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Superpowers and the environment - Coggle Diagram
Superpowers and the environment
Alaska: Oil drill auctions
Local environment costs: habitats are destroyed e.g. Porcupine caribou, potentially could be extinct. Water is polluted which locals may drink=ill?
Global environmental cost: Permafrost melts, releasing methane into the atmosphere which enhances the greenhouse effect
Oil will have to be transported out so infrasturcture will be built= local people displaced
USA wants to compete with other superpowers so need more energy: This will allow them to have energy security and energy independence
Australian airport in Antarctica
Blast petrol at rookeries and disturb penguin colonies
15,000 tonnes of concrete in the wilderness
A 2 mile runway will increase human footprint by 40%
Will spark other competing countries to build airports
Jakarta air pollution
25th June air quality index was 240, London was 12 and San Fran was 26= 20 x worse in Jakarta, Indonesia
MINT country so trying to grow their economy, increasing secondary industry, factories= pollution
Facts from graphs
30% of CO2 emissions come from China, 15% USA. Being a superpower requires energy
MINT countries have large populations= higher consumerism= increasing energy= worsens environment
GDP growth: Most of the superpowers have the largest GDP, MINTs have had 50% GDP growth as they have the biggest populations
China's CO2 emissions increased rapidly since 1965
In the 1980s developed nations emissions have levelled off as they outsourced elsewhere
General social economic imacts from CC
More conflict to gain access to limited resources: violence= refugees flee to other countries, weapons are expensive so LICs cant compete
Have to adapt to sea level rise: islands will disappear e.g. Maldives= no tourism, less incomes. Insurance price rises as places become riskier which decreases m effect
Diseases will spread faster due to higher temperatures, putting pressure on healthcare, taxes may increase to cover costs, less workforce if sick
Food prices will increase: Basic goods price will go up as it will be harder to grow food, increase malnutrition
Predicted that they'll be 250,000 disease deaths by 2030, 7 million from air pollution, 4 degree C temp rise
In theUSA record numbers of hurricane and wildfires cost $60b damage
6/10 major events took place in Asia with India and China paying $40b in damage
Brazil
Wants to grow their GDP as it is lagging behind India. To grow it he sells land to allies who in return fund his political campaigns for using resources. Corruption
Deforestation drivers since 2001-13: 63% pasture, 12% small scale, 6% selective logging, 9% fire, 7% crops
Since his power, deforestation has doubled, average of 1 football pitch/min
Soy plantations for animal feed and vegan alternatives. Brazil are the highest exporter 57m tonnes which is 4 x higher than USA's exports
New president Jair Balsonaro is right wing populist who denies CC/covid19. Economic development is most important, environmental issues don't concern him
Plastic waste
Strong correlation between the amount of plastic waste and level of GDP
Since 1917 when there was barely any plastic, plastic pollution million tonnes per year has risen from almost 0 to 400m tonnes in 2017
Highest polluters with over 50m tonnes a year are USA, China and Brazil