DLESE description of Transnational Pollution: Why Are You Dumping on Me?

The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize students with the different types of transnational pollution, and to give them an opportunity to role play in a hypothetical case of transnational pollution on the Danube River. This lesson introduces the grandest and most threatening problem of the global environment-transnational pollution. The flow of pollutants across national boundaries has confirmed that pollution does not recognize geographical boundaries. Clearly, environmental degradation in one country can spread to another, reconfirming that now more than ever, the health of the global environment is the responsibility of all nations, whether vast or small, rich or poor. The major goal of this activity is to make students cognizant that an incident in one nation may well have serious environmental consequences for other nations. Additionally, it will also give students an opportunity to play complex roles that are meaningful and consequential to global concerns. The lesson plan and accompanying handout are highly detailed with a clearly described scenario and characters and detailed activities and questions for the students.