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"Save the World" Proposal lnstructions

Learning Objectives
After completing this writing requirement, you should be able to o research infotmation about conservation i.ssues. o discuss the feasibil-ity of a consen'ation project. o evaluate student writing for clarity and effectiveness of communication.

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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 Califomia). The olive fly invaded California in 1998, threatening a $60 million industry in the Central Valley alone, because it causes 1007o 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 in2004.
For the writing part of this exercise, imagine that you are the chair of an NGO (nongovernmental organization) concerned about conservation. You hear that the World Wildlife Fund W'WF 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 write a whole dossier, they want interested NGOs to submit a preproposal 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 were 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.

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V lues Sched le: Time Ti Line & Point Poi Va ment Schedule:
Assienment When
Week 9 Deadline Points

O Find a species to propose for saving or exterminating. Sign up for your species in
@ Save the world: research answers to the

ln lab

N/A

(ln lab) Week 10 N/A N/A

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WHAT I WHY I HOW questions.

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@ Write a proposal: Write up your findings

Week 12

and bring your draft to class.

Week 10: Bring 3 COPIES of your draft to lab

5 (for submitting on time)

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

Week 12 (ln lab) Week 14

Submit draft in lab. Complete feedback exercise in lab. Submit 5 COPIES of your final proposal to TA in your lab in Week 13 Submit completed peer reviews in lab

5 (for honest

participation)

Revise your draft and submit your final

15 (honest effort) 15 (performance) 5 (for honest

version for peer review.

@ Peer review six proposals.

Week 14

(ln lab)
@ Show & Tell: Present your story in class (if you are selected by the TA)

participation)

Week 15 (ln lab)

ln lab

N/A

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

lnstructions
O Find a species. Choose a 3
species is either worth saving (e.g. listed as endangered) worth protecting (e.g. produces a medical component) worth eradicating (e.g. invasive species; serious disease)

3 3 3

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

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

3 3 3 3
@

Why? What are the benefits of sar,'ing/eradicating this species? SThy is this species important? I(hat would happen in the best case if this species rvere saved/elirninated?

Why not? lW"hat are the enr,,ironmental risks of saving/eiiminating this species? \X/hat could happen in the worst case if this species was flot saved/eliminated? How? How feasible is it to save/eliminate this species? What actions are you proposing to save/eliminate this species and horv safe are these actions?
Can you find any scientific study

or

data that help you make your argument?

Write a pre-proposa!.

3 C 3

Summarize your findings in a pre-proposal (700-900 wotds). Structure your proposal according to the questions listed in the plan. Use the peer-rer,-iew rubric & the example as instructions for a good proposal.

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@ Peer feedback. 3 Bring 3 COPIES of your draft to lab. Deadline listed in the Schedule. 3 Ask three lab mates to look at your draft proposal to pror.ide feedback about the organization and the content. Check that you got useful feedback. If not, keep asking more lab mates. 3 You r.vi1l also give feedback to three lab mates. 3 Gtading of your draft: After you got 3 feedbacks about your owfl draft, submit a copy of your draft to the TA; r.vrite the names of vour 3 feed-backers on your &aft. You receive full points for your draft if you submit your draft * 3 feedbacker names. 3 Grading of yout feedback You will receive full feedback points if your name appears as a Useful Feed-backer on three submitted drafts. @ Revise & submit. C Use the peer feedback to improve your proposal. 3 Submit 6 COPIES of your final version to yoru TA. Deadline listed in the Schedule. @ Peer review. C You will receive 6 proposals to rer,-ierv in lab. Remember fiom the introduction to this exercise: yorlr role is now to be a member of the review committee that advises !fl\{|F & S7HO on which ptoposals deserv'e funding. 3 Please also look at the Example Peer Review of the Example Proposal. 3 First, read the scoring mbric to remind you about the criteria. 3 Then score each proposal using the revierv rubric & add usefirl comments. 3 Then rank all proposals from most worth,v (rank 1) to least fundable. 3 Submit your 6 teviews to your TA. Deadline listed in the Schedule. C Grading of your peer reviews: You will receive peer revierv points if you fili in 6 reviervs completely and pror,-ide usefirl & specific comments on each brochure. 3 Grading of your proposal: The TA grades all proposals with the help of the peer reviews. To receive full Honest Effort points, your proposal must be rated Honest Effort by 5 or more peer reviewers. Tlpically half the proposals in a lab section quali$, for partial or fullExcellent-Performance points. @ Show & Tell. 3 The TA r.vill arinounce in lab of rveek 15 if your proposal is selected for'Sho'uv & Tell'. Please have a 5-min presentation ready to go. Please bring your proposal and any flotes you might want to help you give a talk. There are wpically 3 to 5 talks. 3 Typicall,v, those proposals th^t zre selected for Show & Tell qualify for frrll ExcellentPerformance points. 3 If you miss this lab unexcused and are unable to give atalk,you might lose your full Excellent-Performance points to another studefit who rvas able to give a talk.

Grading
Total number of points available for this Writing Exercise: 45.
Subtotal of participation points available: 15 Subtotal of honest-effort points available: 15 Subtotal of performance points available: L5
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your Full participation points are awarded for completing the assignment on time_(submit are points draftl provide 3 feedbacks in lab I complete 6 peer reviews in lab). Full honest-effort the Peer awardLd if your assignment also meets minimum standards as described in Full boxes). Review Rubric (Honlst Effort check boxes; Formatting Requirements check honest-effort Performance points are awarded only to those students who on top of the (Excellent Rubric requirements also fulnll all criteria described in the Peer Review
Performance check boxes).

than Avoid an F: This exercise requires you to write 700 to 900 words. writing fewer your all also 700 words will cost you all your honest-effort points, and therefore performance points.
and HonestGet at least a C: All students in a lab section should earn full Participation So Effort points; these points colrespondto 677o of the point total (high C grade)' passing gfua" on this exercise. You do not need Performance points everybody.un "u1n'u to earn a passing grade on this exercise. partial or full Ars and B,s guaranteed: Typically half the students in a lab section earn performance points. If everybody Lu-. 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:

IntheUSA:

http://www'endangeredspecie'com/
http://www.ea rthsenda ngered.com/

Intheworld:http://www.worldwildlife'org/species/
Invasive species: In Califurnia: In the USA:
ln the world

http://ice.ucdavis.edu/invasives/ (click on 'score cards' to get info about how each species affects Califurnia) hitp : //www.inv as iv e sp e c i e s info. gov/animal s/main'shtml
http ://www.issg.org/data base/species/sea rch'asp?st=L00ss

Medicinally relevant sPecies: In balifu rnia : http : //www.plantsofcalifornia. com/califu rnia-plantdat ab as e /me di c inal -pl ant s - of- c alifu rnia/ In the world: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/tggglg241545l78.pdf
Disease-causing species: In the world: http://www.who.int/topics/infectious-diseases/en/ http ://en.wiki ped ia.org/wiki/List-of-i nfectious-diseases http://www.geo.a rizona.ed u/Antevs/nats104/00lect08-dises.htm

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EXAMPLE PRoPosAt - - - smallpox

Author lD:7042
Proposed species: smallpox virus

- eradicating a global killer

Word count:860
Proposed action : eradication

What is smallpox?
Smallpox is a disease caused by the variola virusl,2lFigure 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 fluidfilled blisters (Figure 2) and leaves deep life-long scars (1) (Figure 3). Symptoms typically start to show 12 to 14 days after infection''' 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 16tr century by European settlers, killing up to 95Vo 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 90Vo of their population died in the

l775l178l epidemica.

Why target smallpox?

Smallpox is a world-wide killer. Smallpox is one of the most lethal diseases, killing 30Vo of infected adults and closer to 60vo of infected children; those who survive are marked for life with deep pock marks and may go blindl'2. There exists no effective triatment for this aiseasel uut it can be prevented by vaccinationl'2. In the 18th century, before vaccination was introduced, smallpox killed every tenth child in Europe2 and 300 t-o 500 million people worldwide per'years. The last smallpox pandemic occurred in 1870 to 18746. In the l950ies, ih"." ,*'.." still 50 million smallpox cases worldwide each yeal. The high mortality of smallpox, combined with the fact that 30 to 90vo of all blindness cases are caused by smallpox, make smallpox a very costly disease to human societyl,2. Smallpox is classified as a category A agent, which is the higheit threat levell.

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Smallpox is highly contagious. Smallpox is highly contagious: it is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person's body fluids, usually through inhalationl. Smallpox is rarely transmitted by indirect contact, such as through touching the clothes of infected people'. Despite being highty contagious, smallpox spreads more slowly than mSny other airborne viral infections because transmission requires close contact (within 6 feet)' 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.

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 '''. 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 70Vo of the population should be vaccinateds. This is a much lower immunization rate than required for e.g. eradicating measles (92-96Vo) or malaria (99Vo of the population before they reach age 3 months)e.
How can smallpox be eradicated? To eradicate smallpox, a global immunization campaign needs to be initiated to ensure worldwide that at least'|l%o 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 70Vo. 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 lifelong immunity, so people need to be vaccinated just once.

Can smallpox be eradicated? Smallpox is an ideal candidate for eradication

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person to naturally contract smallpox was a 2-year old gid in Bangladesh named Rashina Banu

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 20"' century to eradicate smallpox - in 1980 smallpox was declared eradicated. Th" lart
(Figure 4)'.

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.

However, several countries still maintain stocks of the smallpox virus. In 1986, the WHO recommended that all stocks be destro;red. and repeated this plea in 2010 arguing that keeping the stock serves no public-health purpose' ; the US and Russia in particular counter that these stock will help them to e.g. develop new vaccines. Health experts are very concemed about the smallpox virus

References
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http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/smallpox/en/ (access ed7-l-21ll) , lHo*web_site 'Fenn EA. Pox Americana: the great small pox epidemic of l77i-1782. New york: Hill and Wang publishers,
2001

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website http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/faqlsmallpox-disease.asp (accessed 7-l-21ll website http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1 I 34581-overview (iccesse d.7 -t-Z}tt)

wikipedia htp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/smallpox (accessed July 1 201 I ) lGetzschmar M ,van den Hof S, Wallinga J, van Wijngaarden J. Ring vaccination and smallpox control. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2004, Vol. 10, No. 5: g32-g41 e Anderson RMn May RM. Vaccination and herd immunity to infectious diseases. Nature l9g5 Voi. 3lg:323-329
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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 l874.Proc. Roy. Soc. Med. 1g33, vol. zl1z1: 177-lg2
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