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Studied by 12 people
Global Environment Part 2
Part 2:
1. Know the difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster.
Natural Hazard: A dangerous natural event that could harm people or their activities but hasn’t caused damage yet.
Natural Disaster: A natural hazard that has caused destruction, injuries, or deaths.
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 17 and know what made people living in Bangladesh during Cyclone Sidr (2007) and people living in Myanmar/Burma during Cyclone Nargis (2008).
Disaster Risk Equation:
Disaster Risk = Hazard × Vulnerability ÷ Capacity to Cope
Hazard: The natural event (e.g., cyclone).
Vulnerability: How exposed or at risk people are.
Capacity to Cope: Resources and systems in place to reduce harm.
Cyclone Sidr (Bangladesh, 2007):
Outcome: Fewer than 10,000 deaths.
Why:
Early warning systems (EWS) alerted people in advance.
2 million evacuated before the storm hit.
Strong physical infrastructure like coastal embankments.
1,500 shelters available, each holding up to 5,000 people.
Cyclone Nargis (Myanmar/Burma, 2008):
Outcome: Over 130,000 deaths.
Why:
No strong investment in disaster preparedness by the dictatorship.
Weak EWS, so people weren’t warned.
No significant international aid.
People were more vulnerable and unprotected.
Key Difference: Bangladesh had better preparation and resources, while Myanmar lacked these, making people more vulnerable.
3. The earth processes that can cause a tsunami to develop. The average speed of a tsunami.
How a Tsunami Forms:
A sudden rise or fall of the Earth's crust under or near the ocean displaces water.
This movement causes the ocean above to rise or fall, creating a tsunami.
Other causes: volcanic eruptions or mudslides.
The tsunami's size and energy decrease over time and distance.
Average Speed:
Depends on water depth.
In deep water (20,000 ft), tsunamis can travel at 500 mph.
4. The three stages of the disaster management cycle, and the types of activities associated with each of the three stages.
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation: efforts to mitigate adverse effects. educating communities to reduce risk.
Disaster Preparedness: minimizing losses and damages. preparedness of civic bodies)
Response, Recovery, Reconstruction:
Response- search and rescue
Recovery- after immediate threat. bring back normalcy.
Reconstruction- location or construction material of the property is considered.
5. The factors that made Haiti vulnerable to the earthquake that struck in 2010, both before and after the hazard occurred.
Haiti on plate boundaries- earthquake and volcanic hazards.
Before the Earthquake:
Located on plate boundaries (prone to earthquakes and volcanic hazards).
Extreme poverty and impacts from past hurricanes.
Many lived in unsafe homes and on unstable slopes.
No insurance, electricity, or warning systems.
After the Earthquake:
Poverty worsened, still suffering from past disasters.
No insurance to rebuild homes or businesses.
Weak government support and no access to clean water, electricity, or communication.
Recovery costs left little money for future disaster prevention.
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.
Global Food Waste:
Money: The average American family wastes $1,600 per year on food they throw out.
Land: 198 million hectares of land (about the size of Mexico) is used to grow food that’s never eaten.
Crops: 24% of calories produced are never consumed by people.
Farmland: 18% of U.S. farmland is used to grow wasted food.
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.
Calories Wasted Daily: 1,520 per person in North America and Oceania.
Consumer Waste: 61% of this is wasted by individuals.
8. The type of food crop accounting for more than half the total global food waste (by Kcal)
Cereals: 53% of wasted food by calories.
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.
Types: Ethanol and Biodiesel.
Most Important in the US: Ethanol.
Top Producers: United States and Brazil.
10. The amount of people receiving SNAP (foodstamp) benefits in the USA, and the annual cost of this.
Recipients: 47 million people (1 in 8 overall, 1 in 4 children).
Annual 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 (1845-53):
A plant disease (blight) destroyed the main food crop (potatoes).
Result: 1.5 million deaths, 2 million people left Ireland.
North Korean Famine (1994-98):
Severe flooding ruined farmland.
Result: 2.5 million deaths from starvation.
Bengal Famine (1943):
A cyclone and three tsunamis destroyed farmland.
Result: Massive loss of crops and widespread hunger.
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 (1845-53):
Ireland was under British rule.
Ireland exported wheat while its people starved.
Food imports were banned.
Led to demands for Irish independence ("home rule").
North Korean Famine (1994-98):
The government’s "military first" policy prioritized the army over civilians.
North Korea couldn’t import food and refused outside help.
Bengal Famine (1943):
Bengal was part of British India under colonial rule.
Japan’s occupation of Burma disrupted regional trade.
Even though food production was high, the British exported much of it, leaving locals to starve.
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.
Economist: Amartya Sen.
Entitlements Theory: People don’t starve if they have a right (entitlement) to access food, even if they can’t grow it themselves.
Famine and Democracy: Famine is less likely in a democracy because political leaders are held accountable to ensure people are fed.
14. Famine as food availability declines, famine as food entitlement declines. The difference between these ways of understanding the causes of famine.
Two Ways to Understand Famine:
Food Availability Decline:
Famine happens because there isn’t enough food produced.
A "common-sense" idea that famine is a natural way to control population growth.
Food Entitlement Decline:
Famine happens because people don’t have access to food, even if enough is produced.
Idea developed by Amartya Sen, focusing on economic and political factors.
15. Global trends of urbanization. The two continents that had majority rural populations in the year 2000. The continents are predicted to have a majority rural population in 2030.
Urbanization: The shift from rural to urban living, linked to the rise of modern cities and capitalism.
2000: 47% of the world’s population lived in urban areas.
Asia and Africa had mostly rural populations.
2030: All continents are predicted to have majority urban populations (no majority rural continents).
16. The approximate year in which the global urban population overtook the amount of
people living in rural areas.
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?
How Cities Can Help the Environment:
Recycling programs.
Generating energy from waste.
Investing in energy-efficient systems.
New Environmental Problems from Growing Cities:
More pollution.
Traffic congestion.
Poor health.
Increased crime and waste.
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?
Climate Change Protection:
Houses 250,000 people.
Massive investment in sea defenses.
Not a Win-Win:
Only property owners can access it, excluding most residents of Lagos.
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.
Wealthy Cities:
Emit less carbon per person than the national average.
Developing Cities:
Emit more carbon per person than the national average.
Shanghai & Beijing:
Both have higher emissions per person compared to China’s national average.
21. Agriculture’s share of greenhouse gas emissions, globally.
24%
22. Agriculture’s share of earth’s landmass, globally excluding Antarctica. 23. Agriculture’s share of water withdrawal, globally.
37% ; 70%
23. The broad areas of the world where climate change is expected to have negative impacts in agricultural production
Mexico, South America, Africa, Australia, India
24. The most lucrative food crop in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.
PA - mushrooms ($529 mil)
NJ - blueberries ($81mil)
NY - apples ($250 mil)
VT - maple syrup ($35 mil)
25. The South American country accounting for 44% of all global asparagus exports. The country that is the second largest exporter.
Peru is the largest exporter - 44% Mexico is second largest - 23%
26. The two regions of the world which dominate consumption of organic food.
North America
Europe
27. The region of the world with the most land farmed using organic techniques.
Regions with Most Organic Farming:
Europe and Oceania.
Production:
Organic farming produces 25% less than conventional farming on average.
Cost:
Higher prices make it less accessible to people with lower incomes.
28. There will be several questions asked about the readings in the Module 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 Linked to here Links to an external site. - and understand how they relate to the three different ideas of sustainability
Types of Sustainability:
Social Sustainability: Focuses on equality, health, education, and inclusion.
Economic Sustainability: Aims for a strong, inclusive economy.
Environmental Sustainability: Protects ecosystems and natural resources.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Key Areas:
Dignity: End poverty and inequality.
People: Ensure health, education, and inclusion (especially women and children).
Planet: Protect ecosystems for future generations.
Partnership: Promote global teamwork for sustainability.
Justice: Build peaceful, safe societies with strong institutions.
Prosperity: Create a strong and inclusive economy.
Debates Around the Goals:
Some argue there are too many goals, but reducing them might leave out key issues like gender equality and human rights.
29. The broad areas of the world where climate change is expected to have positive impacts in agricultural production.
Regions: Canada, Russia, and parts of Europe.
Location: Mostly in the northern parts of the world.
