Framing an Issue Once you are aware that a problem exists, you can begin to analyze it. Issues share some basic characteristics.

Generally, this is an issue. Generates concern about how the outcome will affect the well-being of earth’s environments and species Involves interrelated political, environmental, social and economic aspects Has complex causes Has complex solutions

Implications of an Issue. A single issue has interrelated aspects. Because most issues have political, environmental, social and economic implications, it is helpful to organize them into these 4 basic areas.

Political Politics is about power and control. Any organization (for example, a government or multinational corporation) that designs, administers and makes judgements about rules and control, has power. When there are global problems, it is necessary to identify who controls the situation. However, when there is no clear controlling power, solutions become more complex.

Environmental Environmental features are those that impact both the natural environment (for example, a rainforest) and the environment within which people interact with (for example, a village or a city). Environmental considerations can be either localized (such as a water shortage in a village in India) or they can be global (such as the impact of global warming on the earth’s oceans).

Social Social factors are those having to do with interpersonal relations or relations among communities, and include cultural factors. “Culture” describes the customs, values and other forms of human endeavour characteristic of a particular community. Our lifestyles – the way we work, the way we learn, what we eat, where we live, what we do in our free time, the way we dress, the music we listen to, and even the way we relate to our friends and family – are part of our culture and our social systems.

Economic In discussing economic impact, we should consider an issues financial costs – the cost of having a problem in the first place and the costs of the remedy – and the financial benefits resulting from the proposed solutions.

Framing the Issue of Global Warming To better understand the complex implications of global warming, we will use the following framework and group these implications into the four areas described.

Political A number of questions come to mind. Who has caused the problem? Who is responsible for the solution? Should individual countries be held responsible? Should there be a collective world community response At present there are a number of international conferences on global warming – held every 2 years. The critical issue here is how to make countries live up to their commitments.

Environmental The impact of atmospheric warming will completely change the ecology of the biosphere. Biomes will be transformed as the surface conditions influencing their formation change. Climate change will affect soil types and natural vegetation cover. This in turn will affect the survival of the species living within that area. Because of ice sheets melting in Antarctica and Greenland, vast areas of lowland will be flooded, and many coastal cities will be affected.

Social As environments are modified due to changes in surface conditions, so are the lifestyles of the people who live there. People will migrate from lowland regions and areas of cropland will change, thus affecting the people who depend on them. The collapse of species within ecozones may change economic practices for its people. This type of cultural change would multiply under the predicted environmental shifts.

Economic Global warming will have immeasurable financial consequences. The effect of changing atmosphere on land features will have an enormous impact on economies. On the other hand, if countries attempt to slow global warming, it would take huge financial resources to switch from the tradition of burning fossil fuels to using cleaner forms of energy.

Conclusion Most issues facing the planet, such as global warming, are controversial. There are various reasons to put forward as to how the problem came about,as well as numerous suggestions on how to solve it. One issue of concern in global community is global poverty. We will examine this issue ourselves in more detail. For now, here`s a task for you.

Your Assignment Research the issue of globalization. Conduct your search using tags such as `roots of globalization`, `continuing globalization`, `consequences of globalization`, and `solutions to globalization`. Also use notes, readings and videos presented to you in class. Your finished product will be self evaluated and peer reviewed. Then construct a point form Issue Organizer using the framework outlined on the next slide. Make note of the due date! TBA...but start thinking about it now, and collect evidence.

Issue Organized Framework Issue: Poverty Concern: min. 2 points Causes: min. 3 points Implications (6 marks allocated) ◦ Political – minimum 1 point ◦ Environmental – minimum 1 points ◦ Social – minimum 1 points ◦ Economic – minimum 1 point Possible Solutions: (4 marks allocated) minimum 2 points List sources used. USE PROPER APA FORMAT