Our Modern WorldChapter 33 Human Legacy

How did we get here?

Objectives:• Students will discover trade patterns and their effects on the global

community.

• Students will determine the impact of oil and Islamist movement on Middle Eastern culture.

• Students will identify threats to security of the modern world

• Students will investigate the ongoing struggle for human rights around the globe

• Students will discover the significance of climate change on human society.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the world was divided over a number of political, cultural, and economic issues.

• Despite divisions, countries tied together like never before

• Globalization is force behind closer relationships

– Process in which trade, culture link countries

– Cultural Exchange

– Improvements in transportation, communication make global trade easier

Globalization

• Major effect of global trade, increased economic interdependence

– Relationship among countries in which they depend on each other for resources, goods, services

– Occurs because countries vary in goods, services they provide, need (specialization)

Interdependence

Trade and Globalization

Economy• Goods, services nation provides and needs depend on level of economic

development in that country• Countries grouped in two categories: developed, developing

Developing• Less productive economies, lower standard of living; Guatemala, Philippines• People in these countries lack adequate education, health care• Poorest, least-developed countries located mostly in Africa, southern Asia

Developed• Industrialized nations have strong economies, high standards of living• 20 percent of world’s nations wealthy, powerful like Japan, United States• Have access to good health care, education, technology

Developed and Developing Countries

Growth and Outsourcing

Multinational Corporations• Increasing interdependence and dramatic growth of multinational corporations—

large companies operating in multiple countries

• Benefits to companies

– Outsourcing—having work done elsewhere to cut costs, increase production

– Manufacturing facilities in developing countries, where materials, labor relatively inexpensive

• Outsourcing

– Advocates say: creates jobs and wealth in developing countries

– Critics say: fails to improve standard of living, outsourcing causes job loss in company’s home country

Global Trade

However, oil has also been a source of conflict.

Over the last few decades, major conflicts have erupted in the Middle East. Issues that have contributed to the conflicts include the presence of huge oil reserves, the growth of Islamism, and the conflict between Israel and its neighbors.

• About two-thirds of world’s known oil reserved located in Middle East

• Reserves have been great source of wealth for Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, other countries

• Most members of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Oil in the Middle East

Middle East Issues

• OPEC attempts to regulate production of oil exports to maximize revenues

• Oil revenues allowed Middle East governments to modernize countries, promote industrialization, economic, social development

Oil Revenues

Importance of OilOil as source of conflict in Middle East • Some governments have used oil revenues to build up military, maintain

power, threaten neighbors

• Oil wealth has caused internal clashes within countries, societies

• Region’s strategic importance as source of oil has led outside nations to become involved in Middle Eastern affairs, politics

1973 Oil Crisis

• That year, Egypt and Syria, with the support of other Arab nations, launched a surprise attack on Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

• Israel went on full nuclear alert, loading warheads into planes and long-range missiles.

• The United States chose to re-supply Israel with arms and in response, OAPEC decided to retaliate against the United States, announcing an oil embargo. It lasted until March 1974.

• Consequences– High Prices, Rationing, alternative energy research, Growing distrust between Oil

producing countries and their trading partners

• Egypt, Iran, Iraq have seen growth of Islamism; has led to conflicts within society, government

• Some extremists have used violence to bring about changes, have attacked regional governments, their allies, innocent civilians

Conflicts, Violence• Movement to reorder government,

society according to Islamic laws

• Islamists believe Muslim countries have strayed from true Islam, followed Western models of political, economic development

Islamists

Growth of Islamism

In addition to terrorist attacks, there are other threats to global security.

• Many countries possess weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including

– Biological weapons

– Chemical weapons

– Nuclear weapons

• Can cause enormous amounts of destruction

• Terrorist groups, governments seek to use for own purposes

Dangerous Weapons• Made with organisms, toxins found

in nature; easy, inexpensive to develop

• Diseases, poisons like anthrax, plague, smallpox

• 1972, more than 70 nations signed treaty prohibiting production, possession

• Officials worry about biological attacks by terrorist groups

Biological Weapons

Threats to Security

Multiple Threats

• High-tech weapons threat: have power to destroy, kill

• Ethnic, religious conflicts threat: create willingness to destroy, kill

French, UN Troops

• Worked to maintain ceasefire in Rwanda until new government could establish order

• 1998, some involved in the genocide convicted, executed

Tutsi, Hutu

• 1994, tensions between Tutsi, Hutu ethnic groups led to massacres in Rwanda

• 1 million people killed, another 2 million became refugees

Darfur

• Early 2000s, similar situation in Darfur: Arab militias attacked African villagers

• By 2006, 400,000 killed, 2 million fled to refugee camps

Ethnic and Religious Conflicts

The movement of people around the world has increased dramatically in recent years. Some people move in search of better opportunities, while others are refugees, seeking safety in another nation.

• Many factors cause people to migrate to a new place

• Some “push” people to leave homeland

• Others “pull” people to new places

Migration• Push factors that

displace people:

–War

– Persecution

– Poverty

• Pull factors include opportunities for jobs, better life

Push, Pull Factors• Migration changed by

globalization

• Migrants can quickly travel far from home

• Can settle in places very different

• Mixing of cultures can be dramatic

Globalization

Population Movement

• 1948, United Nations issued Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• All people deserve basic rights “without distinction of...race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status”

• 1975, Helskini Accords signers agreed to respect human rights

Statements on Human Rights

• Violence, human rights abuses not new

• Globalization has made world more aware

• In recent years, many nations have pledged to respect human rights

Globalization and Human Rights

Human Rights

Human Rights Abuses

In spite of agreements, torture, slavery, killing, other abuses daily occurrences in some countries

• Most common in countries not democracies or in process of establishing democracy

• Some groups at greater risk than others– People who disagree with their government

– People who are members of religious, ethnic minority

– Women and children

Although globalization is improving the lives of some people, many still face major challenges like poverty, disease, or natural disasters.

• More than 20 percent of world’s people live on less than $1 per day

• Poverty has many causes

– Lack of natural resources– War– Poor government planning– Rapid population growth

• One result—famine, extreme shortage of food

Poverty

• Globalization has made controlling disease challenge for entire world

• International air travel allows disease to spread rapidly

• 2002, SARS pneumonia appeared in China, spread to Asia, Europe, Americas

• Hundreds killed in epidemic, contagious disease outbreak

Disease

Global Challenges

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

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

How To Fight

• Could bring disastrous changes in Earth’s climate

• Rising Sea Levels

• Extinction of Animals

• Increased precipitation and storms

• Decreased areas for agriculture

Global Warming

Pollution

• 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