Download Environmental Issues - St. Pius X High School

Environmental Issues
Global Environmental Governance
• Global problems require global solutions
– GEG is required
– Cooperation is required
• Sustainability
– Sustainable Development – Modern Concern
– Consuming resources at a pace that will those
resources to naturally replenish
• Unsustainable
– Consuming resources at a pace that will cause those
resources to diminish and become extinct
– Current Global Trend living above global carrying
capacity
– Rich Countries use more resources then poor
A brief History
• First environmental concerns and action were
based on conservation and pollution
• UN Conference on the Human Environment
(UNCHE) – 1972 in Sweden
– United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)
• UN Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) – “Earth Summit” 1992
– Agenda 21 – Promoted Sustainable Devlepment
– Climate Change
– Preservation of Biodiversity
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• Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” – 1962
– First major counter-culture work
– Changed US view of Environment Concerns
– Chronicled the impact of pollutants
– Launched modern environmental movement
• Birth of NGOs in 1970’s
– Response to failed government attempts
• Green Peace
• World Wildlife Fund
• Sierra Club
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• 1970’s Environmental Decade in US
– Environmental Protection Agency
• Created by Nixon
• Purpose to fulfill congressional legislation
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Clear Air Act
Clean Water Act
Endangered Species Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Toxic Substance Control Act
Etc…
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• Population
– Population Bomb by Paul Ehrlich
– Limits of Growth by Dennis Meadows
• Worlds population experience rapid Growth
– Industrial Revolution
– Better Food Resources
– Better Medicines
• Resources are being exploited at greater rate
– Can we run out of resources?
– How many people can the earth support?
• Tipping Point
– Current Population is 7 Billion
– Technology may increase tipping Point
International Environmental Cooperation
• International Treaties and organizations are
important for environmental improvement to
occur
• Norm Creation – Establishing Environmental
Norms
• Capacity Building – Providing the funds and
Technologies to fight Environmental Concerns
• Scientific Understanding – Cooperation and
Collaboration of scientific research
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• Governing the Commons
– Commons – areas and resources that are not under
sovereign jurisdiction and open to all
– Tragedy of Commons
• Greedy over exploitation
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The Magical Apple Tree – What the Care Bears have to say.
Fishing Grounds – Sushi!?!?
Caspian Sea Oil - War
Outer Space – Space Junk
Atmosphere – Dust Particles in Tahoe
– Cooperation is essential to preserve and sustain the
Commons
– The “Free Ride” Problem
• Destroys Solutions before they are implemented
Montreal Protocol
• An Example of how cooperation can create
positive change in environmental concerns
– 1985 – discovered Ozone was thinning and a
whole had developed in southern hemisphere
– Increase of UV/B Radiation = Skin Cancer and damage
immune system
– Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) – industrial gasses used in arrosol
cans, refrigeratiors, air-condition units, etc… were responsible
– Montreal Protocol
• Imposed International Controls over use of CFCs
• US Led and implemented
• Ozone is thinking today and whole is gone
Climate Change
• Global Warming
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A “Common” Problem
Trapping of Green House Gasses that cause
Inconsistent and devastating weather patterns
Increase in Global Temperatures
Change in Climate Patterns
– Wheat and Corn Belts
• Solution is more economic and political, then environmental
– Earth Summit – first attempt to prevent CC
– Kyoto Protocol
• Curbing GHS is multi-dimensional
• Scientific Disagreement – human or natural
• US promoted (Clinton Admin), but refused to ratify (Bush
Admin)
• US largest producer of GHG, other nations refused ratify
because of US “Free Riding” leading to its collapse
IR, Globalization, and Environment
• Environmentalism
– Problems are Global
• Climate Change
• Pollution
• Etc…
– Solutions are Global
• Montreal Protocol
• Kyoto
• Etc…
– Becoming a major field of study in IR
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Environmental Studies
Environmental Public Policy
Global Environmental Economic Studies
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