Global concerns about the physical environment are disproportionately influenced by superpower actio (Edexcel A-Level Geography): Revision Notes
Global concerns about the physical environment are disproportionately influenced by superpower actions
Superpowers have Very Large Resource Footprints
↳ Maintaining a large economy, a military machine with global reach & a population - Requires energy, mineral, land and water resources
Eg. China accounts for over ½ of global coal consumption but has under 20% of the population Eg. In 2017 USA was the world's largest consumer of oil, wood, cocoa powder and beef
Growing Middle Classes
An ↑ in middle class in emerging countries - people get wealthier
↳ Growing middle classes consume more because they buy more products: Phones, clothes, heating, AC etc
High Resource Consumption Generates Environmental Issues
- Urban air quality is low in emerging power cities due to excessive coal burning
- Demand for fossil fuels = High CO2 emissions (global warming)
- Deforestation and land degradation as emerging powers seek to convert more land into farmland and continue to urbanise
- Going further afield to access resources such as the Arctic
- Landscape scarring from mining
- ↑ water pollution from industry, agriculture and energy extraction
Other Consequences of Increased Consumption:
- Key resources such as water, oil becoming less available and ↑ in costs
Willingness to Act
The superpowers are mainly to blame for the world's CO2 emissions ∴ it is imperative that superpowers and emerging powers take the leading positions in ↓ CO2 emissions
↳ The main fear is that by ↓ emissions and environmental degradation, it may slow their economic growth
Levels of Commitment
| China ● World's largest emitter of CO2 ● Signed the Paris agreement (↓ global warming to <1.5°C ● China are investing billions into renewable power ● Trying to offset CO2 emissions w/ tree planting programme | USA ● 2nd largest emitter of CO2 ● Trump pulled out of Paris agreement saying it would be bad for US economy and jobs (Biden has subsequently rejoined) ● In response to Trump's decision many US states formed their own agreement to commit to meeting the Paris agreement |
|---|---|
| Russia ● Contributes approx 5% of global CO2 ● Signed Paris Agreement, pledging to ↓ emissions by 30% by 2030 ● By 2018, no sign of improvement ● Russia have very powerful oil and gas companies, making it harder to ↓ emissions | The EU ● Already ↓ CO2 emissions by 22% between 1990 and 2016 ● EU member countries on track to meeting target ● EU has passed laws to ↑ the share of energy production in renewables ● New cars and vans made in EU must also meet lower CO2 targets |