Water Quality Co-Benefits: The Importance of Wetlands
Please read ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM, do not skim! There are both hints and requirements throughout, and most points that are lost in this class are simply due to not following the prompt.
The purpose of this paper assignment (3 pages, double-spaced, 12pt font) is to consider WATER QUALITY CO-BENEFITS to actions that can be used to mitigate climate change. All environmental systems are linked. It is not a matter of picking and choosing which environmental problem to fix in isolation from all others. Just as water quality problems arise when contaminant inputs exceed the natural rate at which a water body can clean itself up (i.e. the TMDL concept), the same is true for climate change -- we are dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere faster than they can naturally be scrubbed.
Your primary resource for this prompt will be the book "Drawdown: The most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming" edited by Paul Hawken. However, you do not need to purchase the book, you can go to ProjectDrawdown.org and click on "View the Solutions" to get started. You will *not* see any solutions that say, "Cleaning up water," which means you will have to think about connected systems. How could you imagine that "Forest Protection" will improve water quality? What about "Reduced Food Waste" or "Plant-Rich Diet"? (Hint: anything that reduces agriculture will improve water quality). What about "Bioplastics," "Family Planning," or "Educating Girls"? There are at least one hundred solutions to choose from, and we're happy to bounce ideas with you.
A key component of this paper is that I want you to take a stab at some back of the envelope calculations as to what the impacts might be. We can also help you sort out what information you might need to make such a calculation, but then it will be up to you to figure out what numbers (or range of numbers) that you want to use. I provide a couple of examples at the bottom of this prompt.
Remember that a strong paper centers around STORY, and also needs a compelling challenge or thesis statement. Again, we are happy to look at your one-liners for this and give you feedback!
A strong paper will summarize--but not plagiarize--the Drawdown solution that you have chosen (all in the first paragraph or two) and then quickly move on to your challenge/thesis statement. Don't try to take on too many separate water quality issues, focus on one and do a good job. A strong paper will be specific on the water quality issue/contaminant being addressed and will give some background as to the extent of the problem, at least here in California or the U.S., but it also could be appropriate to contextualize the problem globally -- as long as it's not so big and complicated that you can't do a good job with it.
Please feel free to discuss your topic with either your instructor or your TA, and take full advantage of our office hours to bounce your ideas off of us, or to get help with writing strategies. Also, the Learning Skills Center (2205 Dutton Hall) is a great resource for writing assistance. Finally, Wikipedia is a helpful first resource for learning about environmental and water quality issues, but it is NOT an accepted source for this course. Please go to the original source and reference that. Interviewing members of campus environmental organizations may give you ideas and a unique angle on this assignment.
For this assignment, please indicate a topic sentence in each paragraph by underlining, italicizing, or making it bold. Also please make each topic sentence a 2-3-1 sentence, as covered in class. It leads to better logic and organization, which leads to a better paper. Remember the OCAR formula -- Opening (appeals to broadest appropriate audience), Challenge (what are you specifically trying to accomplish and why?), Action (develop your "characters" and plot to get to the . . .), Resolution (this is the glorious finale in which you save the planet TWICE, once for climate change, once for water quality).
We also require that you use in-text citation when referencing your sources for this paper. Please review the Citation document in Writing Assignments folder under Resources on smartsite for further information on this technique.
Paper will be due __________, and submitted electronically on Canvas.
Scores for late papers will be reduced 10% for every day past the deadline.
EXAMPLE CALCULATIONS:
Here is an example that is not relevant to this assignment but gives you an idea: How much water could UCDavis harvest for irrigation if they were to collect all rainwater from their roofs? Well, you would need to know the rough total surface area of the roof tops on campus, and you would need to know the average annual precipitation. Multiply the two together and you get a volume of water (that you would then need to convert into something meaningful). Here is another example that might be closer to this assignment: How much less freshwater would be needed for human consumption if the population of the planet is 900 million people smaller in 2050 than what is currently projected? You would need to figure out an average daily or monthly or yearly water usage per person and multiply it by 900 million. But note that that calculation is about water QUANTITY, not QUALITY, so it still doesn't quite speak to this prompt.
Water Quality Co-Benefits
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Water Quality Co-Benefits
A wetland is an area that is saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency that is enough to support life through vegetation and other saturated soil conditions. These types of lands are common along with the coastal areas, where land and ocean meet. They comprise salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses. They are present on every continent, except in Antarctica. These lands provide a perfect example of how nature balances itself. They serve as nurseries for fish, feed migratory birds, and protect dry land against storm surges and floodwaters. Coastal wetlands should be protected because of their role in protecting living organisms, purifying water from chemical and bacterial contaminants, and reducing climate change by containing dangerous greenhouse gases.
Background
In California, drinking water is sometimes unsafe because of contamination from various chemical and bacterial microorganisms. The contamination emanates from both natural and human sources. Natural contaminants of the California drinking water can be found in rocks, soil, or fires. On the contrary, human sources include factories, sewage, and surface runoffs from farms, which come along with fertilizer chemicals. The problem is worse among people living in rural areas because of the increased agricultural activities, in which farmers rely on fertilizers to supplement soil nutrients and pesticides to reduce pests. In this regard, nitrates from the fertilizers or animal manure leach into the groundwater and contaminate wells. These nitrates are associated with a blue baby syndrome, a blood condition in infants. It may also lead to birth defects and miscarriages.
Analysis
Wetlands play an essential role in maintaining the hydrologic cycle. They receive, store, and release water in various ways, such as through the underground, the surface, and via transpiration. Through this action, they help reduce floods, recharge groundwater, and augment low flows. Consequently, these structures are classified into three categories based on their hydrological function: general catchment location, connectivity with the groundwater system, and connectivity with the downstream channel network. A majority of the wetlands are linked to rivers and aquifers, which means that as the river joins them, it deposits the nutrients, allowing the water to flow out while less saturated and hence cleaner. The hydrological cycle is also balanced when these wetlands help to slow down floods that might cause extreme damage to the land.
Wetlands are also important because they help to maintain an ecosystem balance. They provide water and the nutrients that encourage the growth of plants, which in turn serve as food for the aquatic organisms and generate...