Below are a few thought-starter questions around the material in the module. You may want to talk through these questions with friends, colleagues and your lecturers:
What do you think are the main drivers behind the occurrence of chemicals in the natural environment and why?
A very large number of chemicals are in use around the World. What challenges do you think this creates for environmental protection?
Our environment is exposed to a complex mixture of chemicals. How do you think these can interact to affect the health of the environment?
What do you think are the big chemical pollution challenges for the UK environment and why?
What do you think is the biggest emerging chemical pollution threat to human health and wellbeing? Why do you think this?
Chemical emissions would drop and levels of local to global contamination would abate if the "super-consumers" of the world reduced their consumption. However, this is a political "lightening rod" - very difficult to argue for reduced consumption. What argument would you construct to convince others that the best way forward, for a healthy planet for all, is to reduce consumption?
Some have argued that its impossible to set a planetary boundary for chemical pollution because of the enormous number of chemicals. And yet, these boundaries are an effective means of communicating the message of the need to reduce humanities impact on the planet. How might you conceive of a planetary boundary for chemical pollution?
AMR exists in the environment, both naturally and as a result of anthropogenic pollution, but why do we care if AMR and resistant driving chemicals are entering the environment?
What do you think are the most likely pathway for chemicals that drive selection for AMR entering the environment? And what sort of mitigations could be put in place to reduce these chemicals entering the environment?