RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES:
This unit will enable students in getting to know the regulators of environmental protection in their country. Who are they, what are their responsibilities, what are their roles and how do they act. They will also find out about how nations around the world are working together to solve environmental problems. The United Nations agreements are one very important way of devising a framework for international action.
Understanding the complexity of the environmental regulator work, that sometimes is affected by special interest groups, which are not the public interest, is very important. This may contribute to shape literate citizens, aware of the political aspect of environmental issues, that will enable them to make decisions and to be involved in the community.
Students will know who are the GR regarding environmental issues in their country:
· In Israel: The "Ministry of Environmental Protection" and the "Ministry of Health" .
· In Georgia:: "Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture”
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Students will understand:
· GR role in policymaking , in promoting laws and regulations aimed to protect the environment and in enforcing them.
· GR responsibility of providing citizens with good local environmental conditions (e.g., air, water, radiation, food).
· GR responsibility in preservation of environmental resources.
· GR responsibility in reducing CO2 emission and promoting alternative-energy systems to deal with global warming.
· GR activities under conflict of interests (e.g. industry, agriculture, transportation, urbanization).
GR commitment to the OECD policy, and international conventions (in Israel, Georgia ?).
United Nations and other international agreements (eg Sustainable Development Goals and Paris
Climate Change agreement
· Understanding the political complexity of environmental issues (e.g., closure of factories that are polluting the environment / employees will lose their workplace / municipal authority will lose their property tax).
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will be able to relate with a critical point of view to environmental issues in the media (daily newspaper articles, news on TV, documentary films etc.). To analyze the situation and to recognize factors affecting decision-making and enforcement.
Optional: Students will consider in the next government elections a party with green agenda.
ACTIVITIES:
Activity 1.Critical: reading of articles in the newspaper, and watching TV news, regard to issues of environmental regulation
Critical discussion
Activity 2, Find out more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals from this website. Divide the students into pairs and ask them to investigate one goal each and report to the rest of the class about what that goal is all about.
United Nations Global Goals
Activity 3. As an research activity, ask students to investigate one international agreement of their choice from 1962 onwards.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Compulsory Literature:
1.https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/environmental-guidelines August 26, 2010 DCO-2012-1.2
2. Green Politic- http://greenalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/mwvane_politika_da_garemos_dacva.pdf 3.Environmental and Social politic http://www.ebrd.com/downloads/research/policies/esp-georgian.pdf
