Students who have a B average (155 or higher) through the three prelims have the option of writing a paper instead of taking the final examination.

The paper must conform to the following rules:

• It must be 1000 words in length (approximately five typewritten pages)

• It must be typewritten or word processed, double spaced; handwritten papers are not acceptable

• The subject must be related to one of the topics discussed in class; if in doubt, please clear the topic with Prof. Fort before beginning to write

• Sources of the information you use must be properly identified

• You must sign the list in Prof. Fort's office (430 Aubert) no later than 3 May 2000 indicating that you intend to substitute the paper for the examination

• The paper is due no later than the conclusion of the final examination, 11 AM, Friday, 19 May; earlier submission is acceptable.

Following are some possible topics for papers:

• Electric or hybrid electric-gasoline automobiles are believed by many to be the only solution of air pollution in our cites. Discuss how such vehicles would work, and whether they actually represent a solution.

• The EPA maintains Toxic Release Inventories for each state, which are available through its web site (www.epa.gov). These inventories present annual data for the releases of certain regulated compounds into the environment. Obtain data for your home state for at least two different years. Discuss where the pollutants come from, why the amounts are changing, and what, if anything might be done to reduce them.

• In his book, "The End of Nature", William McKibben makes several statements related to pollution from automobiles that seem worth checking.
  • "The average American car driven the average American distance - 10,000 miles - in an average year releases its own weight in carbon into the atmosphere."

  • "A clean burning engine... will emit about 5.5 pounds of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide for every gallon of gasoline it consumes."

  Acquire the data necessary to check these statements, state the assumptions you need to make, carry out the calculations, and discuss any variation from McKibben's estimates.

• A number of groups are sceptical about whether the greenhouse effect is being amplified by human activities. For example, groups like The Science and Environmental Policy Project (www.sepp.org) or the Greening Earth Society (www.greeningearthsociety.org) maintain web pages criticizing global warming. Rush Limbaugh (naturally!) is also critical. Discuss the criticisms presented by several such groups, and try to assess their scientific merit.

• In class, we did a couple of "paper vs plastic" analyses, and I noted that my son had ragged on me for using paper napkins instead of the environmentally more benign (his view) cotton ones. Compare the two materials as thoroughly as possible, and determine if grounds actually exist for chosing one over the other. Be as quantitative as possible.

Here are some Web resources that may prove useful: