CNS World Studies Hybrid 2014-15

5/15 - Environmental Geography

1. To learn about Sustainable Development, read the Harvard
report entitled What is Sustainable Development? Notice that
sustainable development does not only apply to physical
resources & raw materials, but also human systems and
progress. Make a list of examples of items that are to be
sustained, items to be developed and state how long are these
to be sustained? Put the list on your website.
Examples of items that are to be sustained:
Nature
o Earth
o Biodiversity
o Ecosystems
o Water
Life support
o Resources
o Environments
Community
o Cultures
o Diversity
o Groups
o Places of significance
Examples of items that are to be developed:
People
o Child survival (mortality rate)
o Life expectancy
o Equity
o Equal Opportunity
Economy
o Wealth
o Productive sectors
o Consumption
Society
o Institutions
o Social Capital
o States
o Religions
Length of sustainability:
25 years
Now and in the future
Forever

CNS World Studies Hybrid 2014-15

5/15 - Environmental Geography
2. Choose an NGO operating in a foreign country. Explain the
actions or programs that the NGO is implementing there and
how it is contributing to the sustainable development of the
community it is working in. Prepare a brief report for the donors
to the NGO that explains how their money is being spent wisely
and accomplishing the goals the NGO set out to achieve. Put the
report on your website.
World Wide Fund for Nature
WWF focuses on the two main areas of biodiversity protection and
sustainable government. For example, in its actions to improve
biodiversity, WWF enable Google Earth maps to allow the public to
follow polar bears in the Arctic, take a virtual tour of the Amazon, and
visit the wetlands of the Pantanal Basin. In the years ahead WWF has
planned to target 35 priority locations, 36 species, and six footprint
areas to conserve its resources and continue to try to reverse the
pattern we are in.
WWF has expanded its focus from saving endangered species to
addressing large threats to ecosystems and forces that impact them.
They use people at the center of their work because together is the
only way we can eliminate threats to nature and ourselves.
WWF takes donations as well as provides the option to adopt and
animal and provide money towards helping saving it from extinction.
Currently, 84% of the money and donations they receive are put
towards worldwide conservation activities. WWF insures that all
donations are being put towards meeting their goals of biodiversity
protection and sustainability of the environment. The charts (bottoms)
shows its operating revenue and total expenses for 2014.

CNS World Studies Hybrid 2014-15

5/15 - Environmental Geography

3. Because the Earths physical environment plays such a key role

in sustaining human life on planet Earth, all good citizens must
pay attention to their ecological footprint. Take the ecological
footprint quiz from the Earth Day Network, and see how many
planets would be required if everyone lived like you. Screenshot
your results and put them on your website.

CNS World Studies Hybrid 2014-15

5/15 - Environmental Geography

4. Since many of the current and future citizens of our planet desire
a modern and high standard of living, the strain on resources is
only likely to get worse. Special attention is paid to fossil fuels
since they finite and provide for most of the worlds current
energy needs. But how realistic is it to move to renewable
energy sources and maintain our current standard of living?
Watch physicist David Mackays TED talk Reality Check on
Renewables. Which 2 renewable energy sources provide the
most efficient and realistic production possibilities in the future?

CNS World Studies Hybrid 2014-15

5/15 - Environmental Geography
Write an email message to a US legislator expressing your factbased opinion on one renewable technology. Copy my email
address when you send it.
COPY OF EMAIL
Dear Senator Klobuchar,
As the world continues to have issues regarding energy use and
consumption, I am writing to propose and recommend a new way that
Minnesota could generate energy and at the same time benefit the
environment. According to United States Energy Information
Administration, Minnesota has already taken many steps towards
renewable resource use and are still in the process of implementing
more. For example, two nuclear power plants have accounted for 21%
of Minnesotas net electricity generation and Minnesota currently ranks
seventh in the nation in net electricity generation from wind energy.
But there are many other renewable resources that Minnesota has not
yet taken advantage of that I see potential in.
As you may have heard, solar powered energy ideas are
becoming a quite popular renewable resource that many are seriously
considering as an alternate energy source. Recently, I have done some
research on solar panels and I have found that they would be very
beneficial to Minnesota. My first suggestion is installing solar panels on
the top of commercial and residential buildings. The panels would be
able to produce energy for the homes and other buildings by
transforming the suns energy into heat, cooling, and electricity. This
would not only save energy used from fossil fuels, but also have little
cost to the owners as studies have shown that solar energy is the same
cost as using electricity once installed.
My other suggestion to creating a more sustainable state is
through concentrated solar panels. Concentrated solar panels are
usually located in fields where there is open area for the panels to be
exposed to the sun. They have proven to be the most effective of solar
panels in their watt generation per square meter. Installing these in
open land areas would be beneficial as Minnesota has available space.
The energy generated by these panels could be put towards the
electricity of cities.
In conclusion, it would mean so much to me if you considered my
ideas of implementing solar energy panel technologies around the
state of Minnesota. While my suggestions do no propose a solution to
the depletion of fossil fuels, they do provide solutions that may
contribute to sustaining them. I believe that in addition to the nuclear
power plants and wind power, the solar panels would only benefit
Minnesota in creating a sustainable future. There are so many ways
that we can incorporate solar panels into our everyday lives with little

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5/15 - Environmental Geography
increase in costs. Thank you for your consideration and if you have any
further question about my suggestions or would like to discuss more on
the topic I would love to meet with you or have a conversation with
you on the phone.
Sincerely,
Sarah Bimberg