1. What were Earth’s Main Concerns???

2. How to Solve Environmental Problems, and Make Decisions: Anthropogenic Natural Of the main concerns, which are anthropogenic, and which are natural, which are both? Justify. Caused by humans, either purposefully, or not. Caused by an uncontrollable series of environmental or geological events. We must know how humans interact with their environments in order to focus on solving environmental problems. What types of hazards do we have?

3. A study reports that 40% of Amazonia will be deforested by 2050. Does this only affect the Amazon area? A carbon sink O 2 production Wildlife habitat Hydrologic cycle Reducing condensation nuclei Global Weather Patterns

4. Almost all anthropogenic environmental problems trace their beginnings back to two root causes. Human Population Human Consumption We are hungry, and we have an insatiable appetite! What type of population growth have humans exhibited?

5. It is the goal of environmental problem solving to achieve a sustainable world. To be sustainable, the environment would have to support human populations indefinitely with a high standard of living and health. Habitats would be preserved and garbage would be turned into either harmless substances, or energy resources. Nonrenewable resources would be used efficiently and sparingly, while renewable resources would be used no faster than they could be replaced. Inexhaustible resources would be preferred. There would always be enough for future generations.

6. Scientific research is an essential first step in solving environmental problems. This is important before any action should be taken. There are, however, many other factors that must also be considered. How will your solutions affect people’s lives? How will it affect the lives of other organisms? How much will it cost? Is it ethically right? In answering these questions, we must look at our own values, or what we consider to be important. What values should be considered when making decisions that affect the environment?

7. Values play a role in environmental decisions and problem-solving Aesthetics Economics Environmental Educational Ethical/Moral Health Recreational Scientific Social/Cultural

8. A good example of this kind of decision making was the choice that President George W. Bush made to abandon the Kyoto protocol. The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated by more than 160 industrialized nations in December 1997, with the aim of reducing net emissions of certain greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide…CO 2 ). Each of the participating developed countries decided how to meet its respective reduction goal during a five-year period (2008-2012). Clinton agreed and signed, setting our goals. What values helped him make his decision? Bush backed out. What values helped him make his decision? So what about Obama? Like Bush, he refused to sign unless revisions were made making the treaty more “fair”, so that developing countries such as India and China had to play a role in the emissions game as well.

9. There is a way that you can make environmental decisions based on your values. How would you vote on environmental issues? Would you just guess? Would you vote the way your family, or spouse tells you to vote? Would you fail to vote entirely?

10. Log into NetSchool, where you will find a hypothetical environmental situation about a small bird, and its possible addition to the endangered species list. Learn about the possible impact of this occurrence. The town of Pleasanton, in Valley County (fictitious place) could be in for trouble, if they don’t make the right decision. Read the passage with time left today, and tomorrow, you will be helping them make the right decision, by following along and completing the decision-making model on the next slide.

11. Should Valley County Set Aside a Nature Preserve? ConsequencesEnvironmentalEconomicRecreational Positive short-term consequences Negative short-term consequences Positive long-term consequences Negative long-term consequences. In your lab groups, create a chart that looks like this one on the large paper. Then, amongst those in your lab group, pick three values that you agree are most important (doesn’t have to be the values from the sample grid). Fill out the grid, and answer the question…which is what to do… Be prepared to discuss your answer with the class. Possible Values Include: Aesthetics, Economics, Environmental, Educational, Ethical/Moral, Health, Recreational, Scientific, Social/Cultural