Requirements 

The Critical Thinking Paper is an argumentative essay using the process of thinking critically about the themes and topics presented in the course to develop a clear and cohesive position on a specific issue. These papers are designed to help you become better researchers and writers in the process of investigating topics related to the course. 

Ideas to consider as you develop a topic:

• Relationship of the physical feature/concept/form to local, regional, global patterns/activity/circulation/flows
• Relationship to the human landscape
• Controls, limits, and change…
• Resulting impacts of that change and what may be done to adapt to or modify living conditions

These papers follow a rigid Critical Thinking format; concise writing and exact length; accurate and appropriate use of sources, cited properly, including a complete, properly formatted List of Sources. Finally I require high quality writing. Use

HCC’s writing resourcesLinks to an external site.

for guidance and access

HCC’s Style GuidesLinks to an external site.

for Bibliographic material.

Critical Thinking Paper 

The paper is worth 100 points. 

• Critical Thinking Paper GuidelinesActions

  What does Peer-Reviewed mean? (Links to an external site.)
  What does the peer-review process look like?

good workon time

StudentName

ID No.

Total Word Count: 550

Cascading Effect of Nitrogen and its Environmental Impact

Introduction (53 words)

While nitrogen in the natural state is not harmful, excess amounts of the reactive form will

pollute the air, waterways, and ecosystems. The rise of human activity involved in the production

of nitrogen has caused this to become an environmental problem, and more steps should be taken

to understand and reduce its impact.

Analysis (424 words)

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient in biological lifeforms and is natural to the environment. The

supply of nitrogen was limited to natural sources until the Haber-Bosch process was developed,

which then gave rise to high demand and economic interests to produce nitrogen and its many

forms. Agriculture, energy use, and land use doubled the amount of reactive nitrogen since the

1940s (Liu et al., 2014; p. 625). Reactive nitrogen is all forms of nitrogen except the inert state

that is common in breathable air. It is in the excess of the reactive forms of nitrogen that is

threatening to air and water quality, as well as various environmental ecosystems relying on the

water cycle (Liu et al., 2014; p. 625).

The limited amounts of nitrogen available naturally has caused the world’s ecosystems to adapt

to re-use essential nitrogen molecules in a closed nitrogen cycle. The agriculture, energy

production, and the transportation industry has introduced more reactive nitrogen, such as nitrous

oxide and ammonia, to the environment with nitrogen oxides as an unintentional waste product

(Erisman et al., 2013; p. 2). Reactive nitrogen quickly dissipates to the environment and cascades

through the air and water but will naturally convert back to inert N2. Human production of

reactive nitrogen, however, outpaces the natural conversion back to its natural state which leads

to excess accumulation in the ecosystem (Erisman et al.,2013; p. 2).

The environmental effects include acid rain and nitrogen deposition, which contributes to the

acidification of water and soil while also upsetting the nutrient balance of the local ecosystem

(Galloway et al. 2013; p. 7). Excess nitrogen will affect the nitrogen-sensitive species and hinder

plant growth, cascading that problem by saturating the nitrogen. In the water, excess can impact

algae growth which in turn cause eutrophication, or pollution caused by excessive nutrients

(Galloway et al. 2013; p. 7).

Perhaps most importantly, nitrogen’s role in atmospheric conditions is understated, as nitrous

oxide (N2O) is the largest known threat to the ozone layer that still remains and contributes to

climate change and ozone layer depletion (Kanter et al., 2012; p 4451). Nitrous oxide emissions

in the atmosphere oxidizes into nitric oxide and coupled with nitrogen oxides form the catalyst

which contribute to ozone depletion (Kanter et al., 2012; p 4453).

Nitrogen can easily change into many chemical forms, each of which can impact the

environment differently. (Kanter et al., 2012; p 4456). As such, humans need to reduce it impact,

as its global use is expected to increase 1.4% each year, according to the FAO (2015; n.p.)

Evaluation (46 words)

There is clear bias. One report is funded by the EPA, while others are affiliated with

environmental organizations. Their work shows a clear concern for the potential threat of

nitrogen; the full extent of its impact is still unclear as stated by two of the authors.

Conclusion (27 words)

Reactive nitrogen has a cascading effect which impacts the environment on many levels. Steps

should be taken to reduce its impact before its full impact is realized.

Bibliography

Erisman, Jan Willem, et al. “Consequences of Human Modification of the Global Nitrogen

Cycle.” Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, vol. 368, no. 1621, 2013, pp.

1–9.

JSTOR.

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. 2015. “Fertilizer Use to Surpass 200

Million Tonnes in 2018.” International Rice Commission Newsletter Vol. 48, FAO of the

UN, 2015, www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/277488/icode/. Accessed 15 November

2018.

Galloway, James N., et al. “A Chronology of Human Understanding of the Nitrogen Cycle.”

Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, vol. 368, no. 1621, 2013, pp. 1–11.

JSTOR.

Liu, Chen, et al. “Socioeconomic Driving Factors of Nitrogen Load from Food Consumption and

Preventive Measures.” Ambio, vol. 43, no. 5, 2014, pp. 625–633.

Kanter, David, et al. “A Post-Kyoto Partner: Considering the Stratospheric Ozone Regime as a

Tool to Manage Nitrous Oxide.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the

United States of America, vol. 110, no. 12, 2013, pp. 4451–4457. JSTOR.

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/277488/icode/

StudentName

ID No.

Total Word Count: 550

Seeding the Sky

Introduction (50)

Cloud seeding should be considered necessary to amplify water resources. The increasing

demands for water, are depleting our water resources, droughts and a growing population

threaten our water supply. Cloud seeding will help replenish depleting water sources, shorten

long periods of drought and will provide a steady source of water.

Analysis (316)

Depleting water sources is the first reason to consider cloud seeding. Cloud seeding delivers

precipitation to an aimed cloud, thereby making it rain, adding clean, unpolluted water, to the

water sources available to us. More than a quarter of the world’s population or a third of the

population in developing countries live in regions that will experience severe water scarcity

(Seckler, 1999; 29-42). With demand for water increasing, cloud seeding is one augmentation

technology that would help replenish scarce water resource (Witt, A. W. 2016; 105-144). Water

depletion is not the only reason we should consider cloud seeding necessary.

The next reason to use Cloud seeding is that it could significantly change areas with long periods

of drought. Steady access to water has been difficult for the population in these drought areas.

Droughts cause some of those people to lose their lively hood. During droughts people are losing

crops and their livestock, which dominos into losing money. According to a study by the national

research council droughts in the United States cause an average annual economic loss of between

six and eight billion dollars (Currier 2017; 949-973). Implementing cloud seeding would allow

people access to water they would not have otherwise. However, money is only the second

reason we should consider cloud seeding beneficial to amplifying water resources in areas of low

precipitation or drought.

The human population is growing, and with the growing population comes growing demand for

water. Water resources that people need to run companies and for agricultural needs will not

always be available if we do not find a way to replenish them. Water sources are not growing at a

fast-enough rate to meet all of the population’s demands. Water is being polluted and used at a

much faster rate. Cloud seeding is not an ultimate solution, it does provide a useful tool to help

increase water access (Currier 2017; 949-973).

Evaluation (86)

Mellissa Currier studied at the University of Pacific Law, which shows her bias towards finding

the truth in a subject. David Seckler wrote for the International Journal of Water Resources

Development, he investigated and wrote about the effects of water scarcity. I wanted to write a

paper about something that was a new concept to me, and in doing so I came across cloud

seeding and with an unbiased opinion I reviewed many articles and came to the conclusion about

the importance of implementing cloud seeding.

Conclusion (54)

Cloud seeding will produce continuous access to water sources. It will replenish our current

water supplies. It will prevent long periods of drought, and the people will flourish in population

as well as in wealth. Cloud seeding is a fairly new concept but it is essential that we incorporate

it, to amplify water resources.

Bibliography

Currier, M. (2017). Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away: Cloud Seeding Governance in the United States

and a Proposal for Federal Regulation. University of the Pacific Law Review, 48(4), 949–

973.

David Seckler, Randolph Barker & Upali Amarasinghe (1999) Water Scarcity in the Twenty-

first Century, International Journal of Water Resources Development, 15:1-2, 29-42,

Givati, A., & Rosenfeld, D. (2005). Separation between Cloud-Seeding and Air-Pollution

Effects. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 44(9), 1298–1314.

Rosenfeld, D., Axisa, D., Woodley, W. L., & Lahav, R. (2010). A Quest for Effective

Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding. Journal of Applied Meteorology & Climatology, 49(7), 1548–

1562.

Witt, A. W. (2016). Seeding Clouds of Uncertainty. Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science &

Technology, 57(1), 105–144.