Reducing+Pollution

January 19, 2010
 * Reducting Pollution

Carly Choinski and Hannah Schneeberg Day 1, Period 1

1) ****Introduction to the problem**

When we were first assigned this project, we were told to think of a topic to work on that meant a lot to us. After thinking about many different ideas, we decided to address pollution. At first, we wanted to contact large companies. We e-mailed contacts we found on the internet. However, a week went by and we did not have a response from any of them. If we were to start this project over, we would have not contacted people from big companies. Our project is slightly different than the others in this class. We decided that the best way to work on addressing pollution was to talk to our community and persuade //them// (not legislators or big companies). First, we thought about the different ways that people can reduce pollution and how they would help in the long run. We also researched environmental groups in Rhode Island that have worked to address this issue as well. On their websites, they listed strategies that they used that have helped them reach their goals. We think that it is easier and more effective by just contacting our community--so that the information could eventually spread to other communities. Idealistically, we would like for all of New England to be a part of reducing pollution. After realizing that we did not have enough time to act our our initial plans, we came up with a new idea. We organized our project, and decided to prepare strategies so another group could continue our project and actions in the future. We e-mailed many, but only got a response from Meg Kerr, an employee of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program.
 * 2) ****Strategies employed**

Our project is a strategic plan that will benefit another group who decides to work on it. We acheived the goal of getting everything organized. We created a specific plan in order to convince people to help reduce pollution. Our limitations, or our downfall, was the amount of time we were given. Just as we had identified each specific detail in our project, we ran out of time. Our plans were not acted out, but serve as excellent guidelines for another group who also desires to reduce pollution.
 * 3) ****Outcomes of the project**

Carly's Reflection: I have learned a lot about the decision-making process of democracy by participating on this project. There are many steps that need to be taken in order to have a law passed, or make a difference within a community. The first step is to make a plan. This plan is like a rough draft; it should consist of a general plan in order to reach the intended goal. Then, the plan needs to be revised. There needs to be a main focus although a back up plan should still be available. Our plan was very broad--to reduce pollution. However, if we were to focus on reducing pollution by carpooling we could have tried to convince taxi and bus companies to list pollution facts on their transportation vehicles. This is the next step in the plan--to contact. After contacting different people involved in a plan, the last step is to act. This process is the ideal way to climb the steps of democracy to make a difference, and change something. From working on this project, I have learned that I really can make a change. At first, I believed that this was just a school project--something I just had to get done, but could not really achieve anything. However, my classmates proved me wrong. I was amazed at some of the projects, and the mentality a lot of students had. I regret not being more active--not because I did not want to be, but because I did not believe that anything I would say would catch people's attention. However, I did create an organized plan which I hope another group finds interesting and continues on with it. I learned that communication is key. To work on this project, the group really needs to communicate and agree on getting certain parts of the project completed. Both partners need to pull their own weight in order for the project to exceed the requirements. Overall, I believe my partner and I were successful in completing the project. Although I wish we had more time, we completed as much as we could in a plan to reduce pollution.
 * 4) Reflections of the project**

i) Public Education 1) Leaflets, Flyers, Posters -We created flyers in order to convey our goal--to reduce pollution. We could have also used posters as a means of advertising for certain events, or educational facts. 2) Public Hearings -Speaking at a public hearing would benefit our cause for a couple of reasons. It would allow us to be heard; People would know and understand our cause. It would also give us publicity, as many people would talk to other people about what they learned. ii) Direct Action 1) Picketing -Picketing would send our message out in a strong, yet not too agressive way. It would portray our seriousness about the topic, and show how dedicated we are in reducing pollution. 2) Demonstrations and Protests -A demonstration of how pollution can effect the environment would be very moving to many people. This again would help convey our goal in a more serious matter. iii) Citizen Lobbying 1) Writing a bill & finding a sponsor -For our project, we would not necesarily write a bill. However, we could create a mission statement, and have companies and big bussinesses sign it in order to show their support. Hopefully many of them would become sponsors and provide us with enough compensation to create new groups in an effort to reduce pollution. 2) Persuading Legislators -Again, we would not necesarily persuade legislators. We could try, in an effort to create a law mandating homes to recycle. We would also want to persuade companies, and town businesses to make an effort to reduce pollution. In recycling and reusing, they would benefit in the long run by saving money. The environment would also benefit because it would be cleaner. iv) The Media 1) Letters to the Editor -Writing a letter to a magazine or newspaper editor would allow a personal message to be delivered to the general public. Also, we might build support from the editor. This in return could gain us publicity with advertising and general communication. 2) Call-in shows/ Guest Shows - Being on a guest show would be an excellent way to represent our project and what it means to us. I think that the public would be inspired when seeing how much young people care about the world that they live in. The publicity we would gain would be endless and be the most beneficial strategy to our cause.
 * 5) Appendix: Ways of Acting**