Today’s World Section 4 Preview Main Idea / Reading Focus Protecting the Environment Science and Technology Quick Facts: World Internet Access Faces of

Today’s World Section 4

Preview

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• Protecting the Environment

• Science and Technology

• Quick Facts: World Internet Access

• Faces of History: James D. Watson

Environment and Technology


Preview, continued

• Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts

• Video: The Impact of September 11, 2001



Reading Focus

• What are people doing to protect the environment?

• What changes are recent advances in science and technology bringing to the world?

Main Idea

People are working together to protect the environment and using science and technology to improve living conditions around the world.



How do we balance growth and development with practices that will help protect the resources and environments we all count on?

• Improved nutrition, medical treatment have led to dramatic increase in world’s population

• 1 billion to over 6 billion since 1800

• Industrialization, development have placed great strain on world’s resources, environment

• Major challenge: achieving sustainable development

Resource Use

• Economic development that does not permanently damage resources

• Try to balance need for development with protection of environment

– Limit use of resources

– Set aside areas where no development allowed

Sustainable Development

Protecting the Environment


Deserts

• Sahel region of West Africa, people struggling with desertification—spread of desert-like land conditions

• Caused partly by drought, partly by human activity

• Trees cut for firewood, livestock overgraze land

• Without plants, wind blows rich soil away; land becomes useless

Forests

• In areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, Amazon region of Brazil, deforestation—clearing of trees, taking place at rapid rate

• Trees burned, cut down to dig mines, clear land for farming, ranching

• Some species of animals, plants have become extinct as result


The global environment has been seriously affected by pollution. Human beings have always polluted their environments, but pollution did not become a serious issue until the Industrial Revolution.

• Revolution brought new industrial processes

• Created waste products that harmed water, air, land

• By 1960s, began to be threat to human survival

Threat• Countries cannot

agree on how best to fight pollution

• One debate, issue of global warming

• Rise in surface temperature of earth over time

How To Fight• Could bring

disastrous changes in Earth’s climate

• Many scientists believe air pollution caused by human activity has caused global warming

Global Warming

Pollution


• Even with environmental laws in place, pollution, toxic waste can be released due to accidents at industrial facilities

• 1984, toxic gas leak at Indian factory killed over 15,000, injured a half-million more

• 1986, meltdown of Soviet Union’s Chernobyl nuclear plant sent deadly radiation into air over parts of Europe

Accidents

• Some governments have taken legal action against pollution, global warming

• Many nations do not have strict pollution controls in place

• United States has passed many environmental laws but is one of largest polluters

• Some fear strict emissions limits could harm economic development

Environmental Laws

Laws and Problems


Find the Main Idea

What environmental issues face the world today?

Answer(s): pollution, global warming, deforestation, desertification


Science and Technology

Advances in science, technology have greatly changed world in

recent years

• New discoveries brought great benefits, raised new questions, challenges

• Space Exploration

– Data from satellites, space shuttle missions have given scientists new information about origins, development of stars, galaxies, planets

– Other data helping scientists understand earth’s climate change

• Development of new technologies from space experiments

– Scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses

– Farther-flying golf balls


More Advances

• Other advances in science, technology have led to great changes in way we transmit, receive information

• Exchange of information so important, some say this is Information Age

Digital Divide

• Not all areas of world have joined Information Age

• Difference in access to Internet and other information and communications technologies called digital divide; obstacle many trying to overcome

Instant Communication

• Space satellites transmit signals for cell phone, satellite television

• Personal computers, Internet link people, educational institutions, businesses, governments; people work, shop, maintain friendships online

The Information Age



• Great medical advances took place in years following World War II

• Medicines, vaccines developed to prevent spread of contagious diseases, treat physical, mental illness; techniques developed to transplant organs

• Advances in ultrasound, laser, and computer technology allow doctors to more easily treat human body

• Developments in study of genes, heredity have led to rapid growth in biotechnology, use of biological research in industry

• Some biotechnology companies manufacture vaccines to treat diseases

Genetics

• Other biotechnology companies genetically modify food plants

• Altering genetic makeup of plant, animal called genetic engineering

• Plants can be hardier, more productive than conventional

• Grown where other crops struggle

Altering Genetic Makeup

Medicine and Genetic Engineering


Green Revolution

• Genetically modified plants part of green revolution

• Attempt by agricultural scientists to increase world’s food production

Advocates

• Believe genetically modified crops can reduce pesticide use

• Say farmers will make more money on crops

Food Production

• Scientists developing new types of wheat, rice, other food crops

• With enough water, fertilizer, pesticides, modified crops produce more than unmodified

Concerns

• Genetically modified crops might have harmful effects on humans, environment

• Could see possible reduction of genetic diversity

Modified Crops


• Cloning offers possibilities for improving livestock, medical research

• Presents serious moral, ethical, legal questions

Possibilities, Questions

• Another use of genetic engineering being debated, cloning

• Process of creating identical organisms from a cell of original organism

Cloning

Human Genetics



Make Generalizations

How have recent advances in science and technology brought both great benefits and

new challenges?

Answer(s): possible answer—hardier crops, larger yields; debate on the ethics of DNA research and work such as cloning



Video

The Impact of September 11, 2001

Click above to play the video.

Documents

Today’s World Section 4 Preview Main Idea / Reading Focus Protecting the Environment Science and Technology Quick Facts: World Internet Access Faces of