big plastic pollution

In the August 2013 edition of The Environmentalist Magazine my article “Polluting Power” was published considering how pollutants impact habitats and species, with examples from around the world. This will be the first in a series on core professional knowledge for environmentalists. See http://www.environmentalistonline.com/article/2013-08-09/polluting-power

If you enjoyed the piece – I have devised some discussion / bookclub-like questions to help you dig a little deeper into the subject – and get the little grey cells buzzing:

  1. Can and should the significance and impact of different categories of pollution be compared?
  2. It is worth accepting, or necessary to accept, some degree of pollution in return for industry and jobs?
  3. Are the effects of pollution on health and ecosystems costed into products and services? Should they be, and if so how?
  4. Do anti-pollution regulations and taxes just ‘offshore’ industry to less regulated places? If so what’s the answer?
  5. Do certain socio-economic groups suffer the effects of pollution more than other? If so do these same groups benefit equally from the activities causing the pollution?
  6. When does something that is wanted (such as fertilizer) become pollution?
  7. Can pollution ever be beneficial to species or ecosystems?
  8. What type(s) of pollution are of the greatest concern to you and why?