Resource Key

When accessing content use the numbers below to guide you:

LEVEL 1

brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)

LEVEL 2

provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.

LEVEL 3

lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)

Definitions

Introduction

"The evidence could not be more graphic. Aerial photography and satellites show in vivid detail the results of laying waste to vast areas of forest and the harm done by poisons that humans have been pumping into the water and air during the century and a half since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. An alarmingly large hole in the Earth’s protective covering of atmospheric ozone appears over the Antarctic. Toxic hazes settle over major cities. Once fertile areas of the planet become desert, never to be green again within our lifetimes." (National Geographic, n.d.) Without immediate action to reduce our demand on environmental resources our actions will lead to irreparable damage.

Resources

Miller, S. (2004). Orwell once more. Sewanee Review, 112(4), 595-618. Retrieved from Literary Reference Centre.
Presents literary criticism which profiles English writer George Orwell. His essays are often found in freshman college readers and in anthologies of English writers, and two of his novels—"Animal Farm" and "1984"—have been translated into many languages.

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Why biographers are interested in Orwell is understandable because he led a life that was unusual for a writer. He was a British policeman in Burma, a dishwasher in Paris, and an investigative journalist in England; he was also a bookstore assistant, schoolmaster, grocer, and foreign correspondent. Orwell's interest in military affairs is apparent in his essays and reviews, many of which touch on military questions.
Australian Antarctic Division. (2012, April 3). Human impacts in Antarctica. Retrieved from http://www.antarctica.gov.au/environment/human-impacts-in-antarctica
Antarctica is often thought of as a pristine land untouched by human disturbance. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. For a little more than 100 years people have been travelling to Antarctica and in that short time most parts have been visited and we have left more than just footprints.
World Wildlife Fund. (2014). Living Planet Report 2014. Retrieved http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/
The Living Planet Report is the world's leading, science-based analysis on the health of our planet and the impact of human activity. Knowing we only have one planet, WWF believes that humanity can make better choices that translate into clear benefits for ecology, society and the economy today and in the long term.

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This latest edition of the Living Planet Report is not for the faint-hearted. One key point that jumps out is that the Living Planet Index (LPI), which measures more than 10,000 representative populations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, has declined by 52 per cent since 1970.

Media

CrashCourse. (2013, January 7). 5 human impacts on the environment: Crash Course Ecology #10 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTCZ9L834s