AP Biology

Bottled Water:Convenience or

Planetary Problem?A Public Policy Analyst (PPA) Investigation

Ms. HazellEarth Science

Bay Ridge Preparatory Schoolnhazell@bayridgeprep.org

AP Biology

Does Bottled Water Consumption in the US Have a Global Environmental Impact?

-Most plastic water bottles sold in the US are not recycled, but rather are downcycled outside of the US.

A few facts to consider:

-More than half a billion bottles of water are bought a week in the US.

-Each year, making the plastic water bottles used in the UStakes enough oil and energy to fuel a million cars

AP Biology

The Public Policy Analyst (PPA)You will use these steps to come up with policy options that address the environmental effects of bottled water

1. Define the problem

2. Gather the Evidence

3. Identify the Causes

4. Evaluate an Existing Policy

5. Develop Solutions

6. Select the Best Solution

AP Biology

Define the Problem worksheet

Define the Problem

What is the problem?

Where does the problem occur?

What are the negative effects of the problem?

AP Biology

Gather the Evidence:Locate different types of evidence to support the existence of the problem.

Remember: some sources are better than others!

For example: Surveys, statistics, case studies, scholarly articles…

Gather the Evidence worksheet

AP Biology

Identify the Causes

Review your evidence and brainstorm the causes and factors that contribute to the problem. 

Identifying the Causes worksheet

AP Biology

Evaluate an Existing Policy• What are the advantages and disadvantages of that policy?

Evaluating Existing Public Policies worksheet

• What parts of the current policy should be kept or strengthened?

• What parts could be changed or replaced?

AP Biology

Develop Solutions• What are some ways to eliminate or reduce the causes of the problem?

Developing Public Policies worksheet

• Are there alternatives to the current public policy that addresses the problem?

• Be sure to come up with a specific action(s) as part of your solution.

AP Biology

Select the Best Solutions• Think about the solutions you’ve come up with……

Selecting the Best Public Policy Solution worksheet

• How feasible are your solutions? Which is most likely to become a public policy?

• How effective are your solutions? Will they actually lessen the problem?

• The best solution is both feasible and effective.

AP Biology

Making a Change• Now that we have all come up with solutions our planet’s bottled water problem, how can we make a difference?

The Story of Bottled Water movie

• Think about how you would share your results with your family, our school community, your local legislators and beyond…

• Share this movie with your family and start the discussion at home!

AP Biology

Citations

• The Story of Bottled Water- Footnoted Scripthttp://www.storyofstuff.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/10/storyofbottledwater_footnoted_script.pdf

• Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water(2010), Peter Gleick

• The Pacific Institute's Bottled Water and Energy Factsheethttp://www.pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bottled_water_factsheet.pdf

• Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (2002), William McDonough and Michael Braungart

• Dumping Pepsi's Plastic, www.mindfully.orghttp://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Dumping-Pepsi-Plastic-India94.htm