150 likes | 266 Views
Europe Today. Unit 4 – Chapter 13. I. Section I. Living in Europe. A. Changing Economies. The European Union (EU) Made it easier to trade goods with other countries 1992 – Maastricht Treaty – set up EU Eastern Europe
E N D
Europe Today Unit 4 – Chapter 13
I. Section I Living in Europe
A. Changing Economies • The European Union (EU) • Made it easier to trade goods with other countries • 1992 – Maastricht Treaty – set up EU • Eastern Europe • For more than 40 years after WWII, communist governments loyal to the Soviet Union ran command economies • 1989 – Fall of communism • Have been moving from command to market economies • Have been trying to become more industrialized • This kind of change takes lots of time and costs lots of money!
B. Industry • Manufacturing • Heavy Industry – the manufacturing of machinery and industrial equipment • What are some examples of these things? • Light Industry – making of textiles or processing foods • Service and Technology Industries • Service - 60% of workers in W. Europe • Banking, Insurance, Tourism
C. Agriculture • Farming Techniques • Mixed Farming • What is this and why is it used? • Farm Cooperatives – share in growing & selling products • Collective Farms vs. State Farms • What is the difference? • Agricultural Issues • Genetically modified foods – foods with genes altered to make them grow bigger or faster or be more resistance to pests • What do you think? • Organic Farming • What is this?
D. Transportation & Communications • Railways and Highways • Railways connect major cities so many people can travel by train • In 2000 Denmark & Sweden opened a rail and road bridge that links Sweden to W. Europe for the first time since the last Ice Age • In 1981, trains a grand vitesse (TGVs), which means “very fast trains” were pioneered in France
D. Transportation & Communications (Cont.) • In 1994, the Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) – a high speed rail that connects two major cities, while traveling about 150 ft. under the sea bed! • Connects London and Paris • The 31-mile trip under the English Channel takes about 20 min. • The whole journey from London to Paris takes about 3 hours
D. (cont) • Seaports & Waterways • Rotterdam, Netherlands, is the world’s largest port in surface area, amount of freight handled, and numbers of ships it can dock at one time. • Many navigable rivers • Communication Links • Satellites • Better technology in W. Europe
II. Section II People & Their Environment
A. Humans & the Environment • Dry Farming • The Delta Project • Dams and dikes built to seal off and protect the Netherlands’ coast • Floods • Global warming to blame???
B. Pollution • Europe pollution • Many parts of Europe have not dealt wisely with their environment • “Black Triangle” • A heavily industrialized area in Poland, eastern Germany, and the Czech Republic, soot covers the ground, and air bears the smell of sulfur from smokestacks! • Before 1989 eastern European countries had practically no laws to control pollution
B. (cont) • Acid Rain • Very severe effects in E. Europe • Lignite coal is still the main fuel source • Damages forests, animals, buildings/architecture, fish (often through lakes or rivers (meltwater) • Automobile exhaust also contributes • Acid Deposition – know what this is! • Air Pollution • Problem in Europe – causes asthma & other respiratory problems • Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic are some of the most polluted in the world – mostly factories
B. (cont) • Global Warming • Environmentalist are very concerned with the quality of the environment in this region • Greenhouse Effect – make sure you know what this is! • The burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gasoline) significantly raises the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere • Global Warming • Water Pollution • Mediterranean Sea • Countries bordering this sea often dump waste, sewage, garbage, and industrial waste into it • Since there is only a small opening to the Atlantic Ocean (Strait of Gibraltar), it takes almost a century to renew the waters of the Mediterranean completely!
C. Reducing Pollution • Concern for the Environment • Preserve forests • Reintroduce wolves • Cleanup Efforts • Guidelines by the EU • Smog check-ups for automobiles • Acid-resistant coatings on buildings & statues • Lime is added to the lakes to reduce acidity so fish don’t die • Plans for the Future • In order to be admitted into the EU, the country must follow environment standards • It is estimated that cleanup costs would be about $120 billion, so many E. Europe countries are borrowing money from W. Europe countries • Remember: If one country pollutes, it effects all countries! • Make sure you read pgs. 326-327!