Superpowers and the environment
- Demand for resources can cause environmental degradaton the emissions contribute
disproportonately to global warming.
- Differences in the willingness to act on carbon emissions act on reachingssigning global
agreements.
- Growth of middle class consumpton in the emerging. If it contnues it will have a huge
impact on the amount of resources available eg. Water, rare earth metals etc.
Chinas consumpton
- China is the world’s largest producer of iron ore, it is also the world’s largest importer.
- (2014) 1500 million tonnes extracted- 933 million tonnes imported.
Impacts:
Urban air quality is low in emerging power cites due to coal burning power statons, use of
open stoves, and dramatc increase in car use.
This has major impacts of public health cites such as Mumbai, Beijing and shanghai regularly
have air quality that exceeds safe limits.
Co2 emissions are at the highest they have ever been in 800,000 years. In 2004 the global
recession meant that there was a lower demand and things were looking beter for the
environment.
Land scape scarring, oil spills, deforestaton and burning fossil fuels are the highest risk
impacts.
Emerging middle class- foodstuffs- cereal consumpton up by 364%, meat by 99%, fruit and
nuts by 98% and coffee and tea by 71%.
Consumer goods- perfume consumpton up by 133% and pharmaceutcals by 87%.
Brazil are chopping down an area the size of Brazil every year to maintain space for livestock
agriculture.
Outline how the major powers feel about co2 emissions.
- Demand for resources can cause environmental degradaton the emissions contribute
disproportonately to global warming.
- Differences in the willingness to act on carbon emissions act on reachingssigning global
agreements.
- Growth of middle class consumpton in the emerging. If it contnues it will have a huge
impact on the amount of resources available eg. Water, rare earth metals etc.
Chinas consumpton
- China is the world’s largest producer of iron ore, it is also the world’s largest importer.
- (2014) 1500 million tonnes extracted- 933 million tonnes imported.
Impacts:
Urban air quality is low in emerging power cites due to coal burning power statons, use of
open stoves, and dramatc increase in car use.
This has major impacts of public health cites such as Mumbai, Beijing and shanghai regularly
have air quality that exceeds safe limits.
Co2 emissions are at the highest they have ever been in 800,000 years. In 2004 the global
recession meant that there was a lower demand and things were looking beter for the
environment.
Land scape scarring, oil spills, deforestaton and burning fossil fuels are the highest risk
impacts.
Emerging middle class- foodstuffs- cereal consumpton up by 364%, meat by 99%, fruit and
nuts by 98% and coffee and tea by 71%.
Consumer goods- perfume consumpton up by 133% and pharmaceutcals by 87%.
Brazil are chopping down an area the size of Brazil every year to maintain space for livestock
agriculture.
Outline how the major powers feel about co2 emissions.
