The Environment

5/1/2012

Learning Objectives• Accurately describe the social, economic,

and political dimension of major problems and dilemmas facing contemporary American society

• Use knowledge and analyses of social problems to evaluate public policy, and to suggest policy alternatives, with special reference to questions of social justice, the common good, and public and individual responsibility.

Opportunities to discuss course content

• Today 11-2

• Wednesday 10-2

Readings

Required– Energy and Environmental Policy (Chapter 10) Dye

• Optional– Population, Global Inequality, and the

Environmental Crisis (Chapter 15) Kendall

PAPER 3

About Paper 3• What it Contains– Revised Paper 2– an argument for your own position (evidence,

moral reasoning, feasibility)– Counter-argumentation for your conclusion– and Conclusion;

• 12-15 TOTAL pages of text - 15 Works Cited

• Rubric

Start Writing Paper 3 now!

What it Contains: Your Solution

• Pick/develop a solution to the controversial social problem

• This Could be– The Controversial Solution from Paper 2– A different solution proposed by policy makers– Your own solution

What it Contains: Justification

• For your solution– Provide new reasons supporting your solution or

those from paper 2

– Provide evidence to support your solution

What it Contains: Counter-argumentation

• identify the weakest aspects of your solution and defend it against your opponents – who is likely to oppose your choice and why

– What would critics say is wrong with your solutions

– provide counterargumentation for your solution and defend it against those would oppose your stance.

What it Contains: Your Moral Reasoning

• Support of your position from a personal Moral Reasoning perspective

• Identify your Obligations, Values, and Consequences in reaching your solution.

• Use the moral reasoning perspective to justify your solution

What it Contains: Feasibility

• Will it Work?– Politically (does it have the support of necessary

decision makers)– Economically (can we afford the costs)

• What might need to be done to increase the chances of success?

What it Contains: A conclusion

• Finally, you get to write a conclusion

• Answer the normative question

• Finish with two or three strong paragraphs that summarize the Social Problem, the Controversial Policy Solution, and your decision. Be persuasive.

SUBMITTING THE PAPER

About Paper 3

• You must submit two copies– in class on the day and time they are due – submitted to turnitin.com via Blackboard by 11:59

PM on the Day they are due.

• I grade the hard copy, and if this is late, you receive a grade of zero for that assignment

Copy # 1

• In Class

• May 3rd

Copy 2: Turnitin via Blackboard

• This paper must also be submitted to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM on May 3rd

• Failure to do this will result in a 5 point deduction on the Paper 3 grade.

• Don’t leave points on the board

Overall Energy Use has increased

Why the increase

• Population

• Affluence

• Technology

We Don’t Use as Much per person

Energy We Use- Perpetual

• Will not run out

• Solar, Wind, Tidal

Energy We Use- Renewable

• Can be reproduced and Recreated

• We Use Less Renewable energy than in the 18th century

Energy We use- Nonrenewable

• Cannot be Replaced

• Finite

• Oil, Natural Gas, Coal

What We Use

Our Old Energy Policy

• We had plenty of domestic sources

• Energy was readily available from other places

• We were not concerned with the environmental impact.

Our New Energy Policy

• How do we meet our Energy Needs?

• How can we do this without destroying our economy?

• How do we do this without destroying the Earth?

Meeting these Goals involves 3 things

• Conserving existing resources and using the more efficiently

• Finding New Stocks of existing Energy Sources

• Using More renewable and perpetual sources

EXISTING NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Oil

• 36% of our Energy Use

• Mostly for Transportation

• Almost half is imported

The Price of Gas

Oil is Finite

U.S. Oil reserves

Problems of Oil

• It is finite

• There are hidden costs

• It produces greenhouse gases and pollution

Transporting Oil, A hidden Cost

The Politics of Oil

Natural Gas

Advantages• Cleaner Burning than Oil

• Easy to Transport and store

• The United States has known Reserves

Disadvantages• Cannot Be used for

Transportation

• Still not carbon free

• Getting at reserves can have negative environmental consequences

The Saudi Arabia of Natural gas?

Coal

• Plenty of it

• Easy to ship

• Many Problems

Nuclear

Advantages• Used to Make Electricity

• Burns very Clean

• Can be produced domestically

Disadvantages• Problems of Waste and

Storage

• Very high start up costs

• R=PxC - has the highest consequences