Basic introduction to climate change and basic foundational knowledge of environmental issues. Used to inspire others to take action on environmental issues. Also can be used discuss basics of all environmental topics and as a guide to planning and delivering environmental learning. Can be used with middle school, high school students college and teacher prep programs. I use these rules to guide my environmental learning program and highlight each with environmental grounding assignments, and other environmental projects in year long settings where students develop environmental understanding and responsibility over time.

1. Five Rules
of the
Environment
v2.0
Basic background for environmental
awareness & action
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2. The Earth is a
limited System
We need five key
components to sustain
life in our environment
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3. 1. Population drives every issue in the environment.
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4. 2. You can’t appreciate what you don’t understand… and
If you don’t appreciate our environment, its easy to treat it with disrespect
Solid Waste Go?
What is your Water Footprint?Where does your Electricity Come from?
Gas?
Where Does your Water Go?
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5. Understanding the
Environment
Issues of Scale:
What’s Big?
What’s Old?
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As old growth trees become
rarer & healthy forested land
harder to find, each citizen’s
image of what a functioning
ecosystem is becomes
diminished over the
generations.

6. This 85-pound Chinook salmon, a true June hog, was caught at Astoria by fisher
Tony Canessa (pictured) in 1925. Photo: Columbia River Maritime Museum
3. The “Tragedy of the Commons” happens everyday!
People acting independently & in
their own self-interest will ultimately
deplete a shared limited resource…
….even when it is clearly not in
anyone’s long term interest for this
to happen
or…
…. Even though you may know that
what you want to do is not good
for future generations…
….you are inclined to do so
because it is in your own best
interest.
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7. Taken at the Union Fisherman’s Dock in Astoria,
Oregon in about 1910. Left to right, the salmon weigh
116 and 121 lbs.
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3. Tragedy of Commons
What’s big becomes
Smaller!
When a resource is under
pressure over time the big
organisms are harvested.
65 lb Chinook Salmon – Big now!
So what’s left that’s biggest
becomes thought of as “Big”,
creating a new norm. This
makes environmental problems
harder to solve

8. 4. No one Silver Bullet can solve an environmental issue
The Lone Ranger quagmire – competing “goods
Kramer USFWS
The Trade-Offs involved in solving any
Environmental issue are very involved
due to all the competing interests involved.
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9. Don’t Change &
Make More
Money Now
Change & Keep
our Environment
Healthy
Trade offs are often made when
solving environmental issues .
Issues that are often very complex.
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Two “goods”. How can we decide & be sustainable?

10. jschmied©2016
A healthy Ecosystem Ranchers Livelihood
Trade Offs are not easy to solve
What are the trade offs between these “goods”.

11. 5. With great power
comes great
responsibility….
The Spider Man
dilemma
Using Power… for Good?
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12. The basics of the Spider Man dilemma:
Humans are the only species on Earth that have the
capability to destroy all other major life forms on the
planet.
Our species has great power.
With this power comes great responsibility.
The responsibility to ensure our planet is healthy &
sustainable for all living things. It’s a choice.
5. With great power comes great responsibility….
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13. Who speaks for nature?
Senators,
Congressmen, Judges
& other elected
officials represent
people.
No one is elected to
represent our natural
world….
A parting thought….
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So who really speaks for Nature….
…for our air, soil, water, the plants
…..the animals in our environment?
If you don’t…. who will?

14. 1. Choose to have a more
sustainable world
• Learn about your environment
• Start “at home”
• Vote four ways
Five ways to take environmental action
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2. Vote with your feet
• Volunteer for environmental projects
3. Vote with your wallet!
• When spending buy what you need vs. what you want.
• Buy sustainable products - eat sustainably.
4. Vote with your voice
• Speak up about environmental issues
5. Vote with your ballot on environmental issues

15. …is for good people to do
nothing.
Edmund Burke (modified)
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All that is necessary
for the destruction of
our environment…

16. 5 Messages to help guide Environmental Learning
1. Population drives most issues in our environment.
2. You can’t appreciate what you don’t understand… and If you
don’t appreciate the environment, its easy to treat it with disrespect
3. What is the Tragedy of the Commons?
the commons: Air, Water, Soil, Oceans, Energy, Fish and Land Animals…
People acting independently and in their own self-interest will ultimately deplete a shared limited
resource… even when it is clearly not in anyone’s long term interest for this to happen
…. Even though you may know that what you want to do is not good for future generations, you are
inclined to do so because it is in your own best interest.
4. No one Silver Bullet can solve an environmental issue.
The Lone Ranger quagmire – competing “goods”
5. With great power, comes great responsibility.
The Spider Man dilemma
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17. About the author:
John Schmied has been a secondary science school teacher for 20 years and is involved in developing
practical, yet innovative, hands on curriculum for teens. In addition he is a Chemical Hygiene Officer
and an Environmental Educator. He has created, developed and manages a 6 acre Environmental
Center at his school site.
John’s presentations are viewed worldwide & have been in the
top 5% of Slideshare for multiple years.
During this time John served as the Strategic planner for the
Friends of the Hidden River a 501(C)(3) non profit.
• Over the past 13 years Friends helped King County, WA
design, fund, construct & develop the 14,800 sqft
Brightwater Environmental Center in Woodinville WA.
• John is the Director & a principal developer of the Ground
to Sound STEM Environmental Challenge course, a locally
popular cutting edge environmental program that merges,
Science, Tech, Art, Multimedia and other disciplines with
Leadership studies at the Center
Prior to this period John served as a Coast Guard Officer,
primarily involved in ice, navigation & search and rescue
operations. His specialties are Ship handling, Diving and
Oceanographic Operations.
John can be contacted via Linked In.
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