PSU Earth and Space Exploration Discussion

Assignment Details:

*Read the online course material and all additional readings prior to responding

• Your assignment is to thoughtfully respond to the question(s) posed
• Length should be ~200 words for your main response
• Provide a thoughtful response to 1-2 of your fellow classmates’ comments.
• Include a reference list at the end of your response for any references you use. See this page for citation guidelines. Additional citation help is also provided in the Resources and Help section.
• RE-READ your response to check for typos and grammatical errors.

This week you will watch the first two parts of the documentary Cadillac Desert, based on Marc Reisner’s book of the same name. It was filmed in 1997 but has become a very famous documentary as it provides a great historical perspective. If you’ve enjoyed reading The Big Thirst, you should definitely check out the book Cadillac Desert (链接到外部网站。). It will change the way you think about water, if not the United States of America.

Here is the complete version of the documentary

Part I – Mulhollands Dream (90 mins; runs from 0:00 – 1:23) – story of the hunt & exploitation of water in and around Los Angeles

Part II – An American Desert (60 mins; runs from 1:24 – 2:18) – story of the Colorado River, including how it became regulated and controlled
*I suggest watching both, but definitely watch the entirety of Part II.
So let us discuss… Based on this documentary: (See this part what you need to write for answer my assignment)
(1) What do you think is the single biggest mistake made in the history of the American West with regard to water usage? You must support your claim.
(2) If you could go back in time, what would you do to change/fix our early water mistake(s) and why?
Be sure to properly reference at least 1-2 external sources of information which can include the documentary.