NIMBY--Wind or Water Rights

The Klamoth Water Basin Crisis

In this case study, students examine global water shortage problems in the context of the current Klamath Basin water crisis. Two main perspectives are addressed, agriculture and the environment, along with multiple other perspectives including Native Americans, hydroelectric dams, and the fishing industry. Students learn about and discuss competing interests for water and analyze and critique scientific data, maps, and graphs. 

Important Note: Native Americans are considered sovereign citizens of BOTH their own tribe and the United States. So, negotiating with Native Americans means that they have the same rights and respect due to them (according to the Federal Code), as negotiating with a country like Great Britain or Saudi Arabia.

The Case to Consider

Power point overview

YOUR TASK Come up with a compromise that you feel deals with all the issues in a fair and equitable manner. Detail this viewpoint using a poster, and an accompanying narrative. Your poster must include a pie chart that divides the water available. 

You must deal with:

fresh water shortages
the purpose of a wildlife refuge
Native American rights
fishing rights, including harvest, spawning, and various methods of capture
hydroelectric dams and their purposes
community needs
agricultural irrigation needs


Grading:

Poster: 20 points....10 points comes from visual appeal, 10 points comes from content, including the rationale for your decision and your water distribution pie chart.

Narrative 30 points... This is one page. It must include 7-9 reasons for your decision and who benefits and who loses for EACH decision.

Cape Wind: The challenge

Cape Wind is an offshore wind project that is proposed off of Nantucket Sound

It is also a NIMBY issues

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

http://www.capewindmovie.com/

http://www.saveoursound.org/

Pick a Person:

a) barista, making $20000/year

b) fisher, making $50000/year

c) homeowner, Wampanoag tribe member, and food stand operator, making $30,000/year

d) homeowner who uses the place as a second home

e) construction worker, making $70000/year

f) environmentalist, making $25000/year

g) energy executive, making $2,000,000/year

Pick a location

a) on the Sound

b) within 1/2 mile of the Sound

c) in an apartment

d) within 5 miles of the Sound

Pick a health issue

a) none

b) epilepsy

Pick an ethics viewpoint

a) sustainability for the world!

b) sustainability if it doesn't cost me money!

c) my way or the highway!

d) protect the animals!

Outline your profile on a sheet of paper. Each person in your group must have a different profile.

Do some research to come up with the rationale for why this might be a NIMBY project.

List 10 pros and 10 cons of the project.

Have a discussion from the point of view of your profile. Use the pros and cons to discuss your ideas with another table.

Based on your profile, write a one page summary to explain your view for whether the project should go forward. These reasons for a pro or con choice must be supported by the evidence you gather (that is, does the evidence (not just the opinion) match your viewpoint. This is hard, because feelings don't sway a judicial decision--evidence does. Evidence usually takes the form of numerical data, financial impact, or the more nebulous 'cultural significance'