Creating 3 Laws with cost analysis

You are now the supreme ruler of the world. The year is 2050. You rule over 9 billion people. You get to decide what kind of ruler you are: queen, king, president, or dictator. However, you have a whole earth to manage and legislate. In this activity, you will be making several laws about how to deal with land resources.

Goal: Make three laws and do a cost-benefit analysis to go with each law. Your purpose is to both provide food and income for 9 billion people while caring for the environment.

Each category of law has a background which you must consider when making your law. For each law, you must provide:

• a name for the law
• three major goals of the law
• a cost-benefit analysis for the law

1 — Forestry Law

Background: In 2050, the earth is only covered in 15% forests, half of the forests of today. Of the forests that were cut, 75% were removed to make room for farmland or for mining. Desertification has occurred in many deforested areas. The other 25% of deforestation occurred to make room for urban sprawl for an expanding population. Temperatures have risen globally and many species of trees can no longer thrive in the hot temperatures.

Law name: ____________________________________________________________

Law goals:

1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________

Cost-benefit analysis: ___________________________________________________________

2 — Agriculture Law

Background: In 2050, the earth mostly grows just three crops: corn, soy, and wheat. There are only three major agriculture companies that supply all the seeds, which are all GMOs. There is a small percentage of organic farmers. Fresh water has become scarce in 2050. Cattle are still raised in feedlots and slaughtered. About 65% of the earth’s population are regular meat eaters.

Law name: ____________________________________________________________

Law goals:

4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________________

Cost-benefit analysis: ____________________________________________________________

3 — Mining Law

In 2050, almost all rare metals have disappeared. Scientists are working on making alternatives. In the meantime, there is much conflict in the areas that have remaining metals. Also, almost all rainforests have been destroyed in the Congo and Brazil, in search of mining the last of the resources.

Law name: ____________________________________________________________

Law goals:

7. ______________________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________________

Cost-benefit analysis: ____________________________________________________________