Core 3.1: Global resource consumption and security
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How different patterns and trends are interrelated and involve spatial interactions between different places
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How global development processes affect resource availability and consumption
"Poverty is not an accident. Like Slavery and Apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings"
Nelson Mandela-
- What is poverty?
- What causes poverty?
- Is it the same everywhere?
- Describe some regional and continental trends in poverty
- How can we measure poverty?
- How can people get out of poverty? What are the obstacles?
- Has economic development improved the standard of living of the poor?
- What are the obstacles to improvements in education?
- What new problems have arisen from better healthcare?
- Who is best suited to help the poor?
- Can we all be rich and healthy?
Watch the video below for homework: (with salt)
The poverty line/threshold
- Poverty is a relative term, which is why governments and organizations need to measure absolute poverty
- The International Poverty Line is an income level established by the World Bank to determine which people in the world are poor.
- The line was set at $1 a day per person in 1985 international PPP prices. It is now at $1.90
- Although this poverty line is useful for international comparisons, it is impossible to create an indicator of poverty that is strictly comparable across countries.
Global and regional/continental progress towards poverty reduction, including the growth of the “new global middle class”
Sustainable Development Goals:
Reuters: The Swelling Middle Infographic
Causes of the growing Middle class
- Increased investment in education of children
- Decrease in fertility rate and reduction in population growth rates
- An increase in average carbon footprint per person
- Increased economic growth at the national level
- Globalization
In groups of 2, answer the following questions. You will relate them back to the class:
- Describe one successful SDG initiative aimed at reducing poverty in Asia
- Describe one successful SDG initiative aimed at reducing poverty in Africa
- Describe one SDG initiative aimed at reducing poverty that is currently not meeting it's goals in Asia
- Describe one SDG initiative aimed at reducing poverty that is currently not meeting it's goals in Africa
- Describe, using specific examples, the causes and consequences of the growing Chinese Middle class
- Describe, using specific examples, the causes and consequences of the growing Indian Middle class
Measuring trends in resource consumption, including individual, national and global ecological footprints
Mathis Wackernagel: Creator of The Ecological Footprint
As you watch the video, come up with your own definition fo Ecological footprint:
EF calculations take the following resources into account, and is calculated in terms of space: hectors per person. (Acres in the US)
- Arable land
- pasture land
- forests
- oceans
- infrastructure
- energy costs
Click on map below for interactive data
Exercise:
1. What is Earth’s optimal biocapacity?
2. What is the average ecological footprint per capita of Earth? Japan's? USA? China? Madagascar?
3. Define Earth’s EF deficit.
4. Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of using the ecological footprint as an indicator.
An overview of global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of:
- water, including embedded water in food and manufactured goods (review from Food and Health)
- Water footprint: measure of how much water is used in human activities (overlap with Food and Health)
Exercise:
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the infographic above.
Define
- Blue Water
- Green water
- Grey water
- Virtual (embedded) water
Describe how the following trends can increase water demand
- Population growth
- Growing middle class
- Growth of tourism
- Urbanization
- Climate change
How do these increase the pressure to manage water more efficiently?
Watch this TEDx Talk for Homework
An overview of global patterns and trends in the availability and consumption of land/food, including changing diets in middle-income countries
National Geographic: What the world eats
Click on graph for link source
Exercise:
In groups of 3, find a recent news article discussing one of the following issues. Take detailed notes and share your findings to the class in this powerpoint
- Rise in obesity in an LIC
- Middle eastern country importing water dependent food
- Expansion of farmland leading to ecosystem destruction
- A country's SDG plan to address food security
- Growing middle class impact on food security
- Patterns and consequences in calorie intake around the world
- Possibilities to make land more productive
- Conflict over land usage related to food or water
- Impact of GCC on agricultural land
Energy, including the relative and changing importance of hydrocarbons, nuclear power, renewables, new sources of modern energy
1. Hydrocarbons (aka fossil fuels, thanks IB guys!)
2. Nuclear Power
3. Renewables
Exercise
In groups you will each answer one of the following question, and present your findings to the class as a skit
1: Explore a government in an LIC addressing SDG #7 - "Affordable and Clean Energy" - Explain the energy production and consumption of the country and its plan to tackle the SDG
2: Explore a government in an HIC addressing SDG #7 - "Affordable and Clean Energy" - Explain the energy production and consumption of the country and its plan to tackle the SDG
3: Describe the plan of a government to develop nuclear energy and the response from civil society and the international community.
4. Explain the impact of reducing prices of a named renewable energy on a specific region
5. Describe a government policy aimed and reducing energy consumption
6. Compare and contrast the energy efficiency of electric cars and gas powered cars
7. Explain how global development processes affect resource availability and consumption
Homework: finish the reading and watch the video below.