Reading Assignment:

Download the pdf file: ecodisas.pdf (76K) from the web page: http://www.okno.com/ewltr/archive/vol4/ru-ecodisaster-bkrev.html. This is a 4-page book review of Murray Feshbach’s 1995 book called Ecological Disaster. (Please take a look at the Okno Group’s homepage to determine who they are.)

Download 1.Introduction from the web page http://www.rand.org/nsrd/cre/troubledlands/

Read at least pages 1-13. (Please check the homepage to learn about Rand and their mission. Who funds Rand?)

Rowntree et al. chapter 9: Russia and Its Neighbors

As you prepare for recitation, please jot down your thoughts about the following questions:

1. Where do environmental problems occur relative to where people live? [hint: look at text figures that show the distribution of population and the distribution of environmental problems.]

2. Are Russia’s environmental problems different from those of the USA? If so, how? If not, suggest examples of similarities?

3. Even though pollution is a necessary evil of human existence, each of us would probably agree that it is better for all people to breathe clean air and drink clean water. How much pollution is acceptable? Are there certain goals for which environmental regulation can be ignored? Should pollution / land-use changes only occur in landscapes minimally populated by humans?

4. Should other countries be able to dictate acceptable pollution levels in Russia? [Think about impacts that occur within Russia but affect regions outside of Russia.]

What role do you think the US and the rest of the World should play in helping Russia with environmental problems?