Lesson 9 - The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography Adapted from Middle School World Geography: Focus on Economics National Council on Economic Education.

Lesson 9 - The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

Adapted from Middle School World Geography: Focus on Economics

National Council on Economic Education

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

In this lesson, students learn how geography affects the costs of achieving environmental goals.

They use a map showing companies located along a river.

They simulate the impact of putting waste into the river.

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

They determine the least-costly way to reduce this impact.

The task is complicated by the fact that the costs of reducing waste aren't the same for all the companies, nor is the impact of their waste downstream.

The students discover that these factors can greatly reduce the cost of achieving an environmental goal.

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

CONCEPTS Geography: The physical processes of dilution and

decomposition work to reduce the impact of waste put into the environment. Relative location is also an important factor in the envi ronmental impact of waste.

Economics: Economists study the costs of achieving an environmental goal and how these costs can be minimized. One strategy is a governmental policy based on economic incentives that achieve the goal at the lowest possible cost.

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

CONCEPTS Geography

Flow map Relative location Physical process Pollution

Economics Least costly alternative Incentive

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

Geography

1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools and technologies to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective

7. The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface

8. The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface

14. How human actions modify the physical environment

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

Economics

4. Role of Incentives: People respond predictably to positive and negative incentives.

16. Role of Government: There is an economic role for government in a market economy whenever the benefits of a government policy outweigh its costs.

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

OBJECTIVESThe students will:

1. Construct a model of a region using a map.2. Describe the physical processes of dilution and

decomposition.3. Explain why the location where waste is put into a river affects its impact down-stream.4. Explain that there are costs associated with cleaning

up waste.5. Determine the cost and impact of different govern-

mental policies.6. Describe how charges for putting waste into the

environment create an incentive for people to reduce their waste.

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

Real Life Application The ongoing dispute between Oklahoma and

Arkansas regarding pollution from runoff into the Illinois River from the large corporate chicken farms in Arkansas.

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

Research Opportunity Students can search for news and journal articles

detailing the issues surrounding the phosphorous buildup in the Illinois River in Oklahoma resulting from the widespread application of chicken waste to farmland in northwest Arkansas.

Students can use topographic and other maps to show how the runoff from the farms can impact downstream areas along the Illinois River.

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

USGS Topographic Map: Fayetteville, Arkansas

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

USGS Aerial Photograph: Fayetteville, Arkansas

The Cost of Ignoring Economics and Geography

USGS National Map: Illinois River

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]