Chapter 11 Flashcards
Sustainability
the degree to which earth is able to provide the resources necessary to meet people’s needs
Ecological Footprint
•Used to describe the load people impose on nature
•Represents the area of the earth’s surface necessary to sustain the level of resources you use and the waste you create
•Canada has one of the biggest (7.24 h/person) ecological footprints
•Bangladesh has one of the smallest (0.6 h/person) ecological footprints
•North Americans have the highest ecological footprint
The Kogi
•Live in the mountains of Columbia
•Believe they are responsible for looking after this area, which they called the heart of the world (no outsiders allowed in)
•Their society has remained nearly unchanged for 500 years
The Resource Gap
•The earth will not be able to sustain – provide the basic necessities needed to support life
Case Study: Shipbreaking
•Shipbreaking: type of disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling
•Flag of Convenience: I practice that is often called flagging out. This occurs when a ship is registered in a country other than that of its owner
•In 1970s, the shipbuilding industry was dominated by Europe and the United States
•Shipyards make heavy demands on electricity and water supplies and generate large amounts of solid and toxic waste
•Ships use bunker fuel, which is cheaper and dirty. A single container ship creates as much pollution as 2000 diesel trucks
Flags of Convenience
•Lower costs – registration fees, and other charges are much lower – savings can be millions of dollars
•Ease of registration – a little paperwork is required
•We can environment and labour laws – ships must obey the laws of the country in which they are registered
Race to The Bottom
•Socio-economic phenomenon, in which government do you regulate the business environment or taxes in order to attract and retain economic activity and their jurisdictions
-Results: lower, wages, worse working conditions, and fewer environmental protections
•An outcome of globalization and free trade
•May occur when competition increases between geographic areas over particular factor of trade in production
Recycling of a Ship
•Ship-Breaking: allows materials from the ship, especially steel, to be recycled
•Equipment on board. The vessel can also be salvaged
History of Ship Breaking
•Shipbreaking took place in port cities of industrialized countries, such as the UK and the US
Ship Breaking at Present
•Ship breaking yards are in Bangladesh, India, abd Pakistan, due to lower labour cost and less stringent environmental regulations dealing with the disposal of lead paint and other toxic substances
Poor Wages
•Workers are in between $1.50 and $2.50 per day to break down the ships so the metals and other materials can be sold as scrap to recyclers
Dangerous Working Conditions
•Removing the metal for scrap can potentially cost more than the scrap value of the metal itself
•Workers are subject to high health risks and protective equipment is often inadequate or non-existent
•Dangerous papers and fumes from burning materials can be inhaled, and dusty asbestos-laden areas are commonplace
Death Toll
•An average of one death occurred in shipbreaking yards every day
•An estimate one in four shipbreaking workers will die of cancer caused by workplace exposure
Alternatives to Ship Breaking
•Many ships are also sunk to make artificial reefs after being cleaned up (help to preserve aquatic life in designated areas)
•Floating (or land-based) storage
