ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 1 Discussion
DQ1 Overview of Global ENMT Issues and Basis of ENMT
My name is Claudia Hamblin-Katnik and I will be leading this topic discussion on overview of global ENMT issues and basis of ENMT.
Many of these questions you should have thought about as part of this week's readings and viewings from the PDF file made available to you under Content, Week 1. Here is your chance to share your reflections and delve deeper and learn from different perspectives by participating in the discussion of one or more of the following questions:
· Have you experienced any of those global issues discussed in this week's readings and viewings? If so, which ones and in what way were they manifested in your life? How could you have better dealt with these issues?
o Be as specific as you can. For example, can you describe the source of acidification of oceans versus acid rain? Why are the molecular sources of those two issues different? What are some mechanisms to reduce each issue?
· Can you name the source(s) for each of the global issues mentioned in the power point Overview of Global Environmental Issues? You should be able to discuss the basics for various pollutants (such as their source and various ways to mitigate these pollutants and their human and environmental effects at different concentrations) including the six criteria pollutants.
o Why is CO2 not a criteria pollutant? Has the fact that it is not regulated as a criteria pollutant hindered control of it's damage to the environment? How would you remedy this situation?
· We reviewed how environmental impact is a combination of population growth, use of affluence, and technology use. Can you name an environmental issue and relate it to population growth, use of affluence, and technology use? How would you resolve this issue?
o Can you imagine what this world would be like if fossil fuels cost ten times as much as it does now? Remember to include a discussion on the effects of supply and demand and also how this affects social and environmental justice.
· Do you agree that the future of environmental management is a question of ethics? Why or why not? Consider these questions: How do ethics apply, must we all subscribe to the same ethic, who defines the ethic, can we have a universal ethic, etc.?
· What did you think about the presentation on the basis of ENMT? Do you agree that environmental management is essentially managing humans to not destroy the very ecosystems we depend upon? Explain why or why not. How would you "manage" your fellow humans to protect the ecosystem?
· What have you learned about best practices to manage people? How has that affected your own work and personal life? What is/was the most difficult practice for you to master and how do/did you plan to master the practice?
· What are the major themes that you have learned in this environmental management program? What themes do you think we should have covered that we have not? And what approaches to environmental management have you used?
- In the Basis of ENMT slide show there is a section beginning with the slide “Key Points for Scientific World View.” Given the anger, frustration, mistrust, etc. surrounding management and solutions to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which points do you feel are most poorly appreciated/understood by the general public? How would you resolve this dilemma?
Fell free to integrate as many of these questions as you wish! I will come back to comment and integrate as needed.
DQ2 How we got here and what can we learn from our past?
Hi again. My name is Claudia Hamblin-Katnik and I will lead the discussion this week on how we got to the environmental state we are in and what we can learn from the path we have taken.
We need to understand how we got where we are today if we are to avoid repeating the mistakes of our past. Please draw on what you have learned in history and what you have seen in your lifetime and what you have heard from your parents and grandparents to enrich this discussion that should have different perspectives on where we have been.
Some questions below to help us discuss this complex topic:
This week, we look at two past cases that helped to propel the creation of the EPA. What other events led to the creation of the EPA?
In general, why has U.S. environmental legislation been enacted? Would you characterize our drive for environmental legislation as reactive or proactive? How does the U.S. approach differ from the European approach to regulating chemicals?
In one of my presentations, I stated that traditionally, greater economic impact led to greater environmental impact. Why is that? Would we be able to change that – and if so, how?
How are economic, environmental, technological, political, and social trends related to national capital and ecosystem services? What are potential climate tipping elements and how do they relate to systemic risk?
Have you observed the “Jevons Paradox” or “the rebound effect” in your lifetime? Explain and suggest a mechanism to remedy the situation.
Sustainability is a complex topic and one of your readings this week chose to tie it to humanity and the environment. Do you agree with the authors’ take on sustainability in a modern context? Why is sustainability so much more complex today than it was 400 years ago?
How do you think sustainability is related to our economy, ecology, and social values? The Basis of ENMT presentation as well as the textbook “Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation” shows one possible relationship between society, ecology, and economy sustainability – where the three forms of sustainability intersect as true sustainability:
· I also presented another way to view economic, social, and environmental sustainability:
What would we need to change in order to have the second figure represent our economic relationship to our social values and ecological goods and services?
· How do the two figures above relate to the questions I have asked about how we might reach sustainability?
Again, feel free to integrate as many of these questions as you wish. The questions are a starting point towards class discussions that should provide both breath of perspectives and depth of understanding and connections.
DQ3 Clearly articulating key terms and concepts, and critical thinking questions
One of the habits some UMGC students appear to hang onto, even up to ENMT 495, is googling to answer questions. And then cutting and pasting bits of what they find. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS! First of all, this action does not usually address the actual question asked, and I am a seasoned enough teacher that I can see when this occurs. Secondly, I will be flagging such content as a form of academic dishonesty.
I really do need each of you to tell me what you are thinking so that I can see if I can clarify any confusions you have. If you are a student who can help to clarify, please DO so! You get credit in my class for all gentle clarifications. And in fact, if the mistake is mine, you get more than brownie points! I break my “no extra credit” rule when students are able to point out content error in any of my classes!
SO let’s have a vigorous, intellectual discussion as this is the capstone course and you should be showing off what you have learned!
Here are some key terms to connect as well as critical thinking questions to address:
How is the biosphere related to biogeochemical cycles? Provide a specific example to support your connection.
How are ecosystem services related to environmental management? Again, provide a specific example to support your connection.
Provide one example of an international environmental treaty success. You should have learned about this one in ENMT 301 if not in other classes as well.
What are some facts that we know now in science and some of their consequences?
Given what you have reviewed about ecosystems this week, how would you define waste from an ecosystems perspective?
Explain how ecosystem destruction is related to national security.
As always, add to the present discussion with connections and synthesis, and do not post in isolation to what your classmates have discussed.
DQ4 Some quantitative analysis
Part of the ENMT degree requires analytical thinking using basic algebra. Below are some problems to assess your ability to use basic algebra when applicable, and helpful towards getting you to use quantitative analysis as part of critical thinking.
· Using a simple analysis first order analysis of environmental impact, please explain that would occur to our environmental impact if we could use technology to reduce our impact by 20% but the population increases by 30% and the world GDP increases by 10%.
· A cubic meter of air sample was sampled at 1.0 atm and 20 C. An ion chromatographic analysis of that sample found it to contain 8.0 micrograms of NO2. How many ppb of NO2 is in that air? Is this in violation of NAAQS?
· Public health is a central theme you should have seen in your ENMT studies. Essential to public health is potable water. Calculate the amount of chlorine needed to disinfect 50 ML water to a residual dose of 0.3 mg/L. You need to add an additional 0.4 mg/L to the water in order to reach the breakpoint for chlorine addition based upon jar tests for this particular drinking water. Explain what the breakpoint is and why you would want a residual 0.3 mg/L of chlorine in your water.
· One of the themes in ENMT is the management of natural resources for human use. If we are to work toward sustainability, we need to think of ways that humans can live comfortably with minimal waste. One of the themes you should have seen in your ENMT study is the disproportionate amount of resource use per person that rich countries have over poor countries, and discussed in much of the readings on I=PAT this week. Let’s see how we might address some of this using some actual data on what Americans use, beginning with water use: EPA data (http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/docs/ws_indoor508.pdf and http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/outdoor.html) indicates that the average American uses 30% of his/her domestic water use is for watering our lawns and gardens and 22% of our indoor water use is due to washing clothes. Of the 30% of domestic water use for outdoor water, about 50% is estimated to be wasteful water such as the water that ends up running down the sidewalk or down the hill and has no effect on the lawn upkeep. The water for washing clothes can be cut by about 30% simply by washing full loads of clothes in place of partial loads. How much would these two simple changes affect domestic water use on a percentage basis? How much freshwater use per day would a nation of about 324,000,000 people (population of U.S. in 2015) save if these two changes were the new social norm? (Please base your calculations on a domestic water use of 300 L/day for the average American.
ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 2 Discussion
DQ1 GHS Labeling
Topic 1 (Andre) - GHS Labeling
(Summarizer - Shane)
My name is Andre Davis, and I will be leading this topic discussion on an overview of GHS Labeling.
In this week's lesson, you had the opportunity to watch the video on GHS Labeling System. Companies are responsible for describing the physical and chemical properties of products that are hazardous. One method in achieving this requirement is when the United Nations created the Globally Harmonized System of Classification to standardize labeling/classification of hazardous chemicals worldwide. The other method that most people are familiar with providing chemical hazards is the Material Safety Data Sheet under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard. Please select one of the questions below for this topic discussion.
Explain the differences between Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) requirements and the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) regulations. Do you think these differences are significant? Why? How has this affected Hazard Communication Standard presented by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)? Who is the target audience for GHS safety data sheets, and is the training meeting the expectation of its intent? Why or why not?
Can you provide an example from work or home that you had to use the GHS safety data sheet, and did you think this was helpful or not? What were the benefits of using the GHS safety data sheet?
What mechanisms would you use to encourage countries without GHS safety data sheets to adhere to current regulations if one of their concerns is the potential decrease in economic growth? Are there any distinct benefits in using global harmonization with the use of GHS safety data sheets? Do you think this is a reasonable requirement that the UN established?
DQ2 Being Human in the 21st Century
Topic 2 (Edie) - Being Human in the 21st Century
(Summarizer - Andre)
My name is Edie Vinson-Maitlandt, and I will be leading the discussion on being human in the 21st century. This week, we read about international perspectives on managing global environmental issues and began examining some integrative tools. We heard Dr. Nate Hagens deliver a powerful Earth Week presentation that spoke to the path we as humans have been down when it comes to making decisions about our environment, and what that means now that we are here in the 21st century, “we know enough’ to make better decisions about the impacts we have on world.
We covered material on “our common future”, revisting themes on how we humans manage our commons, and we read about “hard” and “soft” international laws, and how they impact the actions of countries around the globe that effect environmental management
The four questions below integrate how we as humans respond to our environments and impact international environmental management in the 21st century. Please choose one of the questions to respond to and provide a unique, different, individual discussion. Please work to not revisit subjects already covered by a classmate; instead build upon the information already provided and add your unique voice to the conversations.
Thank you in advance for all of your discussions.
It can be easy to look at what others have acquired or accomplished at this point in their life, and then look at what you have acquired or accomplished, and then question yourself, “ have I done enough in my life to have or do what others have?”. How do you measure success? How does that success translate into what you have done to impact the global environment? What have you done to live more sustainably? In thinking about your own success and sustainable living, broaden your perspective and look at your tribe; how does your tribe measure success, and does your tribe strive to live sustainably? If you could influence your tribe to make five changes in their current lifestyle that translate into more sustainable living, what would those five things be? Would your choices be the same for all your tribe? Why would you pick those five things?
You are provided the opportunity to work on a multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) to implement important actions to protect threatened ecosystems; what issues would add to the discussion for this agreement, and which countries is it most important (to you) be involved in the development of the MEA? How would you recognize and respect the strengths and weakness of each country. How would you make allowances for cultural differences? Why is it important for the countries you select to sign onto the MEA presented?
Considering how the adverse environmental actions of one country can impact the environmental health of other countries (nature does not know national or internation boundaries), and that to address global environmental impacts, more countries need to see and understand our global oneness (your environment is my environment) which developing countries show the greatest propensity for the “agenda of the gene” to put global environmental health at risk? What are the signs that this is happening? Do you think these countries are more or less likely to respond to concerns expressed by other countries about the health of their ecosystems and environmental management? Why or why not? What do you think is the proper approach for one government or industry to approach another regarding putting environmental health at risk? Whose responsibility is it?
DQ3 Human Activities Disrupting Ecosystems
Topic 3 (Shane) - Human Activities Disrupting Ecosystems
(Summarizer - Edie)
Please choose one question to answer. If you answer a question another classmate has taken, make sure your answer is different from your classmates!
1. Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and agricultural runoff are just a few ways that human activity can impact an ecosystem. Provide an uncommon or unconventional way human activity can impact an ecosystem. Be sure to thoroughly explore the full breadth of the effects of your chosen impact and provide scientific evidence to support your ideas. Hint: If you’re having trouble, sometimes it helps to think positive!
2. It is clear that human activities can have a profound impact on our ecosystems. Considering our interconnectivity on a global scale, it is nearly impossible to avoid this, but a relatively new concept called Industrial Ecology is attempting to mitigate that impact. One of the main tenets of Industrial Ecology is to view and utilize waste as a resource. Give one example of an industry that would be creating the waste, what is the waste to be reused, and the industry reusing the waste, even if it’s the same one. What might be some of the positive and negative economic consequences of this reuse? In your opinion, would the environmental benefits outweigh any positive or negative economic consequences?
3. If a tree falls in a forest and a wildlife biologist who studies beavers is the only one to hear it, was it a beaver that cut it down? Conversely, if a tree falls in a forest and a logging foreman is the only one to hear it, was it a beaver or are they illegally cutting down trees? Humans and beavers both cut down trees for their own purposes, one they have in common is shelter, but they both have very different impacts on the local ecosystem. Both are highly skilled at building dams, so what happens to an ecosystem when a beaver builds a dam? What about a man-made dam? What happens downstream of the dam, or when there is a major storm? Because the environment doesn’t care about the imaginary border lines we draw, what economic and environmental considerations should be regarded for neighboring countries when planning a dam?
ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 3 Discussion
DQ1 Single media vs Multi media waste management
Moderator: Chloe Scott
Summary by: Grayson Jenkins
Please answer one question
1. One of the topics discussed this week talked about a multifaceted approach that is known as multimedia analysis, which compared to the single media approach is more effective and responsible in managing pollution. Scientists started to use the multimedia approach as there was a large increase in the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. What do you think the issues were with the single media approach and how do you think multimedia handles it better? What does the multimedia approach do differently and what is its main focus? Based on what you read and know about the single media approach, provide an example of this technique. What would be the pros and cons of this approach? How could this approach be adapted into a multimedia approach?
It is discussed that EPA has a multimedia approach of enforcement in place, as all facilities must be in compliance with the environmental laws, regulations, and permits. It is important that EPA has this enforcement in place to benefit the environment. Doing some outside research discusses one of the multimedia cases that have occurred (Ashland Oil, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, and Boston Department of Transportation). What occurred in these cases? What did the multimedia inspection reveal (what weaknesses were revealed?). Explain how the multimedia enforcement action/approach in your case was superior to a single stream enforcement action/approach. Once these cases have been discussed, explain which multimedia category the case you researched would be under.
DQ2 Risk Management
Lead: Grayson Jenkins
Summarized by Claudia Hamblin-Katnik
Please answer one question
Question 1: This week we read the article "Proposed Keystone XL Pipeline '' and saw how risk management can be used to make a decision on if building is worth the risk to the environment in the environmental impact statement. Identify a project that would have had an environmental impact statement? If you can't identify one, look at this link to the EPA https://cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/action/eis/search What type of Environmental impact statement was it? (If you can find it: Strategic, regional, sectoral, project level). What were some of the risks with the project to the environment that were considered? Did the assessment consider a monetary evaluation? Did it consider the impact to the local population? Can you possibly identify anything within the EIS that may have been overlooked or any risks that are maybe not considered - even possible positive risks?
Question 2: Three approaches to creating standards are introduced this week: voluntary, regulatory, and international. First choose one standard and explain its purpose, what category of standard it is and if the standard is best suited to manage the media it applies to? Why or why not? Once one standard is defined, the next person to answer this question should choose a different one to define. Do you think you could provide an example of another way to manage that media more effectively? Maybe one that covers multiple media. Finally, which standard could provide the most impact globally if followed?
DQ3 Accountability for Responsibility
Moderator: Claudia Hamblin-Katnik
Summary: Chloe Scott
Answer one of the questions below.
Accountability refers to the acknowledgement of responsibility by an organization for actions, decisions, products, and policies that it undertakes. Consumers are showing increasing concern for the impacts the products and services they purchase are having on the environment and society. Many investors are starting to use a company's performance in sustainability as an indicator of business value and of management strength. One of the primary vehicles businesses use to communicate with customers is Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting. TBL reporting reflects the interrelated progress of a company in the three areas—also referred to as people, planet, and profit.
Highlights from Ford's Twelfth Annual Sustainability Report include:
Reduced CO2 emissions from Ford's global operations by 5.6 percent on a per-vehicle basis, compared to 2009.
Set a goal to reduce global facility CO2 emissions by 30 percent by 2025 on a per-vehicle basis.
Listed water as one of the top sustainability concerns; Ford aims to reduce 2011 global water use by 5 percent per vehicle compared to 2010. This is in addition to the 49 percent per vehicle reduction since 2000.
Research a company that used TBL reporting to communicate with its customers. What measures did they consider important for sustainability? How did they achieve them, or plan to achieve them? One company per student.
The current business environment still relies on closed decision making, limited disclosure of business activities and their consequences. However, Radical Transparency is now an emerging trend in which organizations publicly display the positives and negatives of their companies.
How do businesses communicate their sustainability goals to consumers? And how do they inform our purchasing decisions? Give an example of a business and how it communicated its sustainability goals to you and how it informed your purchasing decisions. Were the communication strategies TBL or Radical Transparency or a combination of both?
Sustainability involves taking a holistic perspective to understand the true short-term and long-term impacts of a business activity. Conventional business practices have traditionally been concerned on more immediate factors, such as cost, quality, and availability in the supply chain.
Consider what it takes to make a product and what happens to it after it is thrown out. What are some long-term factors businesses need to consider in terms of the life cycle and true (environmental and social) impact of their products?
2. Discuss the Life Cycle Assessment of one specific product. How can the environment benefit from this Life Cycle Assessment?
3. In what ways can available pollution management technologies help businesses reduce their environmental footprint? Select three technologies and state how a particular business might benefit.
Question designed by: Renato Zappala
ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 4 Discussion
DQ1 Externalities
Lead: Nicole Powers-Trimolt
Summarize: Ryan Kramer
Please answer one question below.
Q1: What are three negative externalities associated with, say, urban transportation? Be able to explain why each is considered a negative externality. In general, what is the economic outcome of these negative externalities (Pareto efficient vs Nash equilibrium)? What will the effect be on the market for transportation goods? Why? Describe a solution to a negative externalities you mention? Once the product/ service of urban transportation has been discussed, choose another product, and answer the same questions.
Q2: Think of Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons. Wwhat are the externalities associated with TCE and groundwater? Are they negative or positive externalities – explain. What are the solutions to the negative externalities associated with this problem? Can you solve the negative externalities while maintain the positive ones? Would you want to do that? Once one common/ externality has been discussed then you need to choose a different common/ externality.
Q3: Review this website on the disease African sleeping sickness. (https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/sleepingsickness/index.html) Then based on your readings from week 4 and previous classes explain how the economy, ecology, and disease biology of African sleeping sickness are interdependent. Once this question is answered, choose another disease such as the Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea, or COVID in the United States.
DQ2 Science Skepticism and Environmental Justice
Lead: Ryan Kramer
Summarize: Claudia Hamblin-Katnik
1. Skepticism toward science has become very popular in recent times. What are some of the factors that have contributed to this general disbelief in science? What is scientific skepticism from a scientific standpoint? How does it differ from the general public’s view of scientific skepticism? Is the scientific message creating skepticism or the method of delivery? Describe an example of Scientific Skepticism that has influenced and caused major obstacles to scientific advancement? Please use different answers than previous students for this part of the question.
2. Environmental Justice is an issue the United States has been dealing with for a long time but has only recently been studied. It entails the fair treatment and involvement of all people regardless of race or background regarding the implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulation and policies. Is Environmental Justice an issue that can be solved solely with economics or does legislation need to be enacted to force change? Can you name and summarize a policy/act that is related to environmental justice? Describe an environmental injustice event /issue within the United States - be specific in location, cause and those who suffer the environmental justice. Explain the conditions (historical, economic, social?) which lead to the growth of the issue. In your opinion, what are the solutions for "righting" this particular environmental justice? Do not repeat another student's "event/issue" for this question.
DQ3 Carbon What?
Lead: Claudia Hamblin-Katnik
Summarize: Nicole Powers -Trimolt
Most of you in this class agree that excessive CO2 in our atmosphere is causing global warming. It appears that the internationally organized agreements to reduce CO2 emissions have been only moderately successful (Maizland, 2021). The largest emitters are nations whose economies are built on the strength of the GDP. It appears that no particular industrial sector, no single individual, and perhaps even we as a society, are unwilling to give up or change our production process or lifestyle to facilitate lower CO2 emissions. We are trapped in a situation whereby we all suffer our own successes. How then, do we as a people, force our economics and our social and personal desires away from activities/products that emit CO2?
One answer provided by your readings is to internalize the negative externalities associated with CO2 emissions. Describe how this is accomplished and it's affects both economically and socially. We know that this is a global problem. How does this mechanism be applied equitably around the world?
Hint: When composing your answer here are some items you might include in your answer:
What are the pros and cons of a carbon fee? Does one outweigh the other?
What would the country look like if a carbon fee was enacted immediately? Where do you think you would see the first impacts of it?
How does this relate to an activity that you do in your day to day life? Does this information change your beliefs on this activity? What can you change about this activity to make it more eco-friendly?
Describe how the following terminology can affect how groups of people view laws on carbon.
Carbon fee
Carbon tax
Carbon credit
Is there a difference between these three terms? If so please describe them.
Maizland, LIndsay. (April 29, 2021). Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/paris-global-climate-change-agreements
ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 5 Discussion
DQ1 Water Management
Lead: Martina Bokuma
Summary: April Dorsey
Please answer one of the following questions (they are organized by area)
1. Water Management
The focus of this week's readings is waste management and the medium of focus within this topic is water. First in the hierarchy of waste management are activities and tools to promote source reduction and reuse., followed by recycling and composting, energy recovery and lastly, treatment and disposal (EPA, 2017) Within each management level there are some tried and true technologies to accomplish specific purposes. Water treatment of sewage, other organics as well as industrial effluents encompass primary, secondary and tertiary treatment, as well as disinfection. There are a variety of other technologies, such as activated charcoal and biofiltration, used to further remove carbon based molecules (UMGC, n.d.)
With this in mind please explore one of these two arenas of waste management and specifically explore the type, purpose and characteristics of the technology used. What is the condition of the water as it enters the treatment process and what are the characteristics as it exists? Why that particular process at this particular stage of the treatment process? Can the treatment train be shortened? These are the concepts I want you to think about as you explore these topics. Now, just to bring you up short, given these treatment process that must be accomplished, what could be done in that first waste management step (source reduction and reuse) that would shorten or somehow reduce this waste treatment effort?
EPA. (August 10, 2017. Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy. https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-materials-management-non-hazardous-materials-and-waste-management-hierarchy
University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Week 5: Incorporating what we have learned to water, air and soil management. Document posted in UMGC ENMT 495 6380 online classroom, archived at https://learn.umgc.edu.
2. Waste Water
Most of you know what goes on in a municipal sewer treatment plant. The goal of this question is to familiarize you with the waste generation and waste treatment that an individual industry needs to accomplish based upon the type of product produced. Are businesses cleaning up the mess they create?
In order to explore this choose a particular factory and investigate the content of wastes, concentration of effluents, and the treatment the factory provides prior to emitting it's effluent. Characterize the wastes it generates (chemicals, metals, organics, toxics, radioactive, etc.). What type of process is used to remove or reduce this waste (please get technical here) and what happens to those wastes that are removed. Are they required to have a NPDES permit? What are the requirements put on the plant by the Federal, State, and/or local government (some municipalities build their sewer treatment systems to a higher level to attract certain types of processing plants and thereby reduce pretreatment requirements). Here are some suggestions of interesting businesses you might explore – Paint, Fertilizer, Meat Packing or Poultry Processing, Chemical Manufacturing (those that make dry cleaning fluid and embalming fluid might be particularly interesting), Paper Manufacturing, Vegetable or Fruit Processing , etc. You can duplicate the type of plant, but not the same plant location.
3. Drinking Water
What is the source of your drinking water (river, reservoir, desalination plant, etc.). Investigate the water constituents and concentrations of the source water then the process that the water goes through at your local drinking water plant (again get technical here please). What are the concentrations of managed components in the final drinking water? What components are not managed (certain bacteria or viruses, endocrine disruptors, chemicals)? Why are they not managed? What Federal, State and local regulations govern the treatment of your drinking water? Does this plant meet the requirements? It will be interesting to compare the requirement and ultimate effluent concentrations among plants throughout the US. Will they be the same, similar, wildly disparate?
DQ2 Soil Management
Lead: April Dorsey
Summary: Alex Duval
Please answer one of the following questions:
The EPA has provided a management hierarchy guideline to manage non-hazardous materials. The hierarchy progresses through solid waste management options that range from most desirable to least desirable. The respective options are: source reduction and reuse; recycling and composting; energy recovery; treatment and disposal. Briefly describe each of these environmental preferences with one example of each process. From a standpoint of sustainability and impact to the environment, select one management option and justify its level of desirability? How does this particular option reduce environmental impacts, conserve resources, and/or reduce costs in its own way?
Municipal solid waste management is key to successful soil management. As mentioned, there are hierarchical options associated for addressing the various forms of waste. Our readings this week presented the five elements/infrastructure used in support of these waste management options. After reviewing these elements and their technologies, provide some discussion of what some positive externalities might be for using these technologies. Similarly, are there any negative externalities that may be a result? Could these negative externalities ultimately prove to be acceptable as part of a bigger environmental picture?
DQ3 Air Management
Lead: Alex Duval
Summary: Martina Bokuma
Please answer one of the following Questions
1) This week we discussed the different technologies used to treat emissions from mobile and stationary sources. Explain in your own words what causes the similarity or difference in the type of pollutants emitted from these sources. Please be specific about which pollutants are being treated. How would you compare technologies that are used to treat these emissions regarding stationary vs. mobile? If different, why aren’t they treated the same?
2) Some of the technology discussed includes treatment of gas emissions from power plants. The pollutants most commonly emitted from power plants are CO, NOx, SOx, and hydrocarbons. Choose one pollutant (CO, NOx, SOx, hydrocarbon, or other common pollutant emitted from power plants) and describe the best available technology to reduce or eliminate this contaminant. How does this technology work and why it is the BAT in this instance? Please provide an example. Also, has this technology changed over time? How? Is the factory responsible for keeping up with new advancements in pollution treatment technology? What are the implications of this?
3) We have discussed how air pollution is a global problem. However, some parts of the world have higher emissions of one particular pollutant when compared to another. What air pollutant is of particular concern with the U.S.(do not limit yourself to CO2)? Which pollutants are of highest concern to the planet as a whole? What nations are doing the best in management of this pollutant. Discuss one nation that is doing doing the least, and explain why? What would you recommend to the leaders of that nation to improve their air quality? (Hint: consider the mantra reduce, reuse and recycle.)
ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 6 Discussion
DQ1 Global Pollutants & Mutual Control
Lead: Claudia
Summary: Nickey
Please answer one of the following questions:
1. As with other forms of waste and pollutants, hazardous wastes must be managed and remediated. We have gone into depth about management, treatment, and technologies used in the US, but how is hazardous waste managed globally?
This site below) presents 29 cases from countries across Europe, what hazardous wastes were present and how they managed/remediated them. They also discuss the needed social and political connections that need to be made in order to be sure that sites are cleaned to the standards of the appropriate use. Could we implement similar methods successfully in the US? Are there similar methods currently in place? Compare and contrast a US remediation case with a similar one in a different country. What can we learn from this experience?
Paya Perez A, author. Van Liedekerke M, Pelaez Sanchez S, editors.(2015) Remediated Sites and Brownfields. Success Stories in Europe. https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC98077 (you have to download the pdf from this site)
2. Using the report from the Blacksmith Institute in the reading, analyze the major global pollutants and their sources. What trends are there? Does the US share any similarity to the global trends that you have found? How do economics, environmental justice, and available technologies affect the locales most affected by these major pollutants? Is there a common thread?
Blackstone Institute. (2012). The World's Worst Pollution Problems: Assessing Health Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites. http://www.worstpolluted.org/files/FileUpload/files/2012%20WorstPolluted.pdf
DQ2 Hazardous Waste Sites & Management
Lead: Mitzi
Summary: Claudia
Please answer one of the following questions below:
Q1. This week you read about the chemical incident in Bhopal, India, and how it led to public concerns here on U.S. soil. Concerns revolved around local governments and how prepared they were towards chemical spills; another concern was how much hazardous chemical information was available to the public. This led to the passing of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA) in 1986, this also established the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The TRI program has evolved over the last 30+ years by adding chemicals that are required to be tracked based on their toxicity and their persistence in the environment, establishing threshold quantity limits to report, and measuring pollution prevention (P2) activities in facilities.
Research a facility in your area using the EPA's TRI search tool: https://www.epa.gov/enviro/tri-search
List out general observations about the facility over the years. Have their reported quantities increased or decreased? What environmental mediums are the hazardous chemicals being emitted or managed? Discuss multimedia concerns for one chemical and what management practices would you implement.
Considering that TRI currently requires the reporting of 770 chemicals, it lets you know not every chemical is being tracked. TRI chemicals are those that can cause "Cancer or other chronic human health effects, significant adverse acute human health effects, significant adverse environmental effects"
What are the health effects associated with one substance associated with your facility? After becoming more familiar with the industry your facility falls under, explain the status of substituting less environmentally damaging chemicals. What are the barriers to substitution?
Q2. If there is a theme to be addressed when it comes to cleaning up polluted sites in the United States is the financial burden placed on taxpayers. This could soon change at least for the superfund sites. You probably have heard of the polarizing 1.2 trillion-dollar Infrastructure bill. One part of the bill that is relevant to this week's readings is the attempt to revive the superfund tax that expired in 1995 through the Superfund Reinvestment Act:
This act would: "Restore Superfund taxes at inflation adjusted rates, including excise taxes on crude oil or refined oil products, excise taxes on certain chemicals that have hazardous characteristics or may generate hazardous wastes, and a tax based on a corporation's taxable income if it exceeds $4.7 million. It also expands the definition of crude oil to include unconventional crude, such as tar sands and oil shale, and ensures that money from the Trust Fund is only spent on Superfund cleanup.
A 2010 estimate found that revenue garnered from these taxes would be about $1.7 billion per year and $18.9 billion over 10 years." (Blumenauer.house.gov, 2021). On the other hand, cleaning up leaks from underground storage tanks is funded through the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) trust fund, which puts a tax on each gallon (1/10th of a cent) of fuel sold. In 2020 more than $90 million was generated, $66 million was then given to the states. In addition to federal funds, 40 states have their own UST cleanup funds, and it is estimated they spend more than $1 billion on cleanups per year (EPA, 2020).
If most Americans were aware of these numbers, they might agree the United States should consider different approaches to generating funds. Why? Is the amount generated too little or too large? Are the wrong entities taxed? .What are some examples of environmental policies regarding remediating hazardous waste sites in other countries? Can you think of a remediated site success story in a foreign country? What made it a success? What would it take for those approaches to be accepted by policy makers in the U.S.? Or by citizens?
DQ3 Hazardous Waste Treatment & Technologies
Lead: Nickey
Summary: Mitzi
Please answer one of the following questions:
We have refreshed our knowledge of the importance of defining and regulating hazardous waste this week. US legislation the RCRA and CERCLA work together in identifying hazardous wastes and then identifying sites that have been contaminated with these wastes and pose a threat to human and environmental health. It seems that while these hazardous waste sites are created by negligent businesses and companies, climate change can also play a large role in the exposure of hazardous wastes in communities. Please answer one of the following questions:
Question1:
On September 09, 2021, thirteen sites were proposed to the NPL and added to the Federal Register. Use this link to view them: (https://www.epa.gov/superfund/current-npl-updates-new-proposed-npl-sites-and-new-npl-sites). Choose one of the proposed sites to learn about the history, location, and contamination of the site. Once a site has been chosen, please make sure that you choose a different one. If your chosen site qualifies for addition to the NPL, based on your knowledge of environmental justice, economics, and environmental policy, what technologies and treatment methods would you suggest for remediation? Be sure to integrate what you have learned about the importance of a multimedia approach when making your recommendations. If there are multiple applicable technologies, compare and contrast the technologies to justify your reasoning on why one is more beneficial than the other. Feel free to discuss any practical or ethical concerns that come up in consideration for these topics.
Question 2:
In an article by Dearen, Bieseckler, & Kastanis , we learned about the unanticipated risk climate change is having on Superfund sites around the country. These sites are being inundated with flood water that has led to an increased risk of contamination of toxics to the local area. Who should be held responsible for the cleanup of the toxic material that has spread? Justify your answer using your understanding of environmental policy. Consider the following contaminants present at a Superfund site: VOCs, PCBs, pesticides, solvents, radium, arsenic, or lead. Choose a toxin and determine what type of investigative technologies should be used if there is concern of spread by flooding. What media(s) would you be most concerned with? Are there any technologies that could be implemented that could prevent this spread of contaminants? How should we prepare for these flooding risks caused by climate change into consideration when creating remediation plans for Superfund sites in the future?
ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 7 Discussion
DQ1 Radioactive Waste Strategies
Lead: Maria
Summarizer: Victor
Please answer one of the following questions.
Option 1:
We know that we cannot realistically meet energy consumption demands with sustainable resources - research countries/communities that have made management plans to switch to sustainable energy and give a summary of the impacts. Could these practices be used for developing countries that struggle economically? Why or why not?
Option 2:
This week we read on issues associated with the international classification of radioactive waste. The diverse nomenclature of waste classification makes it difficult for direct comparison between countries, fortunately, there are common features within the main classification systems that make comparison possible. Below are the three main classification systems and their respective countries. Research and compare 1 category of radioactive waste (low & intermediate, short-lived waste, long-lived waste, or high-level waste) between 2 classification systems (Mode of Disposition, Main Characteristic, or Origin of Waste). Compare management strategies and identify what you believe is the best management strategy for that waste. Which of these main classification systems do you believe is more efficient for developing management strategies?
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Waste Classification Type:
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Mode of Disposition
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Main Characteristic
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Origin of Waste
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Countries:
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France, Spain, & Japan
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U.K. & Germany
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U.S. & Finland
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Which classification system and their respective management strategies would you recommend for waste management in developing countries? Why?
DQ2 Mixed Waste Regulations
Lead: Victor
Summarizer: Jacob
Please answer one of the following questions.
Option 1:
From the readings we understand that mixed waste is classified as waste that is both radioactive AND hazardous, and that regulations prohibit both radioactive waste and hazardous waste from being added into and disposed of with mixed wastes. The Berkley Labs link https://www2.lbl.gov/ehs/waste/wm_pub_3092_ch3.shtml
provided a structured overview of how to process mixed waste. From that, what controls, if any, are available to address radioactive or hazardous wastes being illegally combined with mixed waste? What can be changed or added for additional safety and compliance? If nothing else, why not?
Option 2:
Because it contains both radioactive and hazardous materials, mixed waste is jointly regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Atomic Energy Act, which are two different pieces of legislation with two different sets of guidelines. However, if a guideline discrepancy between the two arises, the Atomic Energy Act protocols are to be followed. Explain why this is and provide an example of a situation where this issue arose and how it was resolved (meaning the act which took precedence or guided the conclusion). Do you find the current U.S. guidelines to be sufficient? If so, why? If not, why not?
DQ3 Management issues in Radioactive Waste and Mixed Waste
Lead: Jacob
Summarizer: Maria
Please answer one of the following questions.
Option 1:
In this week’s reading we learned about Hanford’s Nuclear energy and release and the impacts of radioactive and mixed wastes on the environment. Do you think the US government took appropriate proactive steps to prevent further environmental damage? Why? Could there have been additional proactive steps to prevent further waste contamination? Could there have been different management concepts or strategies to manage the waste produced? Did the economic need for developing the first nuclear weapon pressure our leaders into making hasty decisions that have left a significant impact in our environment?
Option 2:
Global waste management market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2.67% during the period 2017-2021. One trend is the growth of nuclear power in developing countries to supply other countries energy demands externally. Each factory developed brings economic growth to these countries, but also introduces more waste into the system. For example, according to this World Nuclear Association text https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/others/emerging-nuclear-energy-countries.aspx
Poland, in 2018, announced plans to build a nuclear power plant in Lithuania that would provide power to Poland, Estonia, and Latvia. Is it unethical for more developed countries to outsource this energy to meet their growing demands? Why or why not? Could this be an environmental justice issue? Find an example of how developing countries are dealing with the ramifications of providing energy for other countries, summarize what happened, the managerial mistakes made, and what you would have done different?
ENMT495 Global Environmental Management Issues
Week 8 Discussion
DQ1 Exploring and sharing career resources including certifications and internships
Now that you have signed up for CareerQuest as part of this week's work (if you have not done so prior to this class), explore what is available to you and report on one activity or resource you explored on CareerQuest or any of the other resources you saw in Week 8 content.
Make sure to read what your classmates have said so that you add to what they began. Please tell me if you have heard of CareerQuest prior to this course, and if so, where.
Alternatively, feel free to post a career resource to share!
For example, what do you think of this 3.8 minutes advise for looking for your first job in your new career?
https://www.candidcareer.com/video-job+searching+101,70b6c547ce09aa59abd5,UMGC
On the topic of certification, have you heard about any of the certifications covered under course content this week?
Do you have any of those certifications?
Please share any certifications you think would be helpful towards your career goals and explain why that certification would be helpful.
Another aspect of moving into a new career is networking and internships. Of course, internships are a great way to network as well as gain experience to increase your marketability after graduation.
UMGC's InternPLUS has focused on nontraditional ways that students can obtain experience outside of the traditional, full-time summer internships that are rather inaccessible to our nontraditional student population. As a result, UMGC has partnered with organizations to promote alternative ways to get experience such as:
Parker Dewey: https://info.parkerdewey.com/umgc
Paid micro-internships designed for students and recent grads that can often be completed from home often in a matter of hours
CatchaFire: https://www.catchafire.org/
UMGC also has career resources for military students and their families: https://careerquest.umgc.edu/hub/umuc-careerquest/resources/military
In addition, here are thee articles about how Volunteering, Staffing and Temp Agencies and Virtual Internships can be valuable ways to gain experience and some resources for how to find these opportunities.
Take a look at this interview with MDE wastewater permit head, Paul Hlavinda:
https://www.facebook.com/326156741869/videos/372397210000561/
They are looking for good interns. Would you like to intern there?
Share your experience in gaining internship or other "real-life" experience related to ENMT. Or provide your thoughts on which of these resources were most helpful to you and why.
DQ2 Practice with cover letter
As with all things in life, effective practicing will help you achieve your goal.
To help you prepare for interviewing for a position you desire, please share a job posting that is attractive to you and then share a cover letter from you for that job. You should demonstrate in that letter that you have the experience needed and know how you fit into the company/organization you are applying to.
Students should gently critique at least one other cover letter.
DQ3 Practice demonstrating applicable concepts
Now, using that same job or career description you provided under Topic 2, list the skills and knowledge that job or career requires and share how you will demonstrate those skills and knowledge in your resume and cover letter and interview.
What projects have you worked on in your ENMT program that you could bring to the interview or at least explain in the interview that you have the knowledge and skills needed for that job?
In addition to the "hard knowledge" that should be part of any rigorous program, there are also the "soft skills" that are often difficult to teach, especially online where we feel isolated. We try to see applications of soft skills through discussions forums and group work, and sometimes, the hangouts are helpful towards working on soft skills and connecting with others. Many organizations realize the importance of soft skills and hence, have begun to ask behavioral interview questions, which focus on how you handled various work situations in the past. Your response will reveal your skills, abilities, and personality. Below are two questions that might be used in behavioral interviews:
(1) Describe a stressful time in your life and what you did to manage the stress.
(2) Describe a time when you did not meet a goal at work or at school and share how you handled it.
