Infusion Tips

The late Dick Brinckerhoff suggested the following criteria for ways to infuse societal topics into our science courses: items should be a) challenging, b) relevant, c) brief, and d) require a value judgment.

Consider the following: 1. The 17 July 1997 issue of USA Today featured a story on the controversy about the dust and noise that have accompanied the use of leaf blowers by gardeners in southern California, most of whom are Latino. According to the article, "The blowers showed up in the 1970s when water conservationists complained about gardeners using hoses to wash away leaves." What the article does not mention is the further aggravation of tropospheric ozone produced by the unburned hydrocarbons emitted by the engines which power these blowers. The article reports that the Los Angeles "City Council gave gardeners a six-month reprieve." If you were a member of the Council, how would you vote when the issue comes up again in six months?

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