human impact on resources assignment

The Anthropocene: Human Impact on the Environment

• Human Population & Impacts
• Natural Resources

Resource Type

• Click & Learn

Code to embed this content

Copy and paste this HTML into your webpage or LMS to embed a running copy of this interactive. Use the "View HTML Editor" option in your LMS to paste the HTML into a page.

Description

This interactive module explores key human impacts on the environment and how they have affected Earth’s landscape, ocean, atmosphere, and biodiversity.

Human activities are reshaping our planet in profound ways. The changes that have occurred in the last 50 to 200 years have led scientists to propose a new geologic epoch, called the Anthropocene. In this Click & Learn, students explore data on how human population growth, air pollution, agriculture, mining, water use, and other human activities have impacted the environment and will affect the fossil record.

The accompanying “Student Handout” guides students’ exploration. The “Educator Guide” contains several suggestions for implementing this Click & Learn in class, as well as discussion questions and additional background information.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

The “Poster” PDF provides an accessible version of the content in this Click & Learn.

Student Learning Targets

• Describe how different human impacts affect the ecosystem.
• Interpret and summarize data presented in graphs showing human impacts on the ecosystem.
• Describe specific types of evidence that can be used to determine whether humans are changing their local environment.
• Predict how different impacts will change over the next 100 years based on the information and data provided.

Estimated Time

atmosphere, biodiversity, biosphere, coastal habitat, farming, geologic record, invasive species, mining, ocean, water use

Terms of Use

<p>The resource is licensed under a <a href=" https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license</a>.&nbsp;No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.</p>

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Version history, curriculum connections, ngss (2013).

HS-ESS2.A, HS-ESS3.A, HS-ESS3.B, HS-ESS3.D

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-1.N, SYI-3.F, SYI-2.B, SYI-3.G, EVO-3.H; SP6

IB Biology (2016)

Ap environmental science (2020).

Topic(s): 5.17, 8.2, 8.4, 9.10 Learning Objectives & Practices: STB-1.G, STB-3.B, STB-3.E, EIN-4.C, SP5, SP7

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

1.3, 2.3, 2.5, 3.2, 4.1

Vision and Change (2009)

Explore related content, other related resources.

Does Nature Have Rights?

Human Impacts on the Environment

Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. These negative impacts can affect human behavior and can prompt mass migrations or battles over clean water.

Help your students understand the impact humans have on the physical environment with these classroom resources.

Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography

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Middle school Earth and space science - NGSS

Course: middle school earth and space science - ngss   >   unit 5, human impacts on the environment.

• Apply: human impacts on the environment
• Humans impact the environment through their activities. Examples of human activities include land and water use, deforestation, and the burning of fossil fuels.
• In many cases, the impacts of human activities are negative. For example, when humans clear forests, it causes habitat loss and puts other species at risk.
• Negative human impacts increase as the population grows. They also increase as the average person uses more natural resources.
• Science can help identify solutions to reduce our impacts on the environment. However, it is up to us—as individuals and as a society—to put these solutions into action.

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7.6 Earth’s Resources & Human Impact

How do changes in the Earth's system impact our communities and what can we do about it?

Unit Summary

This unit on Earth’s resources and human impact begins with students observing news stories and headlines of drought and flood events across the United States. Students figure out that these drought and flood events are not normal and that both kinds of events seem to be related to rising temperatures. This prompts them to develop an initial model to explain how rising temperatures could cause both droughts and floods and leads students to wonder what could cause rising temperatures, too. This initial work sets students up to ask questions related to the query: How do changes in Earth’s system impact our communities and what can we do about it?

Students spend the first lesson set gathering evidence for how a change in temperature affects evaporation, precipitation, and other parts of Earth’s water system. They use evidence to support a scientific explanation that two climate variables (temperature and precipitation) are changing precipitation patterns in the case sites they investigated. Students figure out that the rising temperatures are caused by an imbalance in Earth’s carbon system, resulting in a variety of problems in different communities. The unit ends with students evaluating different kinds of solutions to these problems and how they are implemented in communities. Students work through a systematic evaluation process to consider (1) each solution’s potential to solve the carbon imbalance, (2) tradeoffs associated with solutions based on student-identified constraints, and (3) whether the solution in question makes sense for their community’s stakeholders.

Simulations

Unit 7.6 Lesson 9: Using Ice Cores to Study CO2 with Tuva Data Analysis

Unit 7.6 Lesson 9: Using Ice Cores to Study CO2

Unit 7.6 Lesson 2: StoryMap of Case Sites

Unit 7.6 L10 Population Growth and CO2 Graphed

Unit 7.6 L10 Global Energy Consumption Graphed

Unit examples, additional unit information, next generation science standards addressed in this unit.

Performance Expectations

This unit builds toward the following NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs):

MS-ESS3-1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

MS-ESS3-3. *   Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.

MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

MS-ESS3-5. Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.

MS-ETS1-2. * Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

*Performance Expectations marked with an asterisk are partially developed in this unit and shared with other units. Review the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence  for more information.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

The unit expands students’ understanding of particle models and energy transfer, which include these Grade 6–8 DCI elements:

ESS3.A. Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes. The anchor phenomenon launches students into a series of investigations in lesson set 1 about how fresh water resources are changing in communities. Some places have too much and some too little. By lesson set two, students examine the role of fossil fuel use for energy, and in Lesson 10, there is an explicit opportunity to explore the formation and uneven distribution of fossil fuels specifically, that is then broadened to other resources.

ESS3.C. Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. Students developed this idea in the Palm Oil Unit , but will apply this idea again in this unit as they make connections across human activity and global change. In the previous unit, students designed land use systems to minimize impact on natural habitats and the biosphere (element #1). In this unit, students investigate how changes in Earth’s environments include negative consequences of changing the normal precipitation patterns in those places. They figure out that consumption of natural resources, like fossil fuels, is impacting Earth’s system, but there are activities and technologies that can minimize the impact (element #2).

ESS3.C. Typically as human populations and per‑capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth, unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.  In lesson set 2, students gather evidence to show an initial correlation between human activity (specifically combustion of fossil fuels) and increased atmospheric CO 2 , which is causing elevated air temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. Lesson set 3 provides students opportunities to better understand the ways in which activities and technologies are engineered to correct the carbon imbalance and help communities adapt to changes they are already experiencing.

ESS3.D. Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding human behavior and applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. Throughout this unit, but particularly lesson sets 2 and 3, students gather evidence and build a case that the composition of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are changing due to the combustion of fossil fuels. This change in composition is the result of increased emissions of CO 2  into the atmosphere from human activity. Students spend lesson set 3 learning about different scales of solutions that are aimed at either reducing CO 2  emissions, capturing atmospheric CO 2 , or helping vulnerable communities adapt to changes they are experiencing now.

ETS1.B. There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem. Students work through a diverse set of solutions throughout lesson set 3 with a focus on reducing CO 2 emissions. They define the problem and criteria for solutions to reduce atmospheric CO 2  levels, they consider tradeoffs in the solutions and the scales at which the solution has to effectively occur, and then they develop a suite of solutions they feel are viable for their community or school.

Science & Engineering Practices

Asking Questions and Defining Problems.  This unit intentionally develops this practice. Students engage in this practice in substantial ways by asking questions and defining problems related to a complex socio-scientific issue. While students have had substantial experience with aspects of this practice in previous OpenSciEd units, this unit engages students in (1) asking questions that require sufficient and empirical evidence to answer, and (2)for the first time in middle school, asking questions to challenge the premise of an argument.

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking. This unit intentionally develops this practice. Students continue to develop and use mathematical concepts of rate and ratio reasoning to make sense of phenomena. This is similar to the work they did in the previous unit, the Palm Oil Unit . However, they add to this practice by using math to make sense of percent change in GHGs over time, proportional relationships between GHGs and temperature, rates of carbon fluxes that lead to imbalance, and rates of carbon offset that can solve the carbon imbalance. They also engage in using digital tools to create and/or analyze graphs of data to determine trends and patterns over time. Finally, they use mathematical concepts to support their decisions about whether carbon solutions meet the class agreed-upon criteria and constraints to reduce the carbon imbalance. 

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information.  This practice is key to the sensemaking  in this unit. Throughout the unit, students obtain information from informational texts, videos, tweets, graphs, maps, simulations, and data visualization tools. The integration of information across multiple forms of media is substantial. In Lesson 4, for example, they obtain additional information about components of the water system, and are cued to evaluate the claims made by scientists and other reliable, valid sources and the data they use to support their claims. Students also engage significantly with this practice in Lesson 17 as they evaluate and communicate carbon solutions to their chosen stakeholder audience.

The following practices are also key to the sensemaking  in the unit:

• Developing and Using Models
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data
• Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
• Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Crosscutting Concepts

Stability and Change . This crosscutting concept is intentionally developed  in this unit. From the first lesson in the unit, students use the lens of stability and change. In their initial models, students explain how a small change intemperature could lead to large changes, like floods and droughts. They work toward a scientific explanation for why different communities’ water resources are changing from a small rise in temperature (in Lessons 5 and 6). Stability and Change stays in the foreground throughout lesson set 2 as students make sense of the current level of greenhouse gas concentrations in comparison to short-term and long-term data. In the final lesson set, students ask questions about different CO 2  reducing solutions and how gradual changes over time might lead to a reduction in atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperatures. One aspect of the final project is to communicate a message about how small changes in behavior or the use of technology, when done across a larger group of people over a sustained time, can have a greater impact on atmospheric CO 2 .

Cause and Effect. This crosscutting concept is key to the sensemaking  in this unit. In lesson set 1, students begin developing a cause-and-effect diagram that explains changing precipitation patterns in communities. They continue this work in lesson set 2 as they question whether rising concentrations of gases in the atmosphere are correlationally or causally related to temperature change (Lesson 7). From this point forward, they use the lens of cause-and-effect as they make sense of the mechanisms that regulate temperatures in the atmosphere. Students gather evidence to support the causal relationships (by Lesson 10). Their final consensus carbon system model (Lesson 11) and cause-and-effect diagram for the unit (Lesson 12), combines all evidence to establish a causal relationship between fossil fuel use and changing water resources and the floods and droughts observed in the anchor lesson.

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity.  This crosscutting concept is key to the sensemaking  in this unit. Students use scale, proportion, and quantity to make sense of the magnitude of change in greenhouse gases and the proportional relationship they have with temperature. In lesson 7 they examine the concentration of gases in the atmosphere and calculate the percent change over a 100-year time frame. Students see that some gases make up a small proportion of the atmosphere, but those same gases are changing by a notable amount. In Lesson 8, students develop a model idea that the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere are proportionally related to temperatures. They use this relationship in Lesson 13 to problematize the magnitude of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that must happen to see a temperature decline. In Lesson 14 students calculate a carbon savings rate per person. They scale this number to larger populations. Throughout this process, students work with different quantities to understand the magnitude of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that is possible with different degrees of participation in changed behaviors.

The following crosscutting concepts are also key to the sensemaking  in the unit:

• Systems and System Models
• Energy and Matter

Connections to the Nature of Science

Which elements of NOS are developed in the unit?

• Science investigations use a variety of methods and tools to make measurements and observations. (NOS-SEP)
• Science depends on evaluating proposed explanations.(NOS-SEP)
• Theories are explanations for observable phenomena & Science theories are based on a body of evidence developed over time. (NOS-SEP)
• Science is a way of knowing used by many people, not just scientists. (NOS-CCC)
• Scientists and engineers are guided by habits of mind such as intellectual honesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas. (NOS-CCC)
• Advances in technology influence the progress of science and science has influenced advances in technology. (NOS-CCC)
• Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes. (NOS-CCC)

How are they developed?

• Throughout the unit, students examine and collect data from a variety of sources (including measurement tools and observations). For example, students also learn methods in which science can investigate data from past millenia using air bubbles trapped in ancient ice cores.
• Students investigate common ideas for why Earth’s atmosphere is a higher temperature than in the past, with resources to explore alternative explanations (e.g., ozone hole, getting closer to the sun). Students also evaluate proposed design solutions in how well they will address the carbon imbalance problem.
• In Lesson 12, there is an opportunity to introduce students to the term, theory, as a powerful scientific explanation that explains many phenomena and is supported by a body of evidence. There is opportunity for a rich discussion on what ‘theory’ means in science as compared to outside of science.
• The first portion of the unit draws upon accounts and knowledge from community individuals who are experiencing shifting changes in temperature and precipitation in their community. This includes accounts from residents, farmers, and members of the Navajo Nation. The accounts draw upon local, long-term knowledge of water resources and precipitation and temperature patterns within communities. Additionally, during the transfer task, traditional knowledge of the rural, Indigenous communities of Alaska is valued and used to make claims about changes occuring in the arctic, including changes to the sea ice and local ecosystems that are anomalous to traditional seasonal patterns.
• Students explore different ideas to explain why air temperatures are rising around Earth. They do this to ensure that they have explored multiple possible explanations for why something might be happening before they pursue investigating the changes to atmosphere composition further.
• Students investigate trends in CO2 data over millennia and also the last few hundreds years. As part of this work, students learn about scientific and technological advancements that changed the energy sources used by people, which then requires science to study those energy sources and what impact they may have. Students also encounter technological solutions to minimize carbon sources and/or increase carbon sinks, though these technologies are not yet widely available.  
• Students develop a causal model for why climates are changing, but as they investigate possible solutions, students realize that making decisions to solve societal problems can be more complex and they must consider community problems and needs and solutions available in those contexts.

Unit Placement Information

What is the anchoring phenomenon and why was it chosen?

This unit begins by introducing students to two phenomena from different parts of the country: a drought event in California and a flood event in Mississippi. The anchor lesson then broadens beyond those two events to reveal a pattern of unusual drought and flood events in recent years from communities across the nation. The move to broaden to related events is important. It helps students see that, while each single event may initially appear to be “random,” they are part of a pattern of unusually high and low precipitation happening in many communities, all of which seem to be linked to rising temperatures.

Each OpenScied unit’s anchoring phenomenon is chosen from a group of possible phenomena after analyzing student interest survey results and consulting with several external advisory panels. We selected this anchor for the following reasons:

• It is relevant to communities across the country and allows for you to localize parts of the unit using events and data from your community. Other climate-related phenomena considered seemed distant to some communities or only applicable (directly) to few communities (e.g., arctic ice melt, sea level rise, coral reef loss). When narrowing down to different possible phenomena, it was important that the unit help students explain current climate-related impacts in their own communities. Changes in water and water resources is one of those impacts. The unit includes support for you to integrate drought or flood events from your community in the anchor lesson and to use local precipitation and temperature data for your community in Lesson 2. There is an option to explain changes to precipitation in your community in the first Putting the Pieces Together lesson (Lesson 5). The public release version of the unit includes additional support for local solutions to changing water resources due to precipitation change (and per-capita consumption in some communities). In Lesson Set 3, students consider both carbon and water solutions that are relevant to their families and communities and presents an opportunity to create a community plan.
• The anchoring phenomenon requires DCIs taught in OpenSciEd units that come earlier in the Scope and Sequence in order to explain it. In particular, OpenSciEd Unit 6.3: Why does a lot of hail, rain, or snow fall at some times and not others? (Storms Unit) and OpenSciEd Unit 6.5: Where do natural hazards happen and how do we prepare for them?(Tsunami Unit) and OpenSciEd Unit 7.5: How does changing an ecosystem affect what lives there? (Palm Oil Unit) all provide important ideas that are used again in this unit, and to explain this particular phenomenon.
• The anchoring phenomenon can be explained using grade-level appropriate science ideas.
• Anchoring the unit in changing precipitation patterns that cause droughts and floods helps students to develop science ideas that they can use to explain other climate-related phenomena that are impacting communities, such as wildfires.
• Other anchoring phenomena, such as sea level rise and coral reef loss, scored high for student interest, but further investigation of these options indicated that the phenomenon would be hard to connect back to many communities, may require additional high school science ideas to explain, and may feel distant for a notable number of students.

How is the unit structured?

The unit is broken into three lesson sets. Lesson set 1 investigates how rising temperature could be related to changes in precipitation and other water resources for communities. In this first lesson set students establish that the long-term trends in two climate variables (i.e., temperature and precipitation) are changing over time for many communities. Students use their understanding from ESS2.C and ESS2.D to make sense of changing precipitation patterns, and they also start to see how human communities rely on freshwater resources (ESS3.A, freshwater resources). Students develop an understanding of “climate change” as a measure of a change in long-term temperature and precipitation for a place. In the second lesson set students investigate the cause of rising temperature. Students gather evidence about changing greenhouse gas concentration and the link between GHGs and burning fossil fuels. Students must use ideas from ESS3.A (mineral resources), ESS3.C (per-capita consumption), and ESS3.D (greenhouse gases, fossil fuels) to make sense of rising temperatures. They situate what they learn about the combustion of fossil fuels in the context of a simplified terrestrial-based carbon system. Students bring additional ideas from the physical sciences (PS1.B, PS3.A) and life sciences (PS2.B) to develop and use the carbon system model to explain how temperature change has resulted from a carbon imbalance. Students evaluate solutions (ETS1.B) in the final lesson set. The beginning of this lesson set problematizes the solutions so that students begin their evaluation process recognizing the complex nature of carbon solutions, which need to consider more than science to solve. Students explore different technologies and changes to human behavior (ESS3.D) that must occur to solve the carbon imbalance problem, while also meeting societal constraints and the needs of stakeholders.

Where does this unit fall within the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence?

This unit is designed to be the last unit of 7th grade in the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence . It comes after critical units that build some needed foundational ideas, such as OpenSciEd Unit 6.3: Why does a lot of hail, rain, or snow fall at some times and not others? (Storms Unit) , OpenSciEd Unit 7.1: How can we make something new that was not there before? (Bath Bombs Unit) , OpenSciEd Unit 7.4: Where does food come from, and where does it go next? (Maple Syrup Unit) , OpenSciEd Unit 7.5: How does changing an ecosystem affect what lives there? (Palm Oil Unit) . 

As a result of this placement in the Scope and Sequence, almost all elements of the SEPs and CCCs have been introduced to the students in either the six units for sixth grade, or the first five units of 7th grade. The scaffolding for these practices and concepts accounts for students to be able to engage in them independently, but also provides scaffolds for students who may still struggle with aspects of the SEPs and CCCs.

What modifications will I need to make if this unit is taught out of sequence?

This is the final unit in 7th grade in the OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence. Given this placement, several modifications would need to be made if teaching this unit earlier or later in the middle-school curriculum. These include:

• If taught before the Bath Bombs Unit or at the start of the school year, supplemental teaching of classroom norms, setting up the Driving Question Board, and asking open-ended and testable questions would need to be added. (These supports are built into Unit 7.1.)
• Given the anchoring phenomenon, this unit relies a great deal on students understanding water cycling concepts from 5th grade and the Storms Unit (ESS2.C The Role of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes). In 5th grade students figure out major freshwater reservoirs (components of the water system), which includes groundwater and glaciers. In the Storms Unit , students add to their understanding of the processes that move water through this system (e.g., evaporation, precipitation, etc.). These concepts are important for building students’ initial Earth’s Water System Model at the start of Lesson 2. If students do not know about freshwater reservoirs from 5th grade or water cycling processes from 6th grade, consider starting with an initial Earth’s Water System Model that is not fully developed. Add new components and interactions (and the vocabulary that goes along with them) as students figure out which ones matter in the context of the phenomena. For example, add new components, like groundwater and snow/ice, after students explore the StoryMap and learn that some communities get their water from these sources. Add precipitation as students explore the precipitation data in Lesson 2. Add evaporation to the model after Lesson 3. Essentially you will need to build the model across Lessons 2-4, rather than all at once at the start of Lesson 2.
• While this unit is about climate and climate change, it was intentionally sequenced at the end of 7th grade, as opposed to following 6th grade, because students’ understanding of Earth’s carbon system is heavily dependent upon students learning of conservation of matter through reactions (the Bath Bombs Unit ), cellular respiration in living organisms (the Inside Our Bodies Unit ), and photosynthesis and matter cycling in ecosystems (the Maple Syrup Unit ). In each of these units, students figure out chemical processes that transform carbon. This is essential for students to understand prior to Lesson 10 when students will make sense of combustion of fossil fuels and Lesson 11 where they make sense of how combustion results in a carbon imbalance in the whole system. If teaching this unit out of order, Lesson 10 and 11 may need to be modified to better support students in articulating what is happening to carbon during the different carbon transforming processes. For example, students may need more support tracing atoms and conserving the atoms through reactions. 
• This unit is highly dependent on 6th-grade math concepts, such as rate, percent, and proportion. If this unit is taught in 6th grade, it is suggested to work very closely with a 6th-grade math teacher to understand when students will learn the mathematical concepts and process (listed below) so that this unit can reinforce those concepts in a real-world problem context but not come before students have developed these ideas in their math classes (or working in conjunction with math and science simultaneously).

What are prerequisite math concepts necessary for the unit?

Throughout the unit, students will engage in mathematical thinking, rate and ratio reasoning, and encounter many histograms, line graphs, and/or scatterplots that they will need to interpret. In particular, Lessons 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 14 utilize a number of math concepts in the context of explaining phenomena and solving problems.

Prerequisite math concepts that are helpful include:

• CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities.
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.2 Understand the concept of a unit rate a/b associated with a ratio a:b with b ≠ 0, and use rate language in the context of a ratio relationship.
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems.
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.NS.B.3 Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using the standard algorithm for each operation.
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5.c Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any overall pattern and any striking deviations from the overall pattern, with reference to the context in which the data were gathered.
• In Lessons 8, 13, and 14, students start to develop an understanding of the proportional relationship between greenhouse gas concentrations and air temperature. Proportional relationships are a focus of math learning in 7th grade (CCSS.Math.Content.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities). Because this unit falls at the end of the 7th-grade school year, it is likely that your students have learned about proportional relationships. However, talk with your math colleagues to confirm so that you can better anticipate what students will understand or not understand as they work to establish this relationship.
• In Lessons 9 and 10 students encounter graphs that show exponential growth. Focus on the overall trends upward and avoid discussing the shape of the curve and the exponential function, which is a high school math concept.

How do I shorten or condense the unit if needed? How can I extend the unit if needed?

This is a substantial unit requiring 6-7 weeks of instructional time with 45 minute class periods. The length of the unit can be modified in the following ways.

To shorten or condense parts of the unit without eliminating important sensemaking for students:

• Lesson 3: If students have had the Storms Unit , they do not need to repeat the temperature and humidity lab, though the setup here is slightly modified compared to the previous unit. You can leverage their prior experience of the lab, then provide data for analysis.
• Lessons 5 or 6: Choose only one assessment (either the assessment from Lesson 5 OR from Lesson 6) to use at the end of lesson set 1.
• Lesson 9: Eliminate the lab experience, and have students explore the long-term (800,000 years) CO2 data analyzing the given graphs in the StoryMap.
• Lesson 10: Have students explore the more recent CO 2  data using graphs provided in the student edition (instead of using Tuva)
• Lesson 11: Choose a more scaffolded version of the carbon system model to reduce time needed to fully develop the model. There are three options offered in Guidance on Carbon System Model Templates
• Lesson 15: Reduce the total number of solutions to even fewer than 12 and reduce the number of solutions to be read by individual students.
• Lesson 16: Review and analyze two community plans as a class instead of analyzing in groups.

To extend or enhance the unit, consider the following:

• Lesson 7: Have students read about common ideas related to the warming atmosphere using Exploring Possible Causes of Warming
• Lesson 8: Use the full PhET simulation for students to more fully explore ideas; however, please note that this simulation uses high school level ideas and should only be offered to students who have fully mastered the middle school ideas.
• Lesson 9: Have students explore the long-term (800,000 years) CO2 data using the Tuva platform.
• Lesson 10: Have students explore the more recent CO2 data using the Tuva platform.
• Lesson 10: Include the uneven distribution of fossil fuel extension in Extension Opportunity: Uneven Distribution of Fossil Fuel Resources , Fossil Fuel Formation Illustrations , and Fossil Fuels Long Ago and Today .
• Lesson 15: Create and include any locally utilized or considered carbon solutions to the  Solutions Cards . These can sometimes be found in local community plans.
• Lesson 17: Create and include any locally utilized or considered local water or heat solutions to the Water Adaptation Solutions .
• Lesson 17: This project can be extended as time is available for students to fully develop and communicate their plan to community members.

Unit Acknowledgements

Unit Development Team

• Audrey Mohan, Unit Lead, BSCS Science Learning
• Whitney Smith, Unit Lead, BSCS Science Learning
• Lindsey Mohan, Unit Lead, BSCS Science Learning
• Renee Affolter, Writer, Reviewer, & PD Design, Boston College
• Tommy Clayton, Writer and Pilot Teacher, Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights, NJ
• Candice Guy-Gaytán, Writer, BSCS Science Learning
• Dawn Novak, Writer, BSCS Science Learning
• Guy Ollison, Writer, BSCS Science Learning
• Betty Stennett, Writer, BSCS Science Learning
• Charles Hickey, Pilot Teacher, Weymouth Public Schools, Weymouth, MA
• Chris Newlan, Pilot Teacher, David Wooster Middle School, Stratford, CT
• Katie Van Horne, Assessment Specialist Charles Anderson, Unit Advisory Chair, Michigan State University
• Tonya Brainsky, Teacher Advisor, Taunton High School, Taunton, MA
• Melissa Johnson, Teacher Advisor, Saint Albert Schools, Council Bluffs, IA

Consultants

• Beth Covitt, University of Montana
• Elizabeth de los Santos, University of Nevada, Reno
• KC Busch, North Carolina State University
• Dwanna McKay, Colorado College
• Michael Mendez, University of California, Irvine
• Frank Niepold, NOAA
• Heidi Roop, University of Minnesota
• Daniel Shephardson, Purdue University

Production Team

BSCS Science Learning

• Maria Gonzales, Copyeditor, Independent Contractor
• Stacey Luce, Editorial Production Lead
• Valerie Maltese, Communications and Advancement Manager
• Renee DeVaul, Project Manager
• Chris Moraine, Multimedia Graphic Designer
• Kate Chambers, Multimedia Graphic Designer

Unit External Evaluation

EdReports awarded OpenSciEd an all-green rating for our Middle School Science Curriculum in February 2023.  The materials received a green rating on all three qualifying gateways: Designed for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Coherence and Scope, and Usability. To learn more and read the report, visit the  EdReports site .

NextGenScience’s Science Peer Review Panel

An integral component of OpenSciEd’s  development process  is external validation of alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards by NextGenScience’s Science Peer Review Panel using the  EQuIP Rubric for Science . We are proud that this unit has been identified as a  quality example  of a science unit. You can find additional information about the EQuIP rubric and the peer review process at the  nextgenscience.org  website.

Unit standards

This unit builds toward the following NGSS Performance Expectations (PEs) as described in the OpenSciEd Scope & Sequence:

Reference to kit materials

The OpenSciEd units are designed for hands-on learning and therefore materials are necessary to teach the unit. These materials can be purchased as science kits or assembled using the kit material list.

NGSS Design Badge Awarded: Mar 23, 2022 Awarded To: OpenSciEd Unit 7.6: How Do Changes in Earth’s System Impact Our Communities and What Can We Do About It? VERIFY

• Next Generation Science Standards
• Grade 5 Science: Proposed by NGSS

Grade 5 - 5-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems • Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments. (5-ESS3-1)

Performance Expectations  Students who demonstrate understanding can: 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

Use the Template and Resource Links to Fulfill NGSS

• Understand that human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments.

Essential Questions:

• How does human activity affect the Earth?
• How are people helping to protect the Earth?

NGSS Note: Think, question, entertain ideas.

ll. Introductory Activities to Assess Prior Knowledge

A. Simple Activities - that assess your students’ understanding of the effect of humans on Earth's resources.

Global Warming - Comic Relief Activity

Rotten Game - How Long Does it Take to Decompose?

Global Climate Change Multiple Choice

B. Brainstorming Session Question: How are we affecting Earth's resources (water, land, air)? 1. Break students down into groups of 3-4. 2. Ask students to generate a list of the different ways humans are affecting Earth's resources. 3 . Discuss

lll. New Knowledge - Text Read about Earth's resources and how humans affect them.

Coral Reefs in Peril

Deforestation

Desertification

Endangered Species - The Giant Panda

Global Warming and Climate Change

Habitat Loss

Over-Fishing Our Oceans

Pollution (Light)

Pollution (Noise)

Pollution (Ocean)

Too Much Trash

Wetlands - Their Important and Why

Examples of Models (depicts the concepts expressed in the reading):

Ask students to look at the models illustrating how humans affect the Earth and to discuss ways to protect the Earth.

lV. Experiments, Activities, Model-making (Critical Thinking) Inquiry related to human over-use and destruction of Earth's resources: Smog-making Activity

Use critical thinking to devise ways to protect people from natural hazards. Read about wetlands and how they protect us from natural processes (storms) that produce natural hazards (flooding). Knowing this, what actions do you think we should take to help protect us from storm flooding? Wetlands - Their Important and Why

Human Actions: Sometimes human actions combine with natural processes to create new natural hazards. Read about acid rain and its effect on us. Use critical thinking about ways we can reduce this hazard.

Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments.

Vl. Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS) - Grade 5

Science and Engineering Practices

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to evaluating the merit and accuracy of ideas and methods. • Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem. (5-ESS3-1)S3-2)

Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models • A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions. (5-ESS3-1)

Connections to Nature of Science

Science Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World. •  Science findings are limited to questions that can be answered with empirical evidence. (5-ESS3-1)

Performance Expectations

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

Common Core State Standards Connections: ELA/Literacy RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (5-ESS3-1) RI.5.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. (5-ESS3-1) RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (5-ESS3-1) W.5.8  Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources. (5-ESS3-1) W.5.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (5-ESS3-1)

Mathematics MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (5-ESS3-1) MP.4 Model with mathematics. (5-ESS3-1)

High Resolution PDF of These Resources

Link to ngss online (off site), citing research references.

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57: The Biosphere and Human Impacts

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• Page ID 73886

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• 57.2: Earth's Biomes The Earth’s biomes are categorized into two major groups: terrestrial and aquatic. Terrestrial biomes are based on land, while aquatic biomes include both ocean and freshwater biomes. The eight major terrestrial biomes on Earth are each distinguished by characteristic temperatures and amount of precipitation. Comparing the annual totals of precipitation and fluctuations in precipitation from one biome to another provides clues as to the importance of abiotic factors in the distribution of biomes
• 57.3.1: Aquatic Biomes
• 57.4: Marine Habitats Like terrestrial biomes, aquatic biomes are influenced by a series of abiotic factors. The aquatic medium—water— has different physical and chemical properties than air, however. Even if the water in a pond or other body of water is perfectly clear (there are no suspended particles), water, on its own, absorbs light. As one descends into a deep body of water, there will eventually be a depth which the sunlight cannot reach.
• 57.5.1: Climate and the Effects of Global Climate Change
• 57.5.2: Biogeochemical Cycles
• 57.5.3: Threats to Biodiversity
• 57.6.1: Climate and the Effects of Global Climate Change

MS-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity

Science and engineering practices, constructing explanations and designing solutions.

Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to include constructing explanations and designing solutions supported by multiple sources of evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

• Apply scientific principles to design an object, tool, process or system.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Ess3.c: human impacts on earth systems.

• Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.
• Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.

Crosscutting Concepts

Cause and effect.

• Relationships can be classified as causal or correlational, and correlation does not necessarily imply causation.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

   Connections to Engineering, Technology, and                      Applications of Science

Influence of science, engineering, and technology on society and the natural world.

• The uses of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. Thus technology use varies from region to region and over time.

Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band:

Articulation of DCIs across grade-bands

Common Core State Standards Connections:

* The performance expectations marked with an asterisk integrate traditional science content with engineering through a Practice or Disciplinary Core Idea.

The section entitled “Disciplinary Core Ideas” is reproduced verbatim from  A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Cross-Cutting Concepts, and Core Ideas . Integrated and reprinted with permission from the National Academy of Sciences.

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The standards integrate three dimensions within each standard and have intentional connections across standards. More...

How do humans affect biodiversity?

Humanity impacts the planet's biodiversity in multiple ways, both deliberate and accidental. The biggest threat to biodiversity to date has been the way humans have reshaped natural habitats to make way for farmland, or to obtain natural resources, but as climate change worsens it will have a growing impact on ecosystems.

The main direct cause of biodiversity loss is land use change (primarily for large-scale food production) which drives an estimated 30% of biodiversity decline globally. Second is overexploitation (overfishing, overhunting and overharvesting) for things like food, medicines and timber which drives around 20%. Climate change is the third most significant direct driver of biodiversity loss, which together with pollution accounts for 14%. Invasive alien species account for 11%. 

Some models predict that climate change will become the primary cause of biodiversity decline in the coming decades. The impact of all the main drivers of biodiversity loss is accelerating and, as a consequence, so is the pace of biodiversity decline.

Growing demand for natural resources due to the increasing human population, more rapidly increasing per capita consumption and changing consumption patterns has meant that ever more natural habitat is being used for agriculture, mining, industrial infrastructure and urban areas.

Key areas of human activity causing biodiversity loss include:

• Deforestation. Tropical rainforests are particularly rich in biodiversity and are being destroyed
• Habitat loss through pervasive, incremental encroachment such as that caused by urban sprawl
• Pollution such as that associated with widespread pesticide use and overuse of fertiliser which are 6 and 12 times greater than they were before 1961 respectively
• It is estimated that half of the species at risk are threatened by agriculture
• Water use in some of the largest water catchments in the world where dams and irrigation reduce water flows
• Hunting and the over-exploitation of species such as in wild capture fisheries but also for wildlife trade
• Spread of invasive species and diseases through trade and travel 
• Climate change, as warming and changing rainfall patterns alters species ranges and the underlying water and chemical cycles which define current ecosystems 
• Pollution from plastic waste although its long-term effects on biodiversity are far from clear

For more on this issue visit: Amazonia’s future: Eden or degraded landscapes? | Royal Society ; Preserving global biodiversity requires rapid agricultural improvements | Royal Society ; and Past and future decline and extinction of species | Royal Society

Climate change and biodiversity

Human activities are changing the climate. Science can help us understand what we are doing to habitats and the climate, but also find solutions.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

The impact of improper waste disposal on human health and the environment: a case of umgungundlovu district municipality in kwazulu natal province of south africa provisionally accepted.

• 1 University of the Free State, South Africa

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Waste generation has increased drastically worldwide in recent decades, with less than 20% of waste recycled each year, and onethird of all food produced wasted. With Sustainable Development Goal 12 advocating for changing how we consume, produce, and dispose of items, the cruciality of driving a more sustainable future lies in how we dispose of our waste. Improper waste disposal has always been a global concern. This study assessed the impacts of improper waste disposal on human health and the environment in the KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa. The study applied a mixed-method approach to a semi-structured questionnaire.Using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel, the study applied a series of Chi-Squared tests of independence, regression, and descriptive statistics to the data. This study shed light on the complex dynamics surrounding the awareness and perception of risks associated with improper waste disposal. While a fair level of knowledge exists concerning the general risks, there are notable gaps in understanding specific human health risks related to improper waste disposal. The statistically insignificant relationships between demographic variables and critical questions regarding risk awareness suggest that demographic factors do not significantly influence awareness. This implies a need for targeted educational campaigns that transcend demographic boundaries to address the identified gaps in knowledge. Furthermore, the findings highlight a critical disparity in awareness regarding specific human health risks associated with improper waste disposal. This underscores the importance of enhancing public education and outreach programs to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the potential dangers to human health. The insignificant relationship between information availability and community concern about health impacts emphasizes the need for improved communication strategies. Efforts should focus on delivering accurate and accessible information to communities, fostering a sense of concern and responsibility regarding the health implications of improper waste disposal. The statistically significant relationship revealed by the regression model on the cost of clean-up for the municipality and waste generation necessitates re-evaluating waste management policies. The study municipality should explore sustainable waste management practices to mitigate the economic burden posed by increased waste generation.

Keywords: Nelisiwe Manqele: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, Software

Received: 14 Feb 2024; Accepted: 13 May 2024.

Copyright: © 2024 Raphela, Manqele and Erasmus. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Dr. Tlou Raphela, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

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11.1 An Introduction to Human Resource Management

• What has been the evolution of human resource management (HRM) over the years, and what is the current value it provides to an organization?

Human resource management over the years has served many purposes within an organization. From its earliest inception as a primarily compliance-type function, it has further expanded and evolved into its current state as a key driver of human capital development. In the book HR From the Outside In (Ulrich, Younger, Brockbank, Younger, 2012), the authors describe the evolution of HR work in “waves”. 1 Wave 1 focused on the administrative work of HR personnel, such as the terms and conditions of work, delivery of HR services, and regulatory compliance. This administrative side still exists in HR today, but it is often accomplished differently via technology and outsourcing solutions. The quality of HR services and HR’s credibility came from the ability to run administrative processes and solve administrative issues effectively. Wave 2 focused on the design of innovative HR practice areas such as compensation, learning, communication, and sourcing. The HR professionals in these practice areas began to interact and share with each other to build a consistent approach to human resource management. The HR credibility in Wave 2 came from the delivery of best-practice HR solutions.

Wave 3 HR, over the last 15–20 years or so, has focused on the integration of HR strategy with the overall business strategy. Human resources appropriately began to look at the business strategy to determine what HR priorities to work on and how to best use resources. HR began to be a true partner to the business, and the credibility of HR was dependent upon HR having a seat at the table when the business was having strategic discussions. In Wave 4, HR continues to be a partner to the business, but has also become a competitive practice for responding to external business conditions. HR looks outside their organizations to customers, investors, and communities to define success—in the form of customer share, investor confidence, and community reputation. HR’s credibility is thus defined in terms of its ability to support and drive these external metrics. Although each “wave” of HR’s evolution is important and must be managed effectively, it is the “outside in” perspective that allows the human resource management function to shine via the external reputation and successes of the organization.

Catching the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Human resources outsourcing—entrepreneurial ventures.

Human resources is a key function within any company, but not all companies are able to afford or justify full-time HR staff. Over the last decade, HR outsourcing has become a good business decision for many small companies whose current staff doesn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to take on the risks of employee relations issues, benefits and payroll, or HR compliance responsibilities. This has led many HR practitioners to try out their entrepreneurial skills in the areas of HR outsourcing and “fractional HR.”

Human resources outsourcing is very commonly used by smaller companies (and often large companies too) to cover such tasks as benefits and payroll management. This is an area that has been outsourced to third parties for many years. More recent is the trend to have “fractional HR” resources to help with the daily/weekly/monthly HR compliance, employee relations, and talent management issues that companies need to address. Fractional HR is a growing industry, and it has become the service offering of many entrepreneurial HR ventures. Fractional HR is essentially as it sounds—it is the offering of HR services to a company on a part-time or intermittent basis when the company may not be able to justify the cost of a full-time HR resource. An HR professional can be available onsite for a specified number of hours or days weekly or monthly, depending on the company’s needs and budget. The HR professional handles everything from HR compliance issues and training to employee issues support. Also, for companies that are keen on development of employees, the HR resource can drive the talent management processes—such as performance management, succession planning, training, and development—for companies who require more than just basic HR compliance services.

How does a business leader decide whether HR outsourcing is needed? There are generally two factors that drive a leader to consider fractional HR or HR outsourcing—time and risk. If a leader is spending too much time on HR issues and employee relations, he may decide that it is a smart tradeoff to outsource these tasks to a professional. In addition, the risk inherent in some HR issues can be very great, so the threat of having a lawsuit or feeling that the company is exposed can lead the company to seek help from a fractional HR professional.

HR entrepreneurs have taken full advantage of this important trend, which many say will likely continue as small companies grow and large companies decide to off-load HR work to third parties. Some HR companies offer fractional HR as part of their stated HR services, in addition to payroll and benefits support, compensation, and other HR programmatic support. Having a fractional HR resource in place will often illuminate the need for other HR services and program builds, which are generally supported by those same companies. Whether you are an individual HR practitioner or have a small company of HR practitioners and consultants, fractional HR and HR outsourcing can be a very viable and financially rewarding business model. It can also be very personally rewarding, as the HR professional enables smaller companies to grow and thrive, knowing that its HR compliance and processes are covered.

• What do you believe is contributing to the growth of the fractional HR and HR outsourcing trend? Do you expect this trend to continue?
• At what point should a company consider bringing on a full-time HR resource instead of using a fractional HR resource? What questions should the company ask itself?

Human resource management provides value to an organization, to a large extent, via its management of the overall employee life cycle that employees follow—from hiring and onboarding, to performance management and talent development, all the way through to transitions such as job change and promotion, to retirement and exit. Human capital is a key competitive advantage to companies, and those who utilize their human resource partners effectively to drive their human capital strategy will reap the benefits.

Human resource management includes the leadership and facilitation of the following key life cycle process areas:

• Human resources compliance
• Employee selection, hiring, and onboarding
• Performance management
• Compensation rewards and benefits
• Talent development and succession planning

Human resources is responsible for driving the strategy and policies in these areas to be in accordance with and in support of the overall business strategy. Each of these areas provides a key benefit to the organization and impacts the organization’s value proposition to its employees.

Concept Check

• How has the function of human resource management evolved over the years?
• In what way do you usually interact with human resources?

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Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) research programme 2022-2027: mid-programme review report

Findings of the mid-programme review of the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture research programme 2022 to 2027.

7. Theme C: Human impacts on the Environment

The Human Impacts on the Environment theme covers the topics agricultural GHG s, land use, circular economy and use of outdoor and green space with a combined total of 11 projects. The grant offer for Theme C projects in 23-24 was circa £3m.

In the previous programme we seen research into improving measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as breeding management. The research is a combination of environmental economic modelling, survey work and monitoring and evaluation tools and approaches. It provided improved understanding and estimates of agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation at national and farm level and developed tools for policy makers, farmers and researchers. Data on the future mitigation potential of GHG emissions potential from agriculture was provided to the economy-wide TIMES model (run by the Scottish Government). Evidence has also been provided on the capacity for the UK GHG inventory to reflect the mitigation activities in Scotland.

7.1 Science Excellence and Reach

SAB members agreed the evidence presented showed the methods used are internationally competitive, innovative and in line with best practice internationally.

Research is comprehensive and demonstrates that Theme C is addressing key challenges for Scotland.

The research topics are of both international and national importance. Within C4 (circular economy) research that examined opportunities to reduce both consumption and waste flows was highlighted as an example where the science was internationally competitive.

SAB noted the Theme has a broad scope of work with demonstrated progress, for example: creation of a database of mitigation measures, geospatial datasets, GHG measurement and associated App development, foundation of a spin-off company, wide stakeholder engagement at sub-theme level, quantitative storytelling, land use policy modelling, a wide number of case studies, and designing a typology of behaviours (with reference to circular economy). SAB noted much of the research has resulted in improvements in the knowledge base on these key issues in Scotland.

SAB members all agreed the Quantitative Story Telling ( QST ) approach in Theme C is novel and innovative and could link well with the other Themes:

• Quantitative story telling is a process designed to help scientists work with stakeholders to prompt reflection on, and potentially reframing of, sustainability problems and to develop shared understanding of the issues even when stakeholder values and trade-offs mean that a consensus outcome cannot be delivered. QST is a cyclical, iterative process that balances both work with stakeholders to understand how issues are framed (what is included and excluded) and how evidence is interpreted and ‘formal’ phases – work to quantify these issues. QST typically incorporates data and expertise arising from different disciplinary perspectives (e.g., social, and natural sciences) as well as from stakeholders themselves.
• Analysis of Enhanced Conditionality ( EC ) measures led by the Land Use Transformations project ( JHI -C3-1), used a Quantitative Story Telling approach as well as consultation with researchers in Theme D to consider the effectiveness of EC measures, their likely uptake, and the crucial factors from other farm support Tiers. Outputs were used to highlight where decisions would have meaningful impact on policy outcomes and sign posting to the researchers and evidence on which those decision could draw.
• From 2025 at least 50% of existing direct farm support payments (~£536M) will be made conditional on undertaking agri-environmental and climate related land management options - Enhanced Conditionality ( EC ). EC intends to deliver a step- change in how agricultural systems deliver to net zero, climate adaptation, biodiversity and other environmental objectives.

SAB identified additional opportunities using the Analysis of Enhanced Conditionality Measures study method. SAB suggested that this approach can cut across other themes in land management from mitigation to resilience, and SAB encouraged exploration of these areas.

A further area identified as unique and innovative was (C4) the use of circular economy concepts in remote and rural/island areas. SAB reported that the feed-through from some of the circular economy work to large-scale agent-based modelling, was novel. SAB also noted (i) the novel application to the bovine sector to reduce GHG emissions by reducing parasitic infections and (ii) methods used in developing land use strategies for Scotland in C3.

SAB members reported there are similar research questions being addressed in the UK and internationally but agreed this was not duplication as it was a Scotland specific focused programme. It was also noted some topics build on previous research which was very appropriate.

SAB also identified a need to ensure that carbon/ GHG -focused work identifies trade-offs with other objectives, such as biodiversity, pollution, food production, and just transition.

Research gaps identified by SAB included:

• The circular economy research was mainly concentrated on waste. Members further noted that there was perhaps an overfocus on carbon and suggested additional activity on reactive nitrogen.
• Gaps in how science links through to policy and cross-cutting priorities e.g. supporting Net Zero planning and scope three emissions reporting, or supporting carbon sequestration in soils/forest through improved land management practices.
• The need for deep demonstrators, which integrate policy, practice and research, bringing these together with individuals in case studies to develop the integration needed to push research into practice; these should include citizen science and communities.

7.2 Research Impact

SAB reported evidence has been provided which demonstrates the research topics deliver important support to key Scottish government objectives.

There is good evidence of significance and reach. The Land Use topic (C3) has made significant investment in developing techniques – quantitative storytelling – to interact with policymakers. Agriculture, Climate and Carbon Topic (C2) can make an important contribution to improving Scotland’s national GHG inventory. Circular Economy (C4) will provide an important knowledge base to design a more effective waste strategy for Scotland as part of developing a more circular economy. The outputs have also generated a spin off company that could deliver scalable impact for farmers.

SAB noted coordination among farmers at catchment scale was highlighted as a challenge which needs to be resolved to ensure impact. Members also suggested it will also be important to follow uptake of the AgreCalc and CarbonExtra apps and to see what actual use is made of them. SAB noted that farm apps are a crowded market, and there are risks for the institutes to manage in engaging with carbon markets.

7.3 Scottish Government Policy Priorities

The following highlights the policy priority categorisation and observations noted for research projects within Theme C. Other stakeholder priorities, such as industry, have not been reflected in the categorisation below but are considered key to a projects overall impact/importance.

7 projects, 2023-24 spend circa £2.4m

Research which has been identified as critical to policy officials includes a project which will provide evidence into the role in sequestering carbon and mitigating GHG s to meet net zero targets across agriculture sector. Research which will provide new approaches for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land use in Scotland is also seen as critical. These projects are critical to the Climate Change Plan and Agricultural Reform.

Research that was identified as critical to policy teams also includes projects which provide evidence to the Circular Economy Bill. Specifically research into important system thinking approach through casual loop diagram and research into behavioural drivers and receptions around circular economy.

Research classified as Critical in Theme C includes modelling on the future make-up of agriculture in Scotland and how it adapts to climate change. This type of research will inform GHG inventory to ensure that Scotland's GHG emissions are captured accurately and that improvements in herd performance can be counted against Scotland's net zero targets. It is critical for developing the evidence base for the Climate Change Plan and the Agricultural Reform Programme.

4 projects, 2023-24 spend circa £1m

Research identified as important to policy officials includes projects which will provide evidence insights including; land-based financial support mechanisms, landownership diversification, GHG and behavioural impact in land use change and reciprocal nature engagement.

Evidence in these areas importantly feeds into key policy delivery such as Land Use Transformation, Climate Change Adaptation Plan, Agricultural Reform Programme and other individual policies development.

Theme C contains a diverse range of projects with policy interests across the environment directorate. As such there are less differentiation across the three priority categories and no projects have been classified as desirable.

7.4 Theme C Conclusion

Overall Theme C has demonstrated that the research is delivering highly relevant outputs to meet key policy needs. Some specific recommendations/actions are noted below:

• SAB Recommendation: Link up research on reactive nitrogen aspects across themes C/D and beyond. For example the GHG emissions response to land use change and pollutant swapping, or CH 4 emission effects from slurry storage temperature (where there may be co-benefits for NH 3 release).
• SAB Recommendation: Explore the Quantitative Story Telling approach used in the Analysis of Enhanced Conditionality study method across other themes in land management from mitigation to resilience.
• SAB Recommendation: Close a research gap by bringing together carbon mitigation, resilience questions (e.g. water management, flooding, pollution) and biodiversity enhancement on farms.
• SAB Recommendation: Provide reassurance that Scotland has the appropriate level frameworks in place to allow both transfer and reuse of data for research and policy where appropriate while protecting privacy and farmer ownership of their data. Noting that if trust is lost in how data is stored or used, it will be very difficult to restore.

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The impact of mentorship on employee empowerment.

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Antoine Andrews is the Chief Diversity & Social Impact Officer at SurveyMonkey .

I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with many inspirational people throughout my career, from leaders who worked in talent management to corporate responsibility, DEI and other disciplines within HR and beyond. They shared their insights and provided astute feedback, holding me accountable in all aspects of my professional and personal life. As I reflect, they truly helped me discover my authentic self while forging deep personal connections and mutual understanding in the process.

But my experience isn't the norm. At a time when investment in employees lags significantly behind growing expectations for HR, leaders must keep laser-focused on providing practical and effective support for their workforce. At SurveyMonkey, we examined industry trends and found that " one in five (19%) HR professionals say their company does not invest enough in employees."

Organizations must back up high performance expectations with employee support and development that fuels success. Mentorship is an excellent way to execute this vision. Here are a few ways it can help your employees and further DEI goals.

Creates A Culture Of Connection, Collaboration And Inclusion

The leaders I remember and respect most are those who exhibit authenticity and directness—two things I value and work each day to model among my teams and peers. Sharing these qualities through mentorship is like passing the baton among the professionals around us. It demonstrates both who we are and how we are, helping reinforce the culture we wish to see.

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A sound strategy only serves a leader when it accurately reflects what’s going on among employees daily. I’ve shared my perspective on the importance of looking beyond budgets and representation numbers to focus on something much more central to DEI: belonging. For me, strong relationships between mentors and mentees serve as a source of important professional accountability and human connection. These are the invisible tethers needed to feel a true sense of belonging in the workplace.

Makes Employees Feel Valued

When we know we're accountable to others, we feel like part of the team and the larger organization, and we know we're a core part of helping meet collective goals. A piece I read in the Harvard Business Review talked about how mentors consistently found that mentoring enhanced the meaningfulness of their work and vice versa. A regularly cited Women Ahead study I came across asserted this, finding that "87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their mentoring relationships and have developed greater confidence." It also stated that "82% believe that mentoring relationships help foster meaningful connections between mentors and mentees, across departments and the organisation." My point? Mentorship helps lay the groundwork to build the connections that help employees feel valued and supported within their roles and at their company.

Begets Further Mentorship

One thing I’ve noticed is that the less isolated employees feel, the more open they are to new experiences and perspectives. In a time when feelings of exclusion are one of the top drivers of employee turnover , connection is vitally important. And that connectedness can spring from the unlikeliest of places.

Mentorship doesn’t have to fit within the bounds of any specific rules or follow a formal manager-employee structure, though it can. It can grow organically as peers can mentor each other, and employees can even mentor their own managers. In fact, I recommend you do! Several managers, peers and employees have helped shape my views on many critical business and social topics, and I hope they can say the same about me.

Provides A Mirror For Leaders To Reflect On Themselves

It’s important for leaders to be mentored. Who better than the people around us—including those we lead—to participate in our growth? When people who work together regularly and know each other well mentor one another, these relationships can serve as an opportunity to reflect on ourselves. We can consider our individual motivations, values, beliefs, perceptions around inclusivity, leadership abilities and so much more that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Opens An Informal Feedback Channel For Honest Conversations

According to Gallup , "globally only one in four employees strongly agree their opinions count at work." This means a large portion of employees don't feel their voice is being heard. Mentorship is a way leaders can get this right.

Mentorship provides a valuable, built-in feedback mechanism for employees. Although it’s not as utilized as other feedback channels, it's an informal way to have open, honest conversations—especially about DEI culture in the workplace. These are discussions that might not otherwise be had if employees didn't feel comfortable engaging in them.

Cultivates Healthy Perspectives About Work

In today’s 24/7, work-from-anywhere world, it’s easy for work life to bleed into personal life and vice versa. The conventional eight-hour workday with minimal overlap between professional and private lives is disappearing. In this new era of remote working and dispersed teams, mentoring can provide a source of comfort and connection.

When we intentionally forge relationships that extend beyond business priorities and place value on individual well-being, we inevitably strengthen bonds and grow feelings of inclusivity. This can reinforce that employees’ whole selves (voice included!) are priority number one for your company.

When I reflect on my career, I’m most proud of the people I’ve mentored who've become incredible, diverse leaders, as well as the young adults and future leaders I’ve helped motivate and empower through community engagement. The close-knit partnerships I enjoy with my colleagues enable us to deliver on our commitments to DEI and social impact every single day, and I’m proud of the culture we’ve built, in part, through the powerful connection of mentorship.

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How to prepare for a sustainable future along the value chain

Our lives have changed radically as a result of the pandemic. But as dramatic as the impact of COVID-19 has been, it has by no means eclipsed another topical issue: the need to shape a more sustainable economy. In fact, this task has attracted heightened public attention following extreme weather events such as the devastating flooding all over Europe last summer. Last fall, decision makers from around the world met in Glasgow, Scotland, for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference  to discuss the challenges ahead. Although the debate primarily focused on major emitters, such as the energy, steel, and construction industries, the consumer-goods sector is equally called upon to take action.

About the authors

But what exactly do we mean by “sustainability”? In its broadest sense, the term covers three areas: environmental, social, and governance—or ESG for short. Specifically, ESG encompasses the degree of responsibility that companies assume—irrespective of what they are legally required to do—for sustainable development in the three areas mentioned.

80%: Share of consumer emissions that reside in supply chains. To meet the pathway to net zero, CPG companies need to work with their suppliers to secure green raw materials and supply

For many, sustainability is primarily about our use of natural resources and the climate impact of our actions. This is also highly relevant for consumer-goods manufacturers. As a rule, it is not enough to look only at one’s own value creation. After all, a typical consumer-goods company’s supply chain generates far greater environmental costs than in-house operations: for instance, it is responsible for more than 80 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions and more than 90 percent of the impact on air, land, water, biodiversity, and geological resources.

The consumer-goods industry is facing a huge environmental challenge: if it intends to meet the current EU climate targets, it will have to more than halve its greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030. Given that prosperity and consumption will continue to grow in the coming years, a fundamental change in thinking is required; new business models—especially those relating to the circular economy —will have to gain an increasingly firm footing.

Growing pressure and rising opportunities

Even beyond the climate targets that have been set, regulatory requirements for the economy are becoming more stringent—for example, through levies such as the “plastics tax.” The European Union’s Green Deal provides for all packaging in the EU area to be reused or recycled by 2030. The Circular Economy Action Plan also provides for products to have long life cycles and be repairable (“right to repair”).

But it’s not just from the regulatory side that pressure is growing. Other stakeholders are also demanding more sustainability from companies or setting their own new standards for sustainable business practices.

Consumers. Today’s consumers are another pressure point since they no longer see sustainable products as simply an alternative.

They are partly basing their purchasing decisions on the sustainability of products and companies. Granted, what some refer to as an “attitude–behavior gap” remains. In other words, consumers don’t always make purchasing decisions that are consistent with their sustainability preferences as expressed in surveys. That said, two-thirds of consumers now say they are changing their consumption habits in favor of a lower environmental impact 1 “A natural rise in sustainability around the world,” NielsenIQ, January 10, 2019. —and are staying true to their word: brands, such as oat-drink maker Oatly, that promote the ecological benefits of their products are recording above-average growth rates.

Employees. Sustainability is already a top criterion in choosing an employer for two-thirds of those under the age of 34. Across all age groups, three out of four employees would like their company to place a greater emphasis on environmental and social issues. 2 Sustainable working environment index 2021 , Epson, June 2020, epson.co.uk.

57% of all start-ups in the consumer-goods sector are ‘green’ start-ups

Investors. The financial sector is, to some extent, already ahead of the real economy when it comes to sustainability. A survey of decision makers from more than 40 investment firms (including BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street) shows that an ESG-oriented mindset is already an integral element of investment decisions. 3 “The investor revolution,” Harvard Business Review , May 1, 2019.

Increasing demands for sustainability stem partly from investors’ risk management and partly from the increasing incidence of loans linked to sustainability criteria. Furthermore, sustainability-oriented funds are more resilient, as studies show: on average, 77 percent of ESG funds established ten years ago continue to exist today. Compare that to only 46 percent of traditional funds that have survived over the same period. 4 Siobhan Riding, “Majority of ESG funds outperform wider market over 10 years,” Financial Times , June 13, 2020, ft.com.

New market entrants. “Green” start-ups are increasingly gaining market share in consumer-goods segments—be it in the footwear market, where the Californian–New Zealand start-up Allbirds has made a successful entry, or in the food segment, where products made from plant proteins (among others) are increasingly gaining popularity. According to the Green Startup Monitor 2021, three-quarters of all newly founded companies in Germany view their environmental and social impact as relevant to their strategy. In the consumer-goods sector, for example, 57 percent of all newly founded companies are now green start-ups. 5 Klaus Fichter and Yasmin Olteanu, Green startup monitor 2021 , Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability, 2020, deutschestartups.org. Take, for instance, the marketplace Cirplus, which has set itself the goal of simplifying the currently complex and confusing global trade in recyclates and plastic waste.

In view of the growing pressure from all sides, for established consumer-goods companies, it is no longer a question of whether or not they need to operate sustainably—and most are also clear about what they need to do; however, there is still great uncertainty when it comes to how. What is needed is a sustainability strategy and, above all, a road map to implement the strategy in the context of a transformation.

Moving toward action

Where do companies currently stand in their efforts to make their operations more sustainable? Rating agencies such as S&P try to answer this question systematically by referencing an array of sustainability criteria. As the ESG score of leading consumer-goods suppliers shows, the industry performs well on average (Exhibit 1). In the social dimension in particular, the consumer-goods sector almost universally earns high scores (As and Bs). This means good to excellent ESG performance and an above-average level of transparency in the disclosure of ESG data. The analysis shows that 30 percent achieve a score of A or A+ in at least seven out of ten ESG dimensions, and 52 percent achieve the same in at least five out of ten. There are also champions in individual disciplines: the consumer-goods companies listed below demonstrate strengths in certain sustainability dimensions—typically in areas that are particularly important for their business.

Nestlé has launched the Creating Shared Value program, which assures 30 million farmers and people in rural areas stable agricultural incomes through 2030, as well as the creation of fair and inclusive jobs. By 2030, Danone wants to use solely renewable energy and lower its water consumption by one-quarter. The company was already a pioneer in discontinuing the use of genetically modified feed and supporting farmers worldwide.

Unilever aims to reduce the environmental impact of water, waste, and greenhouse gases per consumer use of product by 50 percent by 2030. The group has long been an advocate of sustainable palm oil.

Henkel aims to triple the value of its business in relation to its environmental footprint by 2030 and, among other things, is relying for certain brands entirely on “social plastic”—that is, old plastic packaging collected from people living in poverty for a fee. In addition, Henkel plans to make all product packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025 and to make its operations climate-positive by 2040.

Adidas is already a global leader in sourcing more sustainable cotton (“better cotton”). In doing so, it maintains production levels with minimal environmental impact and supports the livelihood of local producers. In addition, Adidas plans to use only recycled polyester across its entire product range by 2024.

Patagonia is a pioneer when it comes to the circular economy and good working conditions. For many years now, the manufacturer of outdoor clothing has offered to repair older articles and return them to consumers. By 2025, it aims to make its entire business carbon-neutral—including the supply chain, which is responsible for 95 percent of Patagonia’s emissions.

Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods offer product portfolios that are based on sustainable alternatives and have created significant growth in the plant-based protein industry.

Explanation of Exhibit 2

Exhibit 2 shows which sustainability targets ten leading consumer-goods companies aim to achieve by what year. The target year is indicated by the color code (with the palest shade being 2050), the percentage of companies making commitments is shown within the rings, and the magnitude of the planned change is indicated outside the rings. “Committed” means that these companies have committed to making reductions but have not explicitly specified a percentage.

An example of how to read the “Sustainable procurement” chart is as follows: 20 percent of companies want to make their procurement 100 percent sustainable by 2025.

The Honest Company was founded by Jessica Alba for the purpose of promoting cleaner and more sustainable products in the baby space.

The initiatives show how seriously consumer-goods companies are now addressing sustainability. Almost all of them have set ambitious targets in a range of areas, from emissions mitigation and recycling to sustainable procurement and water use (Exhibit 2).

Implementing sustainability goals effectively

Effectively implementing the envisaged sustainability goals is an all-encompassing organizational challenge and often means change for both the product portfolio and the organization, including its culture. Given the scope involved, it is not enough to launch individual initiatives sporadically and hope for success. Instead, sustainability must be seen for what it is: a transformation of company operations spanning the entire supply chain. Four elements are crucial here:

Set the right target level. The first step begins with a realistic outside-in assessment: What are regulatory expectations? Where are competitors raising the bar? What are the expectations of customers and other stakeholders, including investors? It is usually strategically advisable to take the lead in a small number of relevant dimensions and determine what the future minimum requirements will be in all other dimensions. The level of the targets and the speed of their achievement should be based on realistic assumptions and plans. Knowledge of the levers and the technical possibilities to arrive at a realistic ambition is of particular importance.

Plan the transformation and set the framework. Once the target level has been set, senior management should make the transformation a visible priority for everyone and plan it in detail.

To this end, measures need to be developed and incorporated into an overall road map. Governance is also crucial for successful implementation at this point; thus, instituting a sustainability officer at the senior-management level is an important framework condition. This does not necessarily have to be the chief sustainability officer, as long as the organization ensures that the central team works effectively with the operational units and can not only create initiatives but also enforce them.

Secure and track implementation. For the implementation process, it is worth setting up a transformation office that regularly measures the degree of target achievement. This enables the prompt adoption or reprioritization of countermeasures. It is also imperative that adequate resources be made available. To change ways of thinking and behavior within the company, it also makes sense to recruit employees as change agents. In this context, the communication and anchoring of sustainability goals in the organization—for example, through incentive systems—should also be addressed.

Create transparency. Last, investments should be made in data and transparency because retailers, consumers, regulators, and investors are increasingly demanding it. In particular, traceability across supply chains poses a challenge. This makes it all the more important for companies to deal with the sustainability data of their own products right from the start and to develop the corresponding analytical skills.

No function is left untouched when changes of this magnitude are needed: everyone is involved and responsible for bringing sustainability to life in their area—from purchasing to production and logistics to marketing and sales (Exhibit 3). For successful implementation, the key actors in the individual divisions need to develop both function-specific and overarching measures.

In purchasing, for example, the focus may be placed on biologically derived ingredients, recycled plastic for packaging, biodegradable and certified materials, and regenerative agriculture.

To do this, it is first necessary to assess the volume of emissions caused by each purchasing category and what reductions are possible in each area. The procurement team is also responsible for ensuring suppliers adhere to social standards.

In logistics, it is key that companies consider alternative propulsion systems for their vehicle fleets or the use of more sustainable transport options. In the field of warehousing, organizations should review cooling technologies and use renewable sources to ensure energy supplies, employing their own solar panels if necessary.

Production should first optimize its energy efficiency. In addition, consideration needs to be given to the use of renewable and sustainable energy sources for electricity and heat at production sites. It is also necessary to investigate how water and other resources can be used more efficiently and how waste can be reduced.

Meanwhile, R&D teams can work on more sustainable designs and formulations (design to sustainability). This can involve sustainable packaging or formulas for new products that lead to greater sustainability in use—such as laundry detergents that clean textiles thoroughly even at low water temperatures. L’Oreal, for example, has developed the Sustainable Product Optimization Tool (SPOT), an evaluation tool focusing on ecological design on two levels. First, it simulates different design options, evaluates their impact on the environment and society, and identifies improvement measures. Second, SPOT quantifies the effects of sustainability on various product attributes, such as packaging; the environmental footprint of product compositions and chemical processes; and social implications.

The initiatives described above for illustration purposes show that sustainability is not an issue that can be left to a central unit; rather, it reaches deep into all functions of consumer-goods companies. Citizens, policy makers, investors, and new competitors are increasing the pressure to act. Above all, however, it is the companies’ own sustainability ambition that requires a structured and holistic approach if the goals set are to be achieved.

Jordan Bar Am is a partner in McKinsey’s New Jersey office; Nina Engels is a consultant in the Düsseldorf office; and Sebastian Gatzer is a partner in the Cologne office, where Jacqueline Lang is a consultant and Frank Sänger is a senior partner.

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