Question of the Day: Name:
Country Point of View

 

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Each country has a point of view on global issues. For the oceanography course, we are mostly interested in global environmental issues. We all share the same atmosphere, oceans, and many of the ocean fisheries. What one country puts into the atmosphere will be felt by all countries. The same is true for the oceans, fisheries, etc. There are other political and economic issues where this is true. For example, if the price of oil rises, it affects all oil importers. If interest rates rise globally, borrowing becomes more expensive. While immigration is a global issue, the social and economic interactions among the worlds countries is beyond the scope of this course. However, we should keep in mind that science, the environment, and politics do not operate in isolation.

This activity encourages us to look at global environmental issues from the point of view of two very different countries.

Form a discussion group of two or more and use your existing knowledge to develop a Òpoint of viewÓ for one of the countries. A class discussion will follow in a few minutes.

Glitzbergen is industrial, highly developed and very modern. Its citizens enjoy high incomes. It imports 65% of its energy. It is a democracy with a low population growth of 1% per year. There is a large strike slip fault running through part of the country and it has one active volcano near a population center.

Other facts about Glitzbergen:

  • Population: 290 million
  • Per capita GDP: $37.600
  • Inflation rate: 1.6%
  • Unemployment: 5.6%
  • Budget: $2.1 trillion
  • Electric production: 3.7 trillion kWh (kilowatt hours)
  •  fossil fuel: 71.4%
    hydro: 5.6%
  • other: 2.3% (2001)
  • nuclear: 20.7%
  • Oil consumption: 19.6 million bbl/day
  • Oil production: 8 million bbl/day
  • Total carbon emissions: 1528796 thousand metric tons of carbon/year
  • Per capita carbon emissions: 5.4 thousand metric tons/year

BananaRepublic is an underdeveloped nation in the equatorial region. Its citizens have a much lower standard of living. It is a coastal country where much of its population fishes and engages in subsistence farming. It is on a subduction zone, so there is a volcanic hazard and occasional large earthquake. BananaRepublic is inundated each year during monsoon season. It is low-lying so storms cause flooding especially in coastal areas due to surges in sea level.

Other facts about "BananaRepublic":

  • Population: 138 million
  • Per capita GDP: $1,700
  • Inflation rate:3.1%
  • Unemployment: 40%
  • Budget: $4.9 billion
  • Electricity production: 15.33 billion kWh
  • fossil fuel: 93.7%
  • hydro: 6.3%
  • other: 0% (2001)
  • nuclear: 0%
  • Oil consumption: 71,000 bbl/day
  • Oil production: 3,500 bbl/day
  • Total carbon emissions: 7984 thousand metric tons of carbon/year
  • Per capita carbon emissions: 0.06 thousand metric tons/year

Here are some questions that will be discussed:

1) How would you compare the lifestyle and populations of the two countries>

2) How do the two countries compare in their global impact on global warming?

3) What are some possible impacts of global warming on the two countries?

4) Make some guesses about the likely impact, economic and socially, of a major geological catastrophe (e.g. a very large earthquake) on each of the countries.

Here are some actions that a world body such as the United Nations might take. From the point of view of the two countries, what issues do you think might come up? Feel free to fill in the information gaps about your country with your own improvisations. Where do the Òbargaining chipsÓ lie with each country? How will a weak country negotiate with a strong one? Is military and economic power the only bargaining chip? Be creative in your thinking.

Global disaster relief fund:

1. What kind of scientific issues should be considered?

 

2. What socio-political issues should be considered?

 

CO2 and pollution emissions:

3. What scientific issues should be considered?

 

4. What socio-political issues should be considered?

 

World Fisheries Management:

5. What scientific issues should be considered?

 

6. What socio-political issues should be considered?