Rim Fire, Yosemite and Stanislaus (NASA, International Space Station, 08/26/13)
One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the International Space Station used a 50mm lens to record this view of the massive drought-aided Rim Fire in and around California’s Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest on Aug. 26, 2013. The fire began on Aug. 17 and, at the time of this photo on Aug. 26, it still continued to burn, as some 3,700 firefighters battled it. More than 224 square miles had thus far been affected. Photo by NASA, and used under the agency’s media usage guidelines.
This module focuses again on California and water. Last week, we looked at Californian Native people’s uses of water and their rights to water today, we learned about the California water wars, and we explored the solutions engineered by
I know, I know—many Idahoans are sick of hearing about California and the various challenges it faces. However, the kinds of problems California faces—drought; rapid urban and suburban development; population growth; and pollution and other environmental damage from agriculture, mining, and other extractive industries—are pressures faced by most states in the American west, including Idaho. Residents and policy makers in other western states can learn from both Californians’ mistakes and their innovative solutions.
This module looks more closely at the history of water use and management in 20th-century California. At the end of the module, you will find your next assignment, which is due in two weeks.
For this week, you’re required to only do a little bit of writing, though I strongly encourage you to take notes on the reading because they will help you in your upcoming assignment, the Pictorial Essay. I’d like you to write a blog post in which you define engineering, based on what you’ve learned in this course. Your definition should be between 150 and 250 words, and should refer to an example or two from the course. Post due Saturday, March 19 by 11 p.m.