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Environmental uses of Sound Science and the Scientific Method

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Part 1

How can sound science and the scientific method be used to help evaluate and solve an environmental issue?
Give 1 specific example.
How do people who are not scientists evaluate the claims and different positions taken in debates about environmental issues?
Give 1 example.
How might the term sound science be misused or misunderstood?
Give 1 example, and explain.

Part 2

Read the following 2 articles in the Web Resources about the debate about global warming:

Global Warming Pro: U.S. Global Change Research Program: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.

Global Warming Con: Heartland Institute: Climate Change Reconsidered: 2011 Interim Report.

Do you think that global warming is a credible threat or not? Explain your position based on what you read in the 2 summary articles.

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Solution Summary

Discusses differences and similarities of sound science and junk science. Examples of environmental issues using the scientific method. Analyzing the pros and cons of global warming conducted by two organizations.

Global Warming Pro: U.S. Global Change Research Program: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.

Global Warming Con: Heartland Institute: Climate Change Reconsidered: 2011 Interim Report.

Solution Preview

Part 1
How can sound science and the scientific method be used to help evaluate and solve an environmental issue? Give 1 specific example.

There are environmental issues that scientist cannot agree on. Sound science use sound scientific facts and proven theories, while the opposing present explanations based on the same facts. There must be a way for us to understand controversial issues.
Sound science is used to separate legitimate science from information that is presented as valid science but does not conform to the methods and practice of legitimate science. Sound science involves a disciplined approach to understanding how natural world works. This approach is known as the scientific method. The main components of the scientific method is; observation, experimentation, hypothesis, results, analysis, and conclusion.

Example; Until recently, we had never seen an atom, but many observations are explained by the theory of that all gases, liquids and solids consist of various combinations of several kinds of atoms. Therefore, we fully accept the atomic theory of matter.
How do people who are not scientists evaluate the claims and different positions taken in debates about environmental issues? Give 1 example.

People who have biased opinions use unreliable data and label experimental results as junk science if it threatens their point of view. For example, People who do not support the Endangered ...

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