warm-up meet your fish…name him this fish is your for a week. your job is to take care of the...

Warm-UpWarm-UpMeet your fish…Name him

This fish is your for a week. Your job is to take care of the fish.

What needs do you think the fish has?How are you going to meet those needs?

You are going to find a place for your fish to live somewhere in the classroom.

Make sure you think about your fishes needs!

Meet your fish…Name himThis fish is your for a week. Your job is to

take care of the fish.What needs do you think the fish has?

How are you going to meet those needs?You are going to find a place for your fish to

live somewhere in the classroom.Make sure you think about your fishes needs!

• Addressing environmental problems involves more than just understanding the science.

• Ethics: Study of behavior (good and bad, right and wrong), moral principles, and values

• Culture: Ensemble of knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of people

• Worldview: Perception of the world and a person’s place in it

• Addressing environmental problems involves more than just understanding the science.

• Ethics: Study of behavior (good and bad, right and wrong), moral principles, and values

• Culture: Ensemble of knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of people

• Worldview: Perception of the world and a person’s place in it

Building on Environmental Science

Building on Environmental Science

Lesson 1.3 The Community of Science

40,000 buffalo hides, 1872

Ducks killed by an oil spill

• Environmental ethics is the application of ethical standards to the relationship between humans and the environment.

• Anthropocentrism: Humans and human welfare most important

• Biocentrism: All living things have value; some may be more important than others

• Ecocentrism: Well-being of a species or community more important than that of an individual

• Environmental ethics is the application of ethical standards to the relationship between humans and the environment.

• Anthropocentrism: Humans and human welfare most important

• Biocentrism: All living things have value; some may be more important than others

• Ecocentrism: Well-being of a species or community more important than that of an individual

Environmental EthicsEnvironmental Ethics


Environmental JusticeEnvironmental Justice

• The environmental justice movement: • Recognizes that quality of

life is connected to environmental quality

• Promotes fair and equitable treatment of all people regarding environmental policy and practice

• The environmental justice movement: • Recognizes that quality of

life is connected to environmental quality

• Promotes fair and equitable treatment of all people regarding environmental policy and practice


Cleaning the Tides of San Diego and TijuanaCleaning the Tides of San Diego and Tijuana

• The heavily polluted Tijuana River crosses over from Mexico to the U.S. and empties into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, forcing frequent beach closures. • Pollution sources include U.S.-owned factories as well as Mexican

farms, homes, and sewage treatment plants.• In 1990 the U.S. and Mexico agreed to build a wastewater treatment

plant, but construction has yet to be completed.

• The heavily polluted Tijuana River crosses over from Mexico to the U.S. and empties into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, forcing frequent beach closures. • Pollution sources include U.S.-owned factories as well as Mexican

farms, homes, and sewage treatment plants.• In 1990 the U.S. and Mexico agreed to build a wastewater treatment

plant, but construction has yet to be completed.

Talk About It Why is the pollution problem in the Tijuana River particularly difficult to solve? How does this case illustrate the connections between the environment, the economy, and government policy?

Talk About It Why is the pollution problem in the Tijuana River particularly difficult to solve? How does this case illustrate the connections between the environment, the economy, and government policy?

Lesson 2.1 EconomicsLesson 2.1 Economics

A 1997 study calculated the overall economic value of ecosystems worldwide at about $33 trillion per year— more than the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of every nation in the world at the time.

Warm-Up Your FishWarm-Up Your Fish

•Get your fish- Make sure all of its needs are met- There is food next to the fish tank! Use very sparingly or it will die!!• Answer these questions in your journal-• - What is the value of your fish?• - Would everyone in the class assign the same value

to your fish as you would?• - Why might there be a difference? • - Explain how the ethical views might come into play

(anthropomorphism, ecomorphism etc)

•Get your fish- Make sure all of its needs are met- There is food next to the fish tank! Use very sparingly or it will die!!• Answer these questions in your journal-• - What is the value of your fish?• - Would everyone in the class assign the same value

to your fish as you would?• - Why might there be a difference? • - Explain how the ethical views might come into play

(anthropomorphism, ecomorphism etc)

What Is Economics?What Is Economics?

• The study of how resources are used and distributed

• Markets tend to move toward equilibrium, where demand for a product matches supply.

• Cost-benefit analysis is a decision-making tool that compares an activity’s gains and costs.

• The study of how resources are used and distributed

• Markets tend to move toward equilibrium, where demand for a product matches supply.

• Cost-benefit analysis is a decision-making tool that compares an activity’s gains and costs.

Lesson 2.1 Economics

Economics and the EnvironmentEconomics and the Environment

• Economies depend on the environment for goods and services.

• Goods: Sunlight, fresh water, timber, and fossil fuels

• Services: Nutrient cycling and purification of air and water

• Economic activity can negatively affect the environment, which in turn can negatively affect economies.


Harmful Economic AssumptionsHarmful Economic Assumptions

• These long-held economic assumptions have had negative impacts on the environment:• Costs and benefits only

affect buyers and sellers.

• Short-term costs and benefits should be emphasized.

• Resources are unlimited.

• Economic growth is continual.

• These long-held economic assumptions have had negative impacts on the environment:• Costs and benefits only

affect buyers and sellers.

• Short-term costs and benefits should be emphasized.

• Resources are unlimited.

• Economic growth is continual.


Environmental EconomicsEnvironmental Economics

• Applies the principles of Earth’s systems to economics

• Argues that economies cannot be sustainable unless environmental issues are addressed

• Assigns market values to ecosystem services

• Suggests that market failure will occur unless market values reflect environmental costs and benefits

• Applies the principles of Earth’s systems to economics

• Argues that economies cannot be sustainable unless environmental issues are addressed

• Assigns market values to ecosystem services

• Suggests that market failure will occur unless market values reflect environmental costs and benefits


Clear views and natural beauty have aesthetic value, which is a type of non-market value.

Consumer and Corporate Responses

Consumer and Corporate Responses


• Changing consumer values can drive corporations to pursue sustainability.

• Ecolabeling is an example of a corporate response to the call for sustainable goods and services.

Did You Know? Organic farming is one of the fastest-growing segments of U.S. agriculture. Land devoted to growing organic has expanded by about 15% each year since 2002.

Did You Know? Organic farming is one of the fastest-growing segments of U.S. agriculture. Land devoted to growing organic has expanded by about 15% each year since 2002.

Biodiversity and Sustainability Lab Questions

Biodiversity and Sustainability Lab Questions

• Ecosystem services are the benefits received from an ecosystem that humans depend on for survival. What type of ecosystem services did you encounter in the game?

•How is the sustainability of an area tied to its biodiversity?

•How did the biodiversity of your ecosystem change during the game?

•Did you have to make any trade offs?

• Ecosystem services are the benefits received from an ecosystem that humans depend on for survival. What type of ecosystem services did you encounter in the game?

•How is the sustainability of an area tied to its biodiversity?

•How did the biodiversity of your ecosystem change during the game?

•Did you have to make any trade offs?

HomeworkHomework

•Write a 4 sentences response to the following- •Do you think we should attempt to quantify and

assign market values to ecosystem services and other entities that have only non-market values? Why or why not?• In other words- Does a forest have monetary worth

for providing us with oxygen and recreational space? Should we try to take this worth into account when deciding whether to cut it down? Why or why not?

•Write a 4 sentences response to the following- •Do you think we should attempt to quantify and

assign market values to ecosystem services and other entities that have only non-market values? Why or why not?• In other words- Does a forest have monetary worth

for providing us with oxygen and recreational space? Should we try to take this worth into account when deciding whether to cut it down? Why or why not?

Lesson 2.2 United States Environmental PolicyLesson 2.2 United States Environmental Policy

The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed any citizen, for just $16, to claim 65 hectares (160 acres) of public land, as long as they lived on it for five years and either built a house or cultivated the land.

The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed any citizen, for just $16, to claim 65 hectares (160 acres) of public land, as long as they lived on it for five years and either built a house or cultivated the land.

Warm-UpWarm-Up•Create a policy that will protect your fish- Use this

process when thinking about what you want your policy to entail…

•Create a policy that will protect your fish- Use this process when thinking about what you want your policy to entail…

What Is Environmental Policy?What Is Environmental Policy?

• A set of general plans and principles for interactions between humans and the environment

• Effective environmental policy involves input from science, ethics, and economics.

• In the U.S., all three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) are involved in federal environmental policy.

• A set of general plans and principles for interactions between humans and the environment

• Effective environmental policy involves input from science, ethics, and economics.

• In the U.S., all three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) are involved in federal environmental policy.

Lesson 2.2 United States Environmental Policy

State and Local Environmental Policy

State and Local Environmental Policy

• State and local environmental policies cannot violate the U.S. Constitution.

• The strength of environmental policy differs from state to state.

• States that experience environmental disasters tend to have stronger environmental laws.

• State and local environmental policies cannot violate the U.S. Constitution.

• The strength of environmental policy differs from state to state.

• States that experience environmental disasters tend to have stronger environmental laws.


Create this Table in your journalCreate this Table in your journal

First Period(1780s to late

1800s)

Second Period(late 1800s tomid-1900s)

Third Period(mid- to late

1900s)

Modern Day

Policycatalyst

Policy focus

History of U.S. Environmental Policy: The First Period

(1780s to late-1800s)

History of U.S. Environmental Policy: The First Period

(1780s to late-1800s)


• Laws enacted during this period dealt primarily with management of public lands as the nation expanded west.

•General feeling was that resources and land were in endless supply.

• Laws enacted during this period dealt primarily with management of public lands as the nation expanded west.

•General feeling was that resources and land were in endless supply.

Long Lake in the Rocky Mountains, near Ward, CO

The Second Period (late 1800s to mid-1900s)

The Second Period (late 1800s to mid-1900s)

• Policies sought to reduce environmental problems associated with westward expansion.

• Led to the formation of national forest system and national park system

• Policies sought to reduce environmental problems associated with westward expansion.

• Led to the formation of national forest system and national park system


The Third Period (mid- to late-1900s)The Third Period

(mid- to late-1900s)


• Dense populations led to increasing resource consumption and pollution.

• Silent Spring and fires on the Cuyahoga River raised environmental awareness.

• Policy began to reflect the connection between human and environmental health.

Did You Know? Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in 1962, awakened the public to the dangers of industrial chemicals and DDT.

Did You Know? Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in 1962, awakened the public to the dangers of industrial chemicals and DDT.

Modern U.S. Environmental PolicyModern U.S. Environmental Policy• National Environmental Policy Act: Requires government

agencies and contractors to evaluate the environmental impact of a project; led to the formation of the EPA• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Responsible for

monitoring, enforcing, and researching environmental quality

• National Environmental Policy Act: Requires government agencies and contractors to evaluate the environmental impact of a project; led to the formation of the EPA• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Responsible for

monitoring, enforcing, and researching environmental quality


Create a Timeline of American Environmental Policies

Create a Timeline of American Environmental Policies

•Make sure you include the major acts we have learned about (you can use your book!)• At the end of your timeline

• Make a prediction about an act or law you think will or should be made to assist with a current environmental issue (maybe something you read about in your current events?)

•Make sure you include the major acts we have learned about (you can use your book!)• At the end of your timeline

• Make a prediction about an act or law you think will or should be made to assist with a current environmental issue (maybe something you read about in your current events?)

HomeworkHomework

•Read Pgs 42-47 in your Environmental Science Book Answer questions 3 and 4•Read Pgs 42-47 in your Environmental Science Book

Answer questions 3 and 4

Lesson 2.3 International Environmental Policy and Approaches


The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established in 1972 with the mission of helping countries achieve sustainability.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established in 1972 with the mission of helping countries achieve sustainability.

International Environmental PolicyInternational Environmental Policy


• Environmental issues often involve more than one nation.

• International organizations promote cooperation between nations:

• The United Nations • The European Union• The World Trade Organization• The World Bank

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as Greenpeace, influence international policies and contribute to research and funding.

Approaches to Environmental Policy

Approaches to Environmental Policy

•Command-and-control

• Tax breaks and subsidies

•Green taxes

•Cap-and-trade

• Local incentives

•Command-and-control

• Tax breaks and subsidies

•Green taxes

•Cap-and-trade

• Local incentives


Did You Know? The cap-and-trade approach in the U.S. has helped reduce sulfur dioxide emissions that cause acid rain by 35%.

Did You Know? The cap-and-trade approach in the U.S. has helped reduce sulfur dioxide emissions that cause acid rain by 35%.

No dumping signs are an example of command-and-control.

The Environmental Policy ProcessThe Environmental Policy Process


warm-up meet your fish…name him this fish is your for a week. your job is to take care of the...

Documents

environmental quality

environmental policy

environmental problems

environmental science

environmental justice

community of science

important biocentrism

quality of life