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Writing Assignment #2-Save the World Proposal

Learning Objectives After completing this writing requirement, you should be able to

• research information about conservation issues. • discuss the feasibility of a conservation project. • evaluate student writing for clarity and effectiveness of communication.

WWF & WHO ask your help. Among all US States, California has among the most endemic species, but also among the most endangered species (such as the Fresno kangaroo rat). California is also threatened by many invasive species (species who originate from outside California and are now invading and threatening local species in California). The olive fly invaded California in 1998, threatening a $60 million industry in the Central Valley alone, because it causes 100% crop loss if not treated with pesticides. New threats are also emerging from infectious diseases, such as West Nile virus, which appeared in the Central Valley in 2004.

For the writing part of this exercise, imagine that you are the chair of an NGO (non- governmental organization) concerned about conservation. You hear that the World Wildlife Fund WWF and the World Health Organization WHO are inviting proposals from NGOs. They ask you to propose a program to either save a species (e.g. whales) or eradicate a species (e.g. Malaria). They are inviting proposals for any species anywhere in the world. Before you to write a whole dossier, they want interested NGOs to submit a pre-proposal of 700 to 900 words that achieves the following tasks: (1) WHAT: target one species for saving or extermination, (2) WHY: explain the benefits of saving/exterminating this species, (3) HOW: outline a plan that explains why this is a feasible goal. If your proposal is selected, your NGO would lead the PR campaign funded by WWF and WHO. This would gain your NGO a lot of exposure, which will help you raise more funds for your NGO.

For the peer review part of this exercise, you will be a member of the committee formed by WHO and WWF to evaluate the pre-proposals. You will be asked to rank the proposals from most to least fundable. You only have money to fund half of the submitted proposals, so choose wisely.

Assignment schedule: time line & point values Assignment Comments Points � Find a species to save or exterminate. Sign up for your species in lab.

Week 8 (in lab)

N/A

� Save the world: research answers to the who | why | how questions.

Week 9 and 10 N/A

� Write a proposal: Write up your findings and submit your draft on Canvas

Submit draft on Canvas (DUE Week 11 @ 11:59 PM the night before your scheduled lab)

5 (for submitting on time)

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� Peer feedback: Provide and receive feedback on your draft.

Complete feedback exercise in lab. Bring an internet enabled device (Week 11)

15 (for honest participation)

� Revise your draft and submit your final version for peer review on Canvas.

Submit final on Canvas (DUE Week 13 @ 11:59 PM the night before your scheduled lab)

25 (honest effort) 25 (performance)

� Peer review six proposals in lab. Complete review exercise in lab. Bring an internet enabled device (Week 13)

10 (for honest participation)

� Show & Tell: Present your story in class* (if you are selected by the TA)

Week 13 in lab Required if selected to receive all possible performance points

This schedule is subject to change; please pay attention to your TA for announcements.

Instructions

� Find a species. Choose a Ü species is either Ü worth saving (e.g. listed as endangered) Ü worth protecting (e.g. produces a medical component) Ü worth eradicating (e.g. invasive species threating crops; fatal disease)

� Make a plan. To write a strong proposal, address the following questions.

Ü What species? Is your species on an endangered-species list? Is your species valuable for medical research? Is your species invasive & threatening native ecosystems or crops? Is your species causing a dangerous disease? Did you choose a single species (e.g. Malaria is distributed by more than one species of mosquito)?

Ü Why? What are the benefits of saving/eradicating this species? Why is this species important? What would happen in the best case if this species were saved/eliminated?

Ü Why not? What are the environmental risks of saving/eliminating this species? What could happen in the worst case if this species was not saved/eliminated?

Ü How? How feasible is it to save/eliminate this species? What actions are you proposing to save/eliminate this species and how safe are these actions?

Ü Can you find any scientific study or data that help you make your argument?

� Write a proposal. Ü Summarize your findings in a pre-proposal (700-900 words). Ü Structure your proposal according to the questions listed in the plan. Ü Use the peer-review rubric & the example as instructions for a good proposal.

� Peer feedback. Ü Submit your draft on Canvas (TurnItIn). Deadline listed in the Schedule. Ü Three lab mates will look at your draft to provide feedback about the content. Check

that you got useful feedback. If not, ask your lab instructor for more feedback. Ü You will also give feedback to three lab mates.

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Ü Grading of your draft: You will receive full points for your draft if you submit your draft on Canvas on time.

Ü Grading of your feedback: You will receive full feedback points if you provided useful feedback on the three drafts you were assigned to read.

� Revise & submit. Ü Use the feedback to improve your proposal. Ü Submit your final version on Canvas (TurnItIn). Deadline listed in the Schedule.

� Peer review. Ü You will receive 6 proposals to review in lab. Ü Please also look at the Example Peer Review of the Example Proposal. Ü First, read the scoring rubric to remind you about the criteria. Ü Then score each proposal using the review rubric & add useful comments. Ü Then rank all proposals from best (rank 1) to worst (rank 6). Ü Submit your 6 reviews on Canvas (TurnItIn). Deadline listed in the Schedule. Ü Grading of your peer reviews: You will receive peer review points if you fill in

6 reviews completely and provide useful & specific comments on each proposal. Ü Grading of your brochure: The TA grades all proposal.

� Show & Tell. Ü The TA will announce in lab if your proposal is selected for ‘Show & Tell’. Please

have a 5-min presentation ready to go. Please bring your proposal and any notes you might want to help you give a talk. There are typically 3 to 5 talks.

Ü If you are selected for “Show & Tell” and you miss the designated lab and/or are unable to give a talk, you might lose your full performance points to another student who was able to give a talk.

Grading Total number of points available for this Writing Exercise: 75.

Subtotal of participation points available: 25 Subtotal of honest-effort points available: 25 Subtotal of performance points available: 25

Full participation points are awarded for completing the assignment on time (submit your draft | provide 3 feedbacks in lab | complete 6 peer reviews in lab). Full honest-effort points are awarded if your assignment also meets minimum standards as described in the Peer Review Rubric (Honest Effort check boxes; Formatting Requirements check boxes). Full Performance points are awarded only to those students who on top of the honest-effort requirements fulfill all criteria described in the Peer Review Rubric (Excellent Performance check boxes).

Avoid an F: This exercise requires you to write 700 to 900 words. Writing fewer than 700 words will cost you all your honest-effort points, and therefore also all your performance points.

Get at least a C: All students in a lab section should earn full Participation and Honest- Effort points; these points correspond to 67% of the point total (high C grade). So everybody can earn a passing grade on this exercise. You do not need Performance points to earn a passing grade on this exercise.

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As and Bs guaranteed: Typically, half the students in a lab section earn partial or full Performance points. If everybody earns their Participation and Honest-Effort points, then half the class is guaranteed to get at least a B!

Useful references Check out the following references.

Endangered species: In the USA:

• https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/species.html • https://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/us-species.html • https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species/learn-more-about-threatened-and-endangered-

species • https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Understanding-

Conservation/Endangered-Species • https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/the-us-endangered-species-act

In the world:

• https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory • https://onekindplanet.org/top-10/top-10-worlds-most-endangered-animals/ • http://www.earthsendangered.com/ • https://awionline.org/content/list-endangered-species • https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reference/endangered-species/

Invasive species:

In California: • http://ice.ucdavis.edu/invasives/ (click on ‘Score cards’ to get info about how each species

affects California) In the USA:

• http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/main.shtml In the world:

• http://www.issg.org/database/species/search.asp?st=100ss

Medicinally relevant species: In California:

• https://arboretum.ucsc.edu/pdfs/ethnobotany-webversion.pdf • https://news.usc.edu/trojan-family/close-to-home-discovering-las-healing-powers/

In the world:

• http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/1999/9241545178.pdf Disease-causing species:

In the world: • http://www.who.int/topics/infectious_diseases/en/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_infectious_diseases • http://www.geo.arizona.edu/Antevs/nats104/00lect08_dises.html

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“Save the World” Proposal – Peer Feedback Rubric

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1. This proposal clearly states species & the proposed action. It shows that this is a valid choice (e.g. endangered species; lethal disease).

2. This proposal supplies useful information supporting that this species should be saved/eradicated. It is not just anecdotal or persuasive.

3. I learned something new when I read this proposal. This proposal tells me more than what everybody already thinks or knows.

4. The proposal showed that real thought and effort went into it. It was not full of egregious errors in spelling and grammar.

5. The proposal’s message was loud and clear. It was not just a collage of unconnected statements that were difficult to follow.

Excellent performance 6. The proposal gives all the facts and arguments that I want & need to

evaluate the proposal critically.

7. The proposal presents facts & arguments that explain the costs as well as the benefits of saving/eradicating this species.

8. The proposal then weighs these pros and cons to formulate a clear and persuasive conclusion.

9. The proposal makes its case in a memorable way: e.g. it tells some unusual detail about the species.

10. The proposal uses original scientific data to make the point.

What I really like about this proposal and why I think this proposal should be funded

How this proposal could be improved and why I think this proposal should not be funded

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“Save the World” Proposal- Peer Review Rubric

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1. This proposal clearly states species & the proposed action. It shows that this is a valid choice (e.g. endangered species; lethal disease).

2. This proposal supplies useful information supporting that this species should be saved/eradicated. It is not just anecdotal or persuasive.

3. I learned something new when I read this proposal. This proposal tells me more than what everybody already thinks or knows.

4. The proposal showed that real thought and effort went into it. It was not full of egregious errors in spelling and grammar.

5. The proposal’s message was loud and clear. It was not just a collage of unconnected statements that were difficult to follow.

Excellent performance 6. The proposal gives all the facts and arguments that I want & need to

evaluate the proposal critically.

7. The proposal presents facts & arguments that explain the costs as well as the benefits of saving/eradicating this species.

8. The proposal then weighs these pros and cons to formulate a clear and persuasive conclusion.

9. The proposal makes its case in a memorable way: e.g. it tells some unusual detail about the species.

10. The proposal uses original scientific data to make the point.

Formatting requirements (check box if OK): Reference list with the source literature Word Count (must be 700 words or more to pass)

What I really like about this proposal and why I think this proposal should be funded

How this proposal could be improved and why I think this proposal should not be funded

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EXAMPLE PROPOSAL - - - Smallpox – eradicating a global killer

Author ID: 1234 Word count: 860 Proposed species: smallpox virus Proposed action: eradication

What is smallpox? Smallpox is a disease caused by the variola virus1,2(Figure 1). This virus is part of the genus Orthopoxvirus, and is closely related to the cowpox, chickenpox, and monkeypox virus3. The smallpox virus infects only humans3. It settles in small blood vessels in the skin of mainly the arms, legs and head, including the mouth, where is causes a severe skin rash of fluid-filled blisters (Figure 2) and leaves deep life-long scars (1) (Figure 3). Symptoms typically start to show 12 to 14 days after infection1,2 and a patient is most infectious when the rash first appears. The main mode of transmission is face-to-face contact with an infected person through inhalation. Smallpox originated more than 2000 years ago in India or Egypt and spread along trade routes through Europe and Asia during the 4 to 15th century. It was brought to America in the 16th century by European settlers, killing up to 95% of the native population so quickly that it wiped out dynasties (e.g. Incas) and the oral history of many tribes, including the Hopi, who started a new pottery style after 90% of their population died in the 1775/1781 epidemic4.

Why target smallpox? Smallpox is a world-wide killer. Smallpox is one of the most lethal diseases, killing 30% of infected adults and closer to 60% of infected children; those who survive are marked for life with deep pock marks and may go blind1,2. There exists no effective treatment for this disease, but it can be prevented by vaccination1,2. In the 18th century, before vaccination was introduced, smallpox killed every tenth child in Europe2 and 300 to 500 million people worldwide per year5. The last smallpox pandemic occurred in 1870 to 18746. In the 1950ies, there were still 50 million smallpox cases worldwide each year2. The high mortality of smallpox, combined with the fact that 30 to 90% of all blindness cases are caused by smallpox, make smallpox a very costly disease to human society1,2. Smallpox is classified as a Category A agent, which is the highest threat level1.

Smallpox is highly contagious. Smallpox is highly contagious: it is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person’s body fluids, usually through inhalation1. Smallpox is rarely transmitted by indirect contact, such as through touching the clothes of infected people2. Despite being highly contagious, smallpox spreads more slowly than many other airborne viral infections because transmission requires close contact (within 6 feet)7 and because infected persons are highly contagious for only a brief period of a few days to a week when they first develop the rash8.

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Can smallpox be eradicated? Smallpox is an ideal candidate for eradication for three reasons. First, there is a vaccine against smallpox that gives effectively life-long immunity2. Second, smallpox infects only humans, there is no animal reservoir 1,2. So we do not need also eradicate another species, e.g. mosquitos, which are a reservoir for malaria. Third, smallpox is transmitted slowly and locally, which means that the spread of smallpox can be prevented when a relatively small percentage of people are vaccinated. This herd immunity occurs when enough people are immune, so that the virus can no longer find a new host. So, not all people need to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of a disease. In the case of smallpox, scientists recommend that at least 70% of the population should be vaccinated8. This is a much lower immunization rate than required for e.g. eradicating measles (92-96%) or malaria (99% of the population before they reach age 3 months)9.

How can smallpox be eradicated? To eradicate smallpox, a global immunization campaign needs to be initiated to ensure worldwide that at least 70% of all the people in any community are vaccinated. Politically and socially, this immunization campaign requires all countries to cooperate with the program and to ensure that their citizens support and comply with this program. Economically, it requires enough funds to produce and distribute the vaccine. The biggest practical problem that I foresee is to find enough money to fund this global project. It requires an international organization such as the World Health Organization to convince rich countries to fund the programs not just in their own country. The next big problem is to make enough people comply and get vaccinated to reach the critical immunization rate of 70%. Countries need to pass legislation to make vaccination mandatory. They also need information campaigns to achieve high compliance. In developing countries, lack of infrastructure, such as roads and health centers, might slow the program. Wars and local conflicts cause refugees and might make it impossible to reach them. Fortunately, the low transmission rate and the long-lasting immunity through vaccination means that the immunization program can succeed as long as outbreaks are contained by ring vaccination8. To sum up, smallpox is not only a big global killer, it is also one of very few diseases that has all the characteristics required to enable eradication: (1) it has no animal reservoir, hence it can be eradicated by just treating humans (2) it has a relatively low transmission rate, hence it can be stopped by relatively low immunization rates, (3) a vaccine exists that conveys effectively life-long immunity, so people need to be vaccinated just once.

A footnote on this example – smallpox is eradicated, but not the virus I chose smallpox because that way I do not steal a story from you: smallpox has in fact been eradicated, sort of anyway. A combination of worldwide mandatory immunization programs started in the 20th century to eradicate smallpox – in 1980 smallpox was declared eradicated. The last person to naturally contract smallpox was a 2-year old girl in Bangladesh named Rashina Banu (Figure 4)7. However, several countries still maintain stocks of the smallpox virus. In 1986, the WHO recommended that all stocks be destroyed, and repeated this plea in 2010 arguing that keeping the stock serves no public-health purpose7; the US and Russia in particular counter that these stock will help them to e.g. develop new vaccines. Health experts are very concerned about the smallpox virus being used for biological warfare & terrorism. Destroying all government stocks would make it possible to criminalize possession of the virus and hopefully severely limit the chance of this virus being weaponized.

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References 1 CDC website http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/faq/smallpox_disease.asp (accessed 7-1-2011 2 Medscape website http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1134582-overview (accessed 7-1-2011) 3 WHO website http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/smallpox/en/ (accessed 7-1-2011) 4 Fenn EA. Pox Americana: the great small pox epidemic of 1775-1782. New York: Hill and Wang Publishers, 2001 5 Koplow, David A.. Smallpox: the fight to eradicate a global scourge. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003 6 Rolleston JD. The smallpox pandemic of 1870 to 1874. Proc. Roy. Soc. Med. 1933, Vol. 27(2): 177–192 7 Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox (accessed July 1 2011) 8 Kretzschmar M ,van den Hof S, Wallinga J, van Wijngaarden J. Ring vaccination and smallpox control. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2004, Vol. 10, No. 5: 832-841 9 Anderson RMn May RM. Vaccination and herd immunity to infectious diseases. Nature 1985 Vol. 318: 323-329

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“Save the World” Proposal Peer Review Rubric – EXAMPLE COMPLETED BY REVIEWER

Species Name Small pox (variola virus)

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1. This proposal clearly states species & the proposed action. It shows that this is a valid choice (e.g. endangered species; lethal disease).

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2. This proposal supplies useful information supporting that this species should be saved/eradicated. It is not just anecdotal or persuasive.

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3. I learned something new when I read this proposal. This proposal tells me more than what everybody already thinks or knows.

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4. The proposal showed that real thought and effort went into it. It was not full of egregious errors in spelling and grammar.

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5. The proposal’s message was loud and clear. It was not just a collage of unconnected statements that were difficult to follow.

X

Excellent performance 6. The proposal gives all the facts and arguments that I want & need to

evaluate the proposal critically. X

7. The proposal presents facts & arguments that explain the costs as well as the benefits of saving/eradicating this species.

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8. The proposal then weighs these pros and cons to formulate a clear and persuasive conclusion.

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9. The proposal makes its case in a memorable way: e.g. it tells some unusual detail about the species.

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10. The proposal uses original scientific data to make the point. X Formatting requirements (check box if OK): X Reference list with the source literature X Word Count (must be 700 words or more to pass)

What I really like about this proposal and why I think this proposal should be funded The author shows that smallpox is a very dangerous disease. And that smallpox can be eradicated: the author provides many scientific arguments for eradication and for why eradication is also feasible.

How this proposal could be improved and why I think this proposal should not be funded The proposal does not explain in great detail how to organize the necessary immunization programs, in particular how to get rich countries to agree to pay.