Transcript Lesson 9 - The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

Lesson 9 - The Cost of Ignoring
Economics and Geography
The impact of geography and economics on the
environment.
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Is it a good idea to
breathe gases from the
tailpipe of a car?
 Gases and emissions
from cars, factories, and
other industrial sources
can cause pollution and
health problems in
many large cities.
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 What natural forces can
help reduce the effects
of pollution in the air?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 What are some other sources of pollution and
waste that people put into the environment?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
Waste is often put into our rivers, in part because water is
another way to wash and diffuse waste. Much like the
motion of the air by winds, the motion of water diffuses and
dilutes waste so it is less concentrated. These physical
processes of degradation or decomposition are the result
of bacteria in the water that break waste down into lessharmful substances. As waste moves down a river, these
processes reduce the impact of the waste on the
surrounding environment.
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 How can we best control the amount of waste
that is being released into the environment?
 What are the issues we must consider when
making our decisions?


Natural Processes
Costs
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Dilution: As waste flows further and further
downstream, the water dilutes the waste so
that it has a smaller impact on the
environment.
 Decomposition: Organic waste will
decompose over time and will have a smaller
impact on the environment as it decomposes.
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Flow Map



Points 1, 2, 3, and
4 are each 10
miles apart.
The river flows
downstream
toward Kleenville.
Each company
uses the river to
dispose of waste
created during
production.
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Each company currently releases 8 units of
waste into the river during production.
 As waste flows downstream, it is diluted or
decomposed by half every 10 miles.
 How much waste reaches Kleenville from
Acme?

8 units (at the factory) – 4 units (at point 2) – 2 units (at
point 3) – 1 unit (at point 4) = 1 unit reaches Kleenville.
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 How much waste reaches Kleenville from all
the factories along the river if each releases 8
units into the river?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 The residents of Kleenville want to reduce the
amount of pollution reaching their town by
half because their river is smelly and the
pollution could cause health problems for
people who use water from the river to bathe,
cook, drink, and swim.
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 How can the companies achieve this goal?
 Would all of the options cost the companies
the same amount?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
The Least Costly Alternative to Reduce Waste
Acme
Bilt
Cogs
Dyno
Epay
1st Unit
$1
$1
$1
$1
$1
2nd Unit
2
1
2
2
1
3rd Unit
3
1
3
3
1
4th Unit
4
2
4
4
2
5th Unit
5
3
5
5
3
6th Unit
7
4
7
7
4
7th Unit
9
4
9
9
4
8th Unit
12
5
12
12
5
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 How much would it cost for Acme to reduce
its pollution to 4 units of waste?

$1 (1st Unit) + $2 (2nd Unit) + $3 (3rd Unit) + $4 (4th
Unit) = $10 to reduce waste to 4 units.
 How much would it cost for each company to
reduce its pollution to 4 units of waste?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 What are some other options for reducing the
total pollution reaching Kleenville to 5 Units?
 What is the least costly combination of units
of waste from each company to achieve the
goal of 5 units of pollution reaching
Kleenville?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Why does the location where waste enters a
river influence the impact of the waste
downstream?
 Appleville City Council is concerned about
waste in the river, much of which comes from
companies upstream from Appleville. What
economic and geographic factors should the
council members think about as they decide
how much to clean up the waste in the river?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Can you think of any situation here in Oklahoma
where there is pollution in a river that is similar to the
pollution situation in Kleenville?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Oklahoma is currently negotiating with Arkansas to
reduce the amount of phosphorous being released
into the Illinois River and Oklahoma rivers and
streams.
 The phosphorous comes from the waste products
from large poultry farms in northwest Arkansas.
Review Questions
 Describe the situation with the Illinois
River in your own words.
 What do you think should be done about
the pollution of the Illinois River?
 Will dilution and decomposition take care
of the problem without further action?
Review Questions
 Which parties will be the most
impacted by your solution?
 What are the potential costs and benefits
of your solution to the problem?
 Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Resources
 Oklahoma Council on Economic Education:
http://www.ocee-ok.org
 National Council on Economic Education:
http://www.ncee.net
 Econ Ed Link: http://www.econedlink.org
 United States Geological Survey Education Page:
http://education.usgs.gov
 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Newspaper:
http://www.ardemgaz.com/
 Tulsa World Newspaper: http://www.tulsaworld.com/
 The Oklahoman/News 9: http://www.newsok.com/
The Cost of Ignoring Economics and
Geography
 Resources
 Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality:
http://www.deq.state.ok.us/
 Oklahoma Rural Water Association:
http://www.okruralwater.org/
 Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality:
http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/
 US Environmental Protection Agency:
http://www.epa.gov/
For additional information, contact:
 Sue Lynn Sasser, PhD
 President, Oklahoma Council on Economic Education
 100 N. University Drive, Box 103
 Edmond, OK 73034
 405.974.5343
 [email protected]