Advanced Placement Environmental
Science in the 21st Century
Mark Simcoe
Science Department Faculty
Saint Ursula Academy
Cincinnati, Ohio
The AP Environmental Science Course
 One semester (block schedule) science elective
offered to juniors and seniors
 Prerequisites: biology & chemistry
 Students take the College Board AP environmental
science exam in May
 Interdisciplinary course – besides science,
draws on elements of economics, sociology, history,
political science, and more
What is Environmental Science?
Study of how the natural world works (i.e. ecology)
1.

Eg biogeochemical cycles, species interactions
2. How humans interact with the natural world

Eg water and land usage, atmosphere, energy
Problems that arise from these interactions
3.

4.
Eg water pollution & misuse, agricultural issues,
deforestation, air pollution, climate change
Solutions to those problems
Methods Used in this Course
 Most students find that while there is a lot of
information, the information is not difficult to
understand
 Allows for use of flipped classroom


Technology play a major role- all students have tablet PCs
No note taking in class- students read & look at notes at home

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Class time is spent doing labs, activities, watching films,
student research and presentation


Frees up class time immensely
Strong emphasis on students teaching/presenting to each other on
specific topics
My goal: variety

students never know exactly what to expect each day
Why is this class important for students
today more than ever?
 There are two problems for our species' survival - nuclear
war and environmental catastrophe - and we're hurtling
towards them. Knowingly. --Noam Chomsky
 It's (climate change) the biggest issue the planet has ever
faced. --Bill McKibben
 It's obvious that the key problem facing humanity in the
coming century is how to bring a better quality of life - for 8
billion or more people - without wrecking the environment
entirely in the attempt. --E.O. Wilson
Why is this class important for students
today more than ever?
 No longer a field for “hippies” or “tree huggers”
 Problems we are facing today are present now,
immediate, and unavoidable. For example:





First 8 months of 2012 were the hottest in recorded U.S.
history
More elephants were poached last year than any year since the
global ivory trade ban in 1989
Half of the Great Barrier Reef was lost in past 27 years
FDA has continuously rejected a ban on BPA in food packaging
Roughly only 50% (and falling) of world’s rainforests remain
“Controversy” that the class presents
 “A lot of these issues can be politically sensitive.”
 “I don’t believe in global warming.”
 Science operates outside the realm of politics.
 Science is not about ideology or belief.
 Scientists base ideas on data, evidence, and
experimentation.
 The politicization of environmental issues
What are the Major Issues Today?
 Although numerous, the 3 top environmental issues
today are:
 1. Human population growth




Surpassed 7 billion in 2011
Most of this growth occurring in developing countries that lack
resources to handle growth
India expected to surpass China in population by end of this
decade
How do we provide resources for all of these people?
What are the Major Issues Today?
 2. Issues of water
 70% of world’s water used for agriculture, 20% for industry,
10% for human use/consumption
 Depletion of water reserves/aquifers is a fast growing problem
Eg Ogallala aquifer in central U.S.
 Loss of water reserves in the form of melting mountain glaciers
 Eg Himalayas


Water pollution remains a major problem
worldwide

Increased concern for nonpoint pollution sources
What are the Major Issues Today?
 3. Climate Change
 Many consider this the largest environmental problem today


Also considered the largest threat to humanity
Global warming is only one aspect of climate change
How is Climate Change Occurring?
 The natural greenhouse effect of Earth
 Sun’s energy travels down and reflects off Earth’s surface
 Infrared radiation (heat) encounters greenhouse gases (CO2,
H2O, CH4, N2O) in atmosphere
 Heat is then reflected back to Earth, becomes trapped in
atmosphere
Greenhouse gases serve as blanket that traps in Sun’s heat
 Without natural greenhouse effect, Earth would be uninhabitable

How is Climate Change Occurring?
 Humans are increasing greenhouse effect by
increasing amount of greenhouse gases in
atmosphere


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Release of methane and nitrous oxide through agriculture and
other activities
Deforestation – less carbon dioxide absorbed from atmosphere
Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide levels have risen since industrial revolution
 Humans have never seen carbon dioxide levels this high
 CO2 levels in September 2012 were at 391 ppm
 Correlation between CO2 and average global temperatures is clear

What are the Effects of Climate Change?
 Global average temperatures are approximately 0.8
degrees Celsius higher than pre industrial times

2 degrees C is considered the tipping point
What are the Effects of Climate Change?
 Changes in global water cycle
 Increased drought and wildfire
 Major effects on agriculture
 Increased deforestation
 Decrease in snow, ice pack
 Loss of Arctic sea ice
 Loss of animal habitat
 Will greatly affect planet’s weather
What are the Effects of Climate Change?
 Increase in heat waves
 2012 could be the hottest year on record
 Ocean acidification, ocean warming, sea level rise
 Less dissolved oxygen in ocean, coral reef bleaching
 Major threats to island nations, low lying countries
 Major effects on global economy, environmental
refugees
Positive Feedback Loops
 Are not necessarily a good thing
 With climate change, effects produced by warmer
climate feed back to produce even warmer climate
 This causes a domino or snowballing effect where
problem gets worse and worse
 Changes in climate can cause runaway effect where
they are irreversible and perhaps unstoppable

Examples include albedo in the Arcitc, release of carbon
dioxide from oceans, loss of forests, release of methane from
Arctic
Solutions to Climate Problem
 1. Decrease deforestation, increase reforestation
 Will increase amount of carbon dioxide removed from atmosphere
 2. Make transition from nonrenewable carbon-based
energy to renewable energy

Solar and wind

Eg Harnessing only 20% of world’s wind could generate 7X amount of
energy that world currently uses
 Must conquer the “environment or the economy” mentality
 Both can move forward in a positive way
Hope in APES
 Study of these topics can lead to overwhelming
feelings of hopelessness, negativity

Major challenge of teaching APES is instilling hope and
avoiding feelings of hopelessness
 Must constantly reinforce the idea that we do have
solutions to these problems
 Challenge is how to implement the solutions
Hope in APES
 What reasons do we have for hope today?
 People (especially kids) today are more aware & concerned for
these issues than ever before
All 3 sections of APES that I teach are full
 Numerous students after taking APES have decided to study
environmental fields in college
 Many students have become environmental “warriors” through
this class


Technology gives greater connectivity, easy access to
information, collaborative work, and organization of causes &
movements
Hope in APES
 The world’s youth are awakening to the need
for deep transformative change and the fact
that its realization will depend on their
leadership.
-David C. Korten, economist,
author, & educator
 Questions? Comments?
 Contact me for further information for your own
classes or personal knowledge:
msimcoe@saintursula.org