Exam 3 Global Issues
How many countries voted against the UDHR in 1948?
0
How many species are at risk of extinction in the next decade?
1 million
While the MDGs included 8 goals and 21 targets, the SDGs include:
17 goals and 169 targets
When was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted?
1948
The 2016 Paris Agreement, which focused on renewed efforts to set emissions reduction targets to be met by both developing and developed countries, was signed by __________ states.
195
At which of the following conferences was the UN's Environment Program (UNEP) created?
1972 Stockholm Conference
Which of the following environmental conferences first combined scientific issues with broader political, social, and economic issues?
1972 Stockholm Conference
When did the first World Climate Conference in Geneva take place?
1979
The U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1977. When did the US ratify the treaty?
1992
How much of the GLOBAL electricity supply comes from alternative energy sources?
20%
When was the Kyoto Protocol set to expire?
2012
How much of the world's food is generally wasted?
30%
Carbon dioxide represents the highest percentage of total greenhouse gases, accounting for ______________ of the total.
50%
What percentage of the world's population lives in cities?
50%
In 2014, the number of people living as refugees or internally displaced people worldwide was estimated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at:
55 million
As noted in the introduction to this lesson, the world's population is currently about
7.7 Billion
How many countries abstained from voting on the UDHR in 1948?
8
According to the UN Population Division's 2015 analyses, what is the medium variant projection for the world's population by 2050:
9.7 billion people by 2050
Who was responsible for crafting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?
A Group of UN experts under the guidance of the UN Secretary-General
What has been the demographic impact of HIV/AIDS on those countries most highly affected by the disease?
A decline in life expectancy at birth from 62 to 52 between 1995 and 2005
What change in thinking is linked to Agenda 21
A growing recognition that economic development strategies need to be in harmony with nature A growing recognition that developing countries should integrate the environment into their development strategies
What are reasons why in 2000 the UN General Assembly adopted the MDGs
A growing recognition that the world was failing to reach most of the goals set out in Agenda 21
Refugee
A person who is outside their country of origin because of well-founded fears of being persecuted
What do we call the graphical representation of the proportions of persons in different age groups in a population?
A population pyramid
What are the reasons for Small Island States are particularly concerned with reducing carbon dioxide emissions
A rise of one meter in sea level could flood the Small Island States Rising sea levels could destroy their economies
What is the difference between a treaty and a declaration?
A treaty is a legally binding instrument whereas a declaration is a statement of principles
How much of the UNITED STATES electricity supply is generated by alternative energy sources?
About 15%
According to scientists, what is the maximum concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the Earth could sustain?
About 390 parts per million
Where do you find the majority of countries identified as the most severely impacted by HIV/AIDS?
Africa
Which of the following are problems associated with megacities
Aging infrastructure (e.g. mass transit and highways) Overcrowding Housing shortage
Which of the following are human rights NGOs
Amnesty International Human Rights Watch
What is a carbon sink?
An area that absorbs carbon, such as forests, oceans, or croplands
Which of the following were the key outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit in 2002
An implementation plan detailing a comprehensive program of action with quantifiable goals and targets A pledge by the world's leaders to commit fully to the goal of sustainable development The forming of nearly 300 voluntary partnerships between private sector and civil society organizations to support sustainable development
What is replacement fertility?
Approximately 2.1 births per woman
When did the world's population reach one billion people?
At the beginning of the 19th century
Why are some gases considered greenhouse gases
Because they trap solar radiation in the atmosphere
By how much has the Earth's average temperature risen since 1900?
By 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit
The International Criminal Court:
Can try cases involving crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide Is currently investigating cases involving defendants who come mostly from African states
First-generation rights are influenced by the philosophical tradition of ________________, whereas second-generation rights are influenced by the philosophical tradition of ________________:
Capitalism / socialism
Geoengineering is the planned manipulation of Earth's climate to counteract the effects of global warming. Geoengineering can be divided into two main categories:
Carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management
As noted in your reading, which of the following had the highest 2014 per capita carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy?
China
Which country has been known for its "one child policy"?
China
Which of the following countries is the leader in renewable energy investment?
China
According to the UN's 2015 projections, the two countries with the largest populations will continue to see population growth, but where ___________ is projected to peak in size at 1.42 billion in 2030, _____________ is projected to soon overtake it, reaching an estimated 1.71 billion by the middle of the 21st century.
China / India
Which is correct about global warming and climate change
Climate change refers to the consequences of global warming on weather patterns over time
Population projections are not predictions but rather represent a calculation of future population size based on a set of assumptions or variants, including expected fertility rate. Which of the following variants project that the world's total population will surpass 9 Billion people by 2050
Constant Fertility Variant
What can be done about species extinction
Consume less meat Reduce deforestation in the tropics to zero Fly less
Which countries will continue to hold the largest share of the world's population?
Countries in Asia
Which of the following are examples of geoengineering
Creating a planetary filter to reflect sunlight Changing ocean chemistry to increase their carbon absorption Finding ways to capture and safely store carbon dioxide
The demographic transition model suggests that as societies industrialize and urbanize
Death rates will fall, and when values shift from large to small families, fertility rates will decline
When is international Human Rights Day and why?
December 10, because that is when, in 1948, the UDHR was adopted
What do we call the "study of population change and characteristics"?
Demography
Which of the following are listed as part of the MDGs
Develop a global partnership for development Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Promote gender equality and women's empowerment
The practice by countries that reduce their emissions below their allotted level to sell their "unused emissions" is called:
Emissions trading
Across the globe, urbanization has been caused by
Environmental decline, such as the overgrazing of land Industrialization, "pulling" people into cities
Which of the following is a first-generation right?
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
Which of the following is an example of second-generation rights?
Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work
Why have emissions levels been falling during the COVID-19 shutdown
Fewer planes are flying and that reduces carbon output Many factories and business the world over have had to close and carbon emissions have fallen as a consequence (nearly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions come from industry) Lockdowns have resulted in less travel (which is responsible for 25% of carbon emissions)
Which generation of human rights includes freedom of speech and assembly?
First
For how long has scientific research on carbon dioxide been conducted?
For about 150 years
Which of the following are some of the ways through which celebrities can affect human rights
Founding Human Rights Organizations Acting as UN Goodwill Ambassadors Engaging in philanthropic behavior by giving money to human rights causes
Which of the following are empirically observable changes showing that our biosphere is changing
Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world Global sea level rose by about (17 centimeters) 6.7 inches in the past century The extent and thickness of the Arctic sea has declined rapidly over the past decades
Which of the following are empirically observable changes showing that our biosphere is changing
Global sea level rose by about (17 centimeters) 6.7 inches in the past century The extent and thickness of the Arctic sea has declined rapidly over the past decades
While _____________ is a term that refers to the concern that increased greenhouse gases increase the Earth's temperature, ______________ is the term that includes reference to changes in extremes of temperatures and precipitation.
Global warming / climate change
Who was responsible for crafting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
Governments working together in the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development
Certain gases in the atmosphere - water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - can trap solar radiation and cause the atmosphere to warm. These are called
Greenhouse gases
Urbanization
Growth in the size of cities, with an increasing percentage of the overall population
What are the main drivers of today's species extinction
Habitat transformation Species exploitation Pollution
Who was instrumental in ensuring that the phrase "all men are created equal" was replaced with "all human beings are born free and equal"?
Hansa Mehta, India
The role of women in population control
Has been seen as central because women's empowerment tends to lead to smaller but healthier families
U.S. support for international family planning programs
Has shifted with changing administrations, with Republicans barring fertility control programs that include legal access to abortion, and Democrats supporting such programs
Which uninhabited island in the South Pacific has been described as having the highest density of plastic waste in the world?
Henderson Island
Universalism is represented by the idea that:
Human rights are accorded to everyone regardless of citizenship or status
What are some of the reasons why the world's population drastically increased over the past 70 years
Improved food production and distribution Major public health advances Reduced mortality rates
One of the key outcomes of Rio+20 was a focus on building a green economy. A green economy is an economy that
Improves human well-being and social equity while reducing environmental risks Is low-carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive
During the week from April 4-9, the U.S. cut its carbon emissions by about one-third due to the pandemic shutdown. Where in the U.S. were the biggest pollution declines?
In California and Washington with plunges of more than 40%
What were some of the immediate effects of the COVID-19 shutdown on the environment
In New York City, levels of carbon dioxide went down 5-10% In April 2020, the world cut its daily carbon dioxide emissions by 17 percent In China, levels of carbon dioxide went down 25%
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is located
In The Hague
What was the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on climate change activism
In cooperation with several organizations, climate activists created online toolkits for organizing around climate change The upward trend of impacting public opinion through school strikes in support of climate action was disrupted Climate activists managed to unite in different ways by shifting their organizing to online activism
Which of the following are likely consequences of climate change
Increased number of droughts Growing number of climate refugees Increased flooding
Sustainable development involves:
Increasing efficiency Using renewable energies
Which of the following are examples brought up by the U.S. State
Indiscriminate attacks on civilians and hospitals
Where first-generation rights are often associated with the rights of ________________ people, second and third-generation rights reflect the rights of ________________ people.
Individual / groups of
Only ten rivers in the world carry more than 90% of the world's plastic waste. Which of the following are among them
Indus Yangtze
What are some of the examples through which globalization challenges state sovereignty
International financial institutions can grant or withhold resources Technology has made it possible to put pressure on a state by facilitating communication that goes around government restrictions International organized crime has become so powerful in some places that it controls territory and large segments of a state's population
Immigration
International migration into a country
Emigration
International migration out of a country
What action did the UN take in 2015 to push for greater environmental stewardship in its development agenda?
It adopted the Sustainable Development Goals
What was the biggest limitation of the Copenhagen Accord (2009) which included provisions for limiting the average rise in global temperatures to 2 degree Celsius and a commitment by the developed nations to generate $100 billion in additional resources to aid developing countries?
It was not legally binding
The Paris Agreement was successful in as much as it built on commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by, amongst others, both the United States and China. However, it has been criticized for
Lacking mandatory cuts in emissions Having cuts that don't go deep enough
Which of the following are direct drivers of species extinction
Land use change Overexploitation (e.g. overfishing)
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration
Lays out guidelines for protecting migrants during the different stages of migration Looks at the return and reintegration for failed asylum seekers and others who do not have a right to remain Seeks to help mitigate the adverse drivers that fuel migration Includes a focus on migrants' integration into new countries
What regions hold what percentage of the world's population? The more developed countries (MDCs) hold _________________ of the world's population, whereas the less developed countries (LDCs) hold ______________ of the world's population
Less than 20% / more than 80%
In what conflict in 2011 did the UN invoke the principle of R2P (Responsibility to Protect) as justification for military intervention?
Libya
Cultural relativism is based on the notion that
Local traditions trump the rights in the UDHR The final authority in determining for the rights of a citizenry lies with the people and their government
What activities are key to successful intervention by UN human rights workers (think about the example of what the OHCHR staff have been doing in Serbia).
Making contacts with NGOs to make sure that everyone knows about international human rights standards Encouraging international organizations and local NGOs to put diplomatic and moral pressure on state governments
In general:
Many LDCs have enacted policies to reduce population growth, while many MDCs have enacted policies to increase population growth
Which of the following are greenhouse gases
Methane Carbon dioxide
The pandemic has utterly exposed fundamental weaknesses in our global systemThe pandemic has shown beyond doubt how the prevalence of poverty, weak health systems, lack of education, and above all sub-optimal global cooperation, is exacerbating the crisis
Metropolitan areas with more than 10 million people
In 2015, the UN's ___________________ expired and were replaced by the ____________________.
Millennium Development Goals / Sustainable Development Goals
Which of the following statements is true concerning urbanization?
More Developed Countries (MDCs) are more urbanized than Less Developed Countries (LDCs)
When looking at Niger's population pyramid, which of the following are correct statements
Niger has a youthful population More than 35% of Niger's population are under 10 years of age
Why is plastic pollution such a big environmental problem
Of the 9 billion tons of plastic produced since 1950, an estimated 60% still exists today Plastic is virtually indestructible and it doesn't break down easily Forty percent of all plastics are used only once before being discarded
Internally Displace Persons
People displaced within their own countries
Those pointing out that we need to focus on the structural dimensions of social change, argue that:
Population growth, in particular high fertility, is a consequence rather than a cause of slow economic development
The Brundtland Commission's 1987 report "Our Common Future" identified:
Poverty eradication as a necessary requirement for environmentally sustainable development A need for world-wide development strategies that recognized the limits of our ecosystem
Which of the following are common themes connecting all models of thought on the question of how to address population growth
Poverty reduction Increasing sustainability of food production Improving the status of women
Which of the following are correct statements about the world's population
Projections of the world's population in 2050 vary between 8.7 Billion and 10.8 Billion people, depending on the fertility rate.
Which of the following are benefits of the African "Great Green Wall"
Protects against soil erosion Provides employment opportunities for local populations Helps fight the effects of climate change
What is the name of the idea that argues the international community has a responsibility to intervene in situations where a state fails to protect its population from genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes?
Responsibility to Protect
Which of the following states have not become one of the States Parties to the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court, the ICC
Russia United States of America
Which of the following countries was one of the first to ban plastic bags country-wide?
Rwanda
Which of the following provides evidence that a warming planet is related to human behavior?
Scientists have shown a close relationship between global carbon dioxide levels and average global temperatures, while demonstrating that there has been an increase in atmospheric carbon due to the burning of fossil fuels
What was the role Eleanor Roosevelt played after her husband, President Roosevelt had died?
She was invited to be part of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations
The following factors show how globalization has helped in promoting human rights
Social media platforms have allowed people to organize even when governments try to limit free speech and assembly Due to advances in technology and gains in literacy and education, more people know about human rights Information technology has made it easier for human rights NGOs to communicate with their stakeholders and put greater pressure on governments to comply with human rights standards
Where second-generation rights require a proactive government to act on behalf of its citizens, third-generation rights require ________________
Solidarity International cooperation
"Brain Drain" is
Sometimes not entirely negative, as those who emigrate can sometimes return home with new skills or capital The loss of highly skilled persons, mostly from developing countries, as they migrate to, most often, developed countries
Sustainable development has been defined as
Sound environmental planning without sacrificing economic and social improvements Development that improves the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems
What do we know about species extinction?
Species extinction is part of the natural process We're now losing species at the fastest rate for millions of years
Which of the following countries are particularly highlighted by the UN High Commissioner for their egregious human rights violations
Syria Yemen
The Cornucopian perspective rests on the following ideas
Technological innovation can overcome problems of population growth Population growth is positive as it increases economic productivity and capacity for economic progress Use of natural resources is best managed through market forces
Sovereignty assumes:
That countries are self-governing, have territorial integrity, and self-determination
What is the main critique that developing states (LDCs) levy against industrial states (MDCs) over global environmental issues
That the average person in an industrialized country accounts for significantly more resource consumption than someone in a poorer country That the long history of MDC industrialization processes has been the greatest contributor to global environmental problems
Which of the following were contributing factors to the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011
The 2006 draught that had forced large numbers of rural Syrians into already crowded cities Increasing scarcity of water and food sources
While NGOs do not have official membership status at the UN, they do have important influence through their close cooperation with _______________:
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
After the end of the Cold War, the UN created international criminal tribunals to prosecute individuals responsible for ethnic cleansing, genocidal violence and crimes against humanity in which of the following countries?
The Former Yugoslavian countries Rwanda
The 1997 agreement that contains legally binding emission targets for key greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, is:
The Kyoto Protocol
Prior the creation of the UDHR, what document first mentions human rights?
The Preamble to the UN Charter
Which UN organ can authorize military action to enforce human rights?
The Security Council
The hypothetical example used to explain why groups of individuals might overexploit shared environmental resources even when they know that it could be against their long-term interests is known as:
The Tragedy of the Commons
What are reasons why the U.S. didn't ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) until long after the treaty had gone into effect
The U.S. had concerns that ratifying the treaty could erode its national sovereignty The U.S. was reluctant to expose itself to international criticism
What were the concerns raised with the Kyoto Protocol
The U.S. never ratified it The degree to which carbon sinks should count toward a country's effort to reduce global warming
Which are the ways in which the UN supports human rights
The UN helps implement human rights through enforcement activities such as peacekeeping The UN promotes knowledge and public support through educating publics about human rights
While negotiated independently of the 1992 Earth Summit, what legally-binding treaties are also associated with the conference in Rio de Janeiro (and sometimes referred to as the Rio Conventions)?
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity
Which country accepts the largest total number of immigrants worldwide?
The United States
What is the name of the key human rights document of the post-WWII era?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Which of the following are correct statements about fertility rates
The fertility rate in poorer (less or least developed) countries is higher, often significantly higher, than replacement level The fertility rate in more developed regions of the world is higher than the fertility rate in less developed regions.The fertility rate in more developed countries is below replacement and stands at about 1.67 per woman The fertility rate is a strong indicators of overall population growth The total fertility rate measures the average number of births per woman of childbearing age
What distinguishes the Brundtland Commission's definition of sustainable development from the one proposed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Wide Fund for Nature?
The former focuses on the well-being of humans while the latter extends the definition to the biosphere
Which of the following are points of criticism made against the SDGs
The goals are presented as if in isolation and this could contribute to missing important connections that undermine the goal of sustainability The SDGs are internally inconsistent because they don't acknowledge that global poverty and ecological decline are tied to extreme wealth, inequality, and overconsumption
In his 1798 publication, Thomas Malthus argued that
The human desire to reproduce would lead to starvation, poverty and human misery The "positive checks" of famine, war, and epidemics would bring populations back under control
Key "general tendencies" of international population movements in an age of globalization include
The increasing politicization of migration The involvement of an increasing number of countries, both as sending and receiving states The "feminization" of migration, as women are an increasing part of workforces
Critics of the demographic transition model argue that
The model applies the record of population change and development in Europe and North America as the universal standard
The President of the Republic of Ghana and the Prime Minister of Norway point out
The pandemic has utterly exposed fundamental weaknesses in our global system The pandemic has shown beyond doubt how the prevalence of poverty, weak health systems, lack of education, and above all sub-optimal global cooperation, is exacerbating the crisis
What makes tidal energy projects so attractive to the renewable energy sector?
The predictability of tidal waves allow for precise understanding of how much energy can be generated at any time
What does the High Commissioner for Human Rights say started the civil war in Syria?
The severe human rights violations (torture of children) by the Syrian government
What apparent tension is part of the concept of sustainable development?
The tension between economic health, social health, and ecological health
What was the immediate context for why the UDHR was drafted
The terrible atrocities committed during WWII, such as the Holocaust The horror of over 50 million dead in WWII
Which of the following is NOT an explanation of what the UN Secretary-General means when he says: "the [corona]virus doesn't discriminate but its impacts do"?
The virus affects only older people living in residential care facilities
What are some of the ways in which MNCs can promote human rights
They can use their access to markets around the world as a way of building networks based on real-time data exchanges, allowing the UN faster response time during emergencies Through public private partnerships they can help develop the technology needed for the UN or NGOs to get more data on human rights issues
Which of the following is NOT one of the explanations given by the UN Secretary-General for why people with disabilities are among the hardest hit by COVID-19?
They have well-resourced support networks
First-generation rights are also known as negative rights because:
They prohibit certain government action and are therefore based on the absence of government interference
What benefits can be gained from having green roofs
They save millions of gallons of storm water runoff because the water is absorbed by the soil and the plants They serve as habitats for insects and birds They reduce the building's energy consumption
Which writer first proposed a negative relationship between human population growth and the supply of food and other resources?
Thomas Malthus
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is typically divided into ___________ generations, or categories:
Three
As discussed in the context of Uruguay, what is the role of a human rights rapporteur?
To assess progress in discovering the truth about past atrocities committed in a country To ensure justice and compensation for survivors of human rights abuses
What is one of the criticisms levied against the U.S.' involvement in the Syrian civil war?
U.S. led airstrikes have caused large-scale destruction and deaths of civilians but the U.S. does not take responsibility
What does "UN MDGs" stand for?
United Nations Millennium Development Goals
Which of the following are sustainability projects covered in the report on 'The Future of Cities'
Water bottles turned into solar lightbulbs in Manila, Philippines Bricks made out of discarded plastic in Karachi, Pakistan A fog catcher to collect water from the air in Peru A floating schoolhouse in Makoko, Nigeria, that allows kids to continue their schooling even during times of flooding
Which of the following are examples through which technological innovations have been successfully used to promote human rights
When a solar-powered internet network allowed villages in Uganda to get access to crop information and thus to improve their yields and incomes When Egyptian protesters in 2011 used Twitter to publicize videos of police violence
Which of the following are actions individuals can take to help achieve the SDGs
Whenever possible, bike, walk, or take public transportation Unplug appliances Ask your local and national authorities to engage in activities that don't harm people or the planet Buy products from companies that have sustainable practices
The difference between a negative and a positive obligation imposed on states by human rights rests on ______________________:
Whether a government needs to act to ensure that rights are protected
Which of the following is NOT true about the role of technology in human rights
Whether people live in developed or underdeveloped countries, technology has benefitted everyone equally Technology can't be used for positive and negative purposes at the same time
The tension over sustainable development can be stated as:
Whether the focus should be on environmental conservation of living and nonliving resources or on enhancing economic growth and development
Which of the following are questions that remain unanswered even though the SDGs have been adopted
Who will decide how much of the financial costs will be taken on by public and how much by private sources? Will MDCs carry a greater share of the financial obligations than LDCs?
Which of the following are alternative energy sources
Wind power Biomass
The majority of the world's refugees and internally displaced people are:
Women and children
