EQ3

Question 1

Who are the BRICs?

Answer 1

Brazil, Russia, India and China

Question 2

What impacts are there on resources as a result of the rising superpowers?

Answer 2

Demand for energy increasing
increasing environ. impact
Growing inequality gap
EFP increasing

Question 3

Which countries are responsible for the large resource pressure?

Answer 3

India and China as they are meeting the scale of EU & US usage very rapidly

Question 4

What environmental impacts does the rise of superpowers have?

Answer 4

Pressure on land, farmland cannot support consumption, dramatic restricting of land required for renewables as well

Question 5

What effectively illustrates the resource impact?

Answer 5

Change in car ownership

Question 6

Why is there also an impact on older core regions?

Answer 6

There is an opportunity for emerging economic superpowers to challenge the exist the existing ones

Question 7

What are some of the impacts on older core regions?

Answer 7

-falling consumer prices (EU, Japan & US due to semi-peripheral NIC and RIC economic activity)
-uncomfortable power shifts
geopolitical tension over fossil fuels

Question 8

Who are the new players in the space race?

Answer 8

Russia, India, China and Japan

Question 9

What is the older core’s wealth assured by?

Answer 9

Ownership of quaternary industry, high tech. research facilities and dominance of global finance and services of emerging countries

Question 10

What is threatening the older core’s wealth and industries?

Answer 10

• increased outsourcing of research and tech. jobs to India
• Financial turmoil in banking sector during 2008 credit crunch
• Drastic shrinkage of the car industry since 1970s

Question 11

How has the car industry seen a shrinkage?

Answer 11

Since 1970s
Lack of investment to compete with Japanese car tech.
Chinese car companies launching to world market (Dongfeng, FAW)

Question 12

What are some examples of the uneven distribution of prosperity within BRICs?

Answer 12

China's prosperous coastal urban zone vs. poor rural inferior
India's growing middle class in cities and southern states

Question 13

How does the rise of superpowers benefit that country?

Answer 13

Brings new opportunities - tourism services, R& D growth in Gulf States as they can diversify away from oil and gas

Question 14

Where are the increased tensions likely to stem from?

Answer 14

US vs. USSR due to cultural divide
Anti-Americanisation / Terrorism
European vs. American

Question 15

What are the key differences between Europe and the US?

Answer 15

Emphasis on welfare state vs. Individual provision for healthcare and education
Tendency to eat as a family vs. Greater prevalence of fast food
Lower legal age for alcohol consumption in Europe
More liberal to nudity in the media vs. overtly religious
Not in favour of capital punishment vs. concerned about being number 1

Question 16

What are the 4 culture clashes?

Answer 16

European Liberalism
Chinese Confucianism
The Islamic World
American Corporate Capitalism

Question 17

What are the future possibilities?

Answer 17

1) Multi polar world with emerging India and China but US still most powerful
2) Arms race risk - in Middle East and Asia
3) Resource nationalism and tension & rising tension between BRICs for new resources
4) L.T decline of Europe and Japan as cannot cope with ageing pop.
5) Resource rich powers challenge political and economic order