Review in advance: Fast Disaster Discussion Questions

FAST DISASTER SHARED READING/ TOPIC POSTS 

Comment on One Night in Bhopal  like a film critic: How did the film affect you -- emotionally, intellectually, and ethically?  What information, visuals, and techniques were used to produce these effects? Which of these were most persuasive or powerful? Do you think any of these were misleading? What would make it a better film?  

Comment on the film One Night in Bhopal  like an anthropologist: How do different stakeholders portrayed in the film perceive and respond to the environmental health problems they are confronted with?  What likely shaped their perceptions?   

Comment on the film One Night in Bhopal like an activist: Did you find the film persuasive and concerning? What injustices does the film portray and what could be done to fix them? 

Do you live near a facility with “worst case scenario” potential?  If so, how do you know? How does information about the risk circulate in your community? Are community members concerned?  Are community members active in trying to reduce risk? If so or if not, explain why. 

Comment on Chemical Valley  like a film critic: How did the film affect you -- emotionally, intellectually, and ethically?  What information, visuals, and techniques were used to produce these effects? Which of these were most persuasive or powerful? Do you think any of these were misleading? What would make it a better film?  

Comment on the film Chemical Valley like an anthropologist: How do different stakeholders portrayed in the film perceive and respond to the environmental health problems they are confronted with?  What likely shaped their perceptions?   

Comment on the film Chemical Valley like an activist: Did you find the film persuasive and concerning? What injustices does the film portray and what could be done to fix them? 

Describe how k-12 schools should prepare students for worst case scenarios in their communities (recognizing the problems -- and importance -- of teaching young children about frightening possibilities).

Make up a convincing, greenwashing claim about an oil refinery that has worst case scenario potential (include at least four sins of greenwashing). 

Imagine that you are an environmental injustice activist in Wilmington.  What strategies would you use to build community knowledge of local environmental  health hazards?  

Explain what you find most interesting or useful about the set of ten analytic questions we will use to build case studies about environmental injustice.  Using a place you are familiar with (your home community, for example), briefly answer some of the questions.  

Do a search for “chemical disaster” at Environmental Health News. Describe and comment on an article you find that is of particular interest to you. 

What did you learn in this module that helps explain why it is so hard to reduce environmental health threats? 

What did you learn in this module that helps explain why environmental health threats are worse in poor communities, especially communities of color?

In what ways were the environmental health problems focused on in this module unjust? 

What ideas do you have for reducing the environmental health hazards described in this module?