Current Environmental Issues
Current Environmental Issues (CEI) - Middle School
The North Carolina Envirothon, through its Current Environmental Issues component, provides students the opportunity to explore the most urgent and controversial issues facing North Carolinians today. Many of these issues are the same issues being studied and publicly debated across the country and the world.
To improve issue awareness, analysis and critical thinking skills, Envirothon students are assigned a variety of articles and editorials written by individuals, academia, environmental organizations, business and industry, conservation agencies, the Internet, and the general media from various subject areas:
Earth’s Natural Resources - soil, water, air, plants and animals
Issues At Home and the World Over - global climate change, biodiversity, endangered species, exotic species, habitat
Our Global Family –people, population growth, resource consumption
Annual Issue - as selected by the International National Conservation Foundation Envirothon host state each year
The purpose of these readings is twofold: 1) to introduce students to the science behind the issues and their social, economic, political and ecological implications; and 2) to expose them to opposing viewpoints to stimulate thinking and to help them better understand the public debate on a variety of North Carolina and global issues.
While students are tested on their reading comprehension of each article’s content, they are encouraged to draw their own conclusions and form their own informed opinions with sound justification. The NC Envirothon State Committee strives to provide a balance of perspectives. The opinions presented are not necessarily those of the NC Envirothon State Committee or the NC Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts.
ARTICLES FOR 2023-2024
NCF ENVIROTHON CEI TOPIC: RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Articles are focused on the NCF theme except for core information and featured topics.
CORE INFORMATION - To help Advisors and Students understand the importance of critical evaluation of information received through the internet and other media sources.
Introduction to CEI (revised 9/19 with excerpts from Decision Making Under Scientific Uncertainty)
First Amendment, Media Mixed Messages (Mini Page 2018; Science Matters 2003)
2024 Middle School Current Environmental Issues Articles.docx