WATCH FIRST: Love Canal, a New York Times Documentary (11 minutes): https://youtu.be/Kjobz14i8kM

There are many Superfund sites that need to be cleaned-up, and not enough money in the "fund" for EPA to pay for it. Often finding private parties solvent to clean-up is just as difficult as finding increased money.  How does this macro problem affect the specific locations near such sites?  READ this article for one example: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2018/04/30/after-nevada-tribe-sues-bp-cutting-off-bottled-water-native-american-tribe-fight-over-nevada-superfu/566178002/ (Links to an external site.)
For your initial discussion post, you may choose one of the following:
(1) Read the Superfund Task Force Report to EPA and comment on your opinion of the proposals to handle the timing, cost, and ability to clean-up, list/de-list, and handle Superfund sites: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-07/documents/superfund_task_force_report.pdf (Links to an ext

This is a brief exercise designed to get you some cool information about what's happening in Astronomy right now, as you are reading this. The enclosed assignment sheetPreview the document will give you the information you need to get started.

Make sure to read the requirements carefully, since you will be turning in several of these reports (and each report must be on a different article or announcement) throughout the semester.

Once you have read the requirements, fill out your report on this report sheet.Preview the document

For South Florida, what are the different air pollutant hazard and exposure factors? Discuss the extent to which they are preventable or can be managed to reduce their impacts. Also discuss whether you think there are long term impacts on health and economics in your area due to air pollution episodes.

Resolution stating that global warming exists and that steps must be taken to address the situation.
The resolution is not stating that global warming is man-made
It is stating that it exists and action must be taken to reverse the warming.
The science question is whether the globe is warming up over the last few decades.

Section 1
-    300+ words
-    Introduction of the controversy being investigated
-    Not biased view, neutral assessment of what is being debated
Section 2
-    200+ words
-    Pro/con assessment of taking action
-    Pros= environmental and potentially positive economic benefit of taking action
-    Cons= costs of taking action and potentially negative economic benefit
Section 3
-    300+ words
-    Discussion of the science related to the controversy (topic)
-  &n

For this assignment, you'll actually be working to write a story based on your answers to the homework.  You'll see that there are 10 questions on the homework.  To do this assignment, you can pick any 5 questions that you would like the answer to, and then use those as the basis for writing your story.

You can find more information about how to write the assignment here:

Assignment Instruction Sheet for Weaving a Story from our HomeworkPreview the document

Please read it carefully, since you'll need to do things like format the assignment with highlighting where you put in your homework answers, so I can read it more easily.  Also, if you want an example of a story that uses homework answers, so you can get an idea of how to do this, check out this example: The Time Warp EncounterPreview the document

This homework aligns with the chapter of our OpenStax Astronomy textbook mentioned in the title of the assignment (also you can find this on the

A journal entry is a 400 word personal reflection on the topic under discussion. The three journal assignments for this course make up 10% of the final grade. This journal assignment is due on the date shown in the course schedule. Journals may be submitted up to 24 hours after the deadline with a 20% deduction in grade. A high similarity score from Turnitin (>25%) will result in the rejection of the essay. Quotations are included in the 25% similarity score. A student may resubmit the essay within 24 hours for grading with a 20% late deduction. Failure to submit your assignment to Turnitin will result in an automatic 0 grade for the journal assignment.

The topic for Journal Assignment #1 is a Reflection on TED Talk titled Nature is Everywhere, we just need to learn to see it (Links to an external site.) by Emma Marris

Consider and reflect on the following after viewing the video:

What is the central argument that Ms. Marris makes in her talk?
When you think

1.In addition to the what of our course (meaning facts about things), it's also critical to consider how we know things. In this case, the question is "How can we know we actually went to the Moon, and it wasn't a hoax of some sort?"

In order to see how we can examine such claims, you'll need to complete the enclosed assignment sheetPreview the document, where you'll be watching Mythbusters, and seeing how they do their tests!

And here is:

The episode of Mythbusters to watch (Links to an external site.)
https://www.3cmediasolutions.org/privid/106782?key=3e894c3cebae3780e62b450055ad3eaf90aafb95

The episode of Mythbusters to watch (with subtitles)
https://www.3cmediasolutions.org/privid/106784?key=c70471f387e65736bea3a21e7d96d233578b4290

2."Why People Accept Claims" Forum

For this Forum, we will be having a discussion about "Why People Accept Claims".

(Before you participate in this Forum, please complete the "Did We Land on the Moo

You will be doing a bit of research to examine the evidence for and against the modern earth being in the middle of the sixth mass extinction.  Tying in to this is the idea of human-induced climate change.

Remember, a mass extinction event occurs when there is a widespread and relatively rapid loss of species, or higher-level organisms, on the earth. Approximately 98% of all species that have ever existed on the earth are now extinct, so a loss of a handful is not anything new. However, when the rate of extinction is much higher than the rate of speciation, or creation of new species, then we enter into a mass extinction event.

Using only reliable national and international news sources, along with scientific journal articles, research the current rate of extinction on the earth. Many websites will post sensationalist headlines, such as Earth to Die in Current Biodiversity Crisis, to get your attention. Be aware that many of these websites are trying to draw traffic

***ALL instructions and some references needed are below. Zero plagiarism and reputable sources only***

-Develop a lead poisoning education and prevention program for a mock community with a richly diverse population and a variety of potential sources of lead exposure. Details of this mock community are bulleted below.

Characteristics of Interest for Mock Community:

Older city
Population of 200,000
Population demographics. (55% white,  35% African American,  5% Hispanic, 5% Other)
Socioeconomic levels are variable.
Community and neighborhood factor large in residents sense of identity, which is true across socioeconomic levels
Public housing community with apartments built in the 1950s
Older historic section of the city undergoing renovation-gentrification 
Ongoing urban renewal efforts spearheaded by city and community leaders to re-purpose abandoned spaces, including creating play grounds, parks, and community gardens.

air pollution control ("APC") equipment.

what factors should be involved in deciding how great an effort a company should make to control the air pollutants it releases to the local and regional environment?  Should cost be taken into account? For example, if the cost  is above a certain threshold, then the facility does not have to spend that much for controls, likely raising the level of toxic compounds in the air surrounding the facility. Or should protection of public health be the dominant concern and the facility should install the most effective APC to reduce emissions to totally protect public health, even if it is very expensive? Even at the risk of the company getting up and moving elsewhere? What might the secondary effects be of having flexible cost requirements or of having inflexible ones?


Let's use a make-believe facility (call it the NYMC Widget Company) with its VOC and PM emissions from last week's example. Does the size or status of th