Dilemmas

You are a student who is very concerned for the environment. People around you are mysteriously getting sick and you know it is related to pollution. You find out that the local factory is dumping toxins into the local
streams--streams that are used by the people on a regular basis. This factory employees many of the citizens of your towns and contributes to your town's economy. You can:
a. Speak out against the factory, organize protests and petitions, but risk the loss of jobs of many of the towns people. The economy of the area may also fall.
 
b. Do nothing and continue to see people get sick. You also know the truth and will probably feel guilt for staying silent.

Liz and Katie

You and your class collected spider specimens. One group's spider dies after a couple of days. The children thought that the spider was "sleeping". Should you:
a. tell them the truth, that the spider died even though they would be upset
b. do you sneak it out and throw it away telling the children that it escaped?"

Jennifer and Tonia

You are the manager of a small neighborhood grocery store. Most of your customers do not have much money. Many of your customers do not have medical and health insurance because they cannot afford it and the state welfare system has taken it away from them (but that's another dilemma!). As a member of the community you are concerned about selling products that
your customers can afford. You try very hard to buy your products locally; you believe in supporting your fellow businesspeople and local farmers. You need to make a produce purchase this week and have one of two local farms
to buy from.
The first farm grows their produce orgainically and use environmentally sound farming techniques. They pay their laborers a fair living wage and provide them with full heath insurance. The second farm uses modern "Hi-Tech" farming techniques which are dangerous to the environment. Their produce is covered with harmful pesticides, and they use migrant farm workers to which they pay minimum wage and provide no health insurance.
Your dilemma is this:
1) The produce from the organic farm is more expensive but environmentally friendly and healthier to your customers. However, because of the higher price most of your customers will not be able to afford to buy the produce. This will force you to lose money and the healthier food will not be consumed by people who need to maintain their health due to a lack of health insurance.
2) The produce from the "Hi-Tech" farm is much more affordable but was farmed using environmentally unfriendly methods and is covered with potentially harmful pesticides. Because of the price, many of your customers will be able to buy the produce and, you will make a FAIR profit from the sale. However, you will be exposing your customers to health risks (not to mention suporting unfair labor practices and environmental degredation) which will lead to sicknesses, deaths, and higher health care costs.
 
Who do you buy the produce from?

Adrienne and Michael

A company is polluting the local waters. The company is the only provider of jobs in the town. You work at the company and find out your company is dumping the toxins in the water. Do you:
A) tell authorities, which could cause you to lose your job?
B) ignore it and continue working, so you can support your family?

 

Brad and Daphne

The Smoky Mountains National Park has relocated Red wolves into the Cades Cove area near Townsend, TN. The wolves are flourishing, and readapting
very well. However, the wolves have become major problems for the nearby cattle farmers and have actually killed many of the farmers' cows. The wolves are protected by the park, and it against the law to shoot them. Should the farmers:
a. shoot the wolves and protecct their investments, or
b. should they watch their cattle die and let the wolves do as wolves do?

Scott, Meg, and Tarah

You are out in the woods with a friend when you spot a hawk perched on a high limb. Before you realize what is happening, your friend shoots the hawk. An hour later, you are leaving the woods and are approached by a state wildlife officer, who tells you a hawk has been illegally shot and asks if you know anything about it. Should you:
A. deny any knowledge of the incident
B. admit your friend did it
C. make up a story implicating someone else
D. say nothing, but call the fish and wildlife office later with an anonymous tip
E. other

Brenda and Melanie

In South America the rain forest is being cut down by big business and corporations. The companies are paying South Americans money in which they
can buy the things they need in order to have a better life.
 
The loss of the rain forest is a major contributor to global warming. The people and animals that live in the interior of the rain forest are being put in
jeopardy for money. Medications are also produced from plant derivatives.
 
Do we:
1.Cut down the rainforest so people can have a better economic life and lose out
on the valuable contributions of the rainforest?
2.Leave the rainforest and allow corporations to ose money and also maintain the
poverty of the area?

Daria

You and a friend are having a picnic in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park when suddenly your friend is approached by a bear. You do not have time to call a park ranger which is the correct thing to do, so do you:
a) kill the bear to protect your friend even though it is illegal to kill any animal in the park.
b) try to distract the bear so your friend can escape. By doing this you are jeopardizing your life as well as your friend's.

Brandee & Dana

In Europe a woman was near death from cancer. One drug might save her, a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The druggist was charging $2000, 10 times what the drug cost him to make. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said "No." The husband got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife. What would you have done in his case?
a. Do as the husband did?
b. Allow the wife to die without the drug.
c. other

Rosa and Jason

You find a baby bird on the sidewalk, who is not able to fly. You know if you try to help it you risk having the momma bird abandon it, but if you
don't try to help it, it may suffer and die. Do you:
a. pick it up
b. leave it?
c. other

Nicole, Jamie, & Tracy

An endangered specie of owl lives exclusively in the old Redwood forests of Washington and Oregon. The trees is this forest are thousands of years old and will take thousands of years to grow back. This type of owl only lives in these ancient trees Your father is a local logger who supports your family by chopping down trees in the forest which his company owns.
a) Should the loggers be allowed to do their jobs and chop down the forest to sell the lumber, even if it will force the owls into extinction?
OR
 
b) Should the government tell the loggers that the continued existence of owls and ancient trees is more important than the money they will make selling the lumber, even if your father and the other loggers will lose their jobs?
OR
 
c) Is there another solution

Tina and Dawn

There is a tractor trailer that overturns on the highway spilling a hazardous/toxic substance. The substance catches on fire, sending
poisonous fumes into the air. The hazardous substance may explode at any time.
 
1.) Do you just let the hazardous substance burn which endangers the
nearby community
OR
2.) Do you send in the Haz-mat team to extinguish the fire which would
quite possibly endanger their lives?

Jeannetta and Leisa

You're on the way to the circus and you spot a funnel cloud forming. What should your parents do?
A. Drive faster hoping you will out run the tornado
B. Honk your horn to warn others and contact an emergency unit (911)
C. Stop your car quickly and try to find a ditch
D. Drive your car under a bridge and wait hoping it will pass
E. Other
Remember, this is for lower elementary students.

Melinda and Libby

The National Weather Service predicts that a hurricane will make landfall between Destin and Gulf Shores. This is where your family has lived
for three generations. The government advises evacuation to safer areas inland. Your Dad says that there will just be a big traffic jam. He wants to
stay and board up the family home and guard against possible looters.
 
Do you:
 
A) Stay and help Dad board windows and secure the home.
 
B) Take your siblings and pets inland.
 
C) Organize a "Hurricane Party"
 
D) Other.

Lee and Xan

A volcano is in process of erupting. Police officials are currently monitoring the activity. This eruption may be the greatest opportunity ever
for scientist to learn more about the nature of volcanoes. You have full authority to keep out all individuals and you recieve all progess reports on
the volcanoes' activity. Currently the volcano is moderate in its activity, but you realize anything can happen and this volcano is known or its unpredictable personality.
 
Options
A. Do not all the scientists to go in to study the site.
B. Keep in touch by walkie talkies and warn the scientists if danger is
imminent.
C. Allow the pushy scientists to risk their necks because you didn't like
them anyway.
D. Other

Mary Ruth and Brad

A huge fossil collection was found after a mine collapse. The area needs to be explored for valuable new information. The area is also
very unstable due to the collapse. Do you:
 
A. Not tell the employees of the possible dangers involved?
 
B. Tell them only after they have signed a waiver to release you from being
liable for any harm?
 
C. Abandon the area.

Sally and Cindy


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