Please make sure to read questions 1-3 completely before answering. The assignment will be evaluated based on your connections to the evidence of personal reflection and overall writing quality. The grading criteria is underneath the questions.
1. The environmental movement in the United States has evolved over time to promote environmental protection in the context of shifting public values and societal goals. Discuss a major shift in the pre-1960s or modern environmental movement and how science, economics and ethics might have respectively played a role in that shift. Which perspective (science, economics, ethics) do you find to be the most convincing or personally motivating when thinking about environmental problems? Why?
2. One of the principle questions underlying the study of environmental ethics is: “is nature directly morally considerable?” What do Rolston and Light mean by this? And, if we accept that nature should be directly morally considerable, how might that change the way that we approach problem definition and agenda setting in the policy process? How might our Christian faith influence the way we answer this question?
3. Environmental problems are identified, and their policy solutions are perceived as legitimate, in part based on one’s knowledge of
1) empirical information,
2) existing laws and institutions, and
3) moral convictions. Interview at least two people (peers, family, etc.) and ask them to describe a major environmental problem they believe is affecting the U.S. today. Then ask if they think public policy can help solve this problem, and if so, how. Evaluate their responses according to the three categories of information described above. What came up in their responses and what was missing? Do you agree with their problem narrative (i.e., would you have described it the same way/do you agree with their view on the role of policy)?
Grading Criteria
Question 1
Discussion of a major shift (5pts)
Scientific role (2pts)
Economic role (2pts)
Ethical role (2pts)
Personal perspective (4pts)
Question 2
What do Rolston and Light mean (5pts)
Effect on problem definition/agenda setting (5pts)
Application to Christian faith (5pts)
Question 3
For each interview–
Describe major problem (2pt)
Role of public policy (2pt)
Evaluate responses against components (3pts)
What is missing (1pt)
Do you agree? (2pts)
