Module 6 Deforestation

Use the chart below to guide your research. Answer the questions presented for the issue you have chosen. Be sure to take notes, including the sources of information.

Research Notes
Subject	Guiding Questions	Your Responses
Define the situation or problem	Take the issue you have chosen and explain how it affects your community. What do members of your family and community say about the issue?	1.      Deforestation affects my community with air pollution (dust, allergens) and forcing wild animals into our community. 2.      Members of my family and community are against deforestation for commercial gain and because it destroys our ecosystem and animal’s homes. Yet some areas could be cleared in certain areas that pose a threat to residents like forest fires.
Construct a circular-flow diagram that incorporates effects of your chosen issue on economic products and various sectors of the economy.	How does this issue affect households and local residents? How does this issue affect area businesses? How does this issue affect our government at the local, state, and national levels? How does this issue affect the rest of the world? How does the issue affect resources, goods and services, and finances?	1.      This issue affects households and local residents by eroding soil of nearby homes and causing residents to evacuate due to discomfort. 2.      This issue affects businesses by giving them the opportunity to expand due to land clearing. 3.      This issue affects our government at all levels because the government gives licenses to corporations to clear land for construction. The government has to make more laws preserving land and wildlife. 4.      This issue affects the rest of the world with climate change and import/exporting of more paper products. 5.      This issue affects resources, goods, and services by reducing the natural resource of trees yet increasing other wood resources and goods like paper products, wood furniture, etc.

6.02 Research

Research Notes
Subject	Guiding Questions	Your Responses
Identify the important criteria to evaluate possible solutions.	What are the necessary conditions for any possible solution to work? Are there budget or labor concerns? Does the public need to be aware of and support the solution? What challenges are there to implementing each solution? How else might you judge possible solutions against each other? What do your parents say about the issue? Should possible externalities factor into the chosen solution?	1.      The necessary conditions for any possible solution to work are logging companies thinking more conservatively. Also, building more greenhouses. 2.      Yes there are budget concerns because greenhouses and other conservative alternatives are more expensive. 3.      The public does need to be aware of and support the solution. 4.      The challenges there are to implementing each solution would be getting everyone (the public, companies, the government) to agree on cost-friendly solutions. There will also need to be replacements for some of our many tree-based products. 5.      I might also judge possible solutions against each other by checking long term benefits like conserved energy. 6.      My parents agree that it has become out of control and is destructive to the environment. 7.      Yes possible externalities should factor in the chosen decision to ensure that the decision made was he correct one.
Research Notes
Subject	Guiding Questions	Your Responses
Consider all possible solutions or alternatives.	Give three possible solutions to the environmental issue you are investigating. Why would some people oppose the solutions you have chosen?	1.      3 Possible solutions to deforestation include limiting areas where trees can be cut down, passing laws to replant trees by the number that they’ve been destroyed, or create products to replace most used tree products. 2.      Some people would oppose the solutions I’ve chosen because they wouldn’t make as much money and they require more work.
Calculate the consequences of these solutions—both intended and unintended at all levels of the economy.	What positive or negative externalities does this issue present at each sector of the economy? Refer to your circular-flow diagram. What incentives do individuals, businesses, and government have to act on each possible solution? What are the externalities, both positive and negative that could result from each possible solution?	Some externalities would include people losing jobs in the tree-cutting business but people would gain jobs in other areas like environmental protection. Also the government would have to pass more laws and possibly more items might become imported. The incentives are to help the environment for future generations as well as jour health. Externalities again are mostly job and money  loss and in some areas gain. The public would be more aware of our environmental state and more involved.

6.05 Analysis

· Examine the possible solutions against your criteria.  My first solution to limit areas where trees may be cut down, does indeed meet  my criteria because it isn’t too radical. My second solution involving passing laws to replant trees destroyed is a more radical idea. I say that because it doesn’t meet my criteria for public support and it may take to long to get an agreeable law passed. My last solution of just replacing tree/wood products is too extreme and nearly impossible. It doesn’t meet any of my criteria for budget, conservativeness or public support. We use too many tree/wood based products to replace them all, and this may cause a shortage of other resources.

· Choose the best option and explain reasons for your choice.  The best option in this situation is my first option. To just limit the areas of where trees may be cut down. This is the best option because it conserves land. This way logging and land-clearing companies won’t go out of business, but they become more conservative. Land won’t just be destroyed for financial gain, if companies need to be built then they would need land-clearing permission from the government (local, state, or federal). This solution also has the least consequences and negative externalities while not allowing the destruction of animal’s homes.

Works Cited:

National Geographic Society, "National Geographic." Last modified 2013. Accessed November 1, 2013. environment.nationalgeographic.com.

World Wildlife Fund, "WWF." Last modified 2013. Accessed November 2, 2013. www.worldwildlife.org.