Global Environmental Politics Quiz 2

why states create or join international regimes

-1+ states must believe they have more to gain from regulating and coordinating a single activity than from allowing it to go unregulated -agreement is reached among states and other international actors only if they view the agreement as more beneficial than its absence (a.k.a. total autonomy)

urban environment deterioration

-air pollution: *4.2 million deaths every year as a result of exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution *3.8 million deaths every year as a result of household exposure to smoke from dirty cook stoves and fuel burning *91% of the world's population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits -lack of access to clean water and electricity -municipal waste system inadequate (pollution of land, air, and water; dangerous substances; unhealthy living conditions near landfills, etc.)

exclusionist paradigm (frontier economics)

-based on free market economic principles (laissez faire), assumes the market forces will maximize the wellbeing of all concerned -assumes infinite supply of resources and sinks to absorb waste as long as technology is given free reign and promotes competition -environment seen as irrelevant, just there for human action -assigns high value to national sovereignty and gives it priority over international cooperation

what are some effects of climate change that can become a national or international threat to security

-cause droughts which lead to famine and migration flows -water scarcity and food scarcity which result in migration which can lead to conflict -flooding of coastal area which fuel refugee flows, which can in turn cause social conflict and political instability -spread of communicable diseases

progenitor theory: Institutionalists/Constitutionalists and students of institutional processes

-constitutionalists focus on international treaties and the formal structure of international organizations -institutional process approach: how international institutions work (their internal processes) and they produce outcomes

difference between domestic and international law

-domestic law has a legislative body that makes law--international law is anarchic -domestic law has law enforcement -domestic law has judicial power for those that have violated the law -domestic law has an executive branch that enforces law, prevents violation, and apprehends violators

what problems do we see as countries switch from fossil fuels to biofuels

-in the U.S., 31% of all corn is set aside for biofuel -biofuel agriculture requires very large quantities of water, fertilizers, pesticides, and energy -biofuel production shifts a lot of resources (land, water, labor) away from food crops, contributing to raising food prices and causing food scarcity

negative environmental impact of increased demand for meat and fish

-many pounds of feed to produce one pound of meat or fish -water intensive: 15,000 liters of water for 1 kg of meat; 1500 liters for 1 kg of grain -cost of seeds increases with intellectual property (patent) -fuel consumption from agricultural machinery and vehicles -fertilizers, pesticides, water consumption, land use/degradation, and labor -weather variability's negative effects

impact of conflict on the environment

-military spending subtracts resources from environmental programs, including money, manpower, and materials -produces habitat destruction and widespread soil, air, and water contamination + highly toxic, unspent ammunition -deforestation and destroyed wetlands + interrupting the harvest cycle -makes it impossible to enforce laws and regulations protecting the environment

describe the domestic, political, and economic factors that induce a state to support or go against a regime

-national economic interests and sensitivity to the particular issue --> if important to the economy, a state may be a veto state -interest of local elites and special interest groups (SIGs) -national government bureaucracies also may have their own interests and resist or support international regimes -the absence of important, national economic or special interests on an issue make it easier for a state to support a specific regime -the presence of a strong environmental movement tends to make a national government more sensitive to the need for effective environmental regime -the ideology and the belief system of leaders

growing role of global conferences

-put global environmental protection on the global agenda -spurred the creation of hundreds of IGOs and NGOs dealing with the environment -often result in agreements among participating states (and other entities such as IGOs, NGOs, and private businesses); these agreements can be of different nature and more or less binding

examples of institutions (in regards to international regimes)

-the World Trade Organization for international trade regime -the UN and its Security Council for the global peace and security regime -the UN Human Rights Council for the international human rights regime -UN Environmental Program for the global environmental regime

four sources of international law (+ 2 others)

-treaties and conventions: fundamental law that countries have signed -customary international law: behavior that is followed systematically by so many countries for so long that it becomes law -general principle of law shared by civilized nations: can assume it has value because it is shared, very vague (ex. fair trial) -court opinions and legal writings: what other courts have said on same issue or famous legal writings -binding decisions and resolutions of certain IGOs to which a state belongs -soft law such as the resolutions of the General Assembly of the UN, general statements of intention, and other types of non binding declarations.

stages of the creation and entry into treaties

-treaty negotiation -treaty signing -treaty ratification by the member states or signatories -treaty enters into force when a sufficient # of states have ratified it

describe the comparative assessment of the costs and benefits of supporting/joining an international regime that a state considers

-what are the environmental risks for the particular state? How exposed is that country to the environmental harm if the issue is not addressed? --> what are the consequences of doing nothing? -how do the risks compare to the costs of the regime (in terms of loss of freedom, regulatory burden, financial costs)?

what are the 3 important global conferences

1. 1972 Stockholm Conference: the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment 2. 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro: United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development 3. 2012 Rio+20: United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

name the six most important global environmental conferences of the past 30 years

1. 1972 Stockholm: United Nations Conference on the Human Environment 2. 1992 Rio: UN Conference on the Environment and Development (1992 UNCED, aka the Earth Summit) 3. 2000 New York: UN Millennium Summit that produced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved by 2015 4. 2002 Johannesburg: World Summit on Sustainable Development 5. 2012 Rio de Janeiro ("aka Rio+20"): Conference on Sustainable Development 6. 2015 New York: UN Sustainable Development Summit that produced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030

what are the 2 important ozone layer protection conventions

1. 1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer 2. 1987 Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer

what are the 12 main environmental conventions

1. 1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer 2. 1987 Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer 3. 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal 4. 1998 Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade 5. 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 6. 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 7. 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC 8. 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 9. 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the CBD 10. 2010 Nagoya Protocol on "Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization" to the CBD 11. 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury 12. 2015 Paris Agreement to the UNFCCC (aka Paris Climate Accord)

what are the 3 important hazardous waste and toxic chemicals conventions

1. 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal 2. 1998 Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade 3. 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

what are the 3 important biodiversity conventions

1. 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 2. 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the CBD 3. 2010 Nagoya Protocol on "Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization" to the CBD

what are the 3 important climate change conventions

1. 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2. 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC 3. 2015 Paris Agreement to the UNFCCC (aka Paris Climate Accord)

what are the 2 important UN General Assembly meetings

1. 2000 UN Millennium Summit 2. 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit

who are the seven key actors in global environmental politics

1. Nation states 2. IGOs 3. Treaty secretariats 4. International financial institutions 5. Regional and other multilateral organizations 6. NGOs 7. Business/industry

seven pillars of sustainable development approach

1. calls for reduction in resource consumption and waste production 2. promotes reusing and recycling (to reduce depletion and waste) 3. promotes decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels and shifting to renewable energy source 4. creates and upholds the principle of intergenerational equity (do not cause irreversible harm to the generations that follow) 5. calls for more social and economic equality among different groups of people within a country and among people from different countries 6. asks developed countries to control excessive consumption and waste 7. asks developing countries to limit natural resource depletion and ensure the basic needs of their poor

how the growth of private consumption expenditures exacerbates consumption growing faster than global population

1. consumption expansion is driven by the growth of the global "middle class", especially in BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa 2. the growth of middle class consumers, translates into a steep rise in demand for energy (especially fossil fuels), water, and material goods 3. the rise in resource consumption could be slowed by a more efficient use of resources and more effective effort at recycling

what are the 3 things that induces a state to support or oppose an environmental regime

1. domestic political and economic factors 2. a comparative assessment of the costs and benefits of supporting/joining the international regime 3. international political and diplomatic considerations

7 tools used by lead states to persuade others to join

1. funding research and publicizing its findings 2. influencing public opinion in target states as well as international public opinion in general 3. using their political clout to induce IGOs to identify the particular problem as a serious one and make it a global priority 4. working with NGOs who share similar environmental concerns 5. taking a variety of diplomatic actions to persuade a veto or reluctant state 6. promising financial and technical assistance 7. leading by example, especially if you are a very powerful state

4 different types of international agreements and arrangements

1. international treaties 2. framework conventions 3. protocols 4. non-binding agreements, statements of objectives, declarations

rules of treaty interpretation

1. rely on literal interpretation of the disputed clause--"ordinary meaning" 2. look at the purpose of the treaty 3. analyze the negotiation history

what are the five reasons states comply with international law

1. the common good: need to coordinate on issues that can't be managed by a single state 2. influence of practitioners of international law 3. the flexible and vague nature of many international laws and their capacity to adapt to the different contexts and political situations make them easier to comply which reduces the need to outright violate a law 4. the political costs of non compliance can be severe--may lose credibility and trust and damage your reputation 5. fear of actual sanctions: legal sanctions, economic penalties and political or military consequence

what were the 3 main environmental problems that were focused on in the 1980s

1. the ozone layer depletion and the harm caused by excessive UV exposure (could see ozone hole with the help of new technologies of the time like satellites) 2. climate change 3. depletion of fisheries

how many people live with less than $1.25 a day

1.2 billion

how many earths are we using

1.7 earths

how many people rely on drinking water that is contaminated by human or animal waste

1.8 billion

how big is the world's carbon footprint

10x bigger than it was in 1960

When and why was there a rise of national environmental movements in the US

1960s; spurred by publicized ecological disasters such as reports of the Cuyahoga River catching fire in 1969 (near Cleveland Ohio) and the major oil spill off the coast of California near Santa Barbara in 1969

how many people live without basic sanitation services (toilets with running water)

2.5 billion

role of nation states in regime creation and strengthening

4 different types of roles for states: 1. Veto states: a state that opposes the regime and does not want it created or strengthened--for a state to be a veto state, it needs to have a strong capacity to affect the regime (aka the regime would be weak without it) 2. Lead states: take the lead in promoting and recruiting, usually has the capacity to rally other states and can exercise significant political and economic clout 3. Supporting state: tends to support the lead state(s)' efforts 4. Swing state: has mixed interests and is sensible to inducements--willing to vote for or against a regime depending on various factors including the concessions made by the two sides

largest CO2 emitters by country

China: 27% of global emissions (per captia 6.2 tons) United States: 14% (per capita 17.6 tons India: 9% (per capita 1.6 tons) Russia Japan Germany

what is CAA and when was it passed

Clean Air Act in 1970 one of the most complex acts in U.S. history, extremely cutting edge for its time --> theU.S. passing this bill led to rest of the world trying to recreate it

what is CWA and when was it passed

Clean Water Act 1972 GIVE SUMMARy

what is the EPA and when was it passed

Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 one of the most powerful environmental agencies in the world, pass regulations to protect the environement

protocol example

Kyoto Protocol added to UN Framework Convention from 1992 in 1997 at UNFCC

2000 UN Millennium Summit

Member states agreed on 8 Millennium Development Goals to be accomplished by 2015: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development

what is NEPA and when was it passed

National Environmental Policy Act in 1969 focused on protecting the environment for future generations, make sure practices are environmentally friendly

gap between North and South in private consumption spending

North America and Western Europe: 12% of global population and 60% of global private consumption South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa: 33% of population and 3.2% of private consumption

gap between North and South in energy consumption

OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development: 18% of global population and 40% of energy demand Sub-Saharan Africa: 13% of population and 4% of global energy demand U.S.: 5% of global population and 25 of fossil fuel consumption

example of countries exposed to particular environmental risk

Sweden and Norway pushed for the 1979 CLRTAP that fought against air pollution because of the acidification they experienced from sulfur dioxide pollution

example of a nation state changing roles

US went from veto state to lead state for the issue of mercury when Obama took office

largest CO2 emitters per capita

United States, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Japan, Germany, China, UK, Spain, France, Sweden, Brazil, India

threats to the food supply

all of these factors contribute to food price increases and food shortages: -economic growth (consumption increase) -population growth -rising demands and changing diets -urbanization -changing weather patterns -using food crops for biofuel -subsidies granted to the agricultural sector in developed countries and other related policies

principles

beliefs of fact and causation (what caused what) and rectitude (what's right and what's wrong)

destruction of wetlands

between 64% to 71% of existing wetlands have been destroyed over the last century

protocols

binding international agreements, usually containing detailed commitments focused on specific issues--added onto framework conventions to complement them

international treaties

binding under international law to those that sign, sometimes called conventions, covenants, agreements, or pacts

what are countries switching to to reduce reliance on fossil fuels

biofuels--derived from biological materials such as trees, agricultural wastes, crops, or grass

global environmental issues of marine environment degradation

by 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish (by weight) + land based pollutants: -plastic and other organic compounds -excess sedimentation from mining -deforestation and intensive agriculture -sewage nutrients from fertilizers and sewage

key components of international regimes

comprised of: -principles -norms and binding rules -operating procedures -institutions, including formal organizations -review mechanisms -implementation activities --> which regulate and/or coordinate activities in a specific issues

who is most likely to be against green economy

developing countries

sustainable development

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

global environmental challenge of fisheries depletion

economic and social costs of overfishing and the depletion of fisheries are rising in many regions: 200 million jobs involved in the fishing industry worldwide are bearing the consequences risk that tuna, Atlantic salmon, swordfish, and cod may become endangered every year, there are 20 million metric tons of bycatch (unintentional catch later discarded)

what changed in regards to environmental issues in the 1980s

growing awareness among citizens, NGOs, and government officials that: -environmental issues are transnational in nature and that their impact does not stop at a nation's border -environmental problems deeply affect other policy areas such as economic development, trade (local and international), humanitarian crises, social policies, and national security and security-related issues

progenitor theory: neo-functional/regional integration

international cooperation can be achieved more easily among a small # of states belonging to the same geographic region that may eventually expand to states outside of the region

examples of international regime

international trade regime, international finance regime, human rights regime, communications, travel and transportation, nuclear proliferation, management and disposal of toxic/hazardous substances, whaling, climate change

framework conventions

international treaties that contain generic commitments in anticipation of more detailed agreements that may follow--made to have something to show the world and to require future meeting

progenitor theory: liberalism/idealism

liberals are more optimistic about the state's rationality and their ability to cooperate--common interests, deeply rooted customs, and international laws all contribute to making international cooperation possible (ex. Clinton, Obama)

conference of parties (COPs)

many conventions require periodic meetings to exchange new info, review progress, and update commitments

what does the earth overshoot day show and when is it

marks the date when we (all of earth) have used more than our planet can renew in the entire year 2018 overshoot day was August 1

what is a carbon footprint

measure of of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by a factory, country, or individuals

what is the ecological footprint

measures how much biologically productive land and sea is used by a given population or activity and compares this to how much land and sea is available for human use to support demands for food, fiber, timber, energy, and space for infrastructure as well as waste storage

institutions

mechanisms (usually organizations) for implementing, operating, evaluating, and expanding the regime and its policy

2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit

member states agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. These goals are interconnected and leave nobody behind as they focus on issues relating to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace, and justice

complex interdependence

mutual dependence characterized by different actors, different channels of communication, and different types of issues

what does it mean to be malnourished and how many people are

not enough calories in one year to meet the body's energy requirements 800 million

1972 Stockholm Conference

oLandmark declaration o109-point action plan oCreation of the UNEP, the UN Environment Program, to coordinate and promote environmental activities oTriggered the creation of environmental agencies and ministries in many countries, and the establishment of environmental NGOs and IGOs

know the general roles of the 12 major conventions

okay

know the main roles of the 3 important global conferences

okay

example of the costs and benefits of international regimes

ozone layer: US already had the initiative to reduce the use of ODS so the treaty would cost them less than other countries like the USSR and Japan who were far behind or China and India who were gearing up to expand production of CFCs--they resisted until they were promised economic help

what is the Federal Environment Pesticide Control Act and when was it passed

passed in 1972 agriculture one of the biggest source of pollution for air and water, needed regulations

functionalism

privileges gradual, limited cooperation as a stepping stone to broader and deeper cooperation in the future--cooperation is easier to achieve on narrowly defined issues and technical matters managed by experts and professionals which allows countries to develop familiarity and trust that will eventually expand (spillover effect)

why was the 1992 UNCED (aka Earth Summit) in Rio one of THE most important conferences in the history of the environmental movement

produced, among many other things, the following FIVE KEY DOCUMENTS (first two are traditional binding international treaties, the others aren't): 1. 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2. 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity 3. Agenda 21 (21st Century: a global action plan) 4. Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development 5. Statement on Forest Principles

green economy

promotes human well being and social equity promotes growth in income, employment, and social development mitigation and reduction of environmental risks by encouraging environmentally friendly activities like reducing carbon emissions and supporting energy efficiency

what are the progenitor theories behind regime theory used to explain international relations

realism, liberalism/idealism, institutionalists/constitutionalists/students of institutional processes, functionalism, neo-functionalism/regional integration, transnational relations and complex interdependence

primary carbon footprint

represents the emissions the emission of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels for electricity production or transportation

secondary footprint

represents the indirect CO2 emissions caused by the life cycle of a product or an activity ex. manufacturing, packaging, transportation or disposal processes (we discussed the case of the carbon footprint of a plastic water bottle SEE Box 1.5 pg. 41

precautionary principle

says that we do not need to wait for absolute, scientific certainty about the harm of an activity before we stop doing it--preventive action taken when risks are severe

rules

specific prescriptions (obligations) or proscriptions (prohibitions) for action--what you must do and what you cannot do, typically contained in binding international treaties

norms

standard of behavior that tend to identify what is and isn't politically/ethically appropriate or acceptable

sustainable development paradigm

started in the 1960s and attacked the exclusionist paradigm sensitive to environmental impact and social impact of unrestricted economic development and less optimistic about the capacity of the free market to manage the risks associated with it 1972 Stockholm Conference key step for paradigm

pacta sunt servanda

states are bound to comply with the terms of the agreements they have voluntarily entered into

Transnational relations and complex interdependence

stresses the fact that countries do not only interact at the governmental level--non-governmental relations are expanding and the key international actors besides nation states are subnational entities (executive departments and agencies, cities, municipalities, regions), private businesses, civil society organizations and NGOs, scientific communities --> all of this creates a complex web of interdependence

what are the 3 key global macrotrends and what are the problems they raise

the macrotrends are: population growth, increase in resource consumption and increase in waste production and the problems that these can lead to are: air and water pollution, accumulation of water (ordinary, as well as hazardous and toxic waste, and nuclear waste), the production of toxic chemicals, depletion of natural resources (fossil fuels, water, fisheries, etc.), decreasing forest cover and desertification, and reduction of biodiversity

interdependence

the mutual dependence between or among two or more countries: what happens to one affects the other(s)

operating procedures

the usual practices adopted by those who work within that regime, including the way in which they make collective decisions

reservations to treaties

things a signing state can add to a treaty that suggests the exclusion of a clause as it pertains to a state or a particular interpretation of a clause as it pertains to a state

how does the shift to global concern in the 1980s affect the development of mechanisms to protect the environment

translates into an international push to develop global mechanisms to protect the environment

non-binding agreements, statements of objectives, and declarations

usually associated with documents negotiated by states that do not contain binding commitments but announce general principles or longer term objectives--things you say you'll do but are not required to do

progenitor theory: realism

views the world as principally characterized by anarchy (absence of a world government states are naturally insecure and constantly suspicious of one another because there is no single world leader--states act selfishly and put themselves first says that international cooperation and trust are very difficult to achieve (ex. Bush, Reagan)

ecological services of wetlands

wetlands are a key component of our ecosystems: -they are a source of drinking water -fish nurseries habitats -natural irrigation for agriculture -water cleansing systems -biodiversity reservoirs -they provide critical protection against floods and storms -they are natural sinks for CO2