Cognitive flexibility hypertext - higher education - the canada goose dilemma

Detailed Description:

Canada geese were once on the brink of extinction in the early part of the 20th century.  The geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1916, and since then have made a tremendous comeback.  However, there are thousands of geese that no longer migrate, and instead have “settled down” in American suburbia year-round.   This settling has created major problems for parks, golf courses, and airports, to name just a few places.  The parks and golf courses are covered in goose excrement, resulting in fewer people visiting or playing; airports have had to contend with geese getting sucked into the engines of planes (which caused an airplane to crash in Alaska in 1995, killing all 24 people aboard) and causing accidents on the runway. 

While hunting is a viable option to reduce the Canada goose population, local ordinances, combined with federal laws, can be so restrictive as to effectively prohibit hunting at all.  When this happens, towns end up creating sanctuaries for the geese, which can result in public health concerns (due to the goose excrement on playing fields and in parks, potentially affecting the water supply).

Learning Outcomes:

The learner will be able to:

• Apply skills of critical reading and analysis
• Discuss the pros and cons of suggested tactics for dealing with the geese
• Compare the role of the federal government vs. local governments on environmental issues
• Describe the environmental issues at stake
• Identify the ethical principles and "practical realities" embedded in their own arguments and those of other students
• Select a line of reasoning and conclusion they feel is most realistic and ideologically defensible.
• Identify the skills needed to sway public policy.