1) DETAILS  OF  PRESENTATION

Students have to simulate an European cabinet meeting. Each student plays the role of the minister of the environment of his country.

The problem put on the agenda is the following one:

     -    consumption and environment: gap or cooperation between them?

Each student can talk about it choosing the problem of the continuous increase of energy demand in his country in front of the progressive exhaustion of the strategic raw material’s supply or other national problem he considers related with such kind of gap/cooperation above mentioned.

Each student should be able:

-        to present and to argue the item chosen from the particular point of view of his State;

-        to listen to the other presentations with a critical ear;

-        to debate efficiently;

-        to look for a reasonable compromise with the others.

At the end of the meeting, a common position should be reached and students have to write an essay which synthesizes what they all consider as some of the most crucial problems citizens and policy-makers have to face in the next years and/or some proposals to reduce the irrational waste of natural resources.

During the cabinet meeting students can take with them and show to the others documents, statistics and everything adequate to support their ideas.

It is also possible the use of power point in order to emphasize the attention to the topic treated.

If other mechanical supports are needed, they have to be requested in large advance.

2)  STEPS  OF  WORKING  MAP

-        what is sustainable development?

-        which are the effects of environmental politics on behaviours of entrepreneurs and customers? (e.g. : to front pollution production-costs may increase; the goods-prices may increase too; possible de-localization in that countries where regulations are not so strict; possible enterprise’s failure; schooling and education pivots for changing the customer’s habits; etc...)

-        how to involve entrepreneurs and consumers in the environmental projects?

-        polleur-payer: a crucial question to solve

-        what kind of measures have to take the policy-makers in order to save the environment?

-        environment is a domestic or an international problem?

3)     KIND  OF KNOWLEDGE  NECESSARY  FOR  PREPARATION

-        aspects of microeconomics and macroeconomics

-        environmental economics

-        European regulations concerning the environmental problem

-        access to statistical documents, to mass-media information, to specialised magazines for consulting mathematical sources about energetic needs and provision

4)  BEHAVIOURS,  SKILLS  AND  VALUES  INVOLVED  TO  THE  TOPIC

-        to be able to catch information

-        to be able to analyse critically all that one has collected

-        to be able to argue and to expose

-        to be able to agree to compromise

-        to understand the international cooperation’s role

-        to understand the crucial role of scientific and technological research

-        to understand to defend the cultural mind connected with a correct use of disposable resources

4)    THE  TEN  QUESTION  OF  LYON

-        Europe and globalisation

-        what economy do we want for Europe?

-        Europe and sustainable development: environmental issues

-        a multi-speed Europe?

-        a government for Europe?