College of Business Administration

General:

1) Is it possible to over-rely on science to help us make policy decisions? What are the consequences of such overreliance?

2) What do you think is the single greatest environmental threat in the world today? Why?

3) Is it better to work towards small changes or put our efforts in to larger solutions that will do more good (ie – “fix everything all at once”)? Which is more feasible?

4) Do you have any ideas for finding solutions to environmental problems (big or small)?

National Geographic:

5) Can observable scientific facts lead to belief systems that are not “correct”?

6) In “Signs from Earth,” Tim Appenzeller writes: “The results aren't pretty. Ice is melting, rivers are running dry, and coasts are eroding, threatening communities. . . These aren't projections; they are facts on the ground.” By talking about these “facts”, what is Appenzeller trying to achieve? What do these facts mean? Are there other conclusions which might be drawn from this 'evidence'?

7) In “Geo Signs: The Big Thaw,” Daniel Glick writes: “So far, the results have been positively chilling. When President Taft created Glacier National Park in 1910, it was home to an estimated 150 glaciers. Since then the number has decreased to fewer than 30, and most of those remaining have shrunk in area by two-thirds.”

Why does he say the results are “positively chilling”? Should glaciers have the same regard and be treated like species on an extinction list? If so, how? Why should we care if glaciers melt, anyway?

State of the World: Linking Population, Women, and Biodiversity

8) In her article “Linking Population, Women, and Biodiversity,” Mia MacDonald claims that “… what is good for women – improved access to reproductive health care and family planning, increased access to education, greater economic opportunities and decision-making on natural resource use – is also good for biodiversity. Current actions need to be nurtured and accelerated if we are to have a real chance of creating a more secure, equitable, biologically rich world, both for ourselves and for the rest of nature.”

Do you agree with her ideas on how to positively affect the state of the world? Why or why not? Do these thoughts remind you of any other topic we’ve discussed in class?

Case #70: Global Warming

9) Is “global warming” a legitimate problem? How certain are you, and why?

10) Does President Bush have a social contract in regards to the issue of global climate changes? If so, with whom? What are these rules?

11) Was the Bush administration 'moral' when it rejected the agreement to reduce U.S. greenhouse gasses? Can 'it' be held accountable for morality?