Peer review sheet: Paper 1Writer’s name: Siyuan Reviewer’s name: Wendy Directions: Put a check mark below if the statement is accurate for your peer’s paper. Then write a letter on this page or a page that you printed out giving some more suggestions for the paper. ____✓___ Introduction presents Rebekah Nathan (using her full name), the title of her book, her profession, and an explanation of her project. (I would take out the very general first sentence. It doesn’t seem to belong with the rest of your paper. You can introduce Nathan right away.) _____ Introduction states the one or two points from Chapter Four that the student writer is going to discuss and elaborates enough so the reader understands them. (I don’t yet see a place in the introduction where you clearly state the points in Nathan that seemed interesting to you and that your paper will explore. I have to read the whole paper to see what points you cover.) _____At the end of the introduction, the reader finds a thesis statement which expresses the writer’s main point for the whole paper. (I don’t yet see a sentence that states your topic and your point of view on that topic.) ___?__ The body paragraphs each have just one main point, and that main point supports/relates to the thesis. (I have a little hard time understanding what your main point is in some paragraphs. For example, on page 2, I don’t get a key point in the paragraph beginning with “On their side…” You write that American students ask lots of questions, though the students in Nathan said Americans are usually not curious about other countries. Do you want to say that your experience is different? But give examples, too. That same paragraph ends with the idea of using computers, which I didn’t understand. How does it belong in the paragraph?) ✓? The conclusion is more than a summary of what the writer already wrote in his/her paper. (Your conclusion does offer a new idea, but it is so optimistic (Americans and international students each continue to learn about each other’s cultures and their own), that is does not seem to match your paper. Your paper suggested, like Nathan’s chapter, that American’s don’t care so much about countries outside the U.S., that they don’t want to learn about other cultures! So I wonder which you really believe—the body of your paper or the conclusion?) Siyuan, You have a good beginning that introduces Nathan and tells the reader about her student interviews. But I still would like your intro to name which 1 or 2 points from Nathan you are going to address in your paper and what you want to say about those points. A thesis statement is useful for telling the reader these things. One student in our class did it this way: she wrote, “Like Nathan’s students, I was shocked at how little American students know about other cultures and disappointed to realize that they didn’t care much about learning.” (So now we know her opinion: she was shocked and disappoin.

1. Peer review sheet: Paper 1Writer’s name: Siyuan
Reviewer’s name: Wendy
Directions: Put a check mark below if the statement is accurate
for your peer’s paper. Then write a letter on this page or a page
that you printed out giving some more suggestions for the
paper.
____✓___ Introduction presents Rebekah Nathan (using her full
name), the title of her book, her profession, and an explanation
of her project.
(I would take out the very general first sentence. It doesn’t
seem to belong with the rest of your paper. You can introduce
Nathan right away.)
_____ Introduction states the one or two points from Chapter
Four that the student writer is going to discuss and elaborates
enough so the reader understands them.
(I don’t yet see a place in the introduction where you clearly
state the points in Nathan that seemed interesting to you and
that your paper will explore. I have to read the whole paper to
see what points you cover.)
_____At the end of the introduction, the reader finds a thesis
statement which expresses the writer’s main point for the whole
paper.
(I don’t yet see a sentence that states your topic and your point
of view on that topic.)
___?__ The body paragraphs each have just one main point, and
that main point supports/relates to the thesis.

2. (I have a little hard time understanding what your main point is
in some paragraphs. For example, on page 2, I don’t get a key
point in the paragraph beginning with “On their side…” You
write that American students ask lots of questions, though the
students in Nathan said Americans are usually not curious about
other countries. Do you want to say that your experience is
different? But give examples, too.
That same paragraph ends with the idea of using computers,
which I didn’t understand. How does it belong in the
paragraph?)
✓? The conclusion is more than a summary of what the writer
already wrote in his/her paper.
(Your conclusion does offer a new idea, but it is so optimistic
(Americans and international students each continue to learn
about each other’s cultures and their own), that is does not seem
to match your paper. Your paper suggested, like Nathan’s
chapter, that American’s don’t care so much about countries
outside the U.S., that they don’t want to learn about other
cultures! So I wonder which you really believe—the body of
your paper or the conclusion?)
Siyuan,
You have a good beginning that introduces Nathan and tells the
reader about her student interviews. But I still would like your
intro to name which 1 or 2 points from Nathan you are going to
address in your paper and what you want to say about those
points. A thesis statement is useful for telling the reader these
things. One student in our class did it this way: she wrote,
“Like Nathan’s students, I was shocked at how little American
students know about other cultures and disappointed to realize

3. that they didn’t care much about learning.” (So now we know
her opinion: she was shocked and disappointed. And we know
her topic: American ignorance.)
Check your facts, too. Does Nathan really say that American
students ask lots of questions? I thought her students reported
the opposite, that they aren’t curious about other cultures; they
only ask a few stereotypical questions about food or simple
things.
Sometimes I just didn’t understand your meaning: For example,
I understand that you like the NBA, but what do you mean about
liking a “single”?
If you have not seen Lori, I hope that you can. I think it would
help a lot.
Title
ABC/123 Version X
1
Urban Sustainability
SCI/275 Version 7
1
Associate Level MaterialUrban Sustainability – Option 2
Develop sustainability guidelines for your apartment, home,
child’s school, workplace, or place of worship that will help
improve urban sustainability. Your project should include three
goals that can range from simple measures such as turning
lights off to larger projects including sustainable landscaping or
home remodeling using environmentally friendly materials.

4. Each of the three goals should include two actions that will help
improve urban sustainability. You may choose a goal discussed
in Chapter 17 of Environmental Scienceor any of the following:
recycling, efficient electronics, environmentally friendly office
materials, environmentally friendly cleaning supplies,
lunchroom items, transportation, building materials,
weatherizing, vegetable gardens, home improvement materials,
food supply, or water efficiency/safety.
Project Name: (example: Home and Garden Sustainability)
Project Goals: (Add your sustainability goals here)
1.) Energy Efficiency
2.) Water Efficiency
3.) Transportation
Summary: (In 2-3 sentences, summarize the key principles you
used to develop your sustainability guidelines).
Plan Outline
Sustainability Measures Needed
What You Need to Learn and/or Investigate
Information Sources Used
Short-term Costs
Long-term Savings
How it benefits me and my family
How it Promotes Urban Sustainability
Lifestyle
Materials

5. Energy Efficiency
Electricity
Yes
None
Low cost/ no cost energy savings
U.S. Dept. of Energy at Energy.gov
none
10-25% on electric bill
Reduces air pollution and saves me money
Reduces air pollution and maintains ecosystem health
Heat
Water Efficiency

6. Bathroom
Garden/Lawn
Transportation
Public Transportation

7. Car Choice
Use the table below to complete your sustainability guidelines.
Examples are included, which you may use to build your own
plan.
Copyright © XXXX by University of Phoenix. All rights
reserved.
Copyright © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
The Endangered Global
Commons
The Effects of Climate
and Topography on Air
Pollution
The Effects of Air
Pollution
Air Pollution Control:

8. Toward a Sustainable
Strategy
Noise: The Forgotten
Pollutant
Indoor Air Pollution
Spotlight on Sustainable
Development 20-1:
Germany's Sustainable
Approach Pays Huge
Dividends
20.1
20.1
20.1
20.1
20.1
20.1
20.1
CHAPTER OUTLINE
CHAPTER 17
T
his book presents a systems approach to environmental
protection.
One of its goals is to show how principles of sustainability
derived
from the study of ecology and other areas can be used to
restruc-

9. ture human systems such as energy, transportation, waste
manage-
ment, and housing to protect the natural systems that support
our
Creating Sustainable
Cities, Suburbs, and
Towns: Sustainable
Community Development
and Environmental
Protection
Cities and Towns as
Networks of Systems
Land-Use Planning and
Sustainability
Shifting to a Sustainable
Transportation System
Spotlight on Sustainable
Development 17-1:
Cohousing: Building a
Community
Spotlight on Sustainable
Development 17-2:
Curitiba, Brazil—A City
with a Sustainable Vision
Spotlight on Sustainable
Development 17-3: Car
Sharing: On the Road—
Cheaper and Greener
Spotlight on Sustainable
Development 17-4: Masdar
City: A Solar Oasis

10. 17.3
17.2
17.1
The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible
worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true.
—J.B. Cabell
365
CRITICAL THINKING
Exercise
In a speech to a group of business executives,
one opponent of the U.S. Clean Air Act noted
that natural sources of air pollution such as
volcanoes often exceed human sources. Be-
cause of this he argued that air pollution con-
trol legislation was misguided. He went on to
say that he supported efforts in the U.S. Con-
gress to weaken air pollution legislation be-
cause it was not only unnecessary but also
hurt the economy. Regulations, he claimed,
cost jobs and reduced the nation's productiv-
ity. Analyze this premise, using your critical
thinking skills and your knowledge of air
pollution.
366 PART IV. Resource Issues:

11. Solution
s for a Sustainable Society
CRITICAL THINKING
Exercise
Hydrogen is a fuel that receives a lot of atten-
tion from the media these days, and many peo-
ple, including politicians, are touting hydrogen
as a potential fuel source for automobiles,
trucks, and busses. They point out that hydro-
gen is made from an abundant and renewable
resource, water, by simply running electricity
through water. This causes the water molecules
to split. Hydrogen can then be burned or intro-
duced into a fuel cell that uses the hydrogen to
generate electricity. When this occurs, the hy-
drogen combines with oxygen in the air to
form water once again. The process produces
no pollution, say proponents.
Analyze hydrogen as a fuel, and present

12. your thoughts on the wisdom of pursuing hy-
drogen as a transportation fuel. You may want
to do some research on hydrogen to learn
more about it. How much energy does it take
to make it? Would it be more efficient to use
the electricity needed to split water mole-
cules directly to power cars?
lives and to ensure a long, prosperous human pres-
ence. Chapter 2 made the case for this new ap-
proach to environmental protection. (If you haven’t
read them, you may want to do so now.)
This book also presents many ideas on ways
to create nature-compatible designs to permit
humans to thrive within the limits of the natu-
ral world. These new designs could allow human
civilization to prosper without disrupting nutrient
cycles, climate, wildlife, and natural environments.
In fact, they could even enhance the environ-
ment, our life support system, and the source of
all human wealth.
Table 17-1 lists the human
systems that were discussed

13. in Chapter 2. In Part IV, the
chapters reviewed natural re-
source issues and solutions,
highlighting ways to restruc-
ture systems such as energy,
water supply, and agriculture
to resolve resource issues based
on the operating principles of sustainability. Al-
though restructuring human systems and the global
economy are essential to protect the environment
and build a sustainable future, the task will not be
easy, inexpensive, or quickly executed. The chap-
ter you are about to read presents some additional
ideas on sustainable systems. It addresses land use
and transportation.
Cities and Towns as Networks
of Systems
Think of the city or town you live in. It consists of people and
the built environment—streets, shopping centers, office
buildings, and schools. Look a little harder, though, and you
will see the city or town as a network of interdependent hu-
man systems. There’s a transportation system, consisting of

14. roads and highways, gas stations, automobiles, buses, trucks,
and airports. There’s an energy system, consisting of gas sta-
tions, power plants, underground pipes that carry natural gas,
and power lines that transmit electricity. There’s most likely
an elaborate system of water supply, consisting of deep wells
or dams and reservoirs, water treatment plants, and an ex-
tensive set of pipes under the streets to transport water to
homes, factories, businesses, schools, government offices, car
washes, and parks. There’s a waste management system as
well. It consists of thousands of generators of waste—homes,
factories, office buildings, and copy shops that produce mil-
lions of tons of waste each year. It also consists of ways to deal
with waste, such as recycling centers, waste-to-energy plants
that burn garbage, landfills in which waste is buried, sewage
treatment plants, and hazardous waste facilities.
These networks of systems are designed to meet our
needs for raw materials, finished goods, and services. They
also get rid of the mountains of waste produced by human
society. Some futurists believe that making cities sustain-
able will require a restructuring of these systems. Virtually
every aspect of city or town life will need to be rethought and
redesigned, although not everyone agrees that this is neces-
sary or, if they do, about how this should be accomplished.

15. KEY CONCEPTS
The Invisibility of Human Systems
Although there has been a lot of progress in the last four
decades in environmental protection, many problems are
worsening. As pointed out earlier, the vast majority of the
trends are leading us away from a sustainable existence. It
may be hard for people to accept the assertion that human
Cities and towns consist of numerous systems, such as energy,
housing, and transportation, that many experts think are largely
unsustainable. Making our living environment sustainable will
require us to redesign human systems to protect natural systems
that support us.
17.1
Table 17-1
Human Systems
Energy
Transportation
Waste management
Water
Industry

16. Agriculture
CHAPTER 17: Creating Sustainable Cities, Suburbs, and Towns
367
FIGURE 17-1 The kitchen is more than a place to cook.
The kitchen is an integral part of several key systems. Can
you name them? How do natural systems support the hu-
man systems?
society and the systems it depends on are unsus-
tainable. Throughout this book you have seen many
statistics that support this conclusion. As has been
pointed out in previous chapters, pollution, species
extinction, global warming, and a host of other en-
vironmental problems aren’t mere surface wounds
that can be fixed with Band-Aids; they’re symptoms
of deeper problems, most notably overpopulation
and unsustainable human systems.
Why is it hard to grasp the problem with hu-
man systems? For much of the past 60 years, en-
vironmentalists, policymakers, teachers, and

17. researchers have focused most of their attention
on solutions that address the symptoms of the en-
vironmental crisis. Very little attention has been fo-
cused on human systems and their fundamental
unsustainability. The basic
assumption has been that if
we solve the immediate prob-
lems, we’ll be all right. A lit-
tle change here and there will
cut pollution and reduce the
negative effects on people
and other living creatures.
Another important fac-
tor is that for most people
systems are invisible. That is, they were designed to oper-
ate with minimal bother to us (FIGURE 17-1). The fact that
we don’t think about systems very much is a tribute to the
engineers who designed them. In fact, it’s generally only
when a system breaks down that we notice it exists.
We turn on a light switch, and electricity surges through
the wires. We turn on the faucet, and out comes drinkable
water. We go to the grocery store, and the shelves are packed
with food. We pull up to the gas station, and there’s plenty

18. of fuel. We’re aware of light switches, faucets, and gas pumps,
but we’re fairly ignorant about the rest of the systems. If we
barely recognize their existence, how can we be concerned
about them?
KEY CONCEPTS
Performance Versus Sustainability:
Understanding a Crucial Difference
Another obstacle in the way of understanding the premise
that human systems are unsustainable has to do with the
distinction between performance and endurance. For most
Most efforts to solve environmental problems have focused on
treating symptoms rather than on rethinking and revamping
the systems that are at the root of the problems. Most people
are unaware of the systems that support our lives until they
break down.
of us, the systems work well. The important distinction here
is that just because a system is supplying us with the services
we need doesn’t mean that it is sustainable. For example,
just because the world’s fishing fleet is producing over 90 mil-
lion tons of fish each year does not mean that this amount
is a sustainable harvest level. In fact, this level of fish catch

19. is severely depleting key fisheries, and we are headed for
major shortages in the near future. The same is true with
virtually all human systems.
KEY CONCEPTS
Why Are Human Systems
Unsustainable?
Although it is difficult to determine the carrying capacity
of the planet—that is, how many people it can support—it
is easy to find evidence that we are exceeding it. Global
warming, species extinction, land devastation, soil erosion,
desertification, food shortages, and other problems are signs
that we are exceeding the capacity of the Earth to support hu-
man life—and other life-forms as well.
These problems are partly a result of the massive size of
the world population, but also a result of the design of the
systems that support our lives. A system of energy based on
efficiency and clean, renewable sources, for example, would
have a fraction of the environmental impact of the present
system (Chapters 14 and 15). A system of agriculture based
on minimum tillage, crop rotation, soil conservation
measures, and natural pesticides would be able to feed the

20. Just because a system such as energy or manufacturing ap-
pears to be functioning well does not mean it is sustainable in
the long run.
GO GREEN
One way to reduce your impact
on the environment is to grow
your food—or some of it—af-
ter you graduate or right now.
You can even help your family
start a vegetable garden.
368 PART IV. Resource Issues: