Background

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a global treaty organized through the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. This agreement has provided the guiding framework for scientific research and collaborative policy action about climate change at an international scale.The following link is to a short (~20 minutes) UNFCC documentary called “Adapting to a Changing Climate:” https://unfccc.int/topics/resilience/resources/adaptation-committee-adaptation-forum-video-documentary-adapting-to-a-changing-climate. Released in 2014 and subsequently translated into numerous languages, the video provides a broad overview of the types of actions and changes that human society will need to implement over the next several decades in response to a changing climate.

Directions

As part of your final exam for this course, please use concepts from “Adapting to a Changing Climate” AND any course materials (including readings, lectures, labs, and discussion boards) to fully and thoughtfully answer all portions of the essay prompt given below. There is no minimum required length for your answer; indeed, the only requirement is that your answer be both thoughtful and complete. However, I do ask that your answer be no more than 1000 words long.

Please craft your essay so that it reads well, minimizes (or completely avoids) grammatical errors and typos, and addresses all aspects of the question in a logical manner. Your final grade will be on both the content and quality of your writing. In other words, you should spend a good amount of time ensuring that your answer reflects your best writing. I encourage you to utilize the tutors at the Stetson Writing Center for pointers and feedback as you develop your essay.

Additional, outside sources (i.e., other than the film or course materials) can be used in your essay, but are not required. However, please also note that ALL SOURCES should be appropriately cited and referenced using the citation guidelines you have used throughout the term for your lab write-ups. Your final answer should be uploaded into BlackBoard by 11:59pm on Thursday, December 6.

Prompt

It is very often said (including by me) that anthropogenic climate change is one of the most complex challenges ever faced by human civilization. Begin your essay by briefly describing at least three reasons why climate change poses such a daunting challenge to human society. Next, define what is meant by the terms “climate mitigation,” “climate adaptation,” and “climate resilience.” Then describe at least three factors that the documentary claims are necessary for successful climate adaptation to occur.

Conclude your answer by thinking of whatever place you consider as your own “hometown.” (You can define your hometown however you wish, but be sure to name and describe this place well enough that I could successfully look it up on Google.) Describe two specific kinds of climate adaptation actions that are either being implemented currently or, in your view, should be implemented in short order within your hometown. Finally, discuss one way in which you could personally make a difference in helping your hometown become more climate resilient.

 

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An important purpose of this assignment is to examine what the different branches and layers of government do to address a policy using a current issue to illustrate it.

Complete a research essay on the government and healthcare. Remember this is being written for the president to read.

The U.S. healthcare system has been a controversial topic for decades. Here are the aspects and questions to address for this essay:

Identify a current issue being debated about the American healthcare system.

Explain two competing solutions to this problem.

Evaluate which one is preferable.

Address the responsibilities of each level of government, which are federal, state, and local. (Most of the essay will be about the federal government).

Address the responsibilities of each of the three branches of the federal government.

REQUIREMENTS:

650 word minimum, not including references listed at the end or footnotes if used.

Incorporation of concepts and terms from the required readings.

Inclusion of facts from a recent news article about the topic/solution.

Correct spelling, grammar, and formatting, whether it’s APA, MLA, or Chicago/Turabian.

See the essay rubric for further details on grading.

Writing tips:

1) Write concisely! More is not necessarily better if the required points from the rubric are missed. A 500-word essay can earn an “A,” while a 700 word essay may lose points for going too long.

2) Essays should be written in the third person perspective. (Avoid using “I me my mine we us our you, your”).

 

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Complete this midterm essay examination by responding to four of the following five questions:

1. Is it possible for the U.S. Government to employ dual-use, all-hazards systems to protect U.S. transportation systems and critical infrastructure? Provide an example of a dual-use, security/safety system for both a transportation system and a component of critical infrastructure that would address the risk of terrorism and other non-intentional hazards (either man-made or natural).
2. Is the function of homeland security maintained wholly by the Department of Homeland Security, or is this function shared among other governmental and nongovernmental agencies? Explain your answer and give examples.
3. Do you believe that the Director of the Office of National Intelligence will ever be able to reverse decades of cultural differences and turf battles between the various intelligence agencies of the U.S. Government? Why or why not?
4. Is the U.S. government doing enough to protect the borders of the country? In your opinion, is this the most important element of preventing terrorist attacks within the country? Can you name any shortfalls that exist with regards to border security in the United States that could be exploited by terrorists? Provide references to support your opinion.
5. Explain, as specifically as possible, how the function of homeland security is managed at the state and local levels.

Keep the following in mind when completing this midterm essay examination:

• When developing your answers, remember, you must include (cited) facts to support the major points in your response. Your responses should not include continuous citations without your thoughts and analysis also. Rather, your responses must reflect a balance between facts and your perspective on the points you made.
• Your responses to each of the examination questions should be a minimum of one page and a maximum of two pages in length, double spaced, and written in 11-point Arial font or 12-point Times New Roman.
• Include the question you are responding to immediately before each answer.
• Include a title/cover page.
• Just a reminder: Include some cited references and format them in the American Psychological Association (APA) writing style (6th edition).

 

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Choose one of the prompts below and develop a two-page (400-500 word) response that links thematically and updates one of the classics we’ve read. This is an informal writing assignment, so feel free to get creative and have fun with this assignment, or to get personal and expressive. You are welcome to use first person (I and we) and to write this in any form you choose — poem, short short, letter to the editor, journal entry, blog post, newspaper article, or even a series of Facebook status or Twitter updates — as long as your writing meets the minimum word count. Feel free to add pictures if you’d like, and you can use whatever font you want (as long as I can read it!).

PROMPT #1: 
Have you ever lost something that was really important to you? How did you feel about it? Did other people understand what you were going through, or did you constantly have to explain yourself? Have you ever moved? Did you miss your old home? Write a lament for something that you have lost. It could be something serious, like the death of a loved one or a move that was hard to adjust to, or it could be something not-as-serious, like the loss of a favorite childhood toy.

PROMPT #2: 
You are trying to open up a restaurant / coffee shop that will become a social gathering place for your friends and peers. You want this place to be really cool — but also a place where people can relax and get comfortable. What kind of establishment will you open? How will you get people in the doors? What will they do once they get there? How will you keep them there for long periods of time and keep them coming back? Write a description or story of your ideal social meeting place.

PROMPT #3: 
Imagine that you are going on a college study trip, or pilgrimage, with a group of four strangers. Where would you go and why would you be going there? How would you want your life to change? Who would the strangers be and how would they talk, act, and dress? A nerd? A prep? A jock? The pretty girl? Write your own social satire of the members of your group. This might be an ideal prompt for a blog post or a series of Facebook / Twitter statuses.

 

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