But there are fundamental differences in how we propose to address environmental challenges. As state and federal officials consider legislation governing the environment, citizens can help shape the public debate by considering three major approaches to environmental protection. The United States faces tough decisions about how to meet growing energy needs. Various plans are available, but each involves some cost either to the environrnent or the economy. Medical technology has greatly extended American lives, though patients' final days or months are often spent on artificial life-support systems.
Death often follows a medical decision to withdraw treatment.
Some are demanding a larger role for patients in making decisions about the time and manner of their deaths. Lawmakers and jurists are wrestling with this question, and they need to know what approach Americans want to take. Most Americans think the health care system needs to be fundamentally reformed. But there is no agreement about how to proceed. Health care reform is one of the most prominent issues on the public agenda.