The Technological Fix

Question 1

Hyperconnected

Answer 1

Countries with a digital access index of over 75 are considered hyperconnected.

Question 2

Patent

Answer 2

A legal device to protect the intellectual property of an inventor of a new technology

Question 3

R & D in USA

Answer 3

$288 billion was spent on R & D in 2004, roughly the same percentage as half the total GDP for sub-Saharan Africa.

Question 4

Farming work in 1830

Answer 4

It took about 300 hours of work on a typical farm in the USA to produce 100 bushels of wheat.

Question 5

Farming work in 1987

Answer 5

The whole process took just 3 hours to produce 100 bushels of wheat.

Question 6

Monsanto

Answer 6

MNC employing over 18,000 people worldwide with a turnover of more than $8.5 billion in 2007. Market leader in GM seeds.

Question 7

Mobile phones subscribers

Answer 7

By the end of 2007, mobile operators had accumulated more than 3.25 billion subscribers worldwide.

Question 8

High speed rail

Answer 8

Passenger rail travel at speeds in excess of 200km/h (125 mph).

Question 9

High speed railway lines in Europe - trains and passengers as well.

Answer 9

Today there are 3000km off them with nearly 970 trains and more than 100 million passengers.

Question 10

High sped rail in Europe - Plans for the future

Answer 10

There are currently plans to build an additional 6000km of high speed lines by 2020.

Question 11

High Speed Rail in Morocco

Answer 11

Due to begin operating in 2013 with the £1.5 billion high speed rail line linking the northern city of Tangier to the country’s commercial capital. The development will cut the journey between the two cities to 2 hours and 10 minutes instead of 5 hours and 45 minutes.

Question 12

Morocco/France Rail Agreement

Answer 12

In October 2007 Morocco and France signed an agreement to allow French companies to design, build, operate and maintain the high-speed rail link. The technology used will be the same used in the french TGV network.

Question 13

UN estimates of people with aid

Answer 13

33 million people wordwide, in 2007.

Question 14

AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa

Answer 14

In 2007, 67% of those infected with HIV, and 72% of those who died of AIDS, lived there.

Question 15

UNAIDS 2008 every day rate

Answer 15

Every day, over 6800 people become infected with HIV and over 5700 die of AIDS

Question 16

UNAIDS, 2008

Answer 16

The global percentage of people infected with HIV has stabilized since 200 but the HIV pandemic remains the most serious challenge to public health by an infectious disease.

Question 17

London tackling CO2 emissions

Answer 17

London Congestion charge introduced in 2003, and the Low Emission Zone charges high-polluting, usually older, lorries with diesel engines £200 a day to enter London.

Question 18

The Netherlands tackling CO2 emissions

Answer 18

New registration tax is charged when a car is sold to first owner. Tax divided into 7 categories based on fuel consumption, CO2 emissions etc. Cars with low emissions are given a discount of €1000 while high emitting cars can pay in excess of €5000.

Question 19

Madrid tackling CO2 emissions

Answer 19

Plans are in place to ensure that only cars that emit low levels of CO2 will be able to enter the city from 2010. Residents might be exempt from this measure. It could cut the amount of CO2 released y cars in the city by a third.

Question 20

Polluter Pays principle

Answer 20

This quantifies the cost of pollution and passes it back to the producer, or user, of a technology, usually in the form of a tax or fine.

Question 21

Transport’s contribution to EU carbon emissions

Answer 21

Rose from 21% to 28% between 1990 and 2004.

Question 22

Business as usual: Bangladesh

Answer 22

Some 10 million Bangladeshis live on land less than 1 meter above sea level. If sea levels rise this far, 15% of the country could be lost.

Question 23

Bangladesh contribution to GHG emissions

Answer 23

Bangladesh’s 130 million people produced 0.1% of global GHG emissions in 2004, as opposed to 22.2% by USA’s 300 million.

Question 24

China’s car growth

Answer 24

China’s 22 million private cars in 2007 were expected to grow to 140 million by 2020.

Question 25

Global GHG emissions from transport.

Answer 25

12%