Module 23: Economic Development, Consumption, and Sustainability

What is the average growth rate for developed nations?

0.1% per year.

What insights about sustainable development did the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment project provide?

1. Ecosystem sustainability will be threatened if the human population continues along its current path of resource consumption around the globe. 2. The continued alteration to ecosystems that have improved human well-being (greater access to food, clean water, suitable housing) will also exacerbate poverty for some populations. 3. If we establish sustainable practices, we may be able to improve the standard of living for a large number of people.

What is the average growth rate for developing nations?

1.5% per year.

How much land per year was cleared in Brazil for agriculture from 2000 to 2005 and for what?

Approximately 3 million hectare (7.4 million acres). Some was used for small scale agriculture and some for industrial production of soybeans, sugarcane, and corn.

Explain how income affects population birth rates in countries moving from phase 2 to phase 3.

As income increases, people tend to have fewer children. Working women typically delay starting a family, and so have fewer. They also have more access to info about methods of birth control, they are more likely to interact with their partners as equals, and they may choose to practice family planning with or without the consent of their partners.

What is the relationship between a country's per capita GDP and pollution levels?

At very low levels of per capita GDP , industrial activity is too low to produce much pollution; the country uses very little fossil fuel and generates relatively little waste. Many developing countries fit this pattern. As GDP increases, a nation begins to be able to afford to burn to burn fossil fuels, especially coal, which, although relatively inexpensive, emits a substantial amount of pollution.

What is the most populated city in the U.S.?

New York City: 10400 people per square kilometer (27000 people per square mile).

How many humans on Earth live in developed and developing countries?

Of Earth's 7.6 billion human inhabitants, roughly 6.3 billion live in developing countries, and 1.3 billion live in developed countries. 9 of the 12 most populous nations on Earth are developing countries.

What classifies a developing country?

One with relatively low levels of industrialization and incomes of less than $3/person/day.

List the two reasons environmental scientists say that increasing the GDP of developing nations is the best way to save the environment.

Rising income generally correlates with falling birth rates, and a reduced population size should lead to a reduction in environmental impact. Also, wealthier countries can afford to make environmental improvements and increase their efficiency of resource use.

What are the environmental challenges of urban living for developed and developing nations?

Solid waste, pollution, and CO2 emissions.

Describe the technology factor of the IPAT equation.

Technology can both degrade the environment and create solutions to minimize our impact on the environment. Some scientists now use the term destructive technology to differentiate it from beneficial technologies such as the hybrid electric car.

Theory of demographic transition

The theory that as a country moves from a subsistence economy to industrialization and increased affluence it undergoes a predictable shift in population growth.

Phase two

Industrializing: rapid population growth.

Gross domestic product (GPD)

A measure of the value of all products and services produced in 1 year in one country.

Urban area

An area that contains more than 386 people per square kilometer (1000 people per square mile).

IPAT equation

An equation used to estimate the impact of the human lifestyle on the environment: impact= population * affluence * technology.

What family planning methods did Thailand use?

Beginning in '71, national population policy encouraged married couples to use birth control. Contraceptive use increased form 15-70%, and within 15 years the population growth rate fell from 3.2-1.6%.

What are the characteristics of phase 1: slow population growth?

CBR=CDR, life expectancy for adults is short because of disease, lack of health care, and poor sanitation.

What are the characteristics of phase 2: rapid population growth?

CDR declines but CBR remains high, so population grows quickly. CDR and mortality rates reduce as a country modernizes, has better sanitation, clean drinking water, increased access to food and goods, and access to health care (such as childhood vaccinations).

What are the characteristics of phase 4: declining population growth?

Characterized by declining population size and often by a relatively high level of affluence and economic development. CBR is below CDR. The declining population means a country will have fewer young people and a higher proportion of elderly people.

What are the four types of economic activity included in GDP?

Consumer spending, investments, government spending, and exports minus imports.

What are the characteristics of phase 3: stable population growth?

Economy and educational system improve. In general, as family income increases, people have fewer children, which leads to a decline in CBR. Eventually, population growth levels off during this phase, and population size doesn't change very quickly, because low CBR=low CDR.

What is an example of a phase 2 society?

India--its births outnumber its deaths.

What are the local environmental impacts from Brazil's agriculture?

Erosion, soil degradation, and habitat loss.

How many phases of the theory of demographic transition are there?

Four

Phase three

Industrialized: stable population growth.

What is the relationship between education and total fertility rates?

In Ethiopia where women have a secondary school education or higher, TFR is 2.0. Among uneducated women it's 4.2.

What are some of the global impacts, or ecological footprints, that the U.S. has because of affluence?

In general, populations with large global impacts tend to deplete ore environmental resources. Much of the impact comes from consumption of imported energy sources such as oil and other imported resources such as food. When people are affluent, they are more likely to purchase imported foods, drive long distances in automobiles that were manufactured in factories hundreds or thousands of miles away, and live in homes surrounded by lawns that require large quantities of water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Why is sustainability an elusive goal?

It strives to improve the standards of living--which involves greater expenditures of energy and resources--without causing additional environmental harm.

How can we obtain sustainable development? Explain what the city of Overtornea offers.

It's a Swedish town of 5600 people that has begun to focus its economic activities on renewable energy, free public transportation, organic agriculture, and land preservation.

Describe the affluence factor of the IPAT equation.

It's created by economic opportunity. One person in a developed country can have a greater impact than two or more people in a developing country. The more affluent a society or individual is, the higher the environmental impact.

What are four examples of phase four societies?

Japan, Germany, Portugal, and Italy.

What are two overused local resources?

Land and woody biomass from trees and other plants.

What attributes are associated with affluence?

People spend more time pursuing education and they are more likely to have access to birth control and to choose to have smaller families. However, cultural, societal, and religious norms may also play a role in birth rates.

Describe the population factor of the IPAT equation.

Population has a straightforward effect on impact. All else being equal, two people consume twice as much as one. Therefore, when we compare two countries with similar economic circumstances, the one with more people is likely to have a larger impact on the environment.

What are the two critical factors that determine the impact humans have on Earth?

Population size and the amount of resources each person uses.

Phase four

Post-industrial: declining population growth.

Phase one

Pre-industrial: slow population growth.

What is an example of destructive technology?

The manufacturing of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) resulted in safe and effective refrigeration and AC that was beneficial to human health, yet CFCs led to ozone destruction in the stratosphere.

Family planning

The practice of regulating the number of spacing of offspring through the use of birth control.

Affluence

The state of having plentiful wealth including the possession of money, goods, or property.

What does affluence tend to be associated with?

The state of having plentiful wealth that includes the possession of money, goods, or property. A developed nation.

What family planning methods did Kenya use?

They made a campaign that encouraged smaller families. Advertising directed toward both men and women emphasized that overpopulation led to both unemployment and harm to the natural environment. The ads also promoted condom use.

What are two examples of countries in phase 3?

U.S. and Canada

Compare the ecological footprints of the U.S. and China, per capita and for the nation.

U.S.: 8.6 ha (21 acres) per capita Nation (U.S.): 2, 795 million hectares (6,900 million acres) China: 3.6 ha (8.9 acres) per capita Nation (China): 4,968 hectares (12,270 million acres)

Where will a majority of the world's population live by 2030?

Urban areas.

What are some examples of societies in phase one?

Western Europe and U.S. were in it before the Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 18th century. Lesotho also is because of its high death rate.

When do countries with a high GDP begin to address high levels of pollution?

When a nation increases its GDP, it can afford to purchase equipment that burns fossil fuels more efficiently and cleanly, which helps to reduce the amounts and types of pollution generated. People may also be willing to expend resources and support government efforts to regulate polluting industries. Wealthier societies are also able to afford better policing and enforcement mechanisms that ensure environmental regulations are being followed.