How can we use Public Policy

to solve the environmental problems?

Introduction: Background of the webquest.

The United States is becoming more and more concerned about Environmental problems such as pollution, global warming endangered species, lost of habitat, waste disposal.

The connection among environmental problems, race and economics has come into focus recently in other places around the world. For example, in a 1991 memo, the high-ranking chief economist of the World Bank claimed that poor countries are “under polluted “ and that highly polluting industries should be located there. The author argued that residents of such countries face great health risks in any case, given their impoorishment and poor living conditions. He also claimed that for these residents the economic benefit of the establishment of new industries would outweigh the risks.

The memo created uproar and was widely attacked as being racist. Some people still defended the idea of promoting the growth of “dirty” industries in poor areas, in spite of resistance to such industries by those living in affluent regions. The possible economic benefit could outweigh the disadvantages.

I) Task: As an expert in environmental studies your task is to prepare a research document based on the recent environmental problems and how these issues affect the life of the populations located in these areas, and how the problem can be solved:

1) Your report must be chosen among the issues below:

--Air pollution

--Water pollution

--Endangered species

--Waste disposal

--Nuclear waste

--Lost of habitats

--Deforestation

--Soil degradation

2) Your report must include:

--Previous policies related to these problems

3) You will debate in-group whether each policy is feasible based on the location, the ethic, the social and the economic point.