AP Environmental Science As An Elecive Class

Steffen, W., Crutzen, P. J., & McNeill, J. R. (2007). The Anthropocene: are humans now overwhelming the great forces of nature. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 36(8), 614-621.

Science is in my blood. I grew up always being fascinated in science both physical and environmental. My love for science started early when I was able to play outside every day and performing my own experiments in the backyard. Throughout middle school and high school, I took every available science course, I simply just wanted to know more. I did not know my exact path of study until my senior year in high school. I enrolled into an AP Environmental Science class, a brand new test run course at my school. Thinking back to AP Environmental Science, it was not just the material that directed my study. Ultimately it was my teacher, Mrs. Andre, who strengthen the flames of desire and intrigue to continue along the environmental studies path. Her drive and passion every day is what inspired me to focus on environmental education and communication.

The message of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment’s Governing Board is that human impacts on this resilient natural world are so unprecedented and extensive that we crossed the line into unsustainable consumption some time ago and are now depleting ecosystem capital stock instead of living off its sustainable goods and services.

What inspires someone is often revealing of who they truly are through the exposure of their values. For instance, I am inspired by people who are highly dedicated to achieving their objectives as I too take pride in reaching my goals both academically and otherwise. In particular, I am committed to studying diligently towards my goal of earning my Bachelor of Science degree. Likewise, I focus the same level of concentration towards mastering choreography within my dance and color guard performances. Both fields, academics and art, contribute to who I am as an individual.

The article by Bambury echoes the scientists warning that human beings should stop destroying the environment citing that it will adversely affect their survival. The article states that humans are stewards of the planet Earth and if they destroy it, they will bring misery to themselves. Besides, the study criticizes humans terming them as a species that may phase out other forms of life out of the planet Earth.

Anthropocene is a time period where the “effects of the humans on the global environment have escalated” (Crutzen 23). The Earth is no longer in its natural state but is “moving into a less biologically diverse, less forested, much warmer, and probably wetter and stormier state” (Steffen 614).

Never in the history of the human species have we been in such a rapidly changing environment. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, we have been making social, economical, scientific, and environmental changes and advancements at an unprecedented rate. Societal advancements, while much appreciated by the average Joe, have been detrimental to our environment. Every days forests are cut, rivers polluted, and once ecologically important areas are cemented over to compensate for our rapidly growing population. As the status of our natural world becomes more critical by the year it is important that we look at the driving factors and reasons for this destruction of the natural world. While pollutants and globalization are the driving

The book was very in depth and she thoroughly explained her claims through facts and data. Her claims successfully explain the patterns of life on Earth through numerous studies and she explains the dangers of extinction. The author concludes her work with the fact that humans are dependent on Earth’s biological and geochemical systems. Her work will continue to teach future readers the danger of human lifestyles if necessary actions toward sustainability are not taken. If humans continue to live their harmful lifestyles, then they will continue to danger wildlife species, the environment, and their own

The conversation of introducing environment sustainability actions on campus were solemnly expressed through individuals who had concern for the environment. In the book, “Greening the Ivory Tower” by Sarah Creighton, the author mentions ways students can take action to maintain a healthy environment. Creighton introduces the benefits of protecting the campus from harmful effects of abusing the environment around them. By doing so, she allows the readers to be aware of environmental issues in addition to providing solutions to these problems. Creighton claims, “Five ingredients are key to successful university action: . . . (2) university commitment and demonstrated support for

I will graduate from AHS with over one hundred hours of community service. I have gotten most of my hours by volunteering for the Anacortes Parks and Rec, as well as doing volunteer work through my high school. For the APRD, I have been a volunteer coach for volleyball and basketball for many years. I have also gotten some of my community service hours by collecting canned food for local food banks with my different sports teams. Three times a year, my teammates and I go out into the community and collect canned food to help fill the local food banks. The AP Environmental Science Class has allowed me to do volunteer work through the Green Club at AHS. I have gotten community service hours from the Green Club by helping build rain gardens in

The shift in audience in my second argument resuscitates a much vaguer argument, since my audience does not all share the same education background or the same views on a “green” economy. Therefore, my credibility as an author may decrease due to lack of understanding of a wider variety of people. The student body of Evergreen was an easy mark because they all had something in common (the

In Section 1 of Simon Nicholson and Paul Wapner’s text, Species Unbound: Humanity’s Environmental Impact, the authors bring significant insights into how humanity is producing a negative impact on the environment. Partly because “seven billion people” coupled with an ever-growing population are consuming scarce resources such as wood for paper/furniture etc. at rates faster than regeneration which is leading to resource depletion (Nicholson and Wapner 2015, 9-10). Furthermore, other key sustainability challenges are climate change due to the burning of fossil fuels and biodiversity loss, to name a few. Thus, humans are a negative impact on the environment in terms of not sustaining the Earth's resources, life, climate, and so forth. Since this effect on the environment is so profound some believe we are living in the Anthropocene- in which humans have become the central force in reigning supremacy over earth’s changing environmental conditions and resource depletion (11-12). The author’s claim that one way in which humans are altering the

As much as we as humans try to protect and conserve our planet’s natural resources, there seems to be no going back. We humans have already destroyed our planet. In the article “Conservation in the Anthropocene,” Karieva starts off by saying that “By its own measures, conservation is failing. Biodiversity on Earth continues its rapid decline… Simply put, we are losing many more special places and species than we're saving.” Karieva also defines this time period in which we live, referred to as the Anthropocene as a “new geological era in which humans dominate every flux and cycle of the planet's ecology

The Anthropocene can be described as how “Human activities have become so pervasive and profound that they rival the great forces of Nature…Earth is rapidly moving into a less biologically diverse, less forested, much warmer, and probably wetter and stormier state” (Steffen et al, 614). The term can also be determined to represent “the current geological epoch to emphasize the central role of humankind in geology and ecology” (Steffen et al, 615) and focus on the ways in which humans are causing significant changes to their “home” and “dwelling”.

From one state to another. From one house to another. To another school. New teachers and new friends. I am going through 10th grade this year. I drop AP Environmental Science since the class is not for me and I have two more years to take AP classes if I want to do them. My friend talks me into going to bowling tryouts. I get onto the team and I am learning constantly on how to improve. I found a new family and friends. My marketing teacher convinced me to do DECA. Went to districts at Ferris State. Going to States. Confidence improved. Competed at states and had fun with new