1. Read the box on the Aral Sea in this chapter. If conditions were reversed and ample amounts of clean water allowed to flow into it once again, would it revert to its condition of 100 years ago? Why or why not?
2. The diversion of rivers that fed the Aral Sea created an ecological disaster that ultimately provided little benefit for people. Can you think of other drastic, man-made changes in the environment, such as the clearing of forests, and the damming of rivers, which have greatly improved human life? How do we decide when such changes are justified?
3. Should Midwestern states be required to pay for environmental cleanup in New England and other East Coast areas? Why or why not?
4. How does American culture affect our views on environmental issues? How do Americans look at the environment? For example, are there aspects of American culture that have limited the use of less-polluting automobiles or other technologies that reduce pollution?
5. The Kyoto Treaty regulating industrial pollution proposed lower emissions standards for developing nations than for industrialized ones. How can this be justified? Does this suggest a greater premium is placed on economic growth over environmental concerns in industrializing nations? How do you explain this? Do you agree with this?
6. Why should the average person care about soil erosion? Does it affect our everyday lives?
7. What could be done in your community or on your campus to reduce negative effects on the environment? Go beyond the obvious answer of recycling…
8. The history of the planet includes the massive extinction of species long before humans ever evolved. International trade has helped introduce new species into environments where they have driven out native plant and animal life. To what extent is this natural? Is the attempt to preserve all species that currently exist a largely futile human conceit that runs against millions of years of natural history? Why should be want to preserve the world as it is today?
