Define the situation or problem
1. Take the issue you have chosen and explain how it affects your community.
The environmental impact of transport is significant because it is a major user of energy, and burns most of the world's petroleum. This creates air pollution, including nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a significant contributor to global warming through emission of carbon dioxide, for which transport is the fastest-growing emission sector. By subsector, road transport is the largest contributor to global warming.
2. What do members of your family and community say about the issue?
They wish there was a way we could reduce our carbon footprint, but it isn’t possible with all the travelling we do per day.
Construct a circular-flow diagram that incorporates effects of your chosen issue on economic products and various sectors of the economy.
1. How does this issue affect households and local residents?
For many, they are covered in air polluted by smokes and gasses emitted from the cars and trucks driving by their houses every second of the day.
2. How does this issue affect area businesses?
It is beneficial because residents can get to and from their work faster and more often.
3. How does this issue affect our government at the local, state, and national levels?
All the driving we do in our cars burns petroleum and uses so much energy to be powered. It creates air pollution and emits high levels of carbon dioxide. We are contributing to the death of our planet via pollution.
4. How does this issue affect the rest of the world?
It is the exact same, maybe even worse in overpopulated places like China and Europe.
5. How does the issue affect resources, goods and services, and finances?
It uses our resources such as petroleum. We can get to and from the places that we need to be faster and easier. With gas prices and repairs, we spend a lot of money on our cars which some people cant afford.
6.02
Identify the important criteria to evaluate possible solutions.
1. What are the necessary conditions for any possible solution to work? You have to be committed to take on one of my solutions.
If you want to carpool, you must really rely on other people and some might not like that. In order for me to stop using my car I would have to carpool with someone else. In order to buy a new eco-friendly car, you must have enough money to first do so.
2. Are there budget or labor concerns?
Yes, you must be able to pay for a new car of pay someone to be driving you around with them.
3. Does the public need to be aware of and support the solution?
No they do not, it is personal.
4. What challenges are there to implementing each solution?
I will have to contact someone I trust who lives near me to see if we can carpool. But this may be very hard because it is also very unreliable.
5. How else might you judge possible solutions against each other?
If I car pool, I will probably end up on the side of the road walking 30 miles home every day. If I take my own car, I will be safe.
6. What do your parents say about the issue?
I need to use my own car. It is not possible for me to do my daily duties without having one, that is why they got me one.
7. Should possible externalities factor into the chosen solution?
No.
6.03
Consider all possible solutions or alternatives.
1. Give three possible solutions to the environmental issue you are investigating.
We could all buy eco-friendly cars. We could try not to use our cars so much. We could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released from our cars if we didn’t let them run.
2. Why would some people oppose the solutions you have chosen?
We can’t all afford to stop using our cars or buy brand new eco-friendly cars.
Calculate the consequences of these solutions—both intended and unintended at all levels of the economy.
1. What positive or negative externalities does this issue present at each sector of the economy? Refer to your circular-flow diagram.
We are slowly corrupting our planet, while benefitting ourselves with the ability to move around whenever we want.
2. What incentives do individuals, businesses, and government have to act on each possible solution?
They could make car more durable with gas, therefore decreasing our need to fill up every three days.
3. What are the externalities, both positive and negative that could result from each possible solution?
We could kill our planet even more slowly now if they keep making new cars. We are still wasting petroleum and producing more carbon dioxide.
Analysis
Carpooling does not meet each of my criteria because you cannot possibly live off someone else taking you everywhere every single day.
Buying an eco-friendly car meets all of my criteria, but you must first have enough money to do so.
I believe the best solution would be to buy a new eco-friendly car. If you have enough money to buy the car, do the planet a favor and buy a car that will last longer and not use so much gas like a truck that gets 13 gallons to the tank. I myself am trying to get my mom to get rid of the truck and buy a car that will have more mpg because we do a lot of travelling and we spend so much in gas for the truck. Having a eco-friendly car will help out the economy and save yourself a couple bucks on gas every time you go to fill up. Not only are you helping yourself, your contributing to save our planet.
http://frugallygreen.org/an-explanation-of-eco-friendly-cars/
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch8en/conc8en/ch8c1en.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_transport
