Global Environmentalism Flashcards
Global Environmentalism
- Population Explosion
- doubling of crop land and the depletion of forest land
- animals are becoming extinct or endangered; however, increase in domesticated animals
- thinning of the ozone layer from CFCs
- new ability of humankind to tap the energy potential of fossil fuels: coal, oil, hydroelectricity, natural gas, nuclear power
- Use of Energy Sources
- emission of fossil fuels
- deforestation of the rain forest (melting glaciers, ice caps)
- extreme weather
- Economic Growth
- auto-catalytic technologies
Environmental Movement
- Preserve the earth and resources (i.e. National Parks)
- Environmental Pollution
- DDT - effect it had on wildlife
- EPA
- The Green Party (Greenpeace)
- Wildlife and wilderness management
- Limits on emissions
- Looking towards renewable resources (wind, solar, etc.)
- recycling
remember this…
- There are “Five Themes of Geography”
- Location, Place, Movement, Regions, and Human/Environment Interactions
- This page references one of those themes “Human/Environment Interaction”
- – This addresses: “How do humans adapt to their surroundings?”
note
- growing population numbers of the poor and growing consumption of the rich - led to the doubling of cropland and depletion of the world’s forests and grasslands
- numerous species of animals and plants = either endangered pr extinct (150-200 plant, mammal, insect, birds every 24 hours-1,000 times the natural rate)
- increased numbers of other species = ex: cattle, pigs, chickens, rats, dandelion
- massive air pollution in major cities
global warming
- caused by increased burning of fossil fuels = emit heat-trapping greenhouse gases
- and loss of trees = would otherwise remove the carbon dioxide from the air
- concerns:
- melting glaciers and polar ice caps
- rising sea levels
- thawing permafrost
- extreme hurricanes
- extreme weather
- further species extinction
note 2
- expressed a need for “scientific management” of nature
- “wilderness idea” = aimed to preserve untouched areas from human disruption
- creation of many US national parks (Yellowstone first in 1872)
- no mass following or large global response
- began with publication in 1962 of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
- exposed the chemical contamination of the environment that threatened both human health and the survival of many species - accused them of spreading disinformation
- generated an enormous response and launched the environmental movement in the US
Club of Rome
- a global think tank headquartered in Europe
Germany
- emergence of the Green Party (1 focus was on nuclear power)
Major concerns of Western environmentalists
- pollution, wilderness issues, and opposition to development in untouched areas
global south and west
- more locally based (south)
- involved more members of the middle class, people who had money to organize (west)
- mostly poor people (south)
- political lobbying, corporate strategy to promote environmental movements (west)
- environmental movements often overlapped with other movements for political and social reform (south)
- more concerned with rights and nature, protecting wilderness areas (west)
- more concerned with issues of food, security, health, survival (south)
- relatively non-violent (west)
- occasions of violence, guerilla warfare (south)
late 20th century
- environmentalism became truly global concern
- green revolution takes place
- fewer emissions
- fostered research and movement towards renewable resources (wind, solar, etc.)
- persuaded millions to go green
- addressing issues with ozone layer and global warming
conflicts
- between global north and global south
- felt that north’s initiative would prevent them from industrial development
- global south pushed to the limit
results of environmentalism
- one world thinking
- focus becomes on one common plight, human kind (transcended political boundaries)
- many global discussions
in the 20th century, the relationship between the consumption habits of the rich and the number of people in poverty can be described as ______
- directly proportional
in the 20th century, the thinning of the ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere can be attributed to ______
- chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
populations all over the world in the 20th century have replaced forests and grasslands with farmland because _________
- they need to meet consumption demands of the wealthy
- the popilation increased dramatically
- free market capitalism favors such practices
the first wave of environmentalism actually took place in the 1800s in the wake of _______
- the Industrial Revolution
technology _________ the effects of humans on the environment
- accelerates
coal, natural gas, and petroleum are all examples of __________
- fossil fuels
in the context of world history, an excess of food leads to ______________
- obesity
an increase in global temperatures has caused the melting of _______
- the polar ice caps
political lobbying, corporate strategy, and national legislation were methods used in the ________ to address environmental problems
- global west
during the 20th century, many developed nations’ economies became ______ driven
- consumer
the increase in cattle, pigs, and chickens in the 20th century has also produced an increase in the number of _________
- rats
_______ have been blamed for a troubling rise in ocean levels and temperatures
- rising global temperatures
_________ is the most critical transformation of the environment in the 20th and 21st centuries
- global warming
global warming is _______
- a scientifically proven fact
- cased by humans
- disputed for political reasons
“grass roots” best describes the environmental movement in the _________
- global south
from the perspective of world history, the relationship between people and food can be described as __________
- directly proportional
which of the following is NOT one of the causes of global warming
- the Earth is moving closer to the sun
in the 20th century, much of the world’s forests and grasslands have been replaced with _____
- farmland
