Haunted Cry of a Long Gone Bird
|  |
Student Handout |
Dateline 2014
Your group has been assigned to an environmental task force that is working to repair damage to the George's Bank Ecosystem. Your goals are as follows:
By the year 2014, the waters off George's Bank will be successfully repopulated to pre-1970 levels of cod, flounder, and haddock. Populations of puffins, murres, razorbills, and other marine birds will be returned to pre-1950 levels. Oil spills and dumping will be reduced by 95%. Most local fishing families will still be at work.
Your team has been assigned to focus on one of the following sets of ecological or social issues. With your group, create a plan to achieve your goals.
Eco-Web Factors
Social Issues
Understanding of environmental issues
Educational opportunity
Economic opportunity
Nutrition
Population growth Industrial Issues
Fishing technology
Fishing industry interests
Decrease in grainland, leading to protein (soy & meat) shortages
Consumer pressure (for example, boycotts) Environmental Issues
Topsoil erosion
Oil spills
Toxic waste and pollution
Genetic engineering Economic Issues
Food Prices
Agricultural Subsidies
Tax Policy
Enforcement Policies
Procedure
Part 1
Within your group, have each person choose one of the four items listed in your team's category and predict the positive and negative impact of that item.
Example:
Understanding of environmental issues
Impact:
(+) Better informed consumer = better purchasing decisions
(+) Greater understanding = more likely to share knowledge with others
(+) Greater understanding = greater political awareness and activism
(-) Lack of understanding = fewer opportunities for making appropriate consumer choices
(-) Lack of understanding = more likely to be misinformed by propaganda from interest groups
Part 2
After you have described the possible impact of the item, think about what would need to be changed in order to achieve the 2014 goals. What data would you need to collect to find out if these goals were being met?
| 