Interesting Article: Being a Digital Native Isn't Enough

The fact that I grew up with black and white TV's, manual typewriters, and rotary phones officially qualifies me as an "old fart".  Not surprisingly, old farts look at technology differently than the generation that has grown up with technology.

This article from a Scientific American Blog has an interesting perspective on how your generation uses technology.  Take a look and let me know what you think.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/08/28/being-a-digital-native-isnt-enough/

EVHM 3305's List of Important Environmental Issues

Yesterday in class I asked you to "list the most important environmental issues".  I though that there was a lot of agreement among members of the class.

Here is a list of issues (in no paticular order)

Energy (renewable energy, fossil fuels, nuclear energy)
Water Issues
Invasive Species
Human Population Growth
Waste of Resources
Habitat Destruction
Climate Change
Pollution
Extinction
Dwindling Food Supply
Deforestation

We will address most of these issues during the semester.

Just So You Know- Tech Climate Scientist Receives Hate Mail

Hello Everyone,

Here is a link to a couple of articles, from last spring,  about Tech Political Science Professor Katharine Hayhoe. Dr. Hayhoe is a climate scientist whose research supports the conclusion that human activity have helped to cause global climate change. Dr. Hayhoe is perhaps unique in the debate about climate change because she is an evangelical Christian and she and her husband, a pastor, have written a book about climate change from an evangelical perspective.

http://www.katharinehayhoe.com/

I was quite disturbed to learn that her views have led to her receiving death threats!! If you would like to know more about this then please take a look at the following articles. I think these articles show how misunderstood the process of science is by many Americans!

Texas Tech scientist sees intimidation effort behind barrage of hate mail. http://texasclimatenews.org/wp/?p=4153

Newt Dumps Christian Climate Scientist
http://motherjones.com/environment/2012/01/newt-dumps-leading-climate-scientist

Critical Thinking Exercise- Governor Perry's Comments of Climate Change

Here is a link to a video with Governor Perry's answer to a question about climate change at the Republican Presidential Candidates' Debate on September 7, 2011.

**I am sorry that I couldn't find a clip on youtube that lacked a "comment" in the title of the video- I'll report, you decide ****

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYOQDz9Gt0Q

Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change II

Most of the slides from the global climate change portion of this presentation came from Katharine Hayhoe's website (she is a professor in the Tech Political Science Dept and the link to her website is listed on the presentation).

Global Carbon Cycle and Global Climate Change
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/C6iDTujQlIh73C

Further Reading

Climate Change FAQ- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Climate_change_FAQs

Causes of Climate Change- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Causes_of_climate_change

Economics of Climate Change- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Economics_of_climate_change

Mauna Loa Curve- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mauna_Loa_curve

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- identify the major reservoirs of carbon

- discuss the two most important biological processes that result in a movement of carbon from one reservoir to another

- discuss the three ways that human activity has altered the global carbon cycle

- explain the Mauna Loa Curve

- discuss why climate scientists have concluded that global temperatures have increased

- discuss why cllimate scientists have concluded that this increase in temperature is most likely caused by humans

- discuss some potential consequences of global climate change

Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change

Further Reading

Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

A report of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:
Summary for Policymakers
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-spm.pdf

IPCC- Synthesis Report- http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf

Articles from EoE

Global Warming- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Global_warming

Science in the News! West Nile Virus

Why West Nile Virus Is a Self-Inflicted Wound

Read more: http://science.time.com/2012/08/21/why-west-nile-virus-is-a-self-inflicted-wound/#disqus_thread#ixzz24ltblbnT

http://science.time.com/2012/08/21/why-west-nile-virus-is-a-self-inflicted-wound/#disqus_thread

Take a look at the comment section as well!!

The Hierarchical Nature of Ecology

In order to understand the science behind environmental issues it will be necessary to have a basic knowledge of the science of ecology.

Ecology has been defined in many ways. The definition that I prefer is that "ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organism and their environment." Organisms interact with two distincly different parts of the environment. The "abiotic (non-living) environment" includes all of the non-living attributes of the environment including water, soil characteristics, temperature, etc. The "biotic environment" includes all of the living organisms and involves interactions such as competition, predation, mutualism, etc.

Hierarchical Organization of Ecology

Ecology can be studied at different hierarchical levels.

1. Individuals have phenotypic characteristics such as morphology (e.g., eye color, height, etc.), physiology (blood type, photosynthetic ability, etc.), and behavior (food preferences, response to stimuli, etc.). We can understand the characteristics of organisms by studying how natural selection has affected those traits.

2. A population is a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area. Individuals in the same population interact via competition and sometimes predation (e.g., canibalism).

Some species live in very large populations whereas others live in very small populations. Ecologists are interested in understanding the factors that influence population size (this is important because when population size equals zero individuals then a population has gone extinct.)

3. A community is a group of different species living together in the same environment. Interspecific interactions including competition, predation, and mutualisms are some of the most interesting, and most important, aspects of ecology.

4. An ecosystem involves all of the biotic components in a community as well as the abiotic components. Unlike the lower levels of the ecological hierarchy where the focus is on living organisms, ecosystem ecologists are interested in understanding theh flow of energy and nutrients through the ecosystem. Some of the most important environmental issues facing us today are caused by human alteration of these cycles.

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define ecology

- define individual, population, community, and ecosystem

- diagram and discuss the hierarchical organization of ecology

- discuss examples of how one level of ecology can bge affected by the level above or below it

Reading

Ecology- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecology

Organization of Life: Species, Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems in PhysicalGeography.net by Michael Pidwirny
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9d.html

A Brief Introduction to Environmental Issues

Here is a link to the powerpoint presentation I made in class about Environmental Issues and the Earthquake in Haiti.

http://www.slideshare.net/secret/DhiGqDTZBsDIeY

Possibly Useful Reference

Here is a link to an online Environmental Science textbook that is published on the Encyclopedia of Earth. This book is written for an AP Environmental Science class so it is a bit basic, but it is not a bad place to start.

http://www.eoearth.org/article/AP_Environmental_Science_Online_Course

What is Science?

“The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.” Albert Einstein

What is Science?

Science is a way of learning about the world. Other ways of learning about the world include philosophy and religion.

Science is differentiated from alternative ways of learning about the world by
1) what it studies
2) how it studies it

(a) Science deals with the natural world and assumes that the world is governed by “natural laws” (I don’t spend too much time worrying about where these laws came from, I just accept that they exist)and (b) science only studies things that can be observed

Religion, on the other hand, deals with the supernatural, so science simply can’t study it.

Scientists learn about the world using the scientific method. Scientists use observations and experiments to test predictions of hypotheses. Thus, data determines “truth” in science. Religious truth often relies on “revelations” not data.

Thus, science and religion differ on what they can study and how they study it. Here is the critical question- which way of learning about the world is best? Any particular method is not the best, they are complementary ways of learning about the world and each works best within its intended boundaries. For example, science has nothing to say about religion, faith, or God.

My suggestion is that if you want to study observable phenomena that take place in the natural world then science is the best approach. We spend our lives surrounded by the applied knowledge that comes from using the process of science.

Think about a couple of examples

1) you come out in the morning and you can’t start your car.

Possible hypotheses
- you left your lights on and the battery has gone dead
- something is wrong with the starter

Where do these hypotheses come from? The knowledge that engines run according the laws of physics and chemistry helps us to understand how they work.

Alternative hypotheses
- you ran over a fairy on the way home last night and they are punishing you
- your neighbor is a witch and has put a hex on your car because your dog barks too much

We are likely to laugh at these alternative hypotheses because we understand the mechanical basis of car problems. Who do you take your car to for repairs- (i) Gus the mechanic (who whether he knows it or not uses his knowledge of physics and chemistry to diagnose what is wrong and repair your car) or (ii) Princess Fatima the Gypsy around the corner? Obviously, we choose Gus.

2) What do you do if you get sick?

The most obvious answer is that you go to the Doctor and do what they tell you. Certainly you might ask people to pray for you or pray for yourself. Some religions (e.g., Christian Scientists) rely on spiritual healing alone and will not take their children to the doctor when they are sick. I doubt that most people around here would support that position.

Readings

What is science? from Understanding Science: How Science Really Works. UC Berkeley
http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/whatisscience_01

For an interesting discussion of the difference between "belief knowledge" and "research knowledge" check out "What is science?" by Bruce Tiffney from the University of California Museum of Paleontology
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/events/tiffney3a.html

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define science

- distinguish science from other ways of learning about the world

- articulate their personal view of how science relates to their everyday life

The Mark McGinley Story

You have already gotten to know Brock, so now you can learn a little bit more about me. Here is the perfect cure for insomnia!

The Formative Years
I was born in Corpus Christi, TX and after a couple of moves we ended up in Rosenberg, (near Houston) where I attended grade school. I was interested in biology from an early age; I watched Marlin Perkins and Jacque Cousteau (your parents should know who they are) and I spent a lot of time outdoors on family camping and fishing trips. Even though I grew up near Houston during the Apollo years, I always thought that it would be much cooler to be a biologist than an astronaut.

When I was in the sixth grade my family moved to Australia for four years. This was an amazing life change for a kid who thought that the annual trip to my grandparents’ house in Oklahoma was a big deal. I had the incomparable experience of living in another country and experiencing a whole new way of life. Probably the biggest difference between Australia and the U.S. was the schools. I went to an all-boys English-style, private school where we had to wear uniforms (suits and ties) and straw boater hats to class everyday (this probably explains my preferred style of dress today).

The move also provided me with the opportunity to travel the world. During trips through Europe and Asia we saw many places of historical and cultural interest. Among my favorites were the Coliseum in Rome, the Tower of London, and Mt. Fuji in Japan. More importantly, my travels exposed me to many new biological experiences including seeing hippos, gazelles, elephants, and a cheetah in South Africa, snorkeling and beachcombing in Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, and the Great Barrier Reef, chasing emus through the Australian outback, watching a male lyrebird do his mating dance, watching fairy penguins come ashore for the night off of the coast of southern Australia, and many sightings of other Australian wildlife including kangaroos and koalas (how many people do you know that have ever seen a koala running along the ground?).

During the summer before my sophomore year in high school we moved to Thousand Oaks, CA (old-timers will remember TO as the former summer home of the Dallas Cowboys before they were ruined by Jerry Jones) where I graduated from high school. During my senior year I spent a week studying ecology and philosophy in Yosemite National Park and this trip confirmed by desire to be a biologist.

Education

I enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara to study biology. UCSB is an incredible place to go to school (I could see the ocean from my bedroom window three out of the four years that I was there) and it also happened to have one of the best ecology programs in the world. Joe Connell (one of the most influential ecologist of our era) taught the ecology section of my intro biology course and also taught my first ecology course, so it is probably his fault that I am here today because after finishing his course I knew that I wanted to be an ecologist. Later, after taking courses from Steve Rothstein and Bob Warner, I became interested in behavioral and evolutionary ecology and I decided to go to grad school to study behavioral ecology. I went to Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS which was a pretty big change from UCSB. I enjoyed K-State (I learned to bleed purple for Wildcat basketball) and I was lucky to be able to spend summers working for my advisor Chris Smith at the Mountain Research Station in Colorado studying pollination in lodgepole pine. My Masters Thesis extended optimal foraging models to examine woodrats foraging for non-food items (sticks that they use to build their houses). I also did a theoretical study examining how food stress should affect sex ratios. I earned a Ph. D. at the University in Salt Lake City. For my Ph. D. thesis with Jon Seger, I developed models and conducted experiments to understand the causes of seed size variation in plants. During my little free time, I played volleyball with the U of U Volleyball Club team and I was probably the only person in the whole city who did not ski (I still don’t see the point of intentionally getting cold). I spent two years working as a post-doctoral researcher with Dave Tilman at the University of Minnesota. Our research focused on succession in old fields at Cedar Creek Natural History Area just north of Minneapolis.

Life at Texas Tech
I started as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Texas Tech University in 1991. I am currently an Associate Professor with a joint position in the Honors College and the Department of Biological Sciences. In the Honors College I work closely with the Natural History and Humanities degree (this degree progam recently changed it's name to Environment and the Humanities(http://www.depts.ttu.edu/honors/nhh/).

Teaching

I teach a wide variety of classes at Tech. Two of my favorite courses are Tropical Marine Biology (taught in Jamaica and Belize) and the Rio Grande Class (we take a week-long canoe trip through Big Bend over Spring Break). For the past 6 summers I have worked as a scuba instructor and marine biologist with Odyssey Expeditions leading sailing and scuba trips through the Caribbean (British Virgin Islands, Martinique, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines).

Scholarship
For several years I conducted ecological research in the sand shinnery oak community in West Texas. My current interests are in science curriculum development, environmental education, and informatl science education. I serve as a member of the Stewardship Committee of the Environmental Information Coalition and as an Associate Editor for the Encyclopedia of the Earth (http://www.eoearth.org/). In the Malaysian Bat Education Adventure we are using the ecology of Malaysian Bats as the focus of an integrated science curriculum for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Development Leave in Malaysia
In 2010-2011 I spent 11 months as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar in Malaysia. While I was there I was a Visiting Professor in the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity at the University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. I taught a course, worked with Malaysian scholars, and spent a lot of time travelling around and learning more about Malaysia. I was able to see lots of interesting biology in the rainforests and coral reefs. How many people do you know who have seen a wild Orangutan, a Borneo Pygmy Elephant, and have had a sea turtle lay eggs in their hand? I had a great time over there (what I am doing back in LBK?)!

To see more about my adventures check out my blog
http://markinmalaysia.blogspot.com/



Traveling


I enjoy traveling and I have been able to explore my passion for scuba diving on dive trips in Texas (San Solomon Springs in Balmorhea and the Flower Garden Banks) throughout the Caribbean as well as Yap, Palau, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Galapagos Islands .  I just returned from a trip to the Philippines and Malaysia.  My favorite marine critters include hammerhead sharks, pygmy sea horses, and “the pe

Course Syllabus

Ecology: The Science Behind Environmental Issues

Fall 2012 EVHM 3305-H01 MWF 2:00 - 2:50 English 304

Instructor
Dr. Mark McGinley
Room 215 McClelland Hall
mark.mcginley@ttu.edu

Office Hours:
T-Th- 10-11 or by appointment

I encourage you to make an appointment to meet with me if you need to see me. The easiest ways to do this are (1) to talk to me either before or after class or (2) to send me an email listing times when you are available to meet with me and then I will let you know which works best for me.

Course Outline
Climate change, extinction, the ozone hole, deforestation, pollution, invasive species, wind or nuclear power, and water supply are all environmental issues facing us today and in the future. If we are going to make wise decisions about these and other issues related to the environment then it will be necessary for us to have a strong understanding of the science behind the issues. This course will provide the background in ecology necessary to understand environmental issues and then examine important environmental issues affecting us at a local, state, national, and global scale.

THIS COURSE FULFILLS 3 HOURS OF THE HONORS SEMINAR REQUIREMENT AND UPPER DIVISION BIOLOGY CREDIT.

Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days

A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.

Academic Integrity.

Texas Tech University faculty strive to foster a spirit of complete honesty and high standards of integrity. Any attempt by students to present as their own work any work not honestly performed is regarded by faculty and administration as a most serious offence and renders offenders liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension from the university. “Scholastic dishonesty” includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give an unfair academic advantage to a student. A detailed list of offenses is available in the Code of Student Conduct, found in Part IX, pp. 20-21 in the current Student Handbook, available on line at:
http://www.studentaffairs.ttu.edu?publications/SA_handbook_2005-2006.pdf.
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until
appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.

Expected Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, a fully-engaged student will be able to:

1. Discuss basic concepts in population, community, and ecosystem ecology. Assessed by performance in class discussions, exams, written papers, and class presentation.

2. Discuss the ecological concepts that underlie environmental issues such as eutrophication, effects of invasive species, etc. Assessed by performance on in class discussions, exams, written papers, and class discussion.

3. Lead and participate in group discussions about ecology and environmental issues. Assess by performance on class discussion and presentation.

4. Write about environmental issues. Assessed performance on written papers.

5. Present information about ecology and environmental issues to a “non expert” group. Assessed by performance on class presentation.

6. Become more aware of current environmental issues. Assessed by performance in class discussions, exams, written papers, and class presentation


Grading
Midterm exam 20%
Final exam 10%
Participation in workshops, online, and discussion 10%
Writing assignments 30%
Presentation 30%

It is extremely important that all assignments be turned in on time!!!

Midterm and Final Exam
The written midterm and final exams will cover material discussed in lectures, class readings, and discussions.

Writing Assignments
2 papers. These papers will be three pages maximum double spaced (more details to follow).

Class Presentation
Each student will give a 40 minute presentation on an environmental topic of their choice (more details to follow).

Course Blog
I have created a blog for this course. This blog will be an important means of communication between us so I encourage you to check the blog early and often. The blog is located at http://ecology2012.blogspot.com/. Hopefully, most of your questions about the details of the class will be answered somewhere on the blog. In addition, I will list specific “expected learning outcomes” for each lesson to help you focus your study efforts.

Required Reading
There is no required textbook for this course. I will assign readings throughout the semester on the course blog http://ecology2012.blogspot.com/

Books About Writing
Writing well is important for effective communication. Thus, improving your writing skills is an important component of this course. Here are a couple of references that would be useful for you to have on your shelf (and use) throughout your college career. (these books are not required).

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves. The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. By Lynne Truss.


Tentative Course Schedule

Week 1. (August 27 - 31)
Introduction
Critical Thinking

Week 2. (September 5 - 7)
Monday Sept. 3rd- Holiday
Ecology in Brief
Environmental Issues in Brief

Week 3. (September 10 - 14)
Biosphere Level
- Climate Change

 - Week 4. (September 17 - 21)
Ecosystem Level
- Ecosystem Services
- Draft writing assignment #1 due September 21st

Week 5. (September 24 - 28)
Ecosystem Level
- Nitrogen cycle, eutrophication, dead zones
- Final draft assignment #1 due September 28

Week 6. (October 1 - 5)
Community Level
- Importance of Indirect Effects
- Invasive species

Week 7. (October 8 - 12)
Community Level
- Habitat Destruction


Week 8. (October 15 - 19)
Community Level
- Conservation Biology
- Rough draft writing assignment #2 due October 15th


Week 9. (October 22 - 26)
Population Level
- Extinction
- Final draft writing assignment #2 due October 22nd
- Midterm Exam- October 26th

Week 10. (October 29 - November 2)
Population Level
- Human Population Growth

Week 11. (November 5 - 9)
Student presentations

Week 12. (November 12 - 16)
Student presentations

Week 13. (November 14 - 18)
Student presentations

Week 14. (November 19)
Student presentations

Week 15. (November 26 - 30)
Student presentations

Week 16 (December 3 - 5)
Student presentations

Final Exam-
Wednesday December 12th, 4:30 - 7:00

1:30 to 4:00 PM