Air Pollution Awareness and Public Administration Ethics

Introduction

Today, public administrators at every level are confronted with multiple challenges, including the increasing polarization of the body politic as well as existential threats such as global warming due to relentless climate change. Although a consensus exists among the scientific community concerning the reality of climate change, there remains some debate over its precise causes and what can be done to mitigate these trends. Notwithstanding this debate, there is also a growing recognition that fossil fuel emissions are a major cause of climate change, making the need for increased public awareness a major public administration objective.

The purpose of this paper is to review a relevant public administration case study in order to explain how these challenges impact ethics, statesmanship, and the governance of public administrators. In addition, these challenges are examined using a biblical/covenantal model of statesmanship, leadership, and organizational behavior. Finally, a synthesis of the research and key findings is presented in the conclusion.

Case Study Overview

The objective of the public administration case study by Aydin-Güç et al. (2018) was to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation and administration of a community-based air pollution awareness course specifically designed to help primary school educators teach 122 fourth-grade students about the causes of air pollution and what steps can be taken at the local level to address them in meaningful ways. Citing the severe human costs associated with increasing levels of air pollution, Aydin-Güç et al. (2018) emphasize that young people have a vested interest in developing effective responses to the challenges of air pollution in their area, and teaching them about these issues early on represents a timely and valuable public administration enterprise.

An important additional element of this initiative was that it helped raise awareness concerning the adverse effects and causes of air pollution among the 32 fourth-grade adult teachers who were involved. These researchers used a mixed methods strategy that included a series of quantitative custom air pollution awareness questionnaires as well as qualitative structured interviews and focus groups. The need for this type of initiative is made clear by the researchers who point out, "Improving the educational level and raising environmental awareness are essential for reducing air pollution. It is also evident that the knowledge levels of students and teachers about the air pollution are low, and they lack a scientific point of view" (p. 36).

Findings and Ethical Implications

Based on their findings, Aydin-Güç et al. (2018) conclude that there was significant improvement in the level of understanding of air pollution effects and sources among both students and teachers, and that these types of initiatives warrant further investigation. This initiative underscored the importance of addressing climate change by teaching young people about the causes of air pollution and the ethical dilemmas involved in reducing fossil fuel emissions — particularly the tension between public administration governance objectives and private sector business interests.

This initiative also demonstrated strong leadership in this area and exemplified the morally optimal decisions that result from true statesmanship. Public administrators who champion environmental education programs of this kind navigate complex ethical terrain, balancing accountability to current constituents with a responsibility to future generations who will bear the consequences of today's policy decisions.

Conclusion

The human generations that have populated the earth since the mid-19th century have bequeathed a sad environmental legacy to future generations. Indeed, many environmentalists caution that the tipping point may have already been reached and humankind is doomed. Against this gloomy backdrop, it is apparent that Americans must do everything possible — including educating young people about these issues — to reverse these trends to the maximum extent possible in order to delay and perhaps even reverse the existential threat of climate change for future generations.

References

Aydin-Güç, F., Aygün, M., Ceylan, D., Çavus-Güngören, S., Durukan, Ü. G., Hacioglu, Y., & Yekeler, A. D. (2018). Air pollution awareness in the scope of the community service practices course: An interdisciplinary study. International Electronic Journal of Environmental Education, 8(1), 35–63.

Fischer, K. J., & Schultz, J. (2016). How does a covenantal approach to developing organizational leadership affect innovation? Journal of Leadership Studies, 10(1), 53–54.