EGN 3615 University of South Florida Identifying the Problem Paper

Description

Audience for This Assignment

Your audience for this assignment is:

Your

manager

, Lena,

who has little to no background on plastic and microplastic pollution and needs to know more

.

In this scenario, you are conducting research that you will report to someone else.

Your language should be plain and include clarifying descriptions as appropriate.

Directions for Completing the Assignment

This assignment has been preformatted for you and includes instructions throughout. Below are general directions for completing and submitting the assignment:

Research:

Use the news articles, videos, podcasts, images, and academic articles provided to complete your research for this assignment. (ATTACHED)

Preformatted Document:

Download this document and complete each section:

EE Step 1 – Identifying the Problem.docx

. Links are provided for you below to help you maintain the formatting within the document, should you accidentally delete something. (ATTACHED)

For best results, check that page margins are set to 0.5″ on all sides.

Cover Page

: Replace the title, name, date, and cover art with your own. You may use whatever layout you want.

Table of Contents (TOC):

Required.

Headings:

Use preformatted headings.

Page

Breaks:

are used between sections. If you delete a page break, simply insert a new one.

All Sections:

Delete all “Instructions” from all parts of the assignment before submission (and update TOC).

Engineering Economics Step 1:
Identifying the Problem
A Communication Assignment
Dr. J Bartell | January 5, 2021
Table of Contents
ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW AND DIRECTIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2
OVERVIEW ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
AUDIENCE …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Audience for This Assignment ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Professional Scenarios ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
DIRECTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE ASSIGNMENT ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
PART 1: SUMMARY OF RESEARCH …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
INSTRUCTIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
PART 2: ECONOMIC IMPACTS/DISRUPTIONS …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
INSTRUCTIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
TABLE OF ECONOMIC IMPACTS/DISRUPTIONS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
[Name of Impact/Disruption 1 (Required)] ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
[Name of Impact/Disruption 2 (Required)] ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
[Name of Impact/Disruption 3 (Required)] ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
[Name of Impact/Disruption 4 (Optional Extra Credit 1 (1 point)] ………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
[Name of Impact/Disruption 5 (Optional Extra Credit 1 (1 point)] ………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
PART 3: YOUR THOUGHTS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
INSTRUCTIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
YOUR THOUGHTS ON “THE REASONABLE IDEAL” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
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|1
Assignment Overview and Directions
Overview
As an engineer, you will be required to take a systems thinking approach to your work, which will require you to pull
back from the minutia of technical inquiry to consider the whole systems that you are operating in. Regardless of your
field of engineering, you and your work will be part of larger local, regional, and global systems and will interact with and
affect the people living and working in those systems.
The “with Social and Global Implications” part of your Engineering Economics course asks you to engage in systems
thinking, starting with this assignment. In this assignment, you will begin the decision-making process as outlined in
Chapter 1 of your Engineering Economics textbook by conducting research on a global issue and considering the social,
health, economic, and global implications.
Audience
Almost everything you write or speak as a professional engineer will be directed to some audience. Sometimes it will be
a specific person, or a specific small group of people (your team, or the C-suite, for example), and sometimes it will be a
more general group, such as “the citizens of Tampa Bay,” for example. In any case, it is important that you think about
who your audience is, and how to speak to them.
Audience for This Assignment
Your audience for this assignment is: Your manager, Lena, who has little to no background on plastic and
microplastic pollution and needs to know more.
• In this scenario, you are conducting research that you will report to someone else.
• Your language should be plain and include clarifying descriptions as appropriate.
Professional Scenarios
Professional scenarios for this type of communication include: research for project proposals; research
for clients; research for entrepreneurial endeavors; job talks
Directions for Completing the Assignment
This assignment has been preformatted for you and includes instructions throughout. Below are general directions for
completing and submitting the assignment:
Cover Page: Replace the title, name, date, and cover art with your own. You may use whatever layout you want.
Table of Contents (TOC): Update the table regularly as you make changes within the document (follow link for
tutorial).
Headings: If you accidentally delete a preformatted heading in the document, just use Heading 1, Heading 2,
and Heading 3 formatting to make headings show up in the TOC again (follow link for details).
This Page: Delete this page from the document before submission (and update the TOC).
All Sections: Delete all “Instructions” from all parts of the assignment before submission (and update TOC).
Submission: Review your document to ensure all parts are formatted correctly. Then, save your document as a
PDF and upload it to Canvas.
EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
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|2
Part 1: Summary of Research
Instructions
In your statement of research below, discuss the research you conducted on the global issue of plastic pollution. Your
statement must be clear, coherent, and well organized, and you must use citations throughout.
In 2-3 paragraphs (~250-450 words), describe the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
What are plastics and microplastics?
Where has plastic and microplastic pollution been found?
Are they harmful?
o Who/what do they harm?
o How?
Will they go away?
What are some of the known effects of plastics and microplastics pollution?
What is being done about it?
Requirements:
•
•
•
2-3 paragraphs (~250-450 words)
Writing must be well organized, clear, and coherent.
Include citations throughout – minimum 5 citations
o Articles and videos from reliable sources have been provided for you; you may use these as your sources.
o You may also use other reliable sources and research as long as they match the quality of sources provided.
o You may use footnotes (follow link for help with this feature)
o You may use whichever citation format you prefer, as long as it is an actual format and you are consistent.
Summary of Research
[Include your summary here, as according to the description, prompts, and requirements above. Delete these
instructions prior to submission.]
EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
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Part 2: Economic Impacts/Disruptions
Instructions
In the “Table of Economic Impacts/Disruptions” on the next page, describe a minimum of 3 negative economic
impacts or disruptions caused by plastic pollution.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Research a minimum of 3 negative economic impacts or disruptions caused by plastic pollution.
Be specific, and consider a variety of impacts/costs (e.g., environmental, social, health, industry, short term, long term,
etc.).
For each heading, include the information as explained below.
a. Be sure to delete all bracketed text in the chart – you will replace bracketed text with your own names,
numbers, descriptions, etc.
Cite your sources.
You may also earn extra credit (EC) for up to two additional impacts/disruptions (worth 1 EC point each). If you choose
NOT to complete the optional EC, delete the Extra Credit headings and tables.
Overview of each table element:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name of Impact/Disruption: Here, you’ll name the specific area being impacted or disrupted.
o For example: “Fisheries”
o Be specific – e.g., “water activities” or “food” are completely insufficient and will earn zero (0) points for the
entire entry.
Category: In this column, you’ll include what category or categories you think the impacted area falls under.
o For example, “Fisheries” are a type of food providing industry, so I’d categorize this as “Industry.” Other
categories could include, but are not limited to, “social,” “health,” “community,” “tourism,” “quality of life.”
Explanation of Effects: Here, you will use 2-4 full sentences to describe what type of effects the impacted/disrupted
area is experiencing or is likely to experience as a result of plastics pollution.
o For example, for “Fisheries,” I’d explain how that industry is negatively impacted as a result of plastics
pollution.
Approximate Number of People Directly Affected: Here you will do a little bit of research to figure out approximately
how many people might be directly affected by the negative impacts on the area you’re looking at.
o For example, for “Fisheries” I would look up approximately how many people worldwide depend on fisheries
for their livelihoods (even though the ultimate impact on related industries and food stores would be much
broader).
o Cite your source!!
Type of Loss(es): (Minimum 4 types of losses incurred; use bullet points.) Here, you will discuss what kinds of losses
the impacted/disrupted area incurs. Simply listing “money” or “income” is unacceptable; you must discuss the losses
that lead to/cause loss of revenue. Be specific and add some detail for clarity.
o For example, losses at a fishery may include the loss of stock over time due to increased infertility from
hormonal disruptions from the ingestion of plastic particles, caused by chemicals called phthalates.
Compounding Effects in Other Areas: In this column, you will discuss the ripple effects caused by the negative
impact/disruption experienced by the area you’re discussing (~4-7 bullet points, using full sentences).
o For example, if you were discussing fisheries, you would want to discuss the impact on interrelated industries
(processing, packaging, shipping, groceries, vitamins, etc.), human health (cancer, infertility, possible birth
defects, etc.), and local, regional, and global social and economic impacts (poverty, health care, education,
etc.).
EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
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EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
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Table of Economic Impacts/Disruptions
[Name of Impact/Disruption 1 (Required)]
Category
[include category here]
Explanation of Effects
[include explanation of effects here; 2-4
sentences]
Type of Losses
Approximate Number of People Directly
Affected
[include approximate number of people directly
affected here]
Compounding Effects in Other Areas
[include types of losses incurred here – be specific
and include details; use bullet points; Minimum 4
types of losses]
[~4-7 bullet points describing the ripple effects on other areas; use full
sentences]
[Name of Impact/Disruption 2 (Required)]
Category
[include category here]
Explanation of Effects
[include explanation of effects here; 2-4
sentences]
Type of Losses
Approximate Number of People Directly
Affected
[include approximate number of people directly
affected here]
Compounding Effects in Other Areas
[include types of losses incurred here – be specific
and include details; use bullet points; Minimum 4
types of losses]
[~4-7 bullet points describing the ripple effects on other areas; use full
sentences]
[Name of Impact/Disruption 3 (Required)]
Category
[include category here]
Explanation of Effects
[include explanation of effects here; 2-4
sentences]
Type of Losses
[include types of losses incurred here – be specific
and include details; use bullet points; Minimum 4
types of losses]
EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
Approximate Number of People Directly
Affected
[include approximate number of people directly
affected here]
Compounding Effects in Other Areas
[~4-7 bullet points describing the ripple effects on other areas; use full
sentences]
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Optional Extra Credit:
[Name of Impact/Disruption 4 (Optional Extra Credit 1 (1 point)]
Category
[include category here]
Explanation of Effects
[include explanation of effects here; 2-4
sentences]
Type of Losses
Approximate Number of People Directly
Affected
[include approximate number of people directly
affected here]
Compounding Effects in Other Areas
[include types of losses incurred here – be specific
and include details; use bullet points; Minimum 4
types of losses]
[~4-7 bullet points describing the ripple effects on other areas; use full
sentences]
[Name of Impact/Disruption 5 (Optional Extra Credit 1 (1 point)]
Category
[include category here]
Explanation of Effects
[include explanation of effects here; 2-4
sentences]
Type of Losses
[include types of losses incurred here – be specific
and include details; use bullet points; Minimum 4
types of losses]
EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
Approximate Number of People Directly
Affected
[include approximate number of people directly
affected here]
Compounding Effects in Other Areas
[~4-7 bullet points describing the ripple effects on other areas; use full
sentences]
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|7
Part 3: Your Thoughts
Instructions
After your manager, Lena, reads your report, she calls you and says:
“Hey! I was just looking over your work, and this is some really interesting stuff. It’s really got me thinking, and I was
wondering, since you were doing the research and probably thinking about this a lot, too, what do we want things to
look like? Obviously ‘no pollution!’ is the ultimate ideal, but that isn’t going to happen in our lifetimes, and probably
not even in our great-grandchildren’s lifetime.
“But what can it look like in our lifetime, reasonably? What do you think? What is a reasonable ideal that we can
aspire to and see in our lifetime?”
“Oh dear… Hey, look, I have to go. I’m getting an emergency call from one of my clients. But I really want to hear your
thoughts. Could you send me an email and we can talk about it later? Thanks!”
What do you say? Include your email response below.
Your Thoughts on “the reasonable ideal”
[include your email response in this space; delete these bracketed instructions]
EGN 3615 | Dr. J. Bartell | Spring, 2021
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Resources:
https://pmdvod.nationalgeographic.com/NG_Video/599/391/1234356803947_1526422958777
_1234578499683_mp4_video_640x360_832000_primary_audio_eng_1.mp4
https://theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/

Microplastics in Tampa Bay
•
•
•
Study: Science Direct Article (read)
o McEachern, K., Alegria, H., Kalagher, A.L., Hansen, C., Morrison, S.,
Hastings, D. (2019). Microplastics in Tampa Bay, Florida: Abundance
and variability in estuarine waters and sediments. Marine Pollution
Bulletin, 148, 97-106 (Links to an external site.)
Tampa Bay Times Article: 4 billion particles of tiny plastics pollute Tampa Bay,
study finds (Links to an external site.)(watch/read)
USF & Eckerd College: New Study Reveals Four Billion Particles of Microplastics
in Tampa Bay Waters (Links to an external site.) (read)
Plastic Pollution Prevalence, Impacts, and Effects
•
•
BBC News: Plastic particles falling out of sky with snow in Arctic (Links to an
external site.) (read)
The Skimmer: What is marine plastic pollution costing us? The impacts of marine
plastic on the Blue Economy (Links to an external site.) (read)
•
World Economic Forum: Are you breathing plastic air at home? Here’s how
microplastics are polluting our lungs (Links to an external site.) (read)
•
The Conversation: Microplastics pollution is everywhere, but scientists are still
learning how it harms wildlife (Links to an external site.)(read)
o Full research article: Bisphenol-A and human oocyte maturation in
vitro (Links to an external site.)
Harvard Chan-NIEHS Center for Environmental Health: BPA linked to infertility
in women (Links to an external site.) (read)
•
•
•
•
•
(Links to an external site.)National Institutes of Health: Bisphenol a: an emerging
threat to male fertility (Links to an external site.)
The Guardian: Plastics ‘leading to reproductive problems for wildlife’ (Links to an
external site.) (read)
The Guardian: Microplastics revealed in the placentas of unborn babies (Links to
an external site.) (read)
o Full research article: Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in
human placenta (Links to an external site.)
NPR: Plastic baby bottles shed microplastics when heated. Should you be
worried? (Links to an external site.) (read)
Working Toward Solutions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
World Economic Forum: Seaweed, Indonesia’s answer to the global plastic
crisis (Links to an external site.) (read)
United Nations Environment Programme: Microplastics in wastewater: Towards
solutions (Links to an external site.) (read)
ABC News: Irish teen invents method to remove microplastics from ocean, wins
$50K Google Science Fair prize (Links to an external site.) (watch/read)
Deutsche Welle (DW): Dutch inventor unveils river barge to scoop plastic before
it enters oceans (Links to an external site.) (read/watch/view)
Lemelson-MIT: Student Prize Winners Marx Acosta-Rubio, Grant Christensen,
and Hal Jones (Links to an external site.) (read/watch)
World Health Organization: WHO calls for more research into microplastics and
a crackdown on plastic pollution (Links to an external site.) (read)
Independent: How scientists plan to clean up plastic waste threatening marine
life (Links to an external site.)(read)
GreenBiz: Not pulp fiction: Absolut, Coca-Cola and the paper bottle project (Links
to an external site.) (read)

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