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Assume a friend comes up and asks, "What is this ozone hole thing all about? Should I be concerned?" Write a complete but concise summary response. (See how few words you can use and still convey the essence of the ozone depletion story.) |
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Do the same as in question 1 for acid deposition. |
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More and more concern is being expressed about the threat to health from indoor air pollution. Write a concise summary paragraph explaining the basis for these concerns |
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Summarize the progress or lack thereof in efforts to control air pollution in representative areas around the world. |
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A prominent politician in the 1980s remarked that we were taking air-quality regulation too far. After all, he noted correctly, trees and volcanoes were producing more of several of the criteria pollutants than were humans. Construct a reasoned rebuttal to this kind of reasoning. |
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Unlike global warming, the international community has moved with surprising speed to address the ozone depletion problem. Reexamine both of these problems. What is different about the ozone problem that led to such a different response? |
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Because pollution prevention sometimes seems more expensive than the status quo, inaction results. Unfortunately, pollution often has external or hidden costs not easily factored into these economic comparisons.
a. What seems to be the biggest single hidden dollar cost of air pollution in the United States?
b. Identify several different ways that cost could be incorporated into the economic assessment of air pollution. |
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A national energy tax has been proposed as a way to help reduce the national debt. Environmental groups have supported such a tax, but more as a way to reduce air pollution.
a. One environmentalist said, "If people are smart, a national energy tax need not cost the family budget an extra nickel." What is the premise behind the view expressed in this statement?
b. What specific actions (legal, of course) could a person take to avoid affecting the family budget if a national energy tax were implemented? |
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Behavioral changes made by the public at large broadly reflect the attitudes and beliefs people hold. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? "Give the public complete and accurate information, and they will make the right decision." |
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Increasing consumption of soft drinks, greater use of automobiles, a reduced rate of smoking (at least among males), and lowered average blood cholesterol (apparently due to less fat intake) represent fairly recent changes in societal behavior. Can we learn anything from these examples about how people might be successfully encouraged to follow less air-polluting behaviors?
a. To what do you attribute each of these behavioral changes?
• Drinking more pop
• Owning more cars
• Reducing smoking
· Lowering cholesterol
b. What approaches do you think could be effective in fostering behavioral changes that would reduce air pollution? |
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2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education