1. Sustainability and Environmentalism Sustainability – The capacity to endure or live sustainably. Examples of sustainability efforts: Eco-villages, eco-municipalities and sustainable cities Green buildings, sustainable agriculture Green technologies, renewable energy Sustainable Living – A lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resource. People who live a sustainable lifestyle: Reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet. Meet present ecological, societal, and economical needs without compromising these factors for future generations

2. Environmentalism – Working to protect the earth and our natural resources from the effects of pollution and other harmful elements. Environmentalist – Works to influence the political process by lobbying, activism and education (also through more radical measure!)

3. What is the environmental crisis in the book? What characters can be seen as environmentalist? How did the different characters deal with the environmental problem? Was the resolution a realistic way to solve the environmental problem? How would you have tried to solve this problem?

4. Based upon the following article, how would you compare the way the people in the article dealt with casino boat pollution to how the Underwoods did. www.surfrider.org/centralflorida/news/wpbprotest.htm This photograph was taken of a cruise ship dumping into the ocean. What do you think is the attitude of the person(s) responsible for this dumping? How do feel the people on board would feel about it? How do think the people on the beach would feel about it? Based on what you know about pollution, what could be the effects of this dumping?