College of Business Administration

1) The Clinton Administration signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 but the Bush Administration withdrew its support in 2001 due to the requirements that U.S. cut greenhouse gas emission to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. The current administration claims that this puts too heavy a burden on the U.S. economy and also criticized the protocol for not including developing nations. How would you advise to the President of the United States if you were one of his:

a. Advisor on international politics?
b. Advisor on environmental issues?
c. Advisor on economy?

2) The vast majority of governments such as Japan and European Union countries believe that the steps to cut down greenhouse gas emissions will spur the free market economies. Do you agree with this statement? If so, why?

3) Many argue that Global Warming is one of the largest problems facing the world and needs to be addressed at the government level. Do you think an individual can do something about it? If so what? As individuals and as a society, do we have a responsibility to our future generations to address the issue now?

4) Aaron Vildasky, a professor of political science at Berkeley, has quipped, “global warming” is the mother of all environmental scares. Do you agree with him?

5) Both sides of the global warming issue argue that the data supports their position. Based upon the readings and presentation, which side do you think the data supports? Can’t data be manipulated or interpreted to support most any argument?

6) One of the main arguments by those who say global warming cannot be attributed to human activity is that the data is inconclusive, and we really don’t know what the future holds? Isn’t it better to error on the side of caution, and do what we can to limit global warming, rather than take a “wait and see,” approach?

7) There is such insistence on scientific unanimity on the issue of global warming. As a result many environmentalist groups are seeking the opinions of scientists regardless of their field of expertise? Do you think environmental groups are exploiting global warming?

8) It is a fact that there has been an increase in weather-related disasters in the recent years. Do you think they are a result of global warming?

9) What are the greatest challenges that lie ahead for the global community in dealing with climate change?

10) While wealthy nations, mostly through fossil fuel burning, contribute disproportionately to carbon emission levels, developing nations suffer far higher relative economic and human losses from weather related disasters associated with climate change. Rising global temperatures have made citizens of poor nations more vulnerable to infectious diseases like malaria, while climate change induced sea level rise threatens the very existence of some small island states. How can developing nations protect themselves from the actions of the developed nations? Can the Kyoto Protocol be enforced? Does the Protocol need to be revised?

11) There is a lot of discussion about how to reduce GHG emissions. However, the one fact that both sides of this issue agree on, is that global warming is going to continue on some level, no matter what we do. What kind of strategies should we develop to adapt to global warming?

-Political?
-Societal?
-Individual?

12) Humanity now faces perhaps its most significant challenge ever-acting as a common community to stave off a major threat to the earth’s habitability. Slowing global warming will shape almost every aspect of the economy as well as our political institutions. Do you agree with this statement? Why?