or man should ever have to starve. 5. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue that we face here in Northwest Louisiana? The lack of environmental concern is the biggest problem. People in this area are not educated on the pros of reduce, re-use, recycle. I think that we live in a very wasteful community. Im not sure if people here just dont care or if they dont know any better. In the summer when people camp on the barges they just leave their trash. When I walk my dogs along the river I always bring a bag to just pick up trash. The next time you are sitting at a red light look at the massive amount of cigarette butts on the ground. My biggest pet peeve is the area between Wal-Mart and home depot on airline drive. There has to be thousands of plastic shopping sacks in that field. I think our area could stand to have more education on how what they are doing is impacting the planet. They should be taught simple steps to help clean and green the planet.