BIOL B8: Intro to Environmental Science: Welcome

The general topics are listed in bold and possible subtopics are listed below them. The general topics are too large for the research papers you are writing, so you must select a narrower subtopic within your general topic. I have listed ideas for subtopics under each topic. You are not limited to these subtopics, they are just examples of subtopics. You can use one of these subtopics or explore a different subtopic that interests you.

· Micro plastics

· Effect on the food web, or fish, or birds, etc.

· Different sources

· Best methods to reduce them

· Effects on freshwater systems

· Effects on human health

· How to deal with them in wastewater systems

· Nanotechnology

· Specific use of nanotechnology & its importance/advantages (medicine, building materials, etc.)

· Health risks to humans

· Risks to the environment or specific organisms

· Bioaccumulation of toxins (mercury, DDT, red tides, etc.)

· Effects on the food web, or fish, or humans, etc.

· Historic perspectives

· Current laws to reduce their impacts

· Effectiveness of current laws

· Unequal exposure to the toxins based on location

· Loss of bees

· Likely sources for the loss

· How to prevent the losses

· Impact on different species of bees

· Effects on crops & agriculture

· Effects on the food web, or birds, etc.

· Habitat fragmentation

· Comparing/contracting different causes of fragmentations

· Impacts on biodiversity, or animal behavior, or gene flow, specific biomes, etc.

· Best methods to mitigate negative impacts (ie wildlife corridors, restoration, overpasses, etc.)

· Effectiveness of current laws to reduce fragmentation

· Overgrazing

· Effects on food web, or soil, or specific wild animal, long-term agriculture etc.

· Best methods to restore land

· Methods to prevent overgrazing

· Impacts on a specific regions of the globe (ecological, economic, social impacts)

· Wetland loss

· Impacts on flooding or hurricane damage

· Effects on food web, or specific animals, or humans

· Impacts on a specific region (San Francisco, New Orleans, etc.)

· Best restoration or protection strategies

· Aquifer depletion

· Impacts on agriculture, or local drinking water systems, or natural streams, etc.

· Effectiveness of laws to protect aquifers

· Which regions are most threatened

· Methods to prevent aquifer depletion

· Solar farms

· Effects on natural habitat or species

· Potential as a large power source

· Technological advances

· Best regions for it

· Electronic waste

· Sources

· Effects of toxins

· Ways to properly recycle waste

· Superfunds

· Effectiveness of laws to

· Challenges of a specific superfund site

· Climate change

· Ocean acidification

· Melting ice rates

· Changes in ocean currents

· Effects on specific habitats or organisms

· Strategies to reduce climate change

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