Environmental science Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental science - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the quality of water is compromised in the essence that it is polluted on a number of occasions. In many regions, the availability of water in both quantity and quality is affected by climate variability and climate change, with more or less precipitation in different regions and more extreme weather events. Sanitation is the collection of waste safely, storing, treating of waste, and disposing it. In a nutshell the managing of waste presence in water is of importance. This is so that we are able to avert the various diseases as typhoid and cholera and to keep away from toxic substances to bring about economic benefits. In many developing and developed countries the use of piped sewer systems, pit latrines with slab, septic tanks is low. In addition, there are hanging toilets, latrines, most facilities are shared, in some instances there are no facilities, and the people use the bush or field for waste disposal. The use of piped water in dwelling units, boreholes, and methods of rainwater collection that are improved are low while on the contrast unprotected springs and the surface water as rivers, dams, and streams are high in developed and developing countries alike. Since time long ago, food and energy are fundamentals to life. This is because for a growing economy and political goodwill matters of food and energy must be addressed that crop up from generation of power and agriculture. For instance in the United States: 34% of water is used for agriculture, 48% is used for generating power and 18% for others (Forest Practices Board 79). However, in most developing and developed economies, agricultural production takes 70% generally of the water consumed (evaporation and transpiration or other means). Therefore, for irrigation purposes and improved agricultural production, generation of power there has to be a nexus in water, food, and energy (Forest Practices Board 86). There are projections on the rise of the sea level from 18 to 59 cm in 2090 -2099. This extreme event in association with a rise in the sea level will cause serious effects to human beings. With food being the major worry there would be increase in crop production in temperatures below 3 degrees Celsius and a decrease in a couple of areas. More people will be at risk of heart and breathe diseases, malnutrition, diarrhea, and extreme conditions of weather (Starrett 69). There may be contraction in the geographical area malaria will affect and an expansion elsewhere. The freshness of water would also be compromised due to melting, acidification, and increased population. Seasonal transmission periods will also change. To conclude the effects on climate change on human beings would bring more negative implications than benefits (United Nations 45). The lingering concern is for the protection of the environment. This is because climate change will lead to some regions becoming deserts; there would be increased warm intermediate flow beneath and a gradual grounding line movement. This will bring about destabilization in the form of food and energy production and the livelihoods of various citizens would be curtailed. Various economies would be mixed up and globally detrimental effects will be felt by alike. Case

Problem-based Learning (PBL) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problem-based Learning (PBL) - Essay Example Although this concept was initially used by the medical school of thought, today it is widely employed in the field of nursing education also. As scholars point out, problem based learning can be very effective in nursing education because this concept is capable of enhancing patient safety. This paper will discuss a nursing situation where problem based learning activity is performed to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. The paper will also analyze how this type of study design can be applied to teaching practice. Problem Based Learning (PBL) The article ‘Problem solving strategies used by RN to BSN students in an online problem based learning course’ written by Oldenburg and Hung (2010) illustrates that elements of problem based learning process including ‘active learning, analysis and synthesis, collaboration, and learning in the context’ can significantly contribute to the development of problem solving and critical thinking skills in nursing students. The major purpose of this article is to gain understanding of students’ problems solving experiences in an online problem based learning environment. The article gives particular focus to various problem solving strategies used by students and changes identified in those strategies throughout the semester. The authors conduct this study based on the problem based learning and the community of inquiry models. The community of inquiry model outlines the essential elements of higher education success in an online environment such as social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence (Oldenburg & Hung). In this research work, a qualitative-case study approach was employed to obtain extensive information and deep understanding of various problem solving strategies chosen by a group of learners in a problem based learning course. RN to BSN nursing students, enrolled in an online pathophysiology course were the participants in this study. Under this study, each group of students were asked to identify the patient’s primary condition and relevant pathophysiology and to make decisions in order to assess the problem solving strategies used by students. The research findings indicated that problem solving is a dynamic process, and students change their strategies between the phases rather than continuing their work in a sequential manner. According to Oldenburg and Hung, the problem based learning activities really assist students to effectively deal with processes like problem recognition, information gathering, construction of meaning, and problem resolution. Cooper and Carver (2012) assert that the problem based learning can greatly aid students to define each problem using their past experiences and knowledge. It was observed that students analyzed the problem information to determine which information was to form a good understanding of the problem. Using their previous experiences, students could easily recognize relevant fac ts and the additional information required to diagnose the problem. The authors opine that the most advantageous feature of this problem based learning activity is that students can identify their own knowledge gaps. Referring to Cooper and Carver, under the problem based learning approach, students used their past experiences to guide research with the help of shared information obtained from textbooks, scholarly articles, and other online resources. In addition to gathering