Online Students: Click on the Session 2 Discussion link and create a new thread to respond to the discussion prompt. After posting your initial response, please comment on classmates' responses. Respo

Online Students: Click on the Session 2 Discussion link and create a new thread to respond to the discussion prompt. After posting your initial response, please comment on classmates’ responses. Respond by making constructive responses or by raising other questions that will promote further discussion and learning by all of us. It is best practice to post early and continually participate throughout the session. You will be graded not only for your posting, but your participation in this discussion. Your initial post is due by Wednesday at 11:59 P.M. (MST) of the session in which the discussion is assigned. A minimum of two (2) additional response posts are due on Sunday at 11:59 P.M. (MST). These are minimum requirements. Be sure to follow any additional guidelines posted by the instructor for the course in regards to discussions. Review the rubric for the discussion. In-Seat Students: Review the following discussion prompt. Then prepare a list of talking points in order to be prepared for the class discussion. Please bring a printed copy to class.Discussion Prompt: Environmental IssuesSelect one of the following three environmental issues listed:

1. Are there too many elk in Rocky Mountain National Park?
2. Pythons in the Everglades
3. Is the Kazakhstan beetle threatening the Grand Canyon National Park Ecosystem?

Next, answer the following questions pertaining to the issue you selected.  Apply information that you learned from your reading. In your response you should address the following concepts: feedback loops, environmental systems, populations controls.

• What is the cause of the problem?
• What are the environmental impacts?
• Discuss some possible solutions to the problem.
• If you were the park superintendent, which solution would you chose and why?
• Based on your reflection in this week’s Biblical Perspective, apply what it means that God said his creation is “good” and does that mean that humans should try to maintain the “goodness” of creation?

Session 3 DiscussionOnline Students: Click on the Session 3 Discussion link and create a new thread to respond to the discussion prompt. After posting your initial response, please comment on classmates’ responses. Respond by making constructive responses or by raising other questions that will promote further discussion and learning by all of us. It is best practice to post early and continually participate throughout the session. You will be graded not only for your posting, but your participation in this discussion. Your initial post is due by Wednesday at 11:59 P.M. (MST) of the session in which the discussion is assigned. A minimum of two (2) additional response posts are due on Sunday at 11:59 P.M. (MST). These are minimum requirements. Be sure to follow any additional guidelines posted by the instructor for the course in regards to discussions. Review the rubric for the discussion. In-Seat Students: Review the discussion prompt below. Then prepare a list of talking points in order to be prepared for the class discussion. Please bring a printed copy to class.Discussion Prompt: Benefits and RisksRead the following article and answer the questions below incorporating information from your textbook and the videos that you watched. Cone, M. (2009, May 4). Should DDT be used to combat malaria? Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ddt-use-to-combat-malaria/   

• Which risk do you think is greater, the risk from malaria or health effects from DDT?  Explain why. Research some alternatives to the pesticide DDT. What are the risks associated with these alternatives? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
• Man tries to control nature through technology and even chemicals. Compare man’s power versus God’s power that you meditated on in the Biblical Perspective.
• Most of the toxicity information that we use to set standards to protect human health comes from testing chemicals on animals. Discuss the ethics of testing chemicals on animals. Are there alternative methods and would you trust the safety of chemicals that were tested using these methods?

Session 4 DiscussionOnline Students: Click on the Session 4 Discussion link and create a new thread to respond to the discussion prompt. After posting your initial response, please comment on classmates’ responses. Respond by making constructive responses or by raising other questions that will promote further discussion and learning by all of us. It is best practice to post early and continually participate throughout the session. You will be graded not only for your posting, but your participation in this discussion. Your initial post is due by Wednesday at 11:59 P.M. (MST) of the session in which the discussion is assigned. A minimum of two (2) additional response posts are due on Sunday at 11:59 P.M. (MST). These are minimum requirements. Be sure to follow any additional guidelines posted by the instructor for the course in regards to discussions. Review the rubric for the discussion. In-Seat Students: Review the discussion prompt below. Then prepare a list of talking points in order to be prepared for the class discussion. Please bring a printed copy to class. Discussion Prompt: The Climate Change (“Global Warming”) DebateBackground Information:The topic of climate change has been in the headlines for many years now. Because the temperatures on earth have increased since the early 1900’s, many refer to this phenomena as “global warming”. However, recently there has been ample controversy sparked over this topic. The main questions that are commonly debated are:

• What has caused the earth’s temperature increase and will the temperature continue to increase?
• Is “global warming” mainly due to human activity or is it a result of natural processes on earth or in our solar system?

Many environmental climate models and scientific data suggest that the earth’s temperature will continue to rise in the near future. Therefore, one might ask:

• Are we entering into a global environmental crisis or is the media inflating the issue, thus, creating unnecessary fear?
• Do humans encompass the knowledge and methods to intentionally change the earth’s climate for the good or bad?

Examine the pro and con arguments regarding the climate change debate by reviewing the following article: Is Human Activity Primarily Responsible for Global Climate Change?

• Session 5 DiscussionSession 5 DiscussionOnline Students: Select one (1) of the characters from the discussion prompt below, review the case, and then click on the Session 5 Discussion link and create a new thread to respond to the questions from your character’s viewpoints. Please note, we cannot have more than two of the same character in the discussion. If the character of your first choice is already claimed by two people, you must select another character. After posting your character’s viewpoint, respond to at least two other characters. Respond by making constructive responses or by raising other questions that will promote further discussion and learning by all of us. It is best practice to post early and continually participate throughout the session. You will be graded not only for your posting, but your participation in this discussion. Your initial post is due by Wednesday at 11:59 P.M. (MST) of the session in which the discussion is assigned. A minimum of two (2) additional response posts are due on Sunday at 11:59 P.M. (MST). These are minimum requirements. Be sure to follow any additional guidelines posted by the instructor for the course in regards to discussions. Review the rubric for the discussion. In-Seat Students: In preparation for the role play, review the Discussion Prompt below. Then create a thread in the discussion forum to indicate whose viewpoint you will be supporting. (Ensure that each character has been “assigned” before doubling up on a character.) Then prepare notes to use to support this character’s viewpoint to help inform the role play that will take place during the in-seat session. You do not need to post viewpoints or responses in the discussion forum. Discussion Prompt: Hydraulic Fracturing Case Study (Role Play) Characters:
  • Farmer MacDonald—The MacDonald family has been ranching for 40 years. Their livelihood is raising cattle. They depend on the aquifer to water their cattle and irrigate their hay fields. They also get their drinking water from the ground water aquifer.
  • Mr./Mrs. Jones—They live on the property adjacent to the MacDonald ranch. Energy for Everyone Corporation estimates that the Joneses could make 10 million dollars in royalties if gas was extracted using hydraulic fracturing on their land. They have three young children.
  • Dr. Miller is an environmental health scientist for the state health department.
  • Ronnie is an environmental regulator for the state Oil and Gas Commission
  • Mr. Smithers is the CEO of Energy for Everyone Corporation, a natural gas drilling company.
  • Billie has been unemployed for four years and was just offered a job in the gas field.
  • Commissioner Sanders is the county commissioner. The county recently had a budget shortfall and will have cut funding to the school district or consider raising taxes. The county could see a windfall in revenue if drilling occurs. Commissioner Sanders lives next to the Joneses and the MacDonald ranch. Commission Sanders has a daughter who suffers from asthma and is sensitive to air pollution.
  • Sunny Daze is an environmental activist and works for the Sierra Club.
  • Do you believe that hydraulic fracturing should be permitted in the county? Why or why not? Use information from the course resources to support your viewpoint and incorporate what you discovered in this week’s Biblical Perspective.
  • Do you agree with the following statement? Explain why or why not.