Globalization & Sustainability Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Globalization & Sustainability

• This chapter examines globalization and its impact on sustainability.
• Key terms include sustainability, flags of convenience, stewardship, and ecological footprint.
• Sustainability is the ability to continually meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Sustainability requires considering how resources are used and preserved for future generations.

Key Terms

• Sustainability: The ability to meet current needs without compromising future generations' needs.
• Flags of Convenience: Ships registered to a country other than their owner's, often for lower costs or weaker environmental/labor laws.
• Stewardship: Responsible use and protection of the natural environment.
• Ecological Footprint: Measures how many resources a person or group uses and the area needed to produce those resources.

What is Sustainable?

• Sustainability is the ability to continually meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• This concept questions how resources can be used without jeopardizing access to them for future generations.
• It asks how we can ensure that future generations will also have access to resources.

What is "carbon capture and storage"?

• The presentation mentions "carbon capture and storage" (CCS) but does not elaborate. This concept is left for more thorough study elsewhere.

Impact from the Industrial Revolution

• The Anthropocene is a new geologic age marked by human impact on the environment.
• Human development has had a significant impact on the environment only recently, specifically within the last 0.01% of known time.
• The question of continual economic growth being sustainable is raised.

What is your ecological footprint?

• It measures how much area of the earth's resources is required to sustain an individual's or a group's lifestyle.
• One unit measurement is in global hectares (gha).
• The average person uses the equivalent of 2.75 earths' resources.

What about airplanes?

• The presentation shows a map displaying a high concentration of airplane routes over Europe.
• Fuel efficiency in airplanes is a potential area of research, concerning temperature specifics of engine burns and how this affects the environment.
• Some possible fuel efficiency strategies include aerodynamic solutions to allow more passengers, sustainable aviation fuel, and new engine technology.

Consumption in Canadian Cities

• The presentation shows data illustrating carbon footprints per capita for various Canadian cities.
• The data shows that some cities consume more resources than others.
• Further investigation into reasons for consumption variations and methods for cities to reduce footprints is recommended.

Average Temperatures - Dec to mid-Feb

• Geographic temperature map of Canada from December to mid-February.
• Data suggests variability in temperature across Canada during this period.

Bangladesh's Footprint

• People in Bangladesh use 0.5 global hectares per person.
• Canada uses 8.1 global hectares per person, which are far more resources.
• Poverty and population density contribute to the differing footprint values.

What if Asia's consumption was the same as North America?

• Data is presented in a bar graph comparing the resource consumption per person between North America and other regions.

Global Footprint

• The presentation displays a world map showing areas of ecological deficit versus surplus.
• It highlights ecological footprint per person and total biocapacity.

The Resource Gap

• The resource gap is the difference between what the Earth can supply and what humans consume.
• Current consumption exceeds what the Earth can provide on average.

Population Growth

• World population is projected to grow to 5 more billion people in the upcoming decades.
• This growth will place additional strain on Earth's finite resources.

A Fact-Based Worldview

• Historically precise population predictions have been remarkably accurate.
• Projections show a large increase in human population in the next 100 years.

The Kogi People

• The Kogi people of Colombia live in relative isolation.
• They have a close connection to their environment, understanding environmental changes and sustainability.
• The Kogi's ideas about living in harmony with the world are supported by scientists.

Lifecycle of a Ship

• Transportation and shipping are important facets of globalization.
• Ships have a lifecycle of 25-30 years.
• Shipbuilding has been increasingly shifting to regions with lower labor costs.

Environmental Impacts of Shipbuilding

• Shipyards have a notable impact on the environment, often having much higher risks of pollution in larger areas.
• Large amounts of resources are used in shipbuilding.
• Ships contribute 15% of the global nitrogen/sulfur dioxide emissions.
• Fossil fuel usage by ships compared to diesel trucks is highly impacted.

Ships carry ballast water...

• Ships carry ballast water to maintain stability in various water environments.
• This introduced water contains marine species and can introduce species into non-native ecosystems.

Shipbuilding

• Current data shows the movement of shipbuilding to areas like China with cheaper labor.

Ship Building Global Market Report 2024

• Market size and CAGR (compound annual growth rate) data concerning ship building production for the years 2023-2028.

Flags of Convenience

• Registered ships to a country other than the owner's country.
• Advantages often include lower costs, ease of registration, and/or weaker environmental/labor laws.
• Countries offering flags of convenience are included.

Shipbreaking

• A process of dismantling old ships, often resulting in environmental/labor issues.
• Visual evidence associated with the act of shipbreaking is mentioned.

What did you notice?

• Issues involving proper protections, stable structure, professional involvement, and chemical waste issues are discussed.

e-waste

• The presentation highlights the issue of electronic waste.

Greenwashing

• The concept of greenwashing, which deceptively highlights environmentally friendly aspects lacking true sustainability, is mentioned.

The Montreal Protocol, Kyoto, and Paris Climate Agreements

• The Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement are examples of international efforts to promote sustainability, and their efficacy is brought to question.

Consumption of Resources

• The United Nations' warnings concerning current consumption rates and affecting sustainability are highlighted in the presentation.
• The idea of environmental stewardship as an effective practice is promoted, promoting responsible use and protection of the natural environment.

This quiz explores the relationship between globalization and sustainability as presented in Chapter 11. Key terms covered include ecological footprint, stewardship, and flags of convenience, which are essential for understanding how current practices affect future generations. Test your knowledge on sustainability principles and their implications for the environment.