For my ENSTU 300: Critical Thinking and Communication in Environmental Studies course, we developed a policy analysis paper on a current environmental issue. This involved researching the scientific background and history of the topic, familiarizing ourselves with relevant stakeholders and their values, and developing an understanding of current policy. This information was then compiled into a research paper with three proposed solutions and a final policy recommendation. I chose to focus my paper on prescribed burns in California because of the increasing threat of wildfires in my home state. I remember receiving concerned texts from my friends the memorable day the sky turned orange from pollutants, and at one point I was driven from my home for several months due to health risks from the thick, lingering smoke.
I was interested in learning about this often-controversial technique of mitigating wildfires because as our wildfire season has grown longer and more severe, it is clear we need every tool available to us to address our wildfire problem. Through the course, I learned how to research and comprehend policy. Being able to understand the purpose and goals of a policy and then translate that into accessible language was a key component of my paper. Through the completion of this paper, I was successful in developing my research abilities and written communication skills. I also learned that just because you have a policy option available does not mean it can be easily implemented, and that there are many ways in which social injustices have impacted our environmental health. Solving complex problems like California’s wildfires takes awareness of environmental, social and historical factors, and how they influence one another. |
An overview of scientific thought and historical use concerning prescribed burns.
A brief summary of prescribed burn policy at federal and state levels.
An overview of stakeholder perspectives on prescribed burns, including Indigenous peoples, the US government, and private landowners.
Final policy analysis of prescribed burning in California.
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