Globalization
Worksheet 9
Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 1
Impact of Globalization on the Environment
The Weeping Forests
We, the forests family,
form the largest family in
the world. Ten thousand
years ago, we used to
cover half of the Earth’s
land. By now, about onethird of the forests family
has vanished. In the
1980s,
our
tropical
forests experienced a
worldwide ‘massacre’.
Up to 16.9 million
hectares of forests were
logged each year. In
other words, forests of an
area of about half the
size of Hong Kong
vanished each day. The
speed for us to reproduce
and grow can never catch
up with the speed we get
killed.
You
human
beings are really outrageous. If this goes
on . . .
1.
Why do human beings chop down trees?
Suggested answer: We need timber to make furniture, building materials and paper.
2.
What purposes do you think forests serve? (You may refer to the following website:
http://www.csps.tp.edu.tw/digitalbook2/juniorhigh/nature-n-tech/index.htm# )
Suggested answer: They are dwelling places for animals. They provide food for.
animals They provide human beings with fuels, medicine, timber, etc. They help
promote tourism, such as eco-tourism. They cleanse the air.
Globalization
3.
Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 2
From the tree’s monologue above, identify one sentence of fact and one sentence
expressing an opinion.
Fact:
Ten thousand years ago, we used to cover half of the Earth’s land.
By now, about one-third of the forests family has vanished.
Up to 16.9 million hectares of forests were logged each year. In other
words, forests of an area of about half the size of Hong Kong vanished
each day.
The speed for us to reproduce and grow can never catch up with the speed
we get killed. You human beings are really bad.
Opinion: We, the forests family, form the largest family in the world.
Our tropical forests experienced a worldwide ‘massacre’.
You human beings are really outrageous.
4.
At the end, the tree said, ‘If this goes on…’ What do you think it wanted to say? Write
on for the tree.
If this goes on
Any answers from the students, as long as they make sense.
You humans
only care
about
immediate
benefits. Have
you considered
my feelings?
An animal from tropical forests
Timber logging has destroyed the
tropical rain forests
Globalization
5.
Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 3
What are the consequences of damaging the forests? In the puzzle pieces below, some
are about the forests being damaged and some are about the consequences of
damaging the forests. Can you match the pieces?
A.
Land surface is exposed to sunshine and rainstorms when trees are cut down.
B.
Brings about the erosion of soil, which further reduces its productivity. The loss
of soil and its nutrients also makes it hard for the forest to revive.
C.
Many forests where indigenous tribes live in are cut down.
D.
The increase of flowing water on land surface bring large amount of mud and
sand to the rivers. The mud and sand form sediment on the riverbed, which
causes flooding, which in turn brings about disruption of the ecology and threat
to the life of the people living in the estuary.
E.
Brings about forced migration or death of animals, the number and types of
which are much reduced.
F.
Their culture and customs will disappear.
G.
The dwellings and food of some animals and plants are cleared out.
About forests being damaged
A
C
G
→
→
→
About consequences of damaging the
forests
B, D
F
E
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Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 4
Logging and Globalization
Recently, a research report is published by Friends of the Earth’s UK. It points out that the
culprit in the destruction of primitive forests of Indonesia is Asia Pulp and Paper Co., one
of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. The company is a Singaporean
company, a subsidiary of an Indonesian syndicate.
It owns paper-manufacturing
factories, packaging bases and promotion departments in many Chinese cities, including
Suzhou and Ningbo. Statistics reveal China and Hong Kong account for one-third of its
total sale.
As a matter of fact, China has already become the world’s largest importer of timber. The
Chinese government has enforced forest protection and reforestation policies, because
there are not many primitive forests left in China. As a result, for their many construction
projects, businessmen from Hong Kong and Taiwan and foreign countries are investing in
China which imports large quantities of timber from nearby developing countries, such as
Burma, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Source:
http://e-info.org.tw/reviewer/kevin/2001/re-kevin01091001.htm
http://e-info.org.tw/reviewer/kevin/2001/re-kevin01092401.htm
Interesting Figures
17 trees can be saved from the fate of being
chopped down by the recycling of a ton of paper.
Globalization
Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 5
Forests and Carbon Dioxide
Plants absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis so as to
produce the nutrients they need. They then give out oxygen.
Therefore, forests have the function of regulating the
constituents of the atmosphere.
What is the relationship between carbon dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect?
The following shows the relationship between carbon dioxide in the air and temperature
change. Rearrange the sentences in their correct order, and fill in the diagram.
A.
Energy on the Earth surface will dissipate into the space.
B.
Increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the air will cause air temperature to rise.
C.
Sunlight enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
D.
Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide absorb the energy emitted from the Earth
surface.
Diagram showing the relationship between carbon dioxide in the air and temperature change
1.
2.
C
4.
A
3.
B
D
Carbon dioxide can absorb heat energy emitted from the Earth surface and prevent a
drastic fall of Earth’s temperature. However, persistent increase in the amount of carbon
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Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 6
dioxide in the air will continuously raise the Earth’s temperature. It is like a greenhouse
that keeps the Earth’s energy, hence the Greenhouse Effect.
Group Discussion
What is the impact of continuous global temperature rise on humans and the environment?
You may refer to the following website:
Hong Kong ObservatoryÖEducational Resources Ö Topics in Meteorology Ö
Climatological Phenomena Ö Green House Effect
<http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/greenhs/e_grnhse.htm>
Suggested answer:
Ice in the two poles melts, causing a rise in global sea level and the flooding of lower
areas and coastal plains.
Coastal marsh areas disappear due to the rise of sea level. This reduces the amount of
fish, especially mollusks. Water in river mouth areas becomes salty, and so the types
of fresh water fish drop. On the other hand, sea fish in the areas may correspondingly
increase.
Heat waves attack certain places of the earth, affecting human health.
Atmospheric circulation may be affected, which in turn changes global rainfall
distribution.
Regional rainfall might undergo changes. Some areas might have more rainfall,
whereas other areas less.
Interesting Figures
Forests regulate the temperature on the Earth’s surface. Each tree can absorb twelve
pounds of carbon dioxide, which is the best way to fight the Greenhouse Effect. The
oxygen produced by the trees also reduce the amount of suspended particulates in the air.
Globalization
Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 7
How to tackle environmental problems caused by globalization and
environmental problems in developing countries?
Now let us call an Earth Summit. The issue for discussion is: How can the problem of
global temperature rise (the Greenhouse Effect) be solved?
We need to develop our forest industry to
maintain our national economy. If the forests
need to be protected, developed countries
have the duty to provide us with financial
and technical aid.
A
We have always been using the
method of burning down forests
to obtain farmland. We won’t
have land to farm if we don’t
open up forests. How can our
family make a living?
C
Developed countries should provide
financial aid to developing countries. Both
developed countries and developing
countries should place importance on
educating the people about environmental
protection, in order to reduce waste.
Multinational companies have the duty to
make the forest industry and reforestation
sustainable.
D
We have provided aid to developing
countries so that they have the money to
carry out environmental protection works.
However, it isn’t fair to monitor only the
developed countries. We anticipate that by
the year 2010, most exhaust gas will be
emitted
by
developing
countries.
Restraining developed countries only does
not help.
B
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Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 8
Infer speakers’ identity from what they say. Who support environmental protection, and
who don’t? What are their arguments?
Identity
A
A representative from a
developing country
B
Factors for consideration
Development of the economy of
9
A farmer from a
developing country
C
Agree with
Environmental
Protection
his country
Ability to support his family
8
An environmentalist
Environmental protection
9
D
A representative from a
developed country
Principle of fairness
9
Reference Materials
The Kyoto Protocol
Abnormal climatic changes have been occurring in various parts of the world. Many
scientists have published data on the rise of global temperature which threatens human life.
People are more and more concerned about how to alleviate the problem of greenhouse
effect. Solutions have been proposed. International focus has been centred on the Kyoto
Protocol, which seeks to control global exhaust gas emission.
The origin of the Kyoto Protocol dates back to 1979, when the United Nations held an
international convention on climate in Kyoto, Japan.
It seeks cooperation from countries
in the control of greenhouse gas emission. At the meeting, representatives from more than
a hundred countries unanimously agreed to the control of gas emission and initialed the
Kyoto Protocol.
The Kyoto Protocol requires developed countries to control their greenhouse gas emission
and reduce by 5.2% of their 1990 gas emissions level by 2008-12.
Among the developed countries, the attitude of the United States was especially
unyielding, as control of greenhouse gas emissions might affect its industrial development
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Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 9
and result in economic loss. The U.S. representative refused to make any promise on
compromise. The meeting could not reach an agreement on the Protocol.
As it is, the Kyoto Protocol’ has remained without binding power in the past 22 years. For
many years, the exhaust gas emission in many countries has increased rather than reduced.
By 29 March 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush officially refused to implement the
Kyoto Protocol. He indicated firmly that the United States would not sign any treaties that
would damage the American economy, and that he would not demand power generating
plants in America to reduce their emission level of carbon dioxide.
The United States has only 4% of the global population but, being the world’s largest
exhaust gas emitting country, its carbon dioxide emission accounts for 25% of the world’s
emission. Its withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol has very serious consequences for the
world.
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Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 10
Between Environmental Protection and Economic Development
We should pay attention to the protection of our environment when we develop our
economy. Otherwise, the consequence can be disastrous.
List the possible consequences of the following cases:
A. Over-ploughed farmland
Depletion of soil; reduction in yield of farm produce
B. Massive killing of whales
Reduction in number of whales, extinction possible, ecology affected
C. Pouring large quantity of untreated sewage into rivers
River ecosystem damaged; water for daily use by residents along rivers polluted.
D. Massive exploitation for petroleum
Petroleum will be used up one day; fuel supply for future generations threatened.
What kind of environment will future generations inherit if we care only about economic
development and ignore its effects on the environment?
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Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
p. 11
‘Sustainable development’1 means “Development which meets the needs and aspirations
of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.” Sustainable development puts emphasis on the balance of ‘social’,
‘environmental’ and ‘economic’ developments. For instance, it will not be a balanced
development if we concern ourselves only with constructing houses and neglect the
damage to the environment. Similarly, we should not consider environmental factors only
and forget the need for social development.
With regard to the above cases A to D, how can we attain sustainable development, i.e.,
take equal care of social, environmental and economic developments?
Suggestions for Sustainable Development
A.
Over-ploughed farmland
Help farmers develop new farming techniques;
explore new land for farming; make use of
high-yield seeds to enhance production; create
sources of income other than farming…
B.
Massive killing of whales
Enact laws to prohibit catching and killing of
endangered marine lives; set up fishing moratorium
periods…
C.
Pouring large quantity of
Build sewage treatment plants; reuse and purify
untreated sewage into rivers
waste water…
D.
Massive exploitation for
Open up other resources; save energy …
petroleum
_______________________________________________________________________________________
___
1
Sustainable Development is a concept first elaborated in the report Our Common Future published in 1987
by United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). At the United Nations
Environment and Development Convention held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the participating
countries passed a document of guiding principles and officially adopted WCED’s definition of the term
‘Sustainable Development’ as “Development which meets the needs and aspirations of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
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Worksheet 9 Impact of Globalization on the Environment
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Quiz
How much do you know about “sustainable development”? Visit the following website
and give yourself a test.
http://www.ied.edu.hk/esdweb/interact/sustain.htm
A Look at Sustainable Environment
According to the most recent survey report on the world’s environment published by the
United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), the
environment of the entire world, from drinking water and air to oceans and forests, is
worsening in all aspects. According to the report, 12% of the mammals and 11% of the
birds on Earth are facing extinction; 150 to 200 species of organism cease to exist every
24 hours; 23 billion tons of carbon dioxide is being emitted into the atmosphere every year;
the world’s forests areas are reducing at an annual rate of 10 million hectares; half of the
world’s rivers are seriously polluted; 1.1 billion people have no access to safe and
hygienic drinking water; and, 80 countries, with 40% of the world’s population face a
serious shortage of water. Human beings have long over-exploited natural resources, and
when they destroy the Earth’s environment, they are at the same time destroying
themselves.
What kind of environment would you like to live in the future? As ‘environmental
protection begins from everyday life’, how do you practise protecting our Earth in your
daily life?
Students can express themselves freely in an informed manner.