ENVSTY101: THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS | TERM PAPER
Due December 6, 2023
During our class we have and will continue to learn about urgent environmental problems and their complexities. We also discuss innovative, cross-sector solutions. In approximately 1000 words, describe one environmental problem and how to solve it.
REQUIREMENTS
· Due December 6th at 4PM uploaded to Blackboard in .pdf, .doc, or .docx form under “Submit Term Paper”
· A HARD COPY must also be passed in in class on December 6th
· Paper should be approximately 1000 words
· APA format
· Font: Times New Roman or Calibri 12 pt
· Paper must have citations and a bibliography, and no plagiarism will be tolerated (That includes any use of artificial intelligence)
GRADING RUBRIC
· The term paper is worth 20 points towards the total 120 points you can earn in the class (without extra credit).
· The grading rubric is as follows:
| Points | Considerations |
| 4 | · well-written and concise
· paper has been reviewed and spell-checked and is free of typos and grammatical errors · length of your paper is appropriate (approximately 1000 words) · paper is written in APA format and includes name, date, paper title, body text, and a bibliography · in-text citations are in APA format · bibliography is in APA format · paper has a compelling title · paper was passed in during class on December 5th and uploaded to Blackboard on time · paper is in Times New Roman or Calibri size 12 font |
| 8 | · the environmental problem is clearly stated in the introduction
· you use empirical statistics to characterize why this is a problem · you demonstrate understanding of the economic and political drivers of the problem · you demonstrate understanding of how the problem impacts humans including human health if applicable · you demonstrate understanding of how the problem impacts biodiversity if applicable · you have stated why the problem is (1) urgent and (2) complex |
| 8 | · You have presented a feasible solution to the problem and how the solution can be achieved
· You have identified the “players” that need to come to the table to solve the problem (i.e. government leaders, advocacy groups, corporate leaders across specific sectors, consumers, etc) · You have identified a “starting point” to catalyze the movement towards the solution |
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A TOPIC
· Have any of these problems resonated with you on a personal level?
· Are you interested in global vs domestic issues or both?
· What statistics in class have you found most striking?
· Are you interested in diving into US policy solutions? – If so, choose a domestic environmental problem.
· Are you interested in international affairs? – If so, choose a problem that requires international collaboration like climate change or ocean acidification.
· Maybe there is an environmental issue that intersects with one of your passions, like fashion or art or hunting. Perhaps explore a problem relevant to YOU.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
· The Purdue Online Writing Lab has helpful resources pertaining to APA citations
· Please visit the UMass Boston Writing Center for assistance if you need it
· Project Drawdown is a great resource for solutions if your problem is related to climate change
· Refer to this class reading if your problem is related to waste or recycling
· Refer to the videos embedded in the course slides for inspiration
· Dr. Butler will hold “Term Paper Office Hours” if you need to drop in with specific questions or need help, date and time details to follow
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