1. Two Themes for World Issues
CGW4U
Two Themes for World Issues
Globalization and Sustainability

2. Globalization
The trend towards greater interconnectedness of the world’s financial, economic, technological, political, cultural, sociological, ecological, and geographical systems.
Globalization as it exists today is not fully understood, and its impacts are as yet unclear.

3. Financial globalization
World’s financial systems have become intimately interconnected. ie: oil prices and the stock market.

4. Economic globalization
A growing number of companies are multinational or transnational in nature, having integrated operations across much of the world. ie: Coca-Cola, Nike, and Shell. This type has been the most controversial.

5. Technological globalization
A “global village”, with the growth of communications and computer technology.

6. Political globalization
Many countries have adopted a neo-liberal agenda (cut government spending, reduce economic and environmental regulation, privatization, and opened their economies to the world). ie: Canada’s free trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico (NAFTA).

7. Cultural globalization
The gradual harmonization of the world’s cultures at the expense of distinctly different local cultures. A “world culture”.

8. Sociological globalization
The growing belief that certain common attitudes and standards of behaviour should exist in every country. ie: policies of fundamentalist Islamist countries.

9. Ecological globalization
Planet is treated as a single ecosystem, rather than a collection of separate ecological systems. ie: ozone depletion, global warming, and climate change.

10. Geographical globalization
A borderless world that is dominated by a network of vast relationships, not individual countries.

11. Evidence of the rising and falling forces of Globalization: Dubai by air video clip from the BBC

12. Concerns About Globalization

13. Is it worth it? Where do we go from here?
Pros and Cons
Positive Impacts of Globalization
Living conditions have improved
Increased understanding of different cultures
More jobs
Reduce costs of goods
Negative Impacts of Globalization
Focus is often on short-term gains only
Rich are richer, poor are poorer
destruction of the environment
neglect of human rights
Is it worth it? Where do we go from here?

14. Sustainability
What is it? Development that meets the needs of people today without jeopardizing the well-being of future generations.
Historical Perspective
Throughout most of human history, people hunted animals and gathered plants to survive
Hunter-gatherers had little impact on the environment - they lacked the technology to do great damage
Nomadic in nature:
If they ran low on resources, they moved on, allowing that area to replenish itself
Agriculture developed and urban civilizations became more wide spread, causing further intensification of agriculture
Many native groups saw destruction of the environment and practiced conservation and sustainable practices

15. These terraces (flat areas) were carved out of the sides of mountains by hand to increase the amount of arable (farmable) land.

16. By 1700’s globalization was well under way as Europeans colonized parts of the Americas, Australia and Africa
Merchants felt justified in exploiting nature and its resources because the ensuing accumulation of wealth was the ultimate goal
Most Europeans were ethnocentric (only cared about their own ethnicity)

17. By 1800’s animals, birds, plants were becoming extinct
Deforestation and land degradation was ubiquitous

18. Expansionist World View
Europeans saw “new” lands as having limitless natural resources and space
set about using their technology to exploit the environment
They believed that science and technology could control nature for the benefit of humankind

20. Expansionist World View
Industrial revolution gave rise to mechanization factories railways steamships massive urbanization
As people lost their direct contact with the land, their knowledge of and respect for nature diminished.
Ultimately, the primary value of nature is in value to modern society

21. Ecological World View
Nature centered world view developed in the 19th century as a reaction to destruction of the environment
Nature not seen as something to be exploited
Gave birth to the idea of conservation
First national park opened in the US in 1832 – Sierra Club founded in 1892

22. Ecological World View20th century response to destruction of environment: world’s systems are all interrelated; biotic community to be protected; nature, in itself, is to be valued; human activities need to work within the planet’s ecosystem; nature provides a forum to judge the state of humanity

23. Environmentalism – philosophy that reflects concern for the environment; main tenet is that humans have a responsibility to protect the global environment.
first wave in the 1970s, reaction to chemical and industrial pollution (oil spills, pesticides, etc.)
80’s - global warming, ozone depletion, old growth forest cutting
Environmental laws and restrictions

25. Resources and Resource Use
Resource – Anything that meets people’s needs; includes natural resources (water), human-made items (technology), and aesthetic items (ecosystems). Something only becomes a resource when humans need it.
Three conditions must exist before something in the total stock becomes a resource:
It must be physically possible to exploit.
It must be economically feasible to develop the resource.
It must be culturally acceptable to develop the resource.
Renewable resources are infinite; nature replenishes them (ie: air, water, and fish). Non-renewable resources are finite; no new ones will replace them.

26. Different Views of Our World Spaceship Earth Concept
Earth as a tiny, fragile sphere with limited resources and a rapidly growing population whose life-support system is in jeopardy.

27. Different Views of Our World Gaia Hypothesis
The world is a self-regulating, living entity made up of organisms, that modifies the Earth to ensure their survival. There is constant feedback between living and non-living matter to maintain an equilibrium of life-giving components.

28. Different Views of Our World Limits-to-Growth Thesis
Based on computer models, in 1972 the Club of Rome predicted that if current growth trends continued the limits to human growth would be reached in 100 years. The world population would exceed the Earth’s carrying capacity – the maximum number of people that can be sustained by Earth’s resources.

29. Different Views of Our World Cornucopian Thesis
Science and technology will continue to advance, with the result that new resources will be developed to take the place of old, depleted resources.

30. The Need for Sustainable Development

31. 3 Objective of Sustainable Development Programs
Maintenance of essential ecological processes.
Sustainable use of the Earth’s resources.
Preservation of genetic diversity
What cycle are we in now??

32. Some perspective on where we are now…
The Story of Stuff