Social 10: Chapter 11 - Globalization & Sustainability
Vocabulary
Sustain - To provide the basic necessities needed to support life
Sustainability - The degree to which Earth is able to provide the resources necessary to meet people’s needs
Flags of Convenience - A flag flown by ships when they are registered in another country that is not the country of their owner
Stewardship - Accepting responsibility for ensuring that the earth’s resources remain sustainable
Ecological Footprint - The area of the earth’s surface necessary to sustain the level of resources a person uses and the waste she or he creates
Sustainability
The ability to continually meet our own needs while not sacrificing resources for future generations
Ecological Footprint
Measures how many resources, and how much area, you require to live
It is measured in global hectares (gha)
The average person uses 2.75 gha
The Resource Gap
What is the Resource Gap?
It is the gap between what the Earth can reasonably supply and what the average human consumes
Current Consumption?
We can reasonably supply 1.89 hectares but on average we’re consuming 2.8 hectares per person globally
The Kogi People
They’re an isolated tribe in Columbia
The Kogi people have remained relatively isolated from the rest of the globalized world. Only select documentaries have been allowed on their lands
They live a life closely tied to their environment
The Kogi believe that we are the caretakers of the Earth, and they are in tune with any shits in the environment. Their childhoods are spend growing their connection to the world around them
They see an environmental disaster approaching
These feelings of environmental disaster are supported by scientists who also recognize environmental stability
Life-cycle of a Ship
Transportation and shipping are important aspects of globalization
Moves goods and materials between manufacturing supplies, and consumers
Following the life cycle of ships reveals an important connection between globalization and sustainability…
Ships have a lifespan of 20 - 30 years before it costs more to maintain than it does to buy new
In recent years, shipbuilders have struggled to keep up with demand
Between 2000 - 2005, ship demand grew by 8% a year, causing a 4 - 5 year backlog of orders
In 1970, ships were mainly built in Europe and USA
As shipbuilding is labor intensive, the industry moved to Asia where labor was cheaper
Initially, Japan and South Korea dominated the market
This has shifted towards China as labor is cheap
Environmental Impacts of Shipbuilding
Shipyards are massive production spaces
Larger areas = larger risk of pollution
Uses hazardous materials
Large amounts of resources
Lead coating/paint to combat saltwater
Toxic coating to combat barnacle growth
Ships use only 3% of the fossil fuels consumed globally
They produce 15% of the nitrogen/sulfur dioxide emissions
Ships use bunker fuel - a cheap and dirty fuel
A single ship creates as much pollution as 2000 diseal trucks
Ships carry ballast water in the hull to balance the ship during changing sea levels
Thus water is pumped in and out of ships
Studies found ballast water pumped out of Canadian ports contained as much as 12 392 marine creatures per cubic meter
These creatures can sometimes wreak havoc on ecosystems that they are not native to
Flags of Convenience
Many merchant ships sail under flags of convenience
Ships registered to a country other than that of it’s owner. Also known as “flagging out”
In 2006, about 64% of shipping vessels were flagged out
Advantages of flagging out:
Lower costs
Ease of registration
Weak environmental/labor laws
Consumption of Resources
According to the United Nations, our current rates of consumption will affect sustainability
They are promoting the idea of environmental stewardship
Stewardship - The responsibility use and protection of the natural environment