Lesson 5.2
Lesson 2—Actions and Policies
Which actions and policies impact the environment?
Get Focused
In April 2008 Syncrude, a company that extracts oil from the oil sands in northern Alberta, announced that 500 migratory birds died after landing in a Syncrude tailings pond.
A tailings pond holds the leftover metal dust from mineral extractions. A pond is created by covering the metal dust with water to prevent the dust from becoming airborne. This allows the metals to settle to the bottom of the pond.
Tailings ponds were never intended for use by wildlife or people. Covers and noise equipment to prevent wildlife from entering the ponds are typically used. Syncrude had not activated the noise equipment that would have deterred the migratory birds from landing in this particular tailings pond. Exposure to the toxic pond was fatal to nearly all the birds that landed. Wildlife organizations were able to rescue less than five birds.
Syncrude was criticized by many for failing to prevent this disaster. Beyond the failure to ensure safety, Syncrude was also condemned for supporting the business of tar sands extractions over environmental sustainability. A company apology to the public was featured in the media along with the commitment to do better next time.
What relationship did this environmental disaster have with globalization?
Notebook
This is a required activity to support Get Focused but will not be graded.
In your Notebook record key ideas from Get Focused.
Internet
Investigate the business of Syncrude. Go to the Syncrude website. Compare its stated vision and values and its current report on environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Assignment
Please complete the Section 1 Lesson 2 Explore Assignment at this point.
Explore 1
Section 1—The Environment
Explore 1
In what ways does globalization create issues for environmental sustainability?
Is environmental loss the price of globalization? Are developed countries sacrificing prosperity for all people in order to maintain economic systems of capitalism and free trade? Are less-developed countries limiting their own prosperity because of the inability to maintain environmental sustainability within their own borders? Damage to the land and water are the most visible signs of environmental loss. Severe weather is evidence of climate change. What else results from environmental loss?
environmental sustainability: the condition of maintaining the current state of the environment without further damage in the future
Notebook
In your Notebook, record key ideas from the Explore 1 activities to support your assignment.
Read
Read “Food for All” on pages 305 and 306 in Perspectives on Globalization.
How does the globalization of agriculture create issues for environmental sustainability? Record your key ideas in your Notebook.
Research
Choose one developed country and one less-developed country. Research the information necessary to create a comparison between the two countries.
- What ranks the country as a developed or a less-developed country?
- What are indicators of the prosperity of each country? Keep in mind that prosperity includes aspects of life (both financial and other) that create satisfaction for the people of the country.
Record your key ideas in your Notebook.
Continue to research the selected countries.
- What type of economy does each country have?
- What is the Genuine Progress Index ranking of each country?
- Research two key environmental issues for each country.
genuine progress index: an indicator of the sustainable prosperity of a country through the measure of the value of positive non-economic factors, such as volunteerism and education, against negative factors, such as pollution and crime
Assignment
Please complete theThe Impacts of Countries on Environmental Sustainability Forum Assignment at this point.