Environmental Change

Environmental Change The changes to the natural world around us Has sparked environmentalism

Sharing the Environment The environment is a shared system, so changes in one part will impact other parts Beginning in the late 20th century, scientists, activists and others began placing pressure on governments to consider the quality of the environment and to limit human impact on it Liberal democracies faced the problem of supporting principles of liberalism (economic and personal freedoms) while promoting the modern liberal principle of a high quality of life

Too little, too late? 1970s – 1990s - Oil spills off the Pacific, increasing awareness of water shortages, the Exxon Valdez, deforestation of the rain forests, acid rain, extinction of species, etc., become mainstream news Liberal democratic governments began passing legislation to improve and/or protect the environment in the areas of: Clean air Water Endangered species The Arctic Forests Disposal of toxic substances and hazardous waste

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Gases from both natural and – primarily – human-made sources Released into the earth’s atmosphere and change the way the atmosphere absorbs and emits radiation, which in turn affects the temperature of the earth (Global Warming) According to Greenpeace there is an approximate 30-year delay in the impact of emissions (i.e, in 2010 we are seeing what the emissions in 1980 did to the environment) According to many, this is a fallacy and does not impact the environment at all, as the warming of the earth is a natural trend that has occurred before

Global Warming An increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere A potential indicator of climate change

Climate Change The change in global weather patterns There has been a warming trend over the past decade or so This has been seen in melting ice caps, erosion of glaciers, rising sea levels, “odd” weather (warmer or colder in places that are usually cold or warm, more or less precipitation, etc.), introduction of new species (like the pine beetle in BC and AB) Originally debated, but is now virtually universally accepted by scientists who have shown it has been brought about by human actions

The Kyoto Protocol aka the Kyoto Accord An agreement reached at an international convention at which world leaders met to discuss climate change and create a plan for reducing greenhouse gases

Kyoto 101 Feb. 16, 2005 - The Kyoto Accord was the first – and is the only – binding international agreement that includes specific goals for individual countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Kyoto was supported by the Liberals, but has not been supported by the Conservatives, and it is not likely that Canada will reach its Kyoto targets

Pandemic Outbreaks of disease on a global scale Spreads rapidly and easily, is highly virulent, people have little or no immunity to it, and there is no known vaccine for it 6 levels of alert, monitored and raised by the WHO (World Trade Org). Examples: 1350s – Black Plague in Europe 1919 – Spanish Flu 1950s – Asian Flu 2003 – SARS 2009 – H1N1 Increased travel increases their chances of spreading, while increased communication means we hear more about them

Roles of Countries in a Pandemic During an outbreak, countries – regardless of their system of government - must work together to: • Disseminate current information • Track outbreaks • Establish a means of treatment

Water Shortage Lack of access to clean and safe drinking water +1 billion people suffer from water shortage (UN) Many believe this may be a significant issue for many societies in the future May be caused by drought or by energy-intensive projects (like the Oil Sands)

Limiting Water Consumption Different provinces have different methods of maintaining water: Many provincial governments manage the water system and supply as part of their public works ON is one province that has privatized water systems; this was partly to blame for the e-coli outbreak in Walkerton, ON Some places use water meters and charge for water use (all of MB), while others don’t (YK) Some places impose non-watering days if there has been a lack of precipitation (Victoria), while other places impose low-flow water fixtures, restrictions on carwashes, and other limitations

Garrison Diversion Project Treated water from the Missouri River would be transferred to Minot, ND, where it would enter the Red River The Red flows through MB and eventually drains into Hudson Bay The controversy over this is that non-native marine species could be introduced to the Red, harming marine life in the river which could have an economic and environmental impact Canada opposed this idea until some protection against this could be put in place At this point, a filter has been put in place where the Missouri feeds into the Red in ND, and another filter has been implemented on the ND/MB border These filters have been somewhat successful to date, but concerns linger over what will happen the next time the Red floods and the filter cannot stop the flow of the water

Water Problems Around the World China: rapid urbanization and industrialization put a strain on water, and it has been used to dispose of all kinds of waste, making it very unhealthy Underdeveloped Countries: the push to provide more food to these famine-stricken areas has put a strain on water resources India – 90% of the country’s water has been designated for farming, and the remaining water is not overly clean Middle East – water supply is limited, and underground water pools in low-lying areas; those are controlled by the countries the pools are located in, even if the water originated elsewhere

Poverty Poverty causes other problems such as hunger, disease and conflict It has many causes: • Lack of education • Lack of access to resources • Conflict and war • Trade rules that interfere with how people sell their goods and services • Discrimination

Hunger This is a problem in all countries, not just underdeveloped ones Change in this is happening slowly as the world strives to work together to eradicate it

Odious Debt A debt that is incurred by a despotic power, not to meet the needs of the people of the country but to strengthen the despotic regime Used to describe debt that: • Was incurred without the consent of the people of the state • Did not benefit the people of the state • Was incurred despite the lender being aware of these two conditions Many countries and organizations believe that countries should not have to repay odious debt, while others say debt relief is a bad deal for the world’s poor

Human Rights and Conflict The UN works to resolve conflict and human rights issues, such as the situations in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Darfur Sometimes this internationalism is more effective than others

Environmental Change