Consequences and responses Flashcards
Give some examples of how higher incomes have changed consumer patterns
- In the last 50 years, global meat consumption has quadrupled (environmental and health costs)
- Coffee production has doubled since 1960 but an estimated 25 million growers are in extreme price volatility
- 270 million tonnes of plastic produced in 2013 alone
Define ‘sustainability’
Meeting the needs of those present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Define ‘economic sustainability’
Individuals and communities should have access to a reliable income over time
Define ‘social sustainability’
All individuals should enjoy a reasonable quality of life
Define ‘environmental sustainability’
No lasting damage should be done to the environment, renewable resources must be managed in ways that guarantee continued use
Goods once sourced locally are now (1), negative effects of consumption are often (2) and consumers don’t always know the (3) e.g. (4) of cotton farmers
1 - imported
2 - away from the place consumers live
3 - full footprint of products
4 - pesticide exposure
Some groups promote (1) as a response to globalisation with the aim of (2). Localism describes a range of (3) to support local control of (4) and promotion of local (5)
1 - local sourcing 2 - increasing sustainability 3 - political philosophies that prioritise local 4 - government 5 - history, culture and identity
Give three costs of local sourcing on consumers, producers and environment
C - Local sourcing more expensive
P - Lack of economic development for places such as Ivory Coast
E - Heated greenhouses in UK have larger carbon footprint than imported Spanish tomatoes
Give three benefits of local sourcing on consumers, producers and environment
C - Organic farming methods have health benefits
P - UK farmers have moved up the value chain by manufacturing locally sourced items
E - 1992 Rio summit ‘Think global, act local’ to reduce carbon footprint
Describe the case study of the Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC)
- local group aim to mitigate the negative effects of society
- save energy in local homes
- local council to support the emerging low carbon economy
- discussions to reduce carbon footprint
Give an example of a local sourcing solution that aims to reduce carbon footprints
A carbon tax
Describe the case study of Todmorden
- Transition town in the South Pennines
- Food on sale is grown locally
- Received National Lottery funding to create 40 public fruit and veg gardens
What is ethical consumption and positive buying?
Deliberately choosing a purchase because of the product’s ethical nature
What is the aim of ethical buying?
Reduce inequalities of global trade and improve the working conditions for disadvantaged groups
How does Ethical Consumer magazine promote positive buying?
Ratings tables for different products and services based on ethical criteria such as animal rights, human rights and pollution
Describe the fair trade system case study
- seek greater equity in international trade
- social, economic and environmental standards
- offer rural families a stable income and protect their rights
- progress towards living wage benchmarks
Describe the Keep Britain Tidy case study
- 1954 organisation formed by WI to address rising litter problem
- 1969 tidyman logo to reduce litter and manage waste in environmentally friendly ways
Describe supply chain monitoring
- accept the need for corporate social responsibility
- TNCs have thousands of suppliers increasing the risk of branded products being linked to worker exploitation
What did the Charity War on Want do?
Flew in a woman who was a fruit picker for Tesco to a shareholder meeting where she said there were no toilets for female workers so Tesco told the farm they would use a different farm unless conditions improved
Describe traidcraft in Kenya
- potential to increase exports through agricultural produce
- over 60% of the population live on less than $2 a day
- average annual income over $350
What are the aims of traidcraft in Kenya?
- help local businesses develop capacities
- promote ethical trade policies
- assist businesses improve their skills
What are the aims of traidcraft?
- break down barriers to prevent producers in poor countries
- provide training, consultancy and internet services
- advocate changes to work in favour of the poor
- raise awareness of fair trade in the UK
Why is present trading working against the poor?
- goods not always freely traded
- LEDCs don’t have as much subsidies as UK and USA
- surplus suppliers to sell to other countries
How is Senegal agricultural production affected by world trading patterns?
- Need better storage facilities to compete with MEDC suppliers
- IMF and World Bank dropped subsidies on Senegalese fertilisers so farmers are earning less
- EU allowing foreigners to fish along Senegalese coast in return for debt
In 2014, (1) tonnes of e-waste was discarded and made up a line (2) miles long, less than (3) was properly recycled. Per capita (4) had the largest e-waste whereas (5) had the lowest.
1 - 41.8 million 2 - 14,300 3 - one-sixth 4 - Norway 5 - Africa
Waste that could have been recovered and recycled was worth (1) including (2) tonnes of gold which is equal to (3)% of the world’s gold production in 2013
1 - $52 billion
2 - 300
3 - 11
Name four global insecurities
Food, Water, Energy and Climate
What is the cause and symptom of the food insecurity?
Cause - By 2050 food demand is likely to double worldwide Symptom - Middle class diets are characterised by consumption of meat and dairy and have a larger ecological footprint
What is the cause and symptom of the water insecurity?
Cause - Food production depletes water supplies
Symptom - As societies develop economically and urbanise, everyday household water increases significantly. Popular global commodities e.g. choc, coffee and wine have a high water footprint
What is the cause and symptom of the energy insecurity?
Cause - By 2035, it is predicted energy use will increase 50%
Symptom - Extraction of fossil fuels is environmentally damaging
What is the cause and symptom of the climate insecurity?
Cause - Adoption of manufactured items increase average carbon footprint
Symptom - In 2013, carbon dioxide reached 400 parts per million
