Nature – A Personal Experience
[ send me this paper ]
This 7 page report discusses Galanthus or Amaryllidaceae as one of the first signals of spring in colder climates. They grow best in full sun to light shade and cool, moist soil. But of greater importance in the context of this lesson or “parable” is whether or not and how much of the truth can the “common folk” understand and survive. But when a person focuses only on the larger picture of Earth as a backdrop for humanity, he or she loses the fundamental realization that the Earth is its own reality, separate and apart from the creatures who inhabit it. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: BWnature.rtf

Reclamation Master Alternatives
[ send me this paper ]
A 6 page environmental engineering paper discussing alternatives to soil reclamation projects in which there were few active steps made in reclaiming contaminated soil, projects in which the preferred method of reclamation were of the 'wait and see' variety. Alternatives suggested include lowering soil pH so that the contaminants are more available for plant uptake, planting the contaminated soil with varieties susceptible to uptake of the primary contaminants, followed by harvest and destruction of the plants so that the contaminants removed by the plants are not reintroduced to the soil. The paper encourages the environmental engineer to use the wealth of research data, such as plant species and specific contaminant compatibility, to speed reclamation projects and reduce their total cost. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Reclamat.wps

Soil Conservation Policy
[ send me this paper ]
Soil Conservation Policy : This 5 page paper focuses on the soil erosion problem and the ineffective government attempts to correct the problem. The Conservation Reserve Program is discussed. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Soil.wps

The World Scientists' Warning To Humanity And Its Relation To Soils
[ send me this paper ]
A 5 page overview of the implications of the 'World Scientists' Warning to Humanity' to soils. Recounts the havoc agriculture and modern and historic subsistence practices have dealt on the world's soils. Bibliography lists 9 sources.
Filename: Wsoils.rtf

The First Thanksgiving & Recycling / Lesson Plans for Grade School Students
[ send me this paper ]
This 4 page paper provides 3 brief lesson plan descriptions (social studies, art and writing process) for the subjects of the First Thanksgiving and Recycling. These lesson plans are for children in grade school, grades 3-4, and include appropriate assignments to be adjusted by instructors relative to grade level designations. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Thankrec.wps

Polystyrene
[ send me this paper ]
A 7 page paper discussing the structure of and uses for this polymer. Objections over landfill usage led McDonalds to abandon their polystyrene packaging in 1990, but it remains the choice for other food service applications of all kinds. Recycling has not been practical in the past, but new methods have been instituted recently that hold promise even for that aspect of polystyrene uses. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Filename: KSpolysty.wps

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria: Evolution and Occurrence
[ send me this paper ]
An 8 page overview of the trait of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Discusses the mechanisms for passing on this trait and describes one landfill site in detail where such bacteria are known to occur. Bibliography lists 12 sources.
Filename: PPresBac.wps

Chicago-Area Landfills -- Politics and Controversy
[ send me this paper ]
This 15 page report discusses the landfills in the communities surrounding Chicago. In a metropolitan area and its surrounding communities, especially one with the population base of the Chicago area, issues surrounding waste management and local landfills have become an important political, economic, and social issue, as much (perhaps more than) a environmental issue. Local governments face increasing regulatory costs in owning and operating landfills, as well as ever more difficult challenges in finding politically acceptable locations for new facilities to replace old ones or accommodate new landfill growth. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: BWlndfil.wps