Assume the role of an environmental advocate who is attempting to persuade government officials to enforce or revise a public policy relating to a hazardous environmental setting that puts community health at risk. You will prepare a narrated PowerPoint presentation to present your case.
Instructions
Use the Internet to identify an environmental hazard, the public policy enacted to address it, and specific populations at risk of harm.
Analyze the effectiveness of the policy in protecting community health and safety.
Using Kaltura, record a five-minute PowerPoint presentation directed at a governing body.
Your presentation should advocate your stance on a specific public health policy, such as the need for increased public awareness, enforcement of the existing policy, or the need to revise and improve the policy.
Slide 2: The Hazard and The Victims (0:15 - 1:00)
(Title: Lead: A Toxic Legacy & Vulnerable Populations)
Hazard: The hazard is the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines (LSLs) that deliver water across America, including right here in [Your City/Region]. Lead leaches from these aging pipes, solder, and fixtures into the water, particularly where corrosion control is insufficient.
Populations at Risk:
Children (under 6): This is our most vulnerable population. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that causes irreversible damage to the developing brain and nervous system, leading to lower IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. There is no safe level of lead exposure.
Pregnant Women: Lead stored in a mother's bones can be released during pregnancy, harming the developing fetus and increasing the risk of miscarriage and premature birth.
Environmental Justice Communities: LSLs are disproportionately concentrated in older, lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color, creating a stark issue of environmental justice.
Slide 3: The Policy and Its Flaws (1:00 - 2:00)
(Title: The Policy: EPA's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) & Why It Fell Short)
The Policy: The cornerstone of our protection is the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), first enacted in 1991 and recently strengthened by the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).
Original Flaws: The original LCR was fundamentally flawed for three reasons:
High Action Level: The 15 parts per billion (ppb) Action Level was too high to protect public health, which we know requires a goal of zero.
Unreliable Sampling: It relied on "first-flush" sampling that often missed the peak contamination coming from the service line.
Sample Answer
Presentation Script: Enforcing a Lead-Free Future
Target Audience: City Council / Governing Body Environmental Hazard: Lead Contamination in Drinking Water Policy Focus: Strengthening and Expediting Enforcement of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI)
Slide 1: Title Slide (0:00 - 0:15)
(Title: The Crisis at the Tap: Urgent Action on Lead Water Service Lines)
Advocate's Name/Title: [Your Name], Environmental Health Advocate
Opening: Good morning, members of the [Governing Body Name]. I am here today to discuss a crisis hidden beneath our streets, a crisis with irreversible consequences for our community's future: lead contamination in our drinking water.
Call to Action Preview: We must move beyond minimal compliance and aggressively enforce and resource the complete replacement of lead service lines.