Superpowers EQ2

Question 1

What are the roles of IGOs?

Answer 1

Just after the end of the Second World War in 1945, Europe and the USA created a range of global Inter-Governmental Organisations (IGOs) to promote this model, which still exists today. These IGOs are dominated by Western capitalist countries and their views.

The international governmental organisation has countries as members and works internationally on shared goods.

• Provide a forum for discussion
• Create a mechanism for the world’s inhabitants
• To deal with economic and social questions
• Help allow states to take a longer-term perspective

Question 2

What are the WEF?

Answer 2

A Swiss not-for-profit organisation that works across national borders to improve the state of the world by bringing together business political academic leaders of society.

Question 3

Name a good and bad thing about the WEF.

Answer 3

+ Helps to deal with global issues
+ Provides a discourse
+ Not strictly political leaders

• Conflicts between players and stakeholders
• Governments tend to have the overall say

Question 4

What is the IMF?

Answer 4

Give loans to developing countries with the aim to promote global economic stability.

Question 5

What’s a good and bad thing about the IMF?

Answer 5

+ Helps to clear the debt.

• Conditions/ regulations from the loans.
• Member states - countries pay in for a vote.
• Have to undergo SAPs

Question 6

Who are the World Bank?

Answer 6

A bank which lends money on a global scale and gives grants to developing countries. They have a proportional voting system based on the amount of money each country has invested.

Question 7

What are the good and bad things about the world bank?

Answer 7

+ Help developing countries by improving infrastructure

• Dominated by the USA who have 16% of all votes

Question 8

What is the WTO?

Answer 8

They ask the country to remove tariffs and taxes on foreign imports and subsidies to domestic products so that trade is free and without barriers. They supervise and liberalise international trade.

Question 9

What is a good and bad thing about the WTO?

Answer 9

+ Promotes free trade through the gradual reduction in tariffs.
+ Trade without discrimination
+ Focus on the reduction of poverty by removing farming subsidies.

• It is not a completely free trade bloc.
• Trade rules are unfavourable to developing economies.

Question 10

What is free trade?

Answer 10

The exchange of goods and services free of import /export taxes and tariffs and quotas on trade volume.

Question 11

What is the OCED?

Answer 11

Promotes global economic security and stability and assists countries to reform their economies. Economic reforms often mean more access to developing economies for TNCs.

Question 12

How is there spreading of Americanisation?

Answer 12

Art, food and media mostly originate from there.

Question 13

How is westernisation affecting places around the world?

Answer 13

• Social media’s increase in use is making people more connected as people across the world can communicate, exchange messages share knowledge.
• Programs such as friends and Simpson’s are available in almost every country in the world on every airline and every streaming channel.

Question 14

How do TNCs reinforce economic and cultural power?

Answer 14

TNCs dominate production and sales, affecting the pricing of commodities, affecting trade and controlling technologies. TNCs control technology globally through patents. Their investment in developing countries influences government policies through westernisation. The same globalisation applies to food. These people return from holidays and work trips overseas, wanting the same flavour or experience to remind them of the visit, the influence of international foods and supermarkets in the UK has spread.

Question 15

Cultural power: Food

Answer 15

• McDonald’s glocalising their menu to meet the needs of local customers. e.g India= Mcveggie.
• Walkers vs Lays
• Coca-cola is the parent company around the world of Fanta, costa and sprite.

Question 16

Cultural power: Arts

Answer 16

• Broadway vs the Westend.
• Fashion week= TNCs showcase their high-end brands e.g Paris.
• Galleries which show different art exhibitions. TNCs may sponsor or have ownership.

Question 17

Cultural power: Media

Answer 17

• Social media TNCs are censored in China which is a form of control.
• Disney= Lion King in Africa
• Netflix- online streaming and film around the world in different languages.

Question 18

What is the role of TNCs as global players?

Answer 18

We think of TNCs as recent features, but in the 18th and 19th centuries, much of India was run by the East India Company. It controlled trade routes and ruled 20% of the population of world. By 2015, there were over 75,000 TNCs; the top 200 produced 25% of the world’s economic output by value. Some Chinese companies are growing very rapidly. TNCs are dominant economic forces in the global economy. Each year the Forbes 2000 ranking list in the world’s biggest 2000 companies. When analysing the list, it becomes clear that some countries dominate the world economy and maintain power as well as wealth. Most TNCs are publicly owned corporations, with shareholders receiving dividends based on company profit in the year. However in China, the state operates commercially, but all profits are returned to the state.

Question 19

What is the role of TNCs in global trade?

Answer 19

The increase in global trade shows that between 1960 and 2010 trade increased by at least 46% per decade. In 2000, global trade increased in value by over 85%. This is due to the global shift in manufacturing to Asia by TNCs. Since 1990, the shift has led to rapid increases in exports from developing countries, a process which speeds it up during the 2000s. This has not only shifted economic power away from Western economies into emerging economies but it’s also made TNCs extremely powerful. Much of the trade now consists of loads of parts or components of goods and services moving between one country and another before the final product is completed.

Question 20

What is the role of TNCs as players in technlogy?

Answer 20

In 1995, the World Trade Organisation introduced its agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights. It requires all WTO members to protect and enforce intellectual property rights – that is, to register any new technology or process underpaid at law. This grants ownership and possession of intellectual property by the state to an inventor for a fixed period of time. Anyone wishing to do this hey a royalty for doing so. Trips undoubtedly favour TNCs. They spend money on research and innovation. Patents develop five family cuticle companies make many medicines affordable to poor countries and genetically modified crops are controlled by TNCs. Using patent laws, they own every genetically modified plant grown.

Question 21

What is a superpower’s role as global police?

Answer 21

• Superpowers and emerging powers have the ability to act globally.
• A key superpower characteristic is that they provide help to countries in times of crisis e.g war, conflict, and climate change emergencies.
• US have a very heavy responsibility for this role and it comes at a huge economic cost.

Question 22

What is an example of a crisis response?

Answer 22

• Haiti Earthquake 2010. Haiti is one of the poorest counties with little resilience to tectonic disasters. The USA had to use its naval and air forces to respond to the disaster. This was because of the lack of response from neighbouring countries due to “aid fatigue”. Also hurricane Matthew in Haiti swept across the country on October 2016. So Haiti’s appeal for assistance bought in only 25% of the money needed. It was left to France and the USA to provide 550 personnel, as well as humanitarian aid. NGOs like the Red Cross also launched appeals for US$7 million well IGOs such as UNICEF and 5 million from UN funds to provide aid for 500,000 Haitian children.
• The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions resulted from the actions of countries of the agreement at the regular conference of parties COP under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, some data is subject to estimation, calculation and incomplete knowledge as to long-term impacts. The collapse of the Soviet Union helped to reduce the number of polluting factories and inefficient state farms and the slowdown in China’s economy and consequent energy use. It also is clear that a global policy such as the 1989 Montréal protocol on the ozone layer can have a significant impact. It’s been noted that mitigation of planet change requires the world’s largest Pluto such as the USA and trying to take action to reduce emissions.

Question 23

What is an example of conflict prevention? (Military)

Answer 23

• Afghanistan has suffered almost constant conflict for almost 40 years.
• Afghanistan is among the poorest countries in the world with 35% living below the poverty line.
• US stepped in to ensure they were not influenced by communism from the USSR.
• In the 1970s, in Afghanistan, the young king wanted to develop the economy and allow women greater freedom than traditional Islamic society allowed. This took hold in Kabul, the capital, but failed to reach remote areas. Frustrated by slow economic growth, the Afghan Communist party seized power in 1978, which 1979 was supported by invading troops and tanks from the USSR. These troops were resisted by Afghan gorillas known as the mujahideen, provoking conflict between the USA and the USSR. The USA supported the mujahideen with weapons and by recruiting Muslim fighters.

Question 24

What is an example of climate change mitigation?

Answer 24

• Challenge of climate change in Kiribati.
• Kiribati is suffering from rising sea levels brought about by climate change with its land area covering 2.5 million square miles² of the ocean. Australia has been key in importing sand in order to maintain the island.
• Many people in Kiribati have become the world’s first environmental refugees.
• Population lives in Tarawa. Its beaches are flat and now have become so worried by storms that side has become imported from Australia to maintain them. Many Tarawan families have moved away from the coast, dismantling the wooden homes and rebuilding them further inland.

Question 25

What are examples of military alliances?

Answer 25

• NATO was formed in 1949 at the start of the cold war. (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) - Canada, European countries, Turkey. It had 14 air force bases and the 6th fleet was located in Italy. Its members carry out regular military exercises on each territory but since 1991 and the end of the Cold War, NATO’s influence has diminished to such an extent that it is now being questioned.
• The USA and its military allies spent $966 billion on their militaries in 2015, or 58% of global military spending.

Question 26

What are examples of economic alliances?

Answer 26

As well as being tied together economically, superpowers are tied by economic alliances. This is achieved by free-trade agreements, which allow for tax, tariff and quota-free trade between member countries in goods and/or services.

These include:
The EU, between 28 member states allows the free movement of people and has a common currency between the member states. This prevents poverty.
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), between the USA, Mexico and Canada and benefits the US because the labour costs are lower than in Mexico.
ASEAN, between 10 south-east Asian countries including Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia for greater corporation ad economic growth between them.

Question 27

Who are the UN?

Answer 27

The United nations are an intergovernmental organisation (IGO) tasked to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order.

Question 28

What is the role of the UN?

Answer 28

The most powerful decision-making body within the UN is the Security Council. It makes decisions on issues such as:

• Taking military action against countries seen to be breaking international law or persecuting people.
• Applying economic or diplomatic sanctions to countries, to try to force them to change their behaviour.
• It has 15 members at any one time, although five permanent members have a greater influence on others these are the USA, UK, France, China and Russia. The Security Council has been active in peacekeeping. Is authorises military and peacekeeping missions to complex such as Bosnia and the DRC.

Question 29

How else is the UN important?

Answer 29

• The International Court of Justice upholds international law; its legal framework is a Western one, reflecting the fact that the UN was set up by the USA and European powers. It settles disputes between UN members and advises on international law.
• Peacekeeping missions can be set up by the UN, sourcing armed forces from member states. These have had some success at ending or preventing conflict, e.g. the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s.
• The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its scientific advisory panel the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change are important in informing the debate on global warming, and thus international agreements such as the COP21 agreement in Paris in 2015 where many countries pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Question 30

Name the main growing concerns about superpowers.

Answer 30

• Superpowers have growing resource footprints.
• Maintaining a strict economy and wealthy population requires energy, mineral, land and water resources.

Question 31

Give some evidence why superpowers are becoming a growing concern.

Answer 31

• China accounts for 49% of world coal consumption but only has 19% of worlds population.
• USA have largest CO2 per capita emission.
• China have largest CO2 emissions.
• China and Brazil’s emissions are growing rapidly

Question 32

What are the environmental issues with superpowers?

Answer 32

Urban air quality is low: 250 Chinese cities affected by acid rain in 2030.

Deforestation and land degradation.

China is towards a water crisis.

Shipping and freight emissions

Deforestation: Brazil’s food production has increased by 30% from 2002-2012.

Question 33

What’s China’s willingness to act?

Answer 33

Agreed to reduce climate emissions after 2030.

Signed deal in 2014 but actually started setting goals in 2016

Question 34

What’s the EU’s willingness to act?

Answer 34

• The frontline of the climate movement.
• Carbon trading emission reductions.
• Grants to encourage investment in renewable energy
• In 1997, the EU agreed on renewable energy policies that cut 12% of total EU energy consumption by 2010 and intends to cut 20% by 2020.

Question 35

What’s the USA’s willingness to act?

Answer 35

Obama reduces emissions and increased solar energy output by 10x.

Trump pulled out of the Paris agreement.

Question 36

What’s Russia’s willingness to act?

Answer 36

• Have low emissions
• Agreed to the Paris agreement.
• Low emissions after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• In 2015 emissions were 35% below 1990 levels because of Russia’s economic collapse after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
• They’ve agreed to reduce the emissions by 30% below 1990 levels.

Question 37

Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Answer 37

29% - China

14% - USA

7% - India

Question 38

2040 Projections for global warming

Answer 38

To see a 50% increase in energy consumption - mainly from emerging and developing countries.

Question 39

What is the future growth in middle-class consumption going to look like?

Answer 39

• Resource demand is likely to remain static for the EU and US. Most people are already wealthy.
• In emerging powers, pressure on resources will grow due to increasing wealth and population.
• The middle-class grew by 500 million between 2000 and 2014. The main growth areas of economies in Latin America, south and south-east Asia. In Mexico, the number of households with annual incomes over US$50,000 is expected to reach 7m by 2020 and increase and 50% since 2010.
• China had 150 million middle-class residents in 2016 which is expected to increase to 500m by 2020.

Question 40

What is the demand for?

Answer 40

Natural resources

Food (western diets)

Oil (US uses 20mil barrels daily)

Water (baths, showers, washing machines)

Question 41

What are the effects of increasing middle class consumption?

Answer 41

• Prices of resources rise
• Availability of resources falls
• Increased co2 emissions

Question 42

Why is middle-class consumption threatening the environment?

Answer 42

• More mining and access to raw materials.
• Customer waste goes to landfills.
• More use of water and more polluted wastewater.
• Increased CO2 emissions.
• Globally CO2 emissions rose by 53% between 1919 and 2013. In that same period, China’s emissions increased by 286%.

Question 43

What items have increased in consumption?

Answer 43

Foodstuffs- cereal consumption is up by 364%, meat by 99%, fruit and nuts by 98% and coffee and tea by 71%.

Consumer goods- Perfume consumption is now the leading consumer of many commodities.

Question 44

How have environmental concerns threatened the water supply in China?

Answer 44

The World Bank believes that economic growth is pushing China toward the water crisis. China has average renewable freshwater resource of 2000 tonnes per capita, which is the UN definition of water scarcity. Its resources are not evenly distributed. 70% of China’s water goes to farming and 20% is in the coal industry. These are located in northern China – an area of water scarcity – where the average water availability per capita it’s just 200 tons. Meanwhile, in Beijing, total consumption exceeded supplied by 70% in 2012, and more residents installed showers and flush toilets.