Diagnosing+a+County+Memos

This is a “running” memo that students will work on throughout our research program. Each week, they will add information that helps us understand the environmental health of their county.


 * Due April 3 **

climate change: what is it?
 * CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITIES** (KFortun)

__climate change in New York -- (how to tweak for older students)?__ http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/94702.html List five impacts of climate change in New York that have already been observed: (

List five ways climate change impacts are expected to worsen. (same link as above)

__climate smart communities__ (for papers, grab map here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/56876.html)

Review this[| website], then list towns in your community that have adopted the Department of Environmental Conservation's Climate Smart Communities pledge.

Review this DEC[| website], then list five actions towns should take to be considered a Climate Smart Community.


 * (Jordan -- needs to be tweaked for upper elementary) **

[]
 * REGIONAL ENERGY SOURCES** (Jordan -- needs to be tweaked for upper elementary)
 * 1) 1. Go to this website:
 * 1) 2. Type in your zip code and analyze your results


 * 1) 3. Fuel Mix Comparison (Chart 1)
 * 2) a. What does your region’s fuel mix tell you about your region?
 * 3) b. What are the differences between your region and the national energy mix?
 * 4) c. Why do you think your region uses the fuel mix that it does? Why do you think that our Nation uses the fuel that it does?
 * 5) d. Do you think that your regions Fuel mix is sustainable? Why?


 * 1) 4. Emissions Rate Comparisons (Chart 2)
 * 2) a. What does your region’s emissions rate tell you about your region?
 * 3) b. What are the differences between your region and the national emissions rate?
 * 4) c. How does your emissions rate compare to your fuel mix?
 * 5) d. Do you think your emissions rate is reasonable?

1) List two (new!) questions you think need to be asked to understand the environmental health of your county.
 * Due Thursday, March 27 (Karin Patze) **

2) Water quality! See []  On the map at the bottom of the webpage (above) for New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation, click on the area of New York that you think your county is in.  On the next webpage, under the heading ‘location’ look for your county to see if you chose correctly. If you did, great! Move on to the questions below. If not, using your ‘back’ button, go back to the map and try again.  * What is your Watershed Address?  Hint: This is the name of your watershed
 * Step one: ** Identification

* What percentage of rivers and lakes have poor water quality? Hint: In the two circles (called “pie charts”) on the center of the webpage, add the two numbers.
 * Step two: ** Evaluation (If there is more than one watershed in your county, focus on one)

Rivers: **+** Lakes: = % poor water quality

* What percentage of rivers and lakes have good water quality? Hint: In the two circles pie charts, on the center of the webpage, add the two numbers in green.

Rivers: **+** Lakes: = % good water quality

* Compare your two results. Does your watershed have more good water or more poor water?

= Step three: Challenges = What are three __major water quality concerns__ in the watershed? Hint: these concerns are listed underneath the pie chart)

1) List two questions that you think need to be asked to understand the environmental health of your county. _
 * Due Thursday, March 20 (Kim Fortun) **

_

(K. Fortun)

2) AIR QUALITY! See http://www.epa.gov/aircompare/index.htm At the Air Compare website, click on “county comparisons.” Then click on New York State (on the U.S. map). If your county is on the list of counties with air quality data, click on your county. If your county is not on the list, click on a neighboring county for which there is data. Also include Rensselaer County, Essex County and New York County on your list of counties to compare. Then click “Compare My Air” at bottom-left. Fill in the chart below. To get data comparing showing how air quality has changed in each county since 2003, click on “historical profiles.” On the lines below the chart, list reasons why air quality could change. Ask you family for their ideas and include them on your list.
 * YOUR COUNTY || Unhealthy air days for general population in 2012. || Unhealthy air days for people with asthma in 2012 || Since 2003, has air quality for asthmatics improved or gotten worse? ||
 * YOUR COUNTY ||  ||   ||   ||
 * RENNSSELAER COUNTY ||  ||   ||   ||
 * ESSEX COUNTY ||  ||   ||   ||
 * NEW YORK COUNTY ||  ||   ||   ||

REASONS WHY AIR QUALITY COULD CHANGE _

_

(K. Fortun)