Components in the Solving of Environmental Problems

1. Scientific Assessment - The gathering of information. Data must be collected and experiments performed in order to construct a model that describes the situation. This model may be used to make predictions about the future course of events.

2. Risk Analysis- Analysis the potential effects if no action is taken and the potential effects if a particular action was taken.

3. Public Education- When a clear choice of alternative actions can be made, the public must be informed. This involves explaining the problem, presenting all available alternatives for action, and revealing probable costs and results of each alternative choice.

4. Political Action- The public, through its elected officials, selects a course of action and implements it.

5. Follow-through- The results of any action taken should be carefully monitored, both to see if the environmental problem is being solved and , more basically, to evaluate and improve the inital evaluation and modeling of the problem.