ENMT301 Enviroment And Ecosystems Prinicples

Week 3 Discussion

DQ1 Water Footprint Calculator

Take a look at your results from the Water Footprint Calculator you completed this week and briefly answer the following questions:

What is your total water footprint? Is it more or less than you expected?

Note how your water footprint is broken down into food consumption, domestic water use, and industrial goods consumption.

Now let us consider some other ways of breaking down your water footprint:

We distinguish direct and indirect water use. What is the difference? Based on your results, is your water footprint more direct or indirect? Briefly explain.

We also distinguish consumptive and non-consumptive water uses. What is consumptive water use? What is non-consumptive water use? Can you think of some examples of each based on your water consumption?

How does your diet affect your water footprint? What are the implications?

What other conclusions can you draw from your water footprint results?

Water is a renewable resource.  So why do we need to be concerned about our water footprint when water is renewable through the water cycle?

What are regional and global impacts of our large water footprints?

DQ2 Protecting Biodiversity – In Your Own Backyard

This week’s readings introduce you to biodiversity and its importance, along with major threats against biodiversity.

How do our consumption patterns affect global environmental issues and in particular global species extinction?

Now let’s take a closer look at biodiversity and species endangerment in your own backyard. Visit the Endangered Species website of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at: https://www.fws.gov/endangered/

Select the state you live in and scroll down to see the animals and plants that are threatened or endangered there. Now, select one species to research further:

What is the importance of this species? For example, how does it contribute to its ecosystem? What ecosystem services does this species provide or contribute to?

What are the major threats to this particular species?

What conservation efforts have been made to protect this species? Do you think these efforts effectively address the threats? Why or why not?

For (2), please select a species not previously covered by one of your classmates or add on to what your classmates have discussed with new insights. Post your response using the species you selected as header for your post!

DQ3  Thinking about your ENMT Career: Exploration of UMUC career services

First of all, please explore UMUC career services as it is free and can be very helpful.

Please go to: https://careerquest.umuc.edu:

If you already have a CareerQuest account, login using your UMUC sign-on and password.

If you do not have a CareerQuest account, click on “Join Community!”

Fill out the required information.

This activity takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

If you have questions, email careerservices@umuc.edu or call 240-684-2720 for assistance.

Now that you are on CareerQuest, explore what is available to you.

Which careers in environmental management interest you most? Search for job opportunities for these in these careers in CareerQuest and report 3-5 relevant careers that you found.