Topic 1:The Ripple Effect

Illegal logging is estimated to cause losses in assets and revenue in excess of $10 billion a year. The U.S. is the world's top consumer of wood products. There is a concern that this high demand for wood products is a significant contributing force in illegal logging worldwide. Illegal logging has many environmental impacts, such as deforestation, global warming, and loss of biodiversity. It also has a destabilizing effect on the rule of law and undermines civil order.

This is just one example of interconnectedness and how demand in one country can have devastating consequences in another country. Give one other example of such interconnectedness, summarizing the "ripple effect" this practice has had on the environment and identifying at least one way to remedy the fallout. Additionally, discuss how financial and political factors also play a role in this debate, as logging has provided ample taxes and revenues, as well as supplying employment for hundreds of Americans. Review the resources below in formulating your posting and replies.

Information on professional logging: harvesting timber, building or repairing forest roads or culverts, thinning a forest, and other forest practices.

Washington State Department of Natural Resources. (n.d.).Forest practices.Retrieved fromhttp://www.dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/forest-practices

The global trade in roundwood, paper, furniture, and other products originating from illegally extracted timber is a multi-million-dollar industry.

World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.).Illegal logging.Retrieved fromhttps://wwf.panda.org/our_work/forests/deforestation_causes2/illegal_logging/

Topic 2:Need to Protect the Environment and the Need for Energy

One of the major debates ongoing in our world involves the need to protect the environment versus the need for energy resources to power the world. The exploration and development of energy resources have seen some dire side effects, from the Alaskan Exxon Valdez oil spill to the Deep Water Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Discuss how the need for energy resources and the development of new resources are interconnected with the global environment. Further, review the resources below and discuss how the development of green energy may have an impact on this energy need in the future.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (n.d.).The effects of climate change.Retrieved fromhttps://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

Flatt, V., & Payne, H. (2014).Not one without the other: The challenge of integrating U.S. environment, energy, climate, and economic policy.Environmental Law, 44(4), 1079-1079. Retrieved fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglt&AN=edsgcl.403299445&site=eds-live