Globalization and

Sustainability Chapter 11

To what extent should

globalization affect

sustainablility?

IQ # 1 WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN?

IQ #2 HOW ARE GLOBALIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY RELATED?

IQ # 3 HAVE EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY BEEN SUCCESSFUL?

This chapter deals with the following questions

ecological footprint

sustain

sustainability

stewardship

flag of convenience

IQ # 1 WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN?

Canada’s ecological footprint•ecological footprint = load people impose on nature (how much productive land and water resources used)•Canada has a much larger ecological footprint (7.25 hectares per person) than people in most countries• If everyone consumed what Canadians do, we would need four more planets like Earth

Some Factors That Affect Ecological Footprint

Ecological Footprint of Canada and Selected Cities

Bangladesh’s ecological footprint•one of the world’s smallest ecological footprints•Bangladesh is one of least developed countries – little money to spend of consumer goods•consume less so produce less waste

Components of Bangladesh’s Ecological Footprint Bangladesh and Canada: A Comparison

Bangladesh farmer (left) Dhaka, capital city of Bangladesh (right)

What factors might contribute to the differences?

Average Ecological Footprint by Region

Global Perspectives on Ecological Footprints

•70 per cent of the world’s people has a footprint smaller than 1.89 (the amount available for each person)•The remaining 30 per cent consume about 90 per cent of the world’s ecological capacity.•The Kogi people believe they are responsible for looking after the “heart of the world” (mountains of northern Columbia)

The Resource Gap

•the gap between the resources the earth can supply and what people now consume presents a challenge•The world’s population is expected to grow by 2-5 billion but the earth’s resources are fixed•The UN, individuals and groups are promoting the idea of environmental stewardship (accepting responsibility for ensuring the earth’s resources remain sustainable

Population Projections, 1950 – 2050

IQ # 2 HOW ARE GLOBALIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY RELATED ?

Where Ships are Built•The rise of global trade and a need to replace older ships has left shipbuilders struggling to keep up with demand•Shipbuilding has shifted from Europe and US to Asia – labour costs are lower in Asian countries such as South Korean, Japan and China•Shipyards make heavy demands on electricity and water supplies and generate large amounts of solid and toxic waste

Ships and the Environment

• A single container creates as much pollution as 2000 diesel trucks

• Ships carry millions of liters of seawater in their hulls as ballast – this water is pumped around to balance ship and is pumped out as ships are loaded and in as ships are unloaded

• One study found that water (from Europe) pumped out in Canadian ports contained invasive species that cause problems in the Great Lakes

Flags of Convenience•Many merchant ships operate under a flag of convenience (called flagging out)•Flagging out occurs when a ship is registered (and flies the flag of) in a different country than the ship’s owner•The advantages of flagging out include: lower costs for registrations fees; ease of registration; weak environmental and labour laws.•Environmental law in countries that offer flags of convenience are often less strict than rules in Europe and North America

Some Countries Offering Flags of Convenience

Flags of Convenience

Who benefits and who is harmed by the practice of flagging out?

Disposing of Old Ships• When ships are 25-30 years old,

they become too expensive to maintain – are scrapped

• Each year about 700 ships end up on the beaches of countries like Bangladesh

• Shipbreaking is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world – lack of safety standards

• Hazardous materials (asbestos, fuels) are released into the environment

VOICES“Although the problems might seem insurmountable, there are a number of practical measures that can be taken . . We need a global partnerships of ship owners, ship breakers, employers, trade unions and , or course, government inspectors who will see that these standards are enforced. This is yet again a test for globalization and decent work.” Paul Baileuy, shipbreaking expert for the International Labour Organization, 2006

IDEAS pg 270Should all

industries and governments be encouraged to adopt stricter environmental

protection laws? Who do you most

agree with?

Some Existing Controls on Shipbreaking

IQ # 3 HAVE EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY BEEN SUCCESSFUL?• The sustainability of economic activities is a growing concern

worldwide.• Environmentalists, governments, industries, and individuals are

making efforts to improve the sustainability of many economic activities Most Canadians support action to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate

change.

The Kyoto Protocol

Alberta Tar Sands

Alternative Energy Sources

Wangari Maathai – Green Belt Movement