Discussion Question
1. What does the study of ethics encompass? Describe and differentiate instrumental value and intrinsic value. What is environmental ethics?
2. How can sustainable development be defined? What is meant by the triple bottom line? Why is it important to pursue sustainable development?
3. Compare and contrast anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism. Explain how individuals with each perspective might evaluate the development of a shopping mall atop a wetland in your town or city.
4. Describe Aldo Leopold's land ethic. How did Leopold define the "community" to which ethical standards should be applied?
5. What is the tragedy of the commons? Explain how the concept might apply to an unregulated industry that is a source of water pollution.
6. What is the difference between customary law and conventional law? What challenges do transboundary environmental problems present?
7. Compare and contrast the three major approaches to environmental policy: tort law, command-and-control, and economic policy tools.
8. What happens to solar radiation after it reaches Earth? How do greenhouse gases warm the lower atmosphere?
9. Why is carbon dioxide considered the main greenhouse gas? Why are carbon dioxide concentrations increasing in the atmosphere?
10. How might a warmer climate affect agriculture? How is it affecting distributions of plants and animals? How might it affect human health?