Global Environment Paul O'Keefe FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE

1. Know the difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster.

Natural Hazard: unexpected or uncontrollable natural event of unusual magnitude that threatens the activities of people or people themselves
Natural Disaster: natural hazard that actually resulted in widespread destruction of property or caused injury and/or death

2. Understand the "disaster risk equation", especially the social causes of vulnerability, and the social factors that affect the capacity to cope. Look back at the slides for Lecture 18 and know what made people living in Bangladesh during Cyclone Sidr (2007) and people living in Myanmar/Burma during Cyclone Nargis (2008). Know the readings about Vulnerability, and what made Haiti so vulnerable.

Cyclone Sidr, 2007 Bangladesh: Storm surge of up to 15-20 ft, Less than 10,000 people died, 2 million people were evacuated from path of cyclone, Early warning systems were in place, Physical infrastructure: coastal embankments, Provision of shelters: in 2007, there were 1,500 each holding up to 5,000 people
Cyclone Nargis, 2008 Myanmar/Burma: much poorer country than Bangladesh, dictatorship not provided similar investment in disaster preparedness, also not received nearly as much global assistance, EWS not as strong, people much more vulnerable, over 130,000 deaths
Disaster risk equation: (hazard * vulnerability)/capacity to cope
Vulnerability : Aging populations and urbanization, rapid population growth, poverty and hunger, poor health, low levels of education, gender inequality, fragile and hazardous location, and lack of access to resources and services, including knowledge and technological means, disintegration of social patterns, urban design and planning
What makes Haiti so vulnerable: poor, corruption and violence, infrastructure weak, inefficient institutions, lack of coping capacity, and the very high fragility and susceptibility within society, and a high level of corruption so that even the limited resources that are there are not as powerful as they could or should be

3. The earth processes that can cause a tsunami to develop. The average speed of a tsunami.

The earth processes that can cause a tsunami to develop: sudden rise or fall of earth's crust under or near ocean, displaces water column, creates rise or fall in level of ocean above, size and energy dissipates with time and distance from source, volcanic activity, mudslides can also cause
Average speed of tsunami: 500 mph in 20,000 ft of water, speed affected by water depth, shallow water (speed slows but energy remains the same, resulting in a taller wave)

4. The three stages of the disaster management cycle, and the types of activities associated with each of the three stages.

Three stages of the disaster management cycle:
1. Pre-disaster: risk assessment, mitigation/prevention, preparedness
2. Disaster response: warning/evacuation, saving people, providing immediate assistance, assessing damage.
3. Post-disaster: ongoing assistance, restoration of infrastructural services, reconstruction (resettlement/relocation), economic and social recovery, ongoing development activities, risk assessment mitigation/prevention

5. The factors that made Haiti vulnerable to the earthquake that struck in 2010, both before and after the hazard occurred.

Before: exceedingly poor, living in unsafe houses, unstable slopes, lack of insurance, lack of power, lack of electricity and communication, lack of early warning
After: exceedingly poor, suffering impacts from hurricanes, lack of insurance (can't rebuild), lack of power (no entitlement for government assistance), lack of electricity and communication, lack of clean water, cost of recovery reduces ability to invest in risk reduction

6. The scale of global food waste. In terms of the dollar amount wasted by the average American family, in terms of the amount of Hectares (and the country this is comparable too), and in terms of a percentage of total crops grown for food that are never consumed by people.

Dollar amount wasted by the average American family: $1,600 value of food thrown out by the average U.S. family per year (financial waste)
In terms of Hectares and the country this is comparable to: 198m Hectares used to produce food we don't eat, about the size of Mexico (environmental waste)
24% of total crops grown for food that are never consumed by people

7. The amount of lost or wasted calories every day, per person, in North America and Oceania. The percentage of this that is wasted by the consumer.

1520 calories, 61% wasted by consumer

8. The type of food crop accounting for more than half the total global food waste (by Kcal)

Cereal (53%)

9. The two types of biofuel introduced in class. The one that is most important in the United States. The two countries that produce the most biofuel globally.

Ethanol and Biodiesel
Most important in the US: Ethanol
2 countries that produce the most biofuel: US and Brazil

10. The amount of people receiving SNAP (foodstamp) benefits in the USA, and the annual cost of this.

Amt of people: 47 million
Cost: $78 billion

11. Know the environmental hazards the triggered the Irish potato famine, the North Korea famine of the 1990s, and the 1943 Bengal Famine.

Irish potato famine: single crop failed due to blight
North Korea famine: Flooding wiped out agricultural regions
Bengal famine: Cyclones and tsunamis wiped out agricultural land

12. Know the socioeconomic conditions that made people vulnerable to famine during the Irish potato famine, the North Korea famine of the 1990s, and the 1943 Bengal Famine.

Irish potato famine: Ireland was under British rule, still exporting wheat, food imports were banned to weaken home rule demands
North Korea famine: Military first strategy, unable to import food, unwilling to engage with the world for assistance
Bengal famine: under control of Britain, impact of Japanese colonialism in Burma, British were exporting food produced in regions higher than in previous years

13. The Indian economist who came up with the 'Entitlements' theory of famine. The type of system in which he argues famine can't occur.

Amartya Sen - he said that a famine could never happen in a true democracy
Not the lack of food that causes famine, it's the absence of the entitlement and capacity to access food
People do not starve when they are entitled to receive food, even if they can't grow enough for themselves

14. Famine as food availability decline, famine as food entitlement decline. The difference between these ways of understanding the causes of famine.

Food availability decline: theory that identifies the inability to produce food as the ultimate cause of famine. Natural "check" on population growth
Food entitlement decline: theory that identifies the lack of entitlement to food as the ultimate cause of famine. People do not starve when they are entitled to receive food, even if they cannot grow enough for themselves.
Difference between the two: The availability decline is due to environmental issues, while the entitlement decline is due to political and socio-economic issues.

15. Global trends of urbanization. The two continents that had majority rural populations in the year 2000. The continents predicted to have a majority rural population in 2030.

Global trends of urbanization: The rise of the modern city is tied with the spread of capitalism, Industrial revolution in England, Industrialization in Europe and North America, Rebuilding post-WW2, and Modern globalized economy.
The two continents that had majority rural populations in the year 2000: Africa and Asia.
The continents predicted to have a majority rural population in 2030: none (largest rural in 2030 Africa (46%) and China (45%))

16. The approximate year in which the global urban population overtook the amount of people living in rural areas.

2010 (estimated year is between 2005-2010)

17. The approximate year in which the United States urban population overtook the amount of people living in rural areas of the USA.

1920

18. Read the linked reading on Lecture 16 carefully. On the subject of "The great urbanization". What are the possibilities for cities helping address environmental challenges, and what are some new environmental challenges that the growth of these cities has created?

The New Urban Agenda:
recognising that climate action can deliver local benefits to citizens (even in the short term)
implementing renewable and energy efficient technologies
implementing policy action to reduce emissions (can be through investing in electric vehicles, building smart grids, constructing energy-efficient homes, planning limits on urban sprawl, investing in renewable power or providing integrated public transport)
Tackling the growing and deadly problem of air pollution
local accountability
new mechanisms to finance investments in urban infrastructure and smart technology ( greater use of land-value capture mechanisms, municipal bonds such as green bonds, creation of dedicated national, regional or city-level investment platforms as mechanisms for aggregating smaller infrastructure projects and attracting private investment at scale)
urban vocational and technical training (helps raise wages, attract talent and promote urban growth)
urban policymakers should develop and utilise city networks such as C40, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the Compact of Mayors and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), which all facilitate the sharing of experience
New environmental challenges: poorest cities in the world are also the fastest growing and lack resources and capacity to prevent locking into structures that are inefficient, unreliable, and polluting.

19. The case of Eko Atlantic in Lagos, Nigeria. How does it reduce urban risk from climate change? Is this a win-win situation for everyone in Lagos?

Eko Atlantic:
Lagos is extremely vulnerable to sea level rise, so building a huge new land mass: producing a new environment in the Anthropocene
Luxury housing for 250,000 people
Massive investment in sea defenses
Intention to make Lagos the "Hong Kong" of Africa
land is privately owned and managed: no one except the owners have the right to be there
building islands of privilege surrounded by growing vulnerability- 60% of Nigerians live on less than a dollar per day
Not a win-win situation - no one except owners have the right to be there

20. The general patterns of Carbon Emissions in wealthy cities of the world, compared to the average carbon emissions per person in the same countries. Compare this with the average emissions in Shanghai and Beijing, compared to the Chinese average.

Relationship between carbon emissions and cities: in some parts of the world emissions from urban dwellers are greater and in some parts of the world emissions are less
The shape and layout of a city can affect how many carbon emissions are produced
Developed countries: city emissions are less than national emissions (city <national)
Developing countries: city emissions more than national (city > national)
Shanghai and Beijing: about 8-11 per capita, Chinese avg: 5 per capita
Average emissions of Shanghai and Beijing are higher than that of the national emission

21. Agriculture's share of greenhouse gas emissions, globally.

24%

22. Agriculture's share of earth's landmass, globally excluding Antarctica.

37%

23. Agriculture's share of water withdrawal, globally.

70%

24. The most lucrative food crop in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

Pennsylvania: Mushrooms ($529 million)
New Jersey: Blueberries ($81 million)
New York: Apples ($250 million)
Vermont: Maple syrup ($35 million)

25. The South American country accounting for 44% of all global asparagus exports. The country that is the second largest exporter.

Peru: 40%.
2nd largest exporter is Mexico: 23%

26. The two regions of the world which dominate consumption of organic food.

Europe and North America

27. The region of the world with the most land farmed using organic techniques.

Oceania

28. There will be several questions asked about the readings in the Unit 5 folder. Know the different types of sustainability well. Know how they relate to debates surrounding sustainable development. Look up the Sustainable Development Goals (linked to in Lecture ) and understand how they relate to the three different ideas of sustainability (are they intended to improve the sustainability of society, the economy or the environment)

The types of sustainability:
ecological sustainability (ecosystems and biosphere)
sustainable development (people's livelihoods, economy, society)
sustainable growth (economy, markets and prices)
The sustainable development goals are:
Dignity-end poverty and fight inequality,
People-ensure healthy lives, knowledge,and the inclusion of women and children,
Planet- protect our ecosystems for all societies and our children, Partnership-catalyse global solidarity for sustainable development,
Justice- promote safe and peaceful societies, and strong institutions, and
Prosperity- grow a strong, inclusive and transformative economy.

29. The authors of the books "Silent Spring" and "The Population Bomb"

Silent Spring: Rachel Carson
addressed the killing of insects with pesticides
The Population Bomb: Paul Ehrlich
addressed how the population was increasing tremendously

30. The timeline of Love Canal - you don't need to know the exact dates, but you should be aware of the major events (using site as toxic dump, building school and houses, evacuating people), and the order in which they happened. The short documentary linked to on the lecture slides will help you understand.

1890s: attempt to build canal between Lake Ontario and Niagara River
1940s: the area became a waste dump
1953: 21,000 tons of chemical waste dumped there
Sold to Board of Education
School built
.....
1980s: most of the community have been evacuated

31. The founder of the Sierra Club, and a major figurehead in the birth of the United States National Park system.

John Muir

32. The amount of Americans that visited national parks in 2015, and the most popular national park.

307 million visits
most popular = Great Smoky Mountains (10+ million visitors)

33. The broad areas of the world where climate change is expected to have negative impacts in agricultural production

US, Canada- sea level rising, floods, big storms

34. The broad areas of the world where climate change is expected to have positive impacts in agricultural production

Arctic- new plant life can grow
Russia- longer seasons, need commercial routes, global trade, Northwest passage