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SOC CHANGE OCCURS WHEN RANDOM & / OR SYSTEMIC FACTORS COMBINE IN COMPLEX & UNANTICIPATED WAYS TO CREATE NEW SOC RELATIONS |
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Social change comes from many sources & usually the result of several factors combining in a unique context to create the energy for & the possibility of change |
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One source of change is random or unique factors such as climate, weather, or the presence of specific grps |
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A source of soc chg is systematic factors as seen when a society w/ a relatively uniform & open culture, a stable & flexible govt, enough free & available resources, & a diverse social org of society results in econ development which changes the very structure of society, as in the case of the Industrial Rev, or the Info Rev |
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So, on the whole, social change is usually a combination of systematic factors along w/ some random or unique factors |
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THE MOST PROMINENT THEORIES OF SOC CHANGE INCLUDE THOSE OF HEGEL & MARX, KUHN, HERACLITUS, & TAOISM | |||||
There are many theories of social change which generally include elements such as structural aspects of change like population shifts, cultural or societal aspects of change, processes & mechanisms of social change, & directions of change |
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HEGEL & MARX VIEWED SOC CHANGE AS THE RESULT OF A CLASH, & THEN RESOLUTION OF CONTRADICTIONS | |||||
The classic Hegelian dialectic model of change is based on the interaction of opposing forces, which is know as a dialectic relationship |
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See Also: The Dialectic | |||||
See Also: Hegel | |||||
For Hegel change starts from a point of momentary stasis, ie the thesis |
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The thesis counters an antithesis which is the result of contradictions in the current sys, or organized opposition forces |
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The clash of the thesis & antithesis 1st yields conflict, then it subsequently results in a new synthesis |
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Hegel posited that soc chg came about as a clash of ideology, ie world systems or ways of understanding, which then changed the world |
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Marx embraced a dialectic system that was similar to Hegel's, but Marx saw change as occurring from the clash of material forces such as feudal & economic systems, as embodied in class struggles in each system | |||||
See Also: Marx | |||||
Marxism presents a dialectical & materialist concept of history wherein humankind's history is a fundamental struggle btwn social classes | |||||
KUHN BELIEVES THAT CHANGE COMES WHEN OLD UNDERSTANDINGS / KNOWLEDGE ARE DISPLACED BY NEW UNDERSTANDINGS / KNOWLEDGE B/C THE SCIENTIFIC LOGIC OF THE NEW WAY BECOMES COMPELLING | |||||
The philosopher of science, Thomas Kuhn argues in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions that people are unlikely to jettison an unworkable paradigm, despite many indications that the paradigm is not functioning properly, until a better paradigm can be presented | |||||
Societal, or as Kuhn studied, scientific revolutions, occur when new contradictory info overwhelms old ways of thinking & thus causes a 'revolution' in thinking | |||||
Kuhn examined the Copernican Revolution wherein people abandoned the idea of an Earth centric universe in favor of the Sun centered solar system | |||||
While common sense observations make it appear as if heavenly bodies generally rotate around the Earth, precise scientific observation indicated several events that could not be explained by this system such as the phases of the Moon & retrograde planetary motion, where planets appear to switch directions in the night sky | |||||
HERACLITUS SAW CHANGE AS CONSTANT & INEVITABLE | |||||
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus used the metaphor of a river to speak of change in that we never see the same river twice b/c the river is always changing / flowing | |||||
Heraclitus suggests that, in order for the river to remain the river, change must constantly be taking place | |||||
One may think of the Heraclitan model as parallel to that of a living organism, which, in order to remain alive, must constantly be changing | |||||
Heraclitus thus sees change as constant & developmental & does not directly address how & why there are periods of stability & change | |||||
A contemporary application of this approach is shown in the soc change theory SEED SCALE which builds off of the complexity theory sub field of emergence. | |||||
TAOISTS SEE CHANGE AS NATURAL, BRINGING THE WORLD INTO HARMONY | |||||
Similar to Heraclitus, Taoists see change as natural, harmonious & steady, albeit imperceptible | |||||
Taoists uses the metaphor of water as the ideal metaphor of change in that water, although soft & yielding, will eventually wear away stone | |||||
Society is like a river, though it has continuity, you never actually see or experience the same river twice b/c the water is always flowing / new | |||||
Change as the result of flexibility is slow, steady, & smooth | |||||
Change as the result of inflexibility is rapid, intermittent, & races | |||||
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SOC CHANGE TODAY IS SEEN AS THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF FACTORS WHICH RESULTS IN UNIQUE UNANTICIPATED OUTCOMES |
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Factors which may contribute to soc change include:
the physical env, contact & diffusion of culture, technology, the media, internal conflict, revs, war, planned change, & more |
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The Physical Env & Soc Change | ||||
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Contact & Diffusion | ||||
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Technology & Soc Change | ||||
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Mass Media & Soc Change | ||||
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Internal Conflict & Soc Change | ||||
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Revolutions & Soc Change | ||||
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War & Soc Change | ||||
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Planned Change, & more |
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CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL ENV CAUSES CHANGES IN HUMAN SOCIETY |
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The physical env can be a major source of soc change | |||||
The phys env limits the systems of production humans develop | |||||
People living in mountains, river areas, valleys, & other isolating areas are more difficult to unify into a society | |||||
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When climate changes, which it has from time to time (as in the Little Ice Age), or when a group moves to a new climate, soc life must adjust |
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NASA defines the Little Ice Age as a cold period between AD 1550 & AD 1850 & notes 3 particularly cold intervals: one beginning about 1650, another about 1770, & the last in 1850, each separated by intervals of slight warming | |||||
CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL ENV MAY BE THE RESULT OF NATURAL FACTORS OR HUMAN FACTORS | |||||
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While it has often appeared to humans as if the climate was a constant, we now know that the env & climate has changed as a result of 'natural' & human factors |
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As the env & climate have changed, human societies have adapted to it |
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Note that it is a pt of debate whether human action in relation to the env is 'natural' or not |
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Today we generally view human activity as unnatural, but many view humans in hunter gatherer society or in early ag society as natural as we hunted species to extinction, changed the predominant flora in a region, etc |
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Humans can change the climate, as in the expansion of deserts b/c of overgrazing & over harvesting of firewood in the mideast, no Africa, & esp Italy, Greece & England in Europe |
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NEW TECH THAT IS ADOPTED BY A SOCIETY OFTEN RESULTS IN SOC CHANGE |
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Tech is the application of scientific knowledge to a practical task |
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New tech creates new occupations & often makes the formerly inaccessible or unusable resources valuable |
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New tech often makes old occupations obsolete |
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Changes is tech can cause soc change throughout society |
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An examples of societal change brought about by tech includes the advent of agriculture, the advent of mechanical power (eg water, then steam, then combustion power), the advent of the auto, the advent of the internet, & more |
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The development of ag, mechanical power, the auto, the internet create entirely new field of occupations & industries & made other occupations & industries obsolete |
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As Marx makes clear in his discussion of tech, it is not the tech per se which causes soc change, but how society allows it to develop through particular social structures such as the extent of private & public property, control & ownership of tech, the ownership of skills & education systems, & more |
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Marx calls the social factors that interact w/ tech to determine its ultimate application in society the forces of production & the relations of production |
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See also: Marx | |||||
See also: Mode of Production |
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THE MEDIA RARELY CREATES SOC CHANGE ON ITS OWN; RATHER IT ACCELERATES THE DIFFUSION OF SOC CHANGE BY MAKING IT MORE AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE |
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The media from local org newsletters, as in the church bulletin, to Twitter, blogs, etc, is both criticized & praised as an agent of soc change |
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The effect of the media is often overstated in the sense that media more often responds to change than causes change |
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The media is more reflective of society than constructive of society |
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The speed at which info travels today has had the effect of making the world resemble a 'global village' in which everyone instantly knows what is happening elsewhere (McLuhan, 1964) |
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See Also: McLuhan, Ecological Communication |
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The instant transfer of info & the parallel transparency or openness in society both facilitate the development of soc mvmts, while making dictatorial control more difficult |
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During the Tianamen Square uprising in China in 1989 protesters used fax machines & the telephone to communicate w/ one another & the outside world |
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In the US, the Civil Rights Mvmt of the 1950s & 60s gained support as TV showed images of protesters & children being beaten & water hosed by police |
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In 1991 the failed Soviet coup plotters shut down dissident Soviet newspapers but did nothing to control the intl media who broadcast the military moving to occupy Moscow & the image of the friendly tank commander popping out of his tank to shake the hand of the coup resistors' leader, Boris Yeltsin |
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The Arab Spring revolts from Tunisia to Egypt to Syria have all been aided by both the broadcast media sending their messages & plight around the world, making it more difficult for govt to violently crack down, & by the use of social media & cell phones to communicate & coordinate protest & revolutionary activities |
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One ultimate effect of the media & social change is that it allows advocates of democracy to communicate w/ one another & w/ supporters outside the country by many conduits of communication / the media |
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One ultimate effect of the media & social change is that it allows advocates of democracy to broadcast any bloody attacks to the world, preventing them from going unnoticed |
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9. Media SS Examples
Groups: (Orgs): Most media groups today are formal orgs Positions: Mgrs., admin, reporters Relationships: similar to econ model Allocation of Resources: typical History: H-G society: gossip Ancient: Elites receive news orally by messenger Writing develops; elites receive some written communication Industrial: Use of printing press expands; Communication avail to all classes |
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Most media groups today are formal
orgs
Media sectors - entertainment - news - education - advertising |
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The Media is highly networked
Entertainment sector: similar to the Leisure / Recreation Social Structure Media networked to the Ed Social Structure Advertising is networked to Econ / Wk Social Structure News networked to Govt Social Structure & others |
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There are Four Levels of the Media, including the:
National media Regional media (large urban areas) Local media (small cities, towns, etc) The Web & Email Lists |
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Media Orgs
NBC CBS ABC Time Warner CNN Fox Movie & performing arts Books & print media |
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INTERNAL CONFLICT IS A SYMPTOM THAT SOC CHANGE IS ABOUT TO OCCUR; IN THE PAST AUTOCRATIC GOVTS SUPPRESSED CONFLICT & SOC CHANGE; TODAY MODERN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONS EXPERIENCE MORE INTERNAL CONFLICT & MORE CHANGE |
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Internal conflicts & failures serve as the focal pt for organized efforts for change such as soc mvmts, revolutionaries, terrorists, political parties, etc |
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Inequality & discrimination toward workers, African Americans, women, & homosexuals in the US gave rise to the labor, civil rights, feminist, & gay rights mvmts |
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Each of these mvmts led to soc change both in the form of changed attitudes toward these grps & in the form of legislation |
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Mvmts also originate in an attempt to minimize internal conflict by preserving past traditions |
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The English wking class & early union mvmts emerged from attempts by wkrs to preserve the rights as independent skilled craftsmen that they had existed in pre industrial times |
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Thus the first unions were craft unions who actually fought against the organization of industrial wkrs |
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Craft unions dominated the Labor mvmt until 1935 when the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) was founded | |||||
It was not until 1955 when the CIO merged w/ the lead craft union, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) to form the AFL CIO when the internal conflict btwn craft & industrial wkrs was institutionally healed |
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The anti abortion mvmt originated in an attempt to preserve what mvmt members see as traditional religious values |
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Many internal conflict have led to revolutions, the most dramatic, if also one of the rarest forms of soc change |
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SOME REVS CAUSE SOC CHANGE; SOME DO NOT
SOME REVS REPLACE ONE GOVT W/ ONE THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT; EG, FROM AUTOCRATIC TO DEMOCRATIC SOME REVS REPLACE ONE GOVT W/ ONE THAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME; EG, ONE KING REPLACES ANOTHER |
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Some revs are attempts to change the nature of a govt & sometimes to change an entire society, its econ system, its ideology, & the dist of wealth |
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Rebellions are attempts to change specific officeholders or policies |
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Although revs & rebellions are sometimes an expression of broad dissatisfaction, they often do not seek to change the structure of the govt or the society as a whole, & thus are limited forms of soc change |
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Examples of the limited form of social change via revolutions can be seen in the nearly continual occurrence of rev & war in the European Middle Ages |
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Many of the wars & revs during the Euro Mid Ages merely brought in a new King often of the same religion, who maintained the Kingdom much as it had been here |
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Some of the wars & revs during the Euro Mid Ages brought more extensive social change as when the people were forced to convert to a new religion, or a new form of social organization was implemented in the Kingdom as was the case w/ Charlemagne in France |
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On the side of revs actually resulting in broad soc change include the American Rev of 1776, the French Rev of 1789, the Russian Rev of 1917, the Chinese Rev of 1949, the Cuban Rev of 1959, the Iranian Rev of 1979, the Euro Spring Revs of 1989, & probably the Arab Spring Revs beginning in 2011 |
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The Am, Fr, Russian, Chinese, Cuban, Iranian, Euro Spring & Arab Spring Revs all changed not only the govts, but the govt type of system, as well as changing most the major social structures & relationships in these societies |
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The Russian, Chinese, Cuban Revs resulted in some form of socialism while the Iranian Rev resulted in an Islamic republic |
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The Russian, Chinese, Cuban, & Iranian Revs resulted in govts that are more centralized & more authoritarian than the ones they replaced |
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The Euro Spring Revs of 1989 (& later) resulted in establishing democracy in place of dictatorship & to make mkt forces, rather than central govt planning, as key forces in driving the econ |
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- Project: The Most Important Rev |
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Revolutionary mvmts are soc mvmts whose objective is to achieve some radical change, & remake the entire, or most of society | ||||
Revolution is a term that generally refers to a fundamental change in the character of a nation's govt, & possibly in the society, that may or may not be achieved through violent means | |||||
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Revolutionary mvmts are a type of transformative mvmt |
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A revolutionary mvmt hopes to achieve radical change through the elimination of old social institutions & the establishment of new social institutions |
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Rev soc mvmts want to completely destroy the old social order & replace it w/ a new one | |||||
The goal of a rev is the total transformation of society by destroying the old govt & replacing all current leaders | |||||
Revolutions may also occur in other areas than govt, including cultural, economic, and social activities | |||||
Rev are the most threatening to existing social order, authority, & power | |||||
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Sometimes revs have specific goals, sometimes only vague utopian dreams | ||||
For Marx, there is a clear distinction between political changes in governments and radical changes in the economic organization of society even when the former occurs violently | |||||
For Marx, most revs are simply the replacement of one political regime w/ another, while the fundamental structures of soc stay intact | |||||
The type of rev which Marx advocated was the replacement of one mode of production with another | |||||
For Marx, the history of societies is the history of class conflict or the contradiction within the mode of production between the forces and the relations of production, & thus rev must come about through class conflict, which need not be violent, but unfortunately often is | |||||
See Also: Marx's Theory of Rev | |||||
Rev is an important example of mass protest operating outside orthodox political channels, but there are other, limited situations in which uprising or outbreaks of social violence occur in the actions of street crowds or mass demonstrations | |||||
Social mvmts, i.e. loose associations of people working collectively to achieve shared ends, play key roles in revolutions | |||||
The existence of soc mvmts which receive mass support is a defining characteristic of revolution | |||||
As w/ any mass action, soc mvmts come into being in many other situations besides those of a rev mvmt | |||||
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See Also: The Forms of Revolution | ||||
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Revolutionary mvmts are rare compared to transformative or reformative mvmts |
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Revolutionary mvmts usually occur when a series of reform mvmts have failed to achieve the objectives they seek |
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There are "militia groups" in the US who believe the fed govt is evil & want to overthrow it |
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The Montana Freemen could be considered rev soc mvmts |
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Many soc mvmts have actually led to real social & political revs in their society | |||||
Most revs intend to create a better society by replacing the power structure w/ one based on different principles | |||||
The nature of revs have changed over time being extremely rare throughout most of history, then occurring sporadically in the early industrial era, & these becoming plentiful in the industrial age | |||||
See Also: The History of Rev | |||||
Many countries have also experienced unsuccessful revolutions, including Chile, Argentina, Hungary, etc. | |||||
While rare, revolutions do occur & are usually historic in nature as seen in countries as diverse as the US, Russia, France, Cuba, China, Iran, Mexico, Zimbabwe, & the Philippines | |||||
The English Parliamentary Rev in the 1500 & 1600s, the French anti monarchist mvmt beginning in the 1700s & continuing through the 1800s, the Russian Rev, the Communist Rev in China, & Fidel Castro's socialist mvmt in Cuba all succeeded in completely destroying the existing power structure & replacing it w/ a new idealized social order | |||||
Almost all 20th C revs occurred in developing societies such as Mexico, Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam, Cuba, & Nicaragua, not in industrial nations (Moore, 1965) | |||||
The revolutions that have had the biggest impact for the world in this century were the Russian Rev of 1917, Chinese Rev of 1949, & while the Cuban Rev was less important, it has had a greater impact because of the Cold War & geo-politics |
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Rev Mvmts | ||||
- The Forms of Rev | |||||
- The Socio Historical Development of Revolution | |||||
- The US Rev, 1776 | |||||
- The French Rev, 1789 | |||||
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- The Russian Rev, 1917 | ||||
- The Indian Rev, 1947 | |||||
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- The Chinese Rev, 1949 | ||||
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- The Cuban Rev, 1959 | ||||
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The Explanations of the Development of Social Mvmts & Revolutions | ||||
The Consequences of Rev |
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WAR IS ONE OF THE MAJOR AGENTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE AS SEEN IN
ITS:
A. FREQUENCY B. RESPONSE TO SOCIAL/POLITICAL CONFLICT C. SIMULTANEOUS CREATION & USE OF FAILED & ROGUE NATIONS D. FOSTERING THE DEV OF TECH E. EFFECTS ON POP, ENV, SOC FABRIC, RELIGION, ECON, POL, & MORE |
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Wars have many societal level effects, including: the redefinition of political boundaries, new tech discoveries & inventions, new forms of govt, the redistribution of wealth, the relocation of millions of people, the end of entire societies, & much more | |||||
BOTH WAR & REV CAUSE SOC CHANGE, BUT EITHER MAY ALSO LEAVE A SOCIETY UNIMPACTED, DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES | |||||
War is often assoc w/ rev b/c of the presence of armies & violence, but the two are different |
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Revs are internal conflicts, whereas war is an organized conflict btwn 2 or more societies over a significant amt of time |
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Civil war is an armed conflict among different factions w/in the same nation |
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Like rev, civil war is a major internal conflict that can lead to major soc change much as when the US Civil War led to the abolition of slavery & the expansion of an industrial econ |
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HUMANITY WAS MOSTLY PEACEFUL UNTIL COMPETITION FOR RESOURCES BECAME PARAMOUNT: WE HAVE NOT LEARNED TO SHARE |
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Hunter gatherer societies were essentially peaceful until levels of human pop increased significantly enough to create some land pressure in some areas |
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In late hunter gatherer society, where pop levels created some land pressure, there were some wars, but these were small, limited, & rare compared to today's wars |
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Since the development of ag society, humans have been more or less in constant warfare |
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For nearly all of the last 9000 years wars have occurred somewhere every year |
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THE IMPACTS OF WARS MAY LAST FOR MILLENNIA |
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The changes that result from war are often, but not always, dramatic & far reaching |
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The effects of some wars reverberate through history for centuries as for example the Euro kingdoms & Mid eastern kingdoms wars of the Mid Ages, the Mongol Invasions of the 1200s, the British wars of imperialism of the 1700s & 1800s, WW1, WW2, & many more |
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WAR IS VIOLENT ARMED CONFLICT, BTWN PEOPLE, &, OR NATIONS | |||||
According to Macionis, war is the organized & armed conflict among the people of 2 or more nations, directed by their govts |
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War is the organized armed conflict btwn grps of people or states | |||||
War is a general conflict or active hostility or contention often carried on by force of arms, as btwn nations or states or btwn parties w/in a state | |||||
For Clausewitz, war is the continuation of politics by other means | |||||
War is not found elsewhere in the animal kingdom | |||||
Since the dawn of history, but not so during the previous hunter gatherer stage of human existence, people have not always been able to resolve all of their conflicts w/o having to resort ot violence |
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Since recorded hist began, man, most war has been waged mostly by men, has been involved in hostility for different aims including power, territory, wealth, ideological domination, security, independence, & more |
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Until modern times, most wars were fought w/ limited means for limited aims, but modern weapons of mass destruction & total warfare can eliminate whole populations & endanger the survival of human race | |||||
WAR IS A FREQUENT EVENT: SOME LEVEL OF WAR HAS OCCURRED NEARLY EVERY YEAR ON EVERY CONTINENT FOR CENTURIES | |||||
See Also: A List of Wars | |||||
One of the most critical issue that the world has faced is war |
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War is not exclusive to these past 10 yrs; however, war has been redefined during this time |
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From 2001 to 2013, every continent (except Antarctica) in this world was at war or was participating in some sort of armed conflict |
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At any moment during the 20th C, nations somewhere in the world were engaged in some type of armed conflict |
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The US specifically was involved in many major conflicts since the Revolutionary War, & if you count such operations as killing Osama bin Laden, that number rises to thousands of conflicts: Rev, 1812, Civil, Cuban, Mexico, WW 1, WW 2, Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq |
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In the past 10 yrs, nearly 1.3 million US men & women have lost their lives b/c of these wars |
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Wars are a constant occurrence in this world |
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MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF WAR INCLUDING:
A. PERCEIVED THREATS B. SOCIAL PROBLEMS C. POLITICAL OBJECTIVES D. MORAL OBJECTIVES E. ABSENCE OF ALTERNATIVES, & MORE |
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Quincy Wright (1987) cites five factors that promote war including perceived threats, social problems, political objectives, moral objectives, and the absence of alternatives |
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See Also: Causes of War | |||||
NEW PRACTICES IN WAR HAVE RECENTLY DEVELOPED IN RELATION TO TERRORISM: AN EMPHASIS ON SPECIAL FORCES BY NATIONS, & AN EMPHASIS ON SMALL, SENSATIONAL ATTACKS BY NATIONALLY UNAFFILIATED CELLULAR ORGS | |||||
Our current war, 'The Global War on Terrorism' is a different war | |||||
Many of the traditional causes of war explain this conflict, but it is different in that it is modern limited war by extra national grps, ie grps that hold allegiance to no nation state . | |||||
The Global War on Terrorism is a war which does not fit the quintessential definition of war | |||||
Terrorism breaks from the pattern of traditional modern war | |||||
Terrorism has no clear line of demarcation; its lines are blurred | |||||
The enemy is not obvious, yet we are engaged in a deadly war w/ it | |||||
This war has had a detrimental effect on all nations involved & the whole world | |||||
People in the US are today less oblivious as to what is occurring around the globe, b/c the nation was attacked | |||||
TODAY 'FAILED STATES' & 'ROGUE REGIME' ARE FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENTS FOR VIOLENT FRINGE GRPS TO USE AS A BASE OF OPERATIONS TO MAKE WAR ON OTHER NATIONS | |||||
Failed states are those nations whose govt is so weak that they can neither maintain law & order, nor prevent militias from forming w/in their borders | |||||
Rogue nations are those nations who generally do not abide by UN conventions on war, human rights, etc & so are often ostracized via sanctions by the developed nations, & are therefore mostly isolated socially, economically, & politically from the global community | |||||
Failed states & rogue nations exist on every continent & while exactly who is labeled failed or rogue is highly controversial, some examples include: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, N Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, & others | |||||
In relation to the war in Afghanistan (2001- ), the people there have been living in a constant armed conflict for the better part of three decades | |||||
So war has brought our awareness of others up, & has redefined our understanding who is waging, ie who is friend, foe, innocent, ally, or neutral | |||||
The war in Afghanistan, like the war in Iraq, this time is not w/ one particular nation or people, rather it is w/ a subculture of people from across the region | |||||
WAR FOSTERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY | |||||
Some of the greatest technologies that we use today were intended for use in combat | |||||
The technology used in the current day tablets (Ipad, Kindle, etc.) were being used years ago by the military | |||||
THE EFFECTS OF WAR IMPACT ALL SPHERES OF LIFE, INCLUDING:
A. POPULATION LEVELS B. THE ENV C. THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF SOCIETIES, CULTURES, PEOPLES D. RELIGIOUS ALIGNMENT E. ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY F. POLITICAL ALIGNMENT, & MORE |
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Some of the greatest testaments to the human spirit and strength are shown during war | |||||
War's inhumanity can be seen in it's death & destruction while war's humanity can be seen in people's unbreakable bond for those he/she loves, the compassion found in those who are trying to save others, & the bonds of war that can been seen in the veterans of today's wars & wars of the past | |||||
The effects of war can last for centuries as they result in large migrations & the redrawing of national boundaries | |||||
After WW1, the bounders of the nations today known as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan & more were redrawn & are seen as a large reason for many mid eastern conflicts today | |||||
After WW2, a nation of a scattered people migrated to form Israel which today is home to the Jewish people, and | |||||
The immediate area of Israel it is still in a continual state of violence b/c this migration & the establishment of the state of Israel displace Palestine & the Palestinian people | |||||
WAR IS ONE OF THE MAJOR AGENTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE AS SEEN IN
ITS:
A. FREQUENCY B. RESPONSE TO SOCIAL/POLITICAL CONFLICT C. SIMULTANEOUS CREATION & USE OF FAILED & ROGUE NATIONS D. FOSTERING THE DEV OF TECH E. EFFECTS ON POP, ENV, SOC FABRIC, RELIGION, ECON, POL, & MORE |
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See Also: Wars & Social Change |
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SOC CHANGE CAN OCCUR AS A RESULT OF DELIBERATE SOCIAL POLICY BY GOVTS, CORPS, ORGS, POWERFUL PEOPLE, & MORE |
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SOC CHANGE MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF DELIBERATE GOVT POLICY |
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Planning soc change is perhaps the most challenging of human endeavors |
|
||||
Sometimes the intended changes bring about unforeseen & unwanted changes |
|
||||
The Chinese govt sought to control pop growth by restricting couples to one child & while the policy is effective it has had several unintended consequences |
|
||||
One unintended consequence of the Chinese one child policy is that children are spoiled & families must spend all their resources to help the one child succeed |
|
||||
One unintended consequence of the Chinese one child policy is that b/c China is so patriarchal, many couples have committed infanticide on girl babies, & thus there is a high % of boys compared to girls |
|
||||
Other examples of govt orchestrated soc change include labor laws, civil rts laws, gender equity laws, privacy laws, Social Security, Obamacare, & more |
|
||||
SOC CHANGE MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF DELIBERATE CORPORATE POLICY |
|
||||
Western corps have embraced the practice of offering fringe benefits as part of a pay package |
|
||||
Corps make policies that impact the env & thus people |
|
||||
Corps decide where development is to occur or not occur |
|
||||
Corps have fostered a culture of consumerism |
|
||||
SOC CHANGE MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF DELIBERATE ORG/SOC MVMT / NGO POLICY |
|
||||
Other orgs that have fomented social change include religions, charities, social movements, non governmental orgs, think tanks, & more | |||||
Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, & many other religions often change a society as they gain adherents, & often stabilize a society in the fact of other forces of soc change | |||||
Charities such as the United Way & Red Cross have defined the who, what, where, why, & how we come to the aid of others | |||||
The NRA has helped create a culture that supports gun use for sports & self defense | |||||
The NAACP helped create a melting pot society where diversity on many levels is embraced | |||||
NGOs such as the Peace Corp or Doctors w/o Borders have a lasting, significant impact on many societies, including the people that send/support such orgs | |||||
Think tanks from the Heritage Foundation to Plowshares influence public opinion & the larger social & political conversation in society | |||||
|
SOC CHANGE MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF DELIBERATE POLICY AS FORMED BY POWERFUL PEOPLE | ||||
Obviously billionaires can impact world history | |||||
The Coke Brothers are one of the leading forces behind the new wing of the Republican Party, the Tea Party | |||||
Bill Gates founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which is funding, & more importantly managing, many initiatives such as the global eradication of polio | |||||
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines, is also funding space exploration by developing a commercial, public transportation system to take people to space | |||||
Oprah Winfrey funds & manages the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, the Rebuilding the Gulf Coast Project & much more | |||||
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is the first female to be part of Annual 40 most powerful CEOs Under 40 List & she has sparked a new conversation of the role of women in business |
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WHILE SOME PLACES & ERAS IN HIST HAVE SEEN GREAT STABILITY, TODAY WE ARE EXPERIENCING RAPID SOC CHANGE ACROSS THE GLOBE BY ALL MEASURES |
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||||
Modernization, the transition from rural, traditional, ag societies to urban industrial, rationalistic societies, has brought both a degree of soc change & a rate of soc change unprecedented in human history |
|
||||
Rapid soc changes in the last 300 yrs include: (Deane, 1969) |
|
||||
1. the widespread application of science, starting during the ind rev & continuing to today, to the processes of production for the mkt, ie technology |
|
||||
2. the specialization of the econ activity, starting during the ind rev & continuing to today, directed to production for the mkt |
|
||||
3. the mvmt of pops, starting during the ind rev & continuing to today, from rural to urban communities |
|
||||
4. shifts in production, starting during the ind rev & continuing to today, to corp or public enterprises & away from the family |
|
||||
5. the mvmt of labor, starting during the ind rev & continuing to today, from raw materials, ie primary production, to mfr, ie secondary prod, to services, ie tertiary prod |
|
||||
6. the use of capital resources, starting during the ind rev & continuing to today, as a substitute for human labor |
|
||||
7. a 600% increase in global pop |
|
||||
8. a decline in birth rates & an even faster decline in death rates |
|
||||
9. an increase in the size & number of cities |
|
||||
10. changing econ roles for women, children, & the family |
|
||||
11. a major rise in literacy rates |
|
||||
12. a vast increase in per capita production & consumption of goods | |||||
13. sharp decreases in the cost & time for transport of bulk goods | |||||
14. the appearance of new econ & pol ideologies including capitalism, socialism, & representative democracy | |||||
15. the technical capability to destroy the human race ... & many more, too numerous to list | |||||
While many changes have occurred in the last 300 yrs, or less, it is informative to compare them to the relatively few changes of the 1000 yrs of the Mid Ages, or the 1000 yrs before that of ancient societies from Egypt to Rome, to the 5000 yrs before that of primitive ag societies | |||||
The transition from traditional society to modernity has been the most dramatic soc change in history | |||||
Habermas notes that the transition from traditional society to modernity is not complete | |||||
See Also: Habermas | |||||
Habermas notes that the majority of the nations of the world are traditional society structures, w/ hi tech aspects | |||||
Habermas notes that the modern nations still have many traditional aspects & that conservative forces w/in these nations promote traditional policies while other interests conflict w/ them, struggling to implement modernist policies | |||||
ONE REASON FOR ESCALATING SOC CHG IS THE FEEDBACK EFFECT BTWN SOCIETY & THE ENV: AS SOC CHANGES THE ENV, IT FORCES PEOPLE TO CHANGE | |||||
In the 2000s, for the 1st time in history, more people migrated due to env causes than due to war | |||||
Historically, war & econ dev had always vied for being the major cause of migration, but in the 2000s, env reasons topped the list for several yrs | |||||
Some soc scientists expect that In the future, env changes, nat disasters, crop losses, deforestation, lack of water, & more may be the major impetus for migration, war, & econ dev combined |
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THE NATURE OF BOTH WORK & SOC LIFE TODAY IS EXPERIENCING AN INCREASE IN TEMPO OR PACE OF SOC CHANGE |
|
||||
The transition from industrial society to a post industrial society is characterized by |
|
||||
a. globalization, a transition from local to world wide econ exchange & competition |
|
||||
b. a shift from an ind or mfr econ base to an info & services based econ |
|
||||
c. a renewed skepticism about worldviews based on science & rationalism & the emergence of a viewpoint sometimes called post modernism |
|
||||
Firms like Microsoft, Apple, & Google as well as restaurant & entertainment companies have experienced growth, whereas mfrs of cars & airplanes have 'downsized' |
|
||||
College graduates today will be more likely to work for a firm who provides info, services, or entertainment than for one that mfrs a product |
|
||||
If your firm does mfr a product, there is a good chance that it will be one that provides info, services, & / or entertainment |
|
||||
The amt of info & the rate of exchange has exploded |
|
||||
AS LIFE BECOMES MORE RATIONALIZED, & SUBJECT TO CAPITALISM AS ONE FORM OF RATIONALIZATION, SOC CHANGE HAS SPED UP |
|
||||
Post modernism is a critical re examination of the rationalist, scientific orient worldview that predominated during the ind era |
|
||||
The rationalist, scientific oriented worldview predominated in the industrial era |
|
||||
The rationalist pt of view created dramatic improvements in the standard of living, but it offered less in the form of meaningful philosophy of life than traditional religion |
|
||||
The rationalism of the industrial era offered little in the ay of solutions to social problem such as racism, poverty, gender inequality, mental disorders, & so on |
|
||||
Since then rationalism has allowed for the development of the social sciences | |||||
Rationalism offered a continuing speed up of social change but so far has failed to offer comprehensive solutions to social problems | |||||
Some believe that the problems of poverty & inequality are getting worse, but this is not necessarily so | |||||
Society's faith in science, technology, & 'progress' is now often questioned even as the pace of social change continues to quicken | |||||
TECH & THE INFO REV HAVE RESULTED IN AN INCREASED PACE OF SOC CHANGE | |||||
|
We are in the middle, or perhaps the beginning, of the rapid change fomented by the info rev & so it is difficult to see the consequences, but one clear unintended consequence in the 'information divide' | ||||
The concept info div connotes that some people simply do not have the technology or the skills to make use of the info rev & so are left out of a major part of society; they are: 'on the other side of the divide,' so to speak | |||||
A consequence of the info rev is it changes the way we do everything from education (on line courses), to work (tele commuting & more), to socializing (from texting to Facebook), to buying (online shopping) to the military (cyber war), to religion (tele churches), & much more | |||||
A consequence of the info rev is that there is significantly less privacy from the fact that we have all entered personal info into numerous websites to the fact that govts & corps can collect more info about ourselves than even we know ourselves, eg Google knows every single thing I have bought online, but my records are not that good |
Links |
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RAPID SOC CHANGE PROVIDES A TACTICAL LIFE ADVANTAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE, THUS SOCIETIES THAT HAVE RAPID SOC CHANGE ARE 'YOUTH CULTURES' |
|
||||
Rapid social change gives a distinct advantage to
young people over older people
|
|
||||
In an era of rapid change, older people must constantly
learn new things & “unlearn” old ones
|
|
||||
Older people also find that they have less old knowledge
that is of value to young people b/c the old knowledge has become outdated
|
|
||||
Rapid social change is one reason for the decreasing
respect for the elderly
|
|
||||
Living a long time used to mean you are esp capable
& experience was highly valued, but this is less true today
|
|
||||
Young people are primarily interested in learning
current info that can be used in present day situations
|
|
||||
But knowledge today has a shorter ‘shelf life’ in
that it becomes obsolete more rapidly than it did in the past
|
|
||||
Many people now long for simpler times; they romanticize
‘the good old days’
|
|
||||
But the good old days were typically not all that
good; people lived shorter lives & were sicker, there was greater discrimination,
religious dissenters, child labor, physical & emotional abuse of child,
& more
|
|
||||
IN EVERY CULTURE W/ RAPID SOC CHANGE, MANY ARE NOSTALGIC FOR THE PAST; 'NOSTALGICS' WILL ATTEMPT TO IMPLEMENT / RETURN TO ECON & SOC POLICIES FROM THE PAST |
|
||||
The longing for simpler times is one source of religious fundamentalism in nations ranging from the Muslim Iran to the Christian US |
|
||||
In the 70s, the Shah of Iran's rapid modernization produced anomie, ie normlessness & thus when this 'puppet' of the US was overthrown, Iran became more fundamentalist than before the West installed this puppet |
|
||||
The many changes that occurred in the US during any new era in the US has also caused periodic anomie, disturbing people's sense of security by undermining previous norms |
|
||||
A longing for the good old days can be seen w/: | |||||
- the end of the 'cowboy West' & beginning of urbanization in the late 1800s as followed by a longing for & romanticization of the West | |||||
- the rejection of the liberalization of social freedoms of the 'roaring 20s' as followed w/ Prohibition, | |||||
- the rejection of the new freedoms of the 50s as followed by the McCarthy era | |||||
- the rejection of the freedoms of the 60s / 70s as followed by Reaganism, culminating in the Tea Party Mvmt | |||||
RAPID SOC CHANGE CREATES ANOMIE, A FEELING OF NORMLESSNESS, B/C THE OLD SET OF NORMS IS BEING ELIMINATED, & IT TAKES A LONGER AMT OF TIME TO DEVELOP THE NEW NORMS | |||||
Rapid social change also increases the general level of anomie, ie a feeling of normlessness, in society | |||||
Things change so fast that people do not know what to do or how to behave | |||||
Rapid changes in the roles of men & women have led to anomie, which in turn has contributed to increased divorce rates | |||||
As more women work outside the home, the household div of labor is changing & this change is a source os stress for couples | |||||
We learn how to behave as a couple largely by observing our our parents, but for many of us, our parents had a different type of union than we do, or will have | |||||
As a society, people have not learned how to be a couple in a dual career relationship | |||||
Contrary to the arguments of those who long for a simpler past, it is not that the new system is 'bad,' but that we do no understand it, yet, & have not developed a workable set of norms to guide our behavior | |||||
The speed of change is a source of social problems not b/c of the change per se, ie changes often bring greater freedoms for some or many grps, but that we have not developed customs & norms around the new social relationships |
Links |
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SOC CHANGE IS OFTEN THE RESULT OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIST FORCES, CONTEMPORARY STRUCTURAL FORCES, & INFLUENTIAL INDIVIDUALS, IE CHANGE AGENTS |
|
||||
Understanding the causes of soc change, the effect of past soc change, the nature & extent of contemporary soc change, & forecasting future soc change are all important tasks for understanding our social world |
|
||||
Some researchers trace the origins of the Ind Rev further back in history (Chase Dunn, 1988; Abu Lughod, 1989), others are looking at the role of tech, ed, & pop change today (Meyer & Hannan, 1979; Chirot, 1986). |
|
||||
Studies of past & present soc change, along w/ studies in demographics & other areas, converge in analyses of what is to be expected in the future |
|
||||
CHANGE AGENTS MAY BE AGENTS FOR REACTIONARY CHANGE, IE RETURNING TO PAST SOC RELATIONS, OR PROGRESSIVES, IE ADVOCATING NEW SOC RELATIONS |
|
||||
The effects of individual activities on long term soc change is usually very limited |
|
||||
Exceptions to the limited effects of individuals on soc change abound as can be seen in looking at the leaders of the Fortune 500, or as Domhoff calls them, the Power Elite, social leaders such as in Time Magazine's Influential 100, & more |
|
||||
Even such powerful people may be able to alter soc trends, but they usually cannot crete or reverse them |
|
||||
An insightful leader like Mikhail Gorbachev can take steps to institute democracy in the Soviet Union, but democracy cannot take hold unless conditions favorable to it exist |
|
||||
See Also: Conditions Necessary for Democracy |
|
||||
Even w/ favorable conditions for democracy, deep ethnic & nationality conflicts can forestall democracy & modernization in general |
|
||||
Illustrations of ethnic & nationalistic conflict abound: Tiananmen Square in 1989, Former Yugoslavia in the 90s, the mideast since the 40s to the present, & Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, & the nations of the Arab Spring today |
|
||||
A key to understanding society is to determine, via social insight, is to understand the effects of leaders, individuals, & larger social trends |
|
||||
Tilly notes that every one of us plays a part in these larger societal changes, both contributing to & being affected by them |
|
||||
Today we are free to make quite different decisions regarding family relations & structures, relations btwn men & women, racial & ethnic relations, & sexual behavior than were made 2, 3, or 4 generations ago in our own society | |||||
In making these different, free decisions, we are influenced by the rapid soc change that has & is taking place in our society & thus we are in a small way, contributing to the soc change of today & tomorrow | |||||
In understanding past, present & future soc change, we will be better positioned to make useful & desirable forms of soc change |
Links |
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Links |
|||
TILLY EXAMINED REVS & SOC CHANGE & DISCOVERED THAT HIST CONDITIONS, CONTEMPORARY STRUCTURAL FORCES, & THE EXPERIENCES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE COMBINE TO FORM SOC CHANGE IN SLOW DEVELOPMENTAL FORM OR RAPID REV FORM |
|
||||
Tilly, via Sorokin (vet & victim of the Russian Rev), advocated confronting large theories of soc change w/ systematic evidence |
|
||||
It is possible to undertake large comparisons of theory applied to sweeping hist events such as revs, soc mvmts, major hist crises, trends, general soc changes, & so on, in order to seek answers to urgent contemporary questions such as the social foundations of tyranny |
|
||||
Tilly examined how & why large processes of structural change such as urbanization, industrialization, & the formation of nation states occur & the impact they have on the lives of ordinary people |
|
||||
Tilly examined what conditions & which what outcomes ordinary people act together on behalf of common interests, ie how we find common interests to act on |
|
||||
Tilly examined how large structural changes alter the conditions for collective action |
|
||||
Functionalist held that social order was normal, & deviations from the soc order were the result of system breakdowns & excessively rapid so change, & intense collective action, a symptom of sys overload |
|
||||
Contrary to functionalism, Tilly found that rapid soc change does not disorganize people & does not cause individual disorder nor collective protests |
|
||||
Tilly examined what he labeled as 6000 'contentious gatherings' that occurred from 1828 to 1834 in the UK, the period of the 1st successful popular mobilization for reform of Parliament & the expansion of suffrage |
|
||||
For Tilly analyses of collective action moved away from ideas of breakdown, disorder, & protest to ideas of organized claim making |
|
||||
Tilly's research continues around explaining the rise of military power & of the military coup as a form of succession the the world's poorer nations |
|
||||
While examining an array of topics in his research, Tilly always had at the core, the question of how large structural changes & the experiences of ordinary people mutually interact on each other w/ cause & effects dynamics running in both directions |
|
||||
Tilly's research examined factor spread over blocks of time & space about the connections btwn large structural changes such as state formation, rev, urbanization, soc mvmts, etc, & how the collective & individual experiences of ordinary people were both the causes & effects of such changes |
|
||||
Researchers, & people in general, have the bias to tell a coherent story about how events unfolded overlooking chaos, chance, contradictions, random events, & so on |
Internal
|
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Links |
|||
There are two aspects of any social / political issue that must be
addressed in order to find a societally accepted solution, including:
I. the reduction physical problems II. the process of social change |
|||||
I. The reduction of environmental physical problems in finding a solution to a social issue / problem may be accomplished via FOUR stages including prioritizing, examining context, invoking best practices, conducting a cost / benefits analysis, & proposing actual solutions | |||||
A. In order to find a solution, problems must be prioritized & examined in their context of relations & dynamic feedback loops of other problems / issues | |||||
B. In order to find a solution, the best available practices / sciences must be invoked to reduce the physical aspects of the problem / issue | |||||
The science to reduce most social problems / issues is generally available, but not applied, as seen in that we know how to reduce pollution, but as a society we choose not to | |||||
Society knows how to feed & give health care to children worldwide, but as a society, we choose not to | |||||
C. In order to find a solution, a cost & the benefits analysis of reducing / eliminating the problem must be done w/ attn paid to the economic multiplier effect & economic incidence | |||||
D. In order to find a solution actual alternatives must be proposed | |||||
II. The achievement of social change around any issue / problem can only be accomplished through the involvement of participants & the institutional of social change | |||||
A. Involvement of participants in finding a solution to a social problem / issue must seek to involve all participants in open dialogue w/ the aim of solution seeking | |||||
1. Involvement of environmental movement | |||||
2. Involvement of industrialists | |||||
3. Involvement of recreationists | |||||
4. Involvement of general public | |||||
5. Involvement of government | |||||
B. The institutionalization of social change is accomplished by way of making new social roles & relationships standardized w/in society so that they are integrated into the very fabric of society as a normal part of everyday life | |||||
1. Education of the general public on environmental issues via media, schools, etc. is generally considered to be one of the most effective ways to achieve social change | |||||
Emotionality: Many people find personal fulfillment & reward in the environment & thus solutions must take this into account: They offer a high level of energy & a clear vision | |||||
2. Environmentalists help others prioritize | |||||
3. Industrialists offer market solutions & respond responsibly to voluntary & govt mandates | |||||
4. Recreationists offer market solutions & respond responsibly to voluntary & govt mandates | |||||
5. The govt encourages voluntary change & implements laws where necessary | |||||
a. The govt passes new laws as a result of public pressure & / or govt pressure | |||||
b. The govt passes new regulations as a result of public pressure & / or govt pressure | |||||
c. The govt reforms agencies as a result of public pressure & / or govt pressure | |||||
6. Legal suits have been very important in changing environmental policy by both upholding & creating law |
Internal
|
|
Links |
|||
|
Summary:
I. The reduction of the physical problems in the env A. The env issues must be prioritized B. The best available practices must be chosen II. Achievement of social change A. Involve the participants 1. Involvement of environmental movement 2. Involvement of industrialists 3. Involvement of recreationalists 4. Involvement of general public B. Institutionalization of change 1. New laws 2. New regs 3. Reform of agencies 4. Legal suits 5. Educate general public via media, etc. Involvement in political process around issues |
||||
|
There are two aspects of any social / political issue that must be
addressed in order to find a societally accepted solution, including:
I. the reduction physical problems II. the process of social change |
|
|||
|
I. The reduction of environmental physical problems in finding a solution to a social issue / problem may be accomplished via FOUR stages including prioritizing, examining context, invoking best practices, conducting a cost / benefits analysis, & proposing actual solutions |
|
|||
The reduction of env physical problems is usually specific to particular environmental issue ranging from global warming to endangered species | |||||
|
A. In order to find a solution, problems must be prioritized & examined in their context of relations & dynamic feedback loops of other problems / issues |
|
|||
How would you prioritize environmental issues?
Usually specific to particular envl issues, a problem w/ prioritization
is that most environmental problems are interrelated
|
|||||
|
B. In order to find a solution, the best available practices / sciences must be invoked to reduce the physical aspects of the problem / issue |
|
|||
The science to reduce most social problems / issues is generally available, but not applied, as seen in that we know how to reduce energy consumption, but as a society we choose not to | |||||
Society knows how to, & has the resources to feed all the people in the US, even around the world, but we 'choose' not to | |||||
|
C. In order to find a solution, a cost & the benefits analysis of reducing / eliminating the problem must be done w/ attn paid to the economic multiplier effect & economic incidence |
|
|||
The cost issue related to env issues is never straight forward b/c, for example, reducing coal & petroleum dependency is linked to the cost of the alternative fuels, conservation, etc | |||||
And the reduction of an old industry & the expansion of a new industry has env multiplier effects which ripple through econ as jobs are lost & created, related businesses fail & new ones start up | |||||
The costs of alternatives is also linked to the econ of scale; alternatives need to be a sufficient share of the mkt in order to achieve the econ of scale | |||||
Solutions of many env problems may have actual net cost benefits for society, but require econ dev of new sectors of the econ, & econ sun setting of other econ sectors | |||||
Econ development & econ sun setting causes participants extreme social strain, but various social safety net policies can reduce this strain | |||||
|
D. In order to find a solution actual alternatives must be proposed |
|
|||
The heart of competition is freedom of choice & cost reduction is achieved through freedom of choice | |||||
The present system of envl problems operates as a "monopoly" ie, what choice do I have for my gas powered car & my coal fired electricity? | |||||
Alternative must be social alternative in the the form of, for example, public transportation, or a law which allows each citizen to have solar power which feeds back into the grid; TN has pro solar power laws, VA does not |
|
||||
|
II. The achievement of social change around any issue / problem can only be accomplished through the involvement of participants & the institutional of social change |
|
|||
|
A. Involvement of participants finding a solution to a social problem / issue must seek to involve all participants in open dialogue w/ the aim of solution seeking |
|
|||
|
1. Involvement of environmental movement |
|
|||
|
Envl orgs include all of those envlist orgs who lobby at all levels & take direct action |
|
|||
Local grps include all of those who are most likely to influence the state regulatory agency to do a better job | |||||
Any env policy must achieve some level of consensus of goals amongst envlists to be effective | |||||
|
Any env policy must work w/ other participants to be effective |
|
|||
|
Any env policy must recognize the necessity of econ priorities in that
- people need & want products - people need jobs |
|
|||
|
2. Involvement of industrialists |
|
|||
When involving industrialists in the env sol process, all costs of doing business, including 'externalities', must be recognized | |||||
An externality is a side effect or consequence of an industrial or commercial activity that affects other parties w/o this being reflected in the cost of the goods or services involved | |||||
An externality is a consequence of an economic activity that is experienced by unrelated 3rd parties | |||||
An externality can be either positive or negative | |||||
A positive externality is the pollination of surrounding crops by bees kept for honey | |||||
A negative externality is the pollution of surrounding crops by a factory | |||||
When involving industrialists in the env sol process, the limits of econ development in the industry must be recognized | |||||
When involving industrialists in the env sol process, the value of green tech vs traditional tech must be taken into acct | |||||
|
3. Involvement of recreationalists |
|
|||
When involving recreationalists in the env sol process, all costs of recreation, including impacts on the env, must be recognized | |||||
When involving recreationalists in the env sol process, the limits of econ / recreation development must be taken into acct | |||||
When involving recreationalists in the env sol process, all the types of recreationists must be taken into acct b/c sometimes recreational interests conflict | |||||
Common recreationist conflicts include hikers & horse riders, or snowmobilers & cross country skiers | |||||
|
4. Involvement of general public |
|
|||
When involving the general public in the env sol process, they must be educated to the pts of view of all the 'special interests,' including the envlists, indlists, reclists, govt, & others | |||||
When involving the general public in the env sol process, the general public itself must be educated to the fact that their participation in env issues is good for the political process; there can be no bystanders in a vibrant democracy | |||||
|
5. Involvement of government |
|
|||
When involving the govt in the env sol process, it must be 'watch dogged' by the participants to ensure it is fulfilling its duties | |||||
A lack of enforcement & non compliance by the govt w/ its own laws & regs creates corruption, & a lack of respect | |||||
When involving the govt in the env sol process, laws & regs which are not enforced must be eliminated | |||||
When involving the govt in the env sol process, the govt must be reformed to be small, efficient, & effective | |||||
|
B. Institutionalization of Social Change |
|
|||
|
1. Education of the general public on environmental issues via media, schools, etc. is generally considered to be one of the most effective ways to achieve social change |
|
|||
|
Emotionality: Many people find personal fulfillment & reward in the environment & thus solutions must take this into account: They offer a high level of energy & a clear vision |
|
|||
The instit of soc change often necessitates the education of the general public via media, the political process, etc, as to the facts of the issues & the pts of view of conflicting parties | |||||
The instit of soc change often necessitates that the political process addresses the issues | |||||
Particular env issues from oil spills to climate change to endangered species appear on the top 5 list of issues for the public, & then often a year later fall off it when in fact the issue has not changed or been addressed | |||||
The politicization of an env issue is necessary b/c it draws public attn to it, & it often results in changes of laws & regs | |||||
The instit of soc change often necessitates the prioritization of env
issues to guide:
- the public - politicians - agency bureaucrats - scientists |
|||||
The instit of soc change often necessitates that education of the issues increase the trust of the public for participants, but trust must be earned by responsible positions on the issues by the special interest participants | |||||
|
2. Environmentalists help others prioritize |
|
|||
|
3. Industrialists offer market solutions & respond responsibly to voluntary & govt mandates |
|
|||
|
4. Recreationists offer market solutions & respond responsibly to voluntary & govt mandates |
|
|||
|
5. The govt encourages voluntary change & implements laws where necessary |
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a. The govt passes new laws as a result of public pressure & / or govt pressure |
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i. The passage of laws to an envl problem must be specific & effective | |||||
ii. Congress must recognize & fulfill their role in making specific & effective laws, & oversight of govt: | |||||
Congress passes general laws & must allow agencies to implement them | |||||
Congress must pass laws where judicial decisions have set major policy; if a judicial decision is dominating policy, then Congress has shirked its authority | |||||
Laws must reflect best compromise among participants but also recognize needs of Earth / future generations | |||||
iii. Campaign & lobbying reform is needed to make law & rule making more rational | |||||
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b. The govt passes new regulations as a result of public pressure & / or govt pressure |
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Campaign & lobbying reform will help rationalize & take the 'politics' out of writing of new regs specific to an envl problem | |||||
Part of the rationalization & depoliticization of campaign & lobbying reform is to eliminate regs which are not not enforced; laws, regs, rules which are not followed encourages an ethic of 'rule bending,' or even worse, corruption | |||||
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c. The govt reforms agencies as a result of public pressure & / or govt pressure |
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i. Agencies must be reformed in order to to fulfill their duties | |||||
Lack of enforcement & non compliance by agencies w/ their own regs creates a climate w/ a lack or respect or even corruption | |||||
Agencies must eliminate regs w/in their agencies which are not enforced | |||||
Agencies must create new, rational, depoliticized regs | |||||
ii. Agencies must be reformed in order to limit undue influence while remaining in touch w/ public | |||||
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6. Legal suits have been very important in changing environmental policy by both upholding & creating law |
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Law suits are very individualized, making their strength the ability to impact very specific issues, & their weakness is the lack of generalizability | |||||
Law suits may be used to fine tune laws & regs | |||||
Law suits may be used by individuals to advocate for themselves or an issue they find important | |||||
If law suits are used to set broad policy, that policy should be passed into law or limited by law, otherwise this is a usurpation of Congressional authority |
Links |
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- Supplements: SIA |
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- Project: SIA Short Project |
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- Project: SIA Long Project |
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SIA EXAMINES THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF A POLICY & THEIR INTERACTIONS | |||||
NEPA defines Social Impact Assessment (SIA) as a method of analyzing what impact a project or action, govt or private, may have on the social aspects of the environment | |||||
The FSH 1909.17 defines SIA as a component of the Envl Analysis process in which social science info & methodology are used to determine how present programs or proposed actions may affect humans | |||||
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SIA is used by many govt agencies, & private orgs, who undertake projects which are so expansive in scope that they may impact lifestyles & ways of life of people in a community or even a region | ||||
SIA is often done in conjunction w/ projects as diverse as a shopping maul, a logging sale, or an auto plant because each of these will have major impacts on the community & even the region in which they are found | |||||
SIA & other social & econ analyses may be integrated w/ the env analysis process, the land mgt planning process, the urban development process, etc. | |||||
THE STEPS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS RANGE FROM GATHERING PUBLIC INPUT, TO ANALYSIS, TO IMPLEMENTATION, TO MONITORING | |||||
A frequently used model for planning any type of project includes the
steps of
1. scoping 2. collecting data 3. interpreting data 4. formulating alternatives 5. estimating effects 6. determining the criteria for making a decision 7. selecting an alternative 8. implementation 9. monitoring |
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SIA SHOULD BE INTEGRATED IN W/ THE PLANNING PROCESS | |||||
The env analysis process has unique tasks in each of the steps of project planning | |||||
See Also: The Env Impact Statement Process | |||||
SIA has unique tasks in each of the steps of project planning | |||||
In scoping, the social analyst conducts a preliminary investigation to identify or validate issues, select key vars for analysis, determine analysis areas, & assess data needs & sources | |||||
The purpose of scoping for the social analyst is to identify public & agency concerns & mgt opportunities & threats | |||||
In data collection & interpretation, the social analyst the depth of analysis depends on the importance of the expect social effects | |||||
In formulating alts, the social analyst should assist decision makers by clarifying the potential social impacts of each alt | |||||
In estimating the effects of the alts, the social analyst should examine all effects, direct & indirect, short, mid, & long term, & cumulative | |||||
In determining the criteria for making a decision, & selecting an alternative the social analyst should w/ the decision makers prioritize criteria & alt & choose the best alt in relation to social factors & the physical or operational goals of the proposed project | |||||
In implementing & monitoring the project, the social analyst should observe the effectiveness of the program, including mitigating efforts through direct observation, conversations w/ knowledgeable people | |||||
SIA OBJECTIVES | |||||
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The objectives of SIA are to |
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1. identify public needs, concerns, & demands |
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2. inform decision makers & the public about likely or potential social effects |
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3. contribute to effective public involvement | |||||
4. contribute to effective collaborative planning | |||||
5. assess effectiveness of program planning, implementation, & soc impact mitigation | |||||
6. operate outside our set(s) of assumptions via scientific assessments | |||||
7. decrease the element of risk of the project or action | |||||
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THERE ARE EIGHT MAJOR SIA VARIABLES |
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1. Population characteristics | |||||
2. Community & institutional structure | |||||
3. Political & social resources | |||||
4. Individual & family factors | |||||
5. Community resources | |||||
6. Knowledge, Beliefs, Values, Norms, Attitudes, Opinions, Interests, Ideologies | |||||
7. Lifestyles | |||||
8. Economics | |||||
Although every project, and every SIA, is unique, in most cases there is a series of more or less standard steps through which the analysis must proceed in order to achieve good results |
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THERE ARE THIRTEEN STEPS IN THE SIA PROCESS |
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1. Dev an effective public involvement plan, so that all affected interests will be involved | |||||
2. Conduct Scoping to identify the stakeholders & the issues | |||||
3. Identify and characterize alternatives | |||||
4. Define baseline conditions | |||||
5. Describe & project probable social impacts | |||||
6. Predict responses to impacts | |||||
7. Consider direct & indirect impacts, & short term , midterm, and long term impacts, & cumulative impacts | |||||
8. Recommend new alternatives if necessary | |||||
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9. Develop a mitigation plan | ||||
10. Implement the project | |||||
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11. Monitor the project | ||||
12. Evaluate the project | |||||
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13. Modify the project as needed |
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Links |
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- Supplement: CGI Meetings |
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- Supplement: CGI Memberships |
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- Supplement: CGI Commitments |
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THE CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE (CGI) IS HAS MANY ENV & ENERGY ORIENTED PROGRAMS EVEN THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF ITS PROGRAMS ARE FOCUSED ON OTHER GLOBAL CHALLENGES SUCH AS HEALTH, GENDER EQUALITY, ECON DEV, DISASTER RELIEF, & MORE |
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While many of CGI's projects are explicitly environmentally oriented, many projects such as those addressing issues of health, access to food & water, econ dev, resource dev, & more also have indirect env impacts | |||||
Some examples of environmentally oriented include:
1. Online Consumer Resource Center for Green Homes Commitment by: U.S. Green Building Council Focus Area: Environment & Energy Introduction: The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), w/ support from Newland Communities, commits to launch the first program in a comprehensive yearlong campaign to ed consumers about the benefits of green homes 2. Green Schools Conference Commitment by: U.S. Green Building Council Focus Area: Environment & Energy Introduction: Green Building Initiatives, sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, The Turner Corporation & Haverford College, will promote sustainable design & construction in ed w/in the next academic year by hosting a series of conference focused on green building in edl construction & renovations 3. Grants for Healthy Ecology Commitment by: Compton Foundation, Inc. Focus Area: Environment & Energy Introduction: In order to scale back global climate change, the Compton Foundation commits to provide grants to outstanding projects that will: 1. Reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions from both public & private sources; 2. Develop, advocate, & implement state & regional policy initiatives to decrease greenhouse gas emissions; & 3. Analyze & communicate the regional effects of climate change 4. SolarAid Carbon Offset Scheme Commitment by: SolarAid Focus Area: Environment & Energy Introduction: In 2006, SolarAid committed to establish a carbon partnership scheme that enables individuals, companies, & orgs to offset their own carbon emissions w/ payments that fund the installation of solar energy systems in Africa. SolarAid's model, known as micro solar, involves teaching local communities in Africa how to convert kerosene lamps into solar lanterns, which they can then sell to earn a profit as well as reduce carbon emissions |
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CGI commitments to the env & energy can focus on local env projects such as building green buildings, which also supplies wkforce training, to global projects focused on climate change | |||||
WHILE CGI HAS PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THE ENV, MANY OF ITS OTHER PROJECTS ALSO HAVE A SECONDARY ENV FOCUS WHICH IS NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF HEALTH, GENDER EQUALITY, ECON DEV, DISASTER RELIEF & MORE | |||||
Some examples of CGI projects in other areas that are also environmentally
oriented include:
1. Realizing Pro Poor Multiple Use Water Services Commitment by: Winrock International Focus Area: Global Health Introduction: Winrock International has pledged to convene a high level group of private & public water sector leaders to galvanize & accelerate emerging efforts to design, finance & pilot pro poor community managed water systems that simultaneously meet multiple domestic & productive water needs 2. Building Funding for Water & Sanitation Projects Commitment by: Wynnette LaBrosse Silicon Valley Community Foundation Agora Foundation Focus Area: Global Health Introduction: In 2006 Wynnette LaBrosse of the Agora Foundation & Silicon Valley Community Foundation committed to provide $1 million per year for four years to WaterPartners International & $100K per year to Water 1st International for organizational development & it's targeted water projects; & up to $300K in year one to study the efficacy of the triple intervention approach of providing hygiene ed, sanitation, & point of source safe drinking water 3. Securing the Building Block of Life: Water Commitment by: OneXOne Foundation Focus Area: Global Health Introduction: ONEXONE & H20 Africa aim to improve the lives of women & children by empowering them to attend school & participate in income earning activities. 4. JAM - Sudan Water Wells Commitment by: Laurie Cunnington Focus Area: Global Health Introduction: This project will provide clean, safe drinkable water to 25 villages in the Sudan |
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Though the majority of CGI commitments are not focused on the env, many take the env, sustainability, natural resources, climate change, & more into acct as a factor that must be dealt w/ when addressing such issues as poverty, health, fundamental needs like food & water, econ dev, & more | |||||
THE CLINTON CLIMATE INITIATIVE (CCI) HAS PARTNERED W/ CITY GOVTS, CORPS, NGOs, PHILANTHROPISTS, & OTHERS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES B/C CITIES HAVE BEEN MORE RESPONSIVE TO CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE ENTITY |
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The Clinton Foundation's Climate Initiative (CCI) builds on his long term commitment to preserving the env |
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||||
President Clinton launched in August 2006, w/ the mission of applying the Foundation's business oriented approach to fight against climate change in practical, measurable, & significant ways |
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||||
Recognizing the opportunity to fight climate change in the world's cities, CCI is working w/ 40 of the world's largest cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of large scale programs, a purchasing alliance, & measurement tools to track progress & share best practices |
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||||
In 2006, the CCI entered into a partnership w/ the Large Cities Climate Leadership Grp, agreeing to provide resources to allow the participating cities to enter into an energy saving product purchasing consortium & to provide technical & communications support |
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In 2007, CCI announced its 1st project which will help some large cities cut greenhouse gas emissions by facilitating retrofitting of existing bldings |
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Five large banks committed $1 bb each to help cities & blding owners make energy saving improvements aimed at lowering energy use & energy costs | |||||
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At the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, President Clinton announced the 1Sky campaign to accelerate bold federal policy on global warming |
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The 1Sky campaign supports at least an 80 % reduction in climate pollution levels by 2050 | |||||
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On May 19, 2009, CCI announced the global Climate Positive Development Program where it will work w/ the US Green Building Council to promote 'climate positive' city growth |
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CONSERVATION, RECYCLING & SOURCE REDUCTION ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT STRATEGIES FOR PRODUCTION & CONSUMPTION IF ALL THE COSTS OF A THROW AWAY SOCIETY ARE TAKEN INTO ACCT |
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Primary recycling occurs when the original material is made into the same material |
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Secondary recycling occurs when used products are made into other products |
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Conservation is using less of a material; conserving / saving |
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Preservation is the use of resources, which may involve not using them at all, in such a manner that their original integrity is preserved, sustained |
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Usually conservation denotes using a resource wisely or sustainably while preservation denotes little or no use |
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Source Reduction occurs when one reduces the total amt of waste or garbage by reducing the amt consumed, ie conservation or reducing amt of waste |
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Individual conservation & recycling is conservation & recycling that you can do on your own such as wearing a sweater, turn out lights, compost pile, use water conserving appliances, & much more |
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Examples individual recycling include recycling paper, cardboard, alum cans, glass, plastic, oil, antifreeze, tires, metal, batteries, & much more |
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Individual recycling has severe limits |
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Individual recycling must be enhanced by societal conservation & recycling: | ||||||||||||||||
In Wise County, VA, there is a low level of recycling available; it is possible to recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, & aluminum w/ the county; one must take other metals to a metal buyer | ||||||||||||||||
When recycling is non existent or disorganized, then the individual must sort & take items to the recycle site, therefore many do not recycle & trash is more likely to end up on the side of road | ||||||||||||||||
Many cities which have well developed recycling programs, they collect recyclables as they do trash; all one has to do is put them all in one container | ||||||||||||||||
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INDIVIDUALIZED CONSERVATION HAS MAJOR LIMITS | |||||||||||||||
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Only upper & upper middle class homes have the resources necessary to install alternative energy systems such as solar, wind, geo thermal, high levels of insulation, & others, even though such investments save both money for the investor as well as env resources |
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Just since the late 00s, is it possible for individuals to buy the most efficient vehicles such as the Toyota Prius or the Chevy Volt | ||||||||||||||||
More efficient than any individual transport such as the Prius or the Volt is an efficient public transport system such as buses, trains, subways, etc | ||||||||||||||||
Public transport is a societal level conservation system | ||||||||||||||||
Choices to conserve, recycle, or reduce are presented to us on both the individual & societal levels, & inevitably societal level solutions have the efficiencies & economies of scale which are greater than those possible at the individual level | ||||||||||||||||
Choosing societal level env efficiencies are not indiv choices, but societal level choices | ||||||||||||||||
SOCIETAL CONSERVATION & RECYCLING IS THE MOST EFFICIENT | ||||||||||||||||
A sys or infrastructure that allows individuals to conserve & recycle through a recycling center, elec car recharge network, & so on is one part of an env solution while the other half is to develop societal level solutions such as mass transit, solar power generation plants, a smart electric grid, etc | ||||||||||||||||
Today there is often a shortage of mkts for recycled goods | ||||||||||||||||
In the past, nearly all soda pop & beer bottles had a deposit & were thus recycled | ||||||||||||||||
Once this practice was stopped, in the 60s & 70s only 7% of solid waste was recycled | ||||||||||||||||
In the 2000s, 13 % of solid waste is recycled, though NYC is beginning a program to estb a system of 100 % recycling of solid waste | ||||||||||||||||
One problem w/ the current recycling sys is that there is a shortage of mkts for recycled goods | ||||||||||||||||
Many businesses today plan only to use new materials & have not adapted to using recycled materials | ||||||||||||||||
Consumers are reluctant to absorb the any higher cost assoc w/ recycling & often are not given the choice on whether to recycle or not | ||||||||||||||||
Govt & voluntary incentives to make recycling more attractive
could include:
- boosting demand through govt use or private sector incentives - sanctions against virgin material use - tax incentives for recycling operations - a mandate for recycling, esp big ticket items like car batteries or appliances - increasing the cost to residents for each can of garbage, ie material not recycled, to reflect the cost of disposal vs recycling |
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Implementation of policies on conservation, recycling, & source reduction should include the oversight of collection, processing, & the use of these materials | ||||||||||||||||
Recycling is more popular in Euro | ||||||||||||||||
The popularity of conservation, recycling, & source reduction depends on how the program is implemented: is it easy to use? | ||||||||||||||||
Implementation need a mgr who oversees all stages of process from PR to mfr to buyers | ||||||||||||||||
The benefits of source reduction include the reduction of toxins in the env, the preservation of natural resources, & the reduction of pollution | ||||||||||||||||
A recent example of source reduction includes Rainier Beer returning to the old practice of refilling bottles | ||||||||||||||||
A recent example of source reduction includes Toyota re using car containers | ||||||||||||||||
The costs of source reduction include the fact that today it is often simpler & cheaper simply to not reduce material usage | ||||||||||||||||
We have designed a throw away society & so disposal, under current conditions, is often cheaper & easier than conservation, recycling or source reduction simply b/c all the costs of disposal are not taken into acct | ||||||||||||||||
THE COSTS OF A THROW AWAY SOCIETY ARE OFTEN 'EXTERNALITIES.' IE COSTS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR | ||||||||||||||||
See Also: Externalities | ||||||||||||||||
One example of an externality is the cost of the disposal of a product after it has been used; ie, the cost of the landfill or dealing w/ any haz mat from the product | ||||||||||||||||
One cost of a throw away society is the cost of garbage collection, land fills, haz mat from the refuse, gases given off by land fills, & more | ||||||||||||||||
Many local govts have found it economical to fund a recycling program to reduce garbage collection & land fill costs | ||||||||||||||||
One cost of a throw away society is the cost harvesting an extra unit of a raw material vs the cost of re using or using less of the same material | ||||||||||||||||
The cost of harvesting vs re using can be seen in the externalities of oil production which are not included in new production & would not accrue to re use such as the subsidies given to oil corps for exploration, the cost of | ||||||||||||||||
A well run curbside recycling program can cost anywhere from $50 to more than $150 per ton, while trash collection & disposal programs, on the other hand, cost anywhere from $70 to more than $200 per ton |
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GREEN SHOPPING BOTH HELPS THE CONSUMER LIVE A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE BY USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS & IT SENDS 'MKT SIGNALS' TO PRODUCERS TO PRODUCE MORE GREEN PRODUCTS | |||||
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Buying green products can be difficult both b/c what is a green product & what is not is a complicated issue, & b/c corps often use 'green washing,' ie claiming green qualities in their products that are false or less than advertised | ||||
Green washing is a mkting technique where producers claim a product has some green or sustainable quality when in fact it is little different than similar products | |||||
Consumer advocates such as GoodGuide can help a consumer choose green consumer products like toothpaste, cars, air conditioners, etc | |||||
Led by Professor Dara O'Rourke of UC Berkeley, GoodGuide's science team, chemists, toxicologists, nutritionists, sociologists, & life cycle analysis experts, rates products & companies on their health, environmental & social performance | |||||
GoodGuide's 0 to 10 rating system helps consumers quickly evaluate & compare products | |||||
GoodGuide's mission is to help you shop your values wherever you shop | |||||
GoodGuide http://www.goodguide.com/ |
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The GoodGuide has phone apps for both the iPhone & Android | |||||
GoodGuide Newsweek. Oct 25, 2010 |
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GREEN SHOPPING IS A SUBSET OF ETHICAL CONSUMERISM WHERE THE CONSUMER USES A NUMBER OF INDICATORS TO GUIDE ONE TO PURCHASING PRODUCES THAT MEETS OR SUPPORTS ONE'S VALUES RELATED TO THE ENV, CHILD LABOR, HUMAN RTS, POLITICS, & MORE | |||||
Green shopping is one form of ethical consumerism, also called ethical consumption, ethical purchasing, moral purchasing, ethical sourcing, ethical shopping or green consumerism | |||||
Any form of green or ethical shopping is a type of consumer activism that is based on the concept of dollar voting | |||||
Dollar voting is practiced through 'positive buying' in that ethical products are favored, or a 'moral boycott', where 'unethical' or env unfriendly products are avoided | |||||
THE DETERMINATION OF ETHICAL CONSUMERISM IS CARRIED OUT BY THE ETHICAL CONSUMER RESEARCH ASSOC IN CONJUNCTION W/ THE ETHICAL CONSUMER MAGAZINE | |||||
While people have been dollar voting, consuming ethically, green shopping, using their money for influence, & so on since the beginning of mkts, the term 'ethical consumer.' now used generically, was first popularized by the UK magazine The Ethical Consumer, first published in 1989 | |||||
The Ethical Consumer magazine's key innovation was to produce 'ratings tables,' inspired by the criteria based approach of the then emerging ethical investment mvmt | |||||
The Ethical Consumer's ratings tables awarded companies negative marks & overall scores across a range of ethical & envl categories such as animal rts, human rts, pollution & toxics, empowering consumers, & more to make ethically informed consumption choices & providing campaigners w/ reliable info on corp behavior | |||||
Criteria based ethical & envl ratings have subsequently become commonplace both in providing consumer info & in business to business corp social responsibility & sustainability ratings such as those provided by Innovest, Calvert, Domini, IRRC, TIAA-CREF, KLD Analytic, & others | |||||
Today, Bloomberg & Reuters even provide 'envl, social & governance' ratings direct to the financial data screens of hundreds of thousands of stock mkt traders | |||||
The not for profit Ethical Consumer Research Association continues to publish The Ethical Consumer magazine & its associated website, which provides free access to ethical ratings tables | |||||
BOTH RELIGIOUS & SECULAR ETHICS OF CONSUMERISM CALL FOR GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF THE EARTH | |||||
In The Global Markets As An Ethical System, 1998, John McMurtry argues that no purchasing decision exists that does not itself imply some moral choice, & that there is no purchasing that is not ultimately moral in nature | |||||
This mirrors older arguments, especially by the Anabaptists, eg Mennonites, & Amish, that one must accept all personal moral & spiritual liability of all harms done at any distance in space or time to anyone by one's own choices | |||||
It is often suggested that Judeo-Christian scriptures further direct followers towards practicing good stewardship of the Earth, under an obligation to a God who is believed to have created the planet for us to share w/ other creatures | |||||
A religion based argument can be presented from an entirely secular humanist pt of view, & there are many people who believe that it is simply better for human beings to acknowledge that the planet supports life only b/c of a delicate balance of many different factors | |||||
While for the typical consumer, all that is needed is the desire & ability to purchase, the needs of vanity or status are abhorred & shunned by those who employ ethical consumerism | |||||
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This theory is echoed in some modern eco villages who adopt very similar stances, effectively blocking all goods that do not satisfy their moral criteria at the village gate, & relying on internally produced food & tools as much as possible |
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ETHICAL CRITERIA ARE ONE AMONG MANY PEOPLE EMPLOY WHEN MAKING PURCHASES |
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Some trust criteria, eg creditworthiness or implied warranty, are considered to be part of any purchasing or sourcing decision |
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Credit & warranty refer to broader systems of guidance that would, ideally, cause any purchasing decision to disqualify offered products or services based on non price criteria that do not affect the functional, but rather moral, liabilities of the entire production process | |||||
In essence proponents of ethical consumerism desire to add another criteria of ethics to the present criteria of credit, warranty, functionality, fulfillment, & so on | |||||
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Paul Hawken, a proponent of Natural Capitalism, 2008, refers to 'comprehensive outcomes' of production services as opposed to the 'culminative outcomes' of using the product of such services |
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Often, moral criteria are part of a much broader shift away from commodity mkts towards a deeper service economy where all activities, from growing to harvesting to processing to delivery, are considered part of the value chain & for which consumers are 'responsible' |
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Andrew Wilson, Director of the UK's Ashridge Centre for Business & Society, argues that 'shopping is more important than voting,' & others that the disposition of money is the most basic role we play in any system of economics |
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Some theorists believe that it is the clearest way that we express our actual moral choices, ie, if we say we care about something but continue to buy from parties that have a high probability of risk of harm or destruction of that thing, we don't really care about it, we are practicing a form of simple hypocrisy |
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THERE ARE A NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS & SOC MVMT ORGS THAT PROMOTE ETHICAL CONSUMERISM | |||||
In an effort by churches to advocate moral & ethical consumerism, many have become involved in the Fair Trade Movement | |||||
Ten Thousand Villages is affiliated w/ the Mennonite Central Committee | |||||
SERRV is partnered w/ Catholic Relief Services & Lutheran World Relief | |||||
Village Markets of Africa sells Fair Trade gifts from the Lutheran Church in Kenya | |||||
Catholic Relief Services has their own Fair Trade mission in CRS Fair Trade | |||||
Positive Buying | |||||
MANY CORPS HAVE ACTUALLY EMBRACED ETHICAL CONSUMERISM BY MAKING MORE 'ETHICAL PRODUCTS,' WHILE OTHERS HAVE MERELY ENGAGED IN GREEN WASHING, ONLY CREATING THE APPEARANCE OF PRODUCING ETHICAL PRODUCTS | |||||
As large corps have tried to position themselves as moral, principled or ethical orgs, the definition has become wider & means different things to different grps of people | |||||
McDonald's started to sell salads, (a more healthy choice) & has a corporate social responsibility blog | |||||
The appearance of ethical consumerism can be seen as a mvmt in green washing which is often merely a mkting program, which may or may not reflect actual changes in the practices of businesses | |||||
Particular areas of interest for large businesses are env impact & the treatment of wkrs at the bottom of the org hierarchy | |||||
The corp change toward ethical or green products reflects an increasing awareness of ethical issues & corp identity amongst both mainstream consumers & major corps | |||||
Positive buying means favoring ethical products, be they fair trade, cruelty free, organic, recycled, re used, or produced locally | |||||
The positive buying option is arguably the most important since it directly supports progressive companies |
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- Project: Mining & Mining Solutions |
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- Project: Video: Mining the Solutions |
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I. REDUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICAL PROBLEMS |
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A. PRIORITIZATION & INTERRELATION OF ENVIRONMETNAL PROBLEMS |
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||||
In order to find a solution to problems / issues in mining, these must be prioritized: AMD, siltation / erosion, degradation of top soil, degradation of ground water, CO2 emissions, others |
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The prioritization of the issues may best be done by consensus of all the the participants | |||||
Note that worker safety in many extractive industries is much lower than that in other industries & thus prioritization of this issue would tend to create an alliance or common interest w/ labor |
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||||
Prioritize these, or tackle them all? Others? |
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B. APPLY THE SCIENCE TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS |
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||||
The science to deal w/ problems in mining is widely available even while better technological solutions are being developed every day |
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C. MAKE BOTH COST & BENEFITS OF REDUCING ENVL PROBLEMS APPARENT |
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The costs & benefits of reducing envl problems are linked to the economic multiplier effect & economic incidence | |||||
The costs & benefits to society for each of the mining problems & the scientific solutions that accompany them often, but not always offer a net benefit to society |
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The costs & benefits to society for mining problems & solutions will harm one industry, but increase another, & will result in increased costs to electricity, steel, & other coal related products |
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It is difficult to balance the increased costs to coal related products w/ increased health & ecological benefits, cleaner water, etc. |
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Presently, the costs of mining are relegated to the mining regions, & the benefits accrue to other regions | |||||
Since the costs of mining coal are relegated to the mining regions, these regions will benefit at the cost of other regions |
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D. OFFER ACTUAL ALTERNATIVES |
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||||
Reducing the direct effects of mining AMD, erosion, top soil degradation, & the ground degradation ground water can be accomplished by using more effective mining methods, that are also more expensive |
|
||||
Reducing CO2 emissions requires more expensive emissions scrubbing technology & increased conservation & recycling | |||||
Reducing CO2 emissions is closely linked to other env problems & solutions | |||||
II. ACIEVEMENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE |
|
||||
A. INVOLVEMENT OF PARTICIPANTS |
|
||||
The participants in mining are not in agreement on these or many solutions & instead often engage in social conflict using power, money, etc. to achieve their individual & divergent goals |
|
||||
Through outside social pressure, the participants may come together & agree on continual tactics for the continual improvement of mining problems | |||||
Presently the industrialists & their allies have greater resources in the social conflict around mining problems, & thus little is done to change the situation | |||||
Presently many observers recognize that the govt regulators are "organizationally co-opted" by the industry | |||||
B. INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF SOCIAL CHANGE | |||||
To improve the conditions of mining the pubic should be educated about all costs & benefits of mining & proposed changes | |||||
Those outside of the mining industry who experience spillover costs & benefits must help set env'l priorities, thus diluting the power of the mining industry itself | |||||
Mining industrialists offer market solutions & respond responsibly to voluntary & govt mandates since they will best be able to minimize the costs of adjustment to direct mining solutions | |||||
Recreationists offer market solutions & respond responsibly to voluntary & govt mandates since they will best be able to maximize the costs of adjustments to reduced mining spillover costs | |||||
Govt encourages voluntary change & implements laws where necessary | |||||
How to follow mine activity under SMCRA on private land
1. Check newspaper for permits 2. File timely comments on permitting, bonding & performance standards 3. File timely appeals against permits or renewals 4. Ask state or OSM for on-site inspection 5. Consider a "lands unsuitable" petition 6. Ask OSM to review state program &/ intervene 7. Consider a citizen's suit 8. Contact state about restoration |
|||||
How to follow mining activity on fed land
1. Get on fed mailing lists to receive notice of proposed mining 2. File timely comments during NEPA process w/ appropriate agency 3. For FS land, get involved in forest plan process 4. Gain support & help from other relevant fed agencies, e.g. Fed Marine Fisheries Service 5. Organize citizen support & citizen grp support Most potent tool against mining abuse has been public support |
|||||
NEPA on Mining
NEPA process is used to review any sign env'l project & always applies to mining |
|||||
Trout Unlimited
2 formalized nat'l partnerships 1. TU/FS Partnership has promoted & coordinated TU involvement in FS planning, stream restoration, fishery mgt. 2. Bring Back the Natives Program
|
|||||
Conclusion
Most mining is influenced by: 1. Legislation by Congress or the states 2. Rules by the OSM, implemented by states 3. Legal suits, which are very individualized 4. Local grps who most likely influence the state reg agency to do a better job |
|||||
Mineral Policy Center: discusses reform efforts for 1872 Mining Act www.mineralpolicy.org |
|
Links |
|
Links |
|||
- Project: Solutions for Forestry |
|
||||
REDUCE FORESTRY PHYSICAL PROBLEMS | |||||
Solutions to forestry physical problems include
- the reduction of erosion & siltation - leaving buffers around waterways - leaving corridors for wildlife connectivity to prevent fragmentation - matching cut w/ growth rate: find sustainable quantity - expanding the forest to counter global warming - preserving a sufficient amt & quality of forest & old growth - reducing or eliminating roads - burning or mechanically reducing undergrowth & stands that are too dense |
|
||||
REDUCE FORESTRY SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |||||
Solutions to forestry social problems include
- reducing unequal access - reducing unequal allocation of costs & benefits of forest use, esp btwn East & West states & forests - reducing the capture of govt land mgt. agencies - creating oppositional as opposed to consensus building strategy & tactics by the major participants in the forestry debate - balancing a wide variety of forest use - reducing forest over-use |
|||||
INVOLVEMENT OF FORESTRY PARTICIPANTS |
|
||||
To achieve forestry goals:
Involve the participants 1. Involvement of env mvmt 2. Involvement of indlists 3. Involvement of reclists 4. Involvement of gen public |
|
||||
The three major participants in the forestry debate, i.e. the Env Mvmt, the Indlists, & the Reclists, are engaged in a zero sum competition whereby they believe if one side wins, then the other side looses | |||||
The three major participants in the forestry debate oppose every action of their counterparts, regardless of whether they think it matters in the big picture or not | |||||
The three major participants in the forestry debate often promote positions that they regard as extreme because they expect to be opposed, even in reasonable proposals, & so offer the extreme position w/ the expectation that they will have to compromise, i.e. reduce their proposal | |||||
1. Involvement of Env Mvmt |
|
||||
Must seek realistic positions, compromise, bring in the public |
|
||||
2. Involvement of Indlists |
|
||||
Must seek realistic positions, compromise, bring in the public |
|
||||
3. Involvement of Reclists |
|
||||
Must seek realistic positions, compromise, bring in the public |
|
||||
4. Involvement of Gen Public |
|
||||
The public needs more education on forestry issues so that a national consensus can be created on the use of the forest |
|
||||
The East West split of the public must be addressed & reduced by any reasonable means such as more compensation going to the Western nations for the use of the forest & forest products by the rest of the nation, increased public lands in the East accompanied by a reduction in public lands in the West, etc. | |||||
5. Involvement of Govt |
|
||||
The govt is not perceived by any as being an honest broker & is often accused of co-optation or orgl capture by ind |
|
||||
The history of forest reg has created a vast, unwieldy body of law, regs, & rules which needs to be reduced, streamlined, & implemented | |||||
The vast body of forest regs has resulted in the failure of the land mgt. agencies to implement their own policies, & thus the govt must implement its policy in a timely manner & only embrace policy that can be implemented | |||||
INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF CHANGE IN THE FORESTRY DEBATE | |||||
Institutionalization of change
1. New laws 2. New regs 3. Reform of agencies 4. Legal suits 5. Educate gen public via media, etc. |
|||||
1. New laws | |||||
Laws must be matched to each of the physical & social problems in forestry | |||||
|
2. New regs | ||||
|
Regs must be matched to each of the physical & social problems in forestry | ||||
3. Reform of agencies | |||||
Implement policy, do not ignore it | |||||
Streamline & rationalized policy | |||||
4. Legal suits, which are very individualized | |||||
Use legal suits to address gaps, inequities, etc. in policy | |||||
5. Indl, Envl, & Recl grps lobby at all levels & take direct action | |||||
|
The three major players in forestry must strive for consensus among themselves & bring in the public, reducing the East West split |
|
|||
6. Local grps who most likely influence the state reg agency to do a better job | |||||
Local grps provide grass roots influence | |||||
Conclusion
Most logging is influenced by 1. legislation by Congress or the states 2. rules by the FS, BLM & others, implemented by states 3. reform govt agencies 3. legal suits, which are very individualized 4. envl grps who lobby at all levels & take direct action 5. local grps who most likely influence the state reg agency to do a better job |
Links |
|
Links |
|||
|
LET BURN POLICY DETERMINES WHEN WILDFIRES ARE NOT SUPPRESSED, OR WHEN SUPPRESSION IS LIMITED |
|
|||
PRESCRIBED FIRE POLICY DETERMINES THE EXTENT & THE FOREST THAT IS INTENTIONALLY BURNED TO ASSIST FLORA & FAUNA GROWTH, & THE REDUCE FUEL LOADS | |||||
Under let burn policy, if a natural fire starts, under some conditions the fire will be allowed to burn, or be suppressed only on 1 front | |||||
Under prescribed fire, outside of the normal fire season, some fires will be started, under carefully controlled conditions, in order to improve habitat for plant or animal growth or to reduce fuel build up | |||||
|
We have had approx 100 yrs of wildland fire suppression in the US |
|
|||
|
Most analysts, not all, believe fire suppression itself has caused a fuel build up & created hi fire danger |
|
|||
|
SOME LET BURNS WILL BECOME LARGER THAN ANTICIPATED & SOME PRESCRIBED FIRES WILL ESCAPE |
|
|||
|
Most fed land agencies now limit fire suppression in several ways & start many prescribed burns |
|
|||
|
The public needs to understand that limited fire suppression & prescribed burning are not exact processes in that often we cannot completely control these types of fires |
|
|||
|
Some fires that have been allowed to burn, such as the Yellowstone Fire in 1988 have developed into very large fires & others will become very large in the future |
|
|||
|
Some prescribed burns, such as the Cerro Grande Fire around Los Alamos, NM in 2000, have escaped & damaged nat resources & homes, & others will escape in the future |
|
|||
|
Whenever there is an extreme fire season, fire policy becomes highly politicized b/c of the threat to homes & development in the wildland urban interface (WUI) & b/c timber industry wants to substitute intensive logging for let burns & prescribed burns |
|
|||
|
LET BURNS & PRESCRIBED FIRES ARE NECESSARY, DESPITE THE THREATS THEY EMBODY, ARE NECESSARY TO REDUCE FUEL LOAD & IMPROVE HABITAT |
|
|||
|
Fire suppression has been called 'job security' security b/c when natural fires are stopped, they allow fuel to build up, causing more fires & more fire danger |
|
|||
|
Systematic fire suppression in wildlands began in late 1800s |
|
|||
|
The first let burns began in the 1970s, but still most fires are suppressed | ||||
|
The widespread suppression of fire has created build up of forest fuels | ||||
|
The build up of forest fuels through fire suppression is said to creating 'job security' for wildland firefighters b/c it may create more fire danger in the future | ||||
|
LET BURNS, PRESCRIBED RUNS, THINNING, HARVESTING, & FIRE BREAKS ARE ALL ENVL SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE FIRE DANGER & IMPROVE HABITAT, IF IMPLEMENTED EFFECTIVELY |
|
|||
|
Solution: Burn, thin, harvest, allow more mature forests |
|
|||
|
As w/ any broad policy, the devil is in the details |
|
|||
There is prescribed burning where is might not be needed | |||||
Agencies fear burning risky areas | |||||
Loggers want to harvest old growth, which is fire resistant & thus should not be harvested b/c it makes fires less likely & provides good habitat | |||||
Mature forests (large trees) are more fire resistant & limit the growth of flammable brush | |||||
Loggers do not want to harvest immature, thick, hi fire danger forests, which is more fire prone & is generally not good habitat | |||||
While thinning does occur, no one has ever extensively thinned the forest b/c it is too expensive | |||||
But most commercially viable forests are 'teenagers,:' ie relatively young, & fast growing | |||||
Thus commercial forests are generally more fire prone b/c they have less mature growth |
Links |
|
Links |
|||
- Project: A SWOT Analysis of Tourism |
|
||||
THE SCOPE OF TOURISM | |||||
By 2000, tourism was the largest single item in world trade | |||||
1 in 15 wkrs, or 150 mm, worldwide, wk in tourism | |||||
The primary occupation in tourism are in the areas of:
|
|
||||
Only 10% of Am have passports |
|
||||
Most tourism is done in people's home country | |||||
In 1970 there were 147 mm tour trips abroad |
|
||||
In 1995 there were 650 mm tour trips abroad | |||||
In 2010 there are est to be 1 bb tour trips abroad | |||||
Intl tourism is increasing in breath & so now 1/8 of all tourists go to peripheral nations in Africa, Asia, & Lat Am |
|
||||
INVESTMENT IN TOURISM |
|
||||
Tourism requires only a lo cost infrastructure because there are no heavy plants & little hi tech equip |
|
||||
The cost of creating 1 job in tourism is < 20% that of mfr job & < 2% of the cost of a hi tech job |
|
||||
EFFECTS OF TOURISM |
|
||||
The effects of tourism are not always strong at the local level |
|
||||
The concentration of tourists in 20 affluent countries yields 70% of tourists |
|
||||
Transnat corps own many tourism assets such as hotels, tour ships, resorts, golf courses, amusement parks, tour agencies, ski areas, etc. | |||||
Because transnat corps own so many tourism assets, profits often return to core countries & do not go to the countries where the tourism occurs | |||||
Typically, only 40% of the cost of a tourist's trip is reaped by the local region in which the tourism takes place |
|
||||
If a tourist trip involves a foreign owned hotel, the port of the trip
reaped by the local region falls to only 25%
Who gets the $$ & why? |
|||||
TOURISM INCREASES ECONOMIC INSTABILITY | |||||
Tourism often fosters econ vulnerability in the region or nation in which it occurs |
|
||||
All industries have some level of risk / volatility tourism, like all hi end aspects of consumption depends on style & fashion & thus is especially vulnerable |
|
||||
Thus a tourist region may lose it's popularity & experience an econ downturn | |||||
Some tourist destinations are sought because of their remoteness & "natural" undev quals & thus are econlly successful | |||||
Thus thru their own success, tourist areas become congested & thus less popular & experience an econ downturn | |||||
Example Mediterranean beaches were abandoned by the NW Euro
mid class tourists, who go to more distant, exotic locales
creating a 70% \/ in tourism on the Med beaches |
|||||
Various exogenous factors can affect tourism such as warm weather at a ski resort, a change in currency exchange rates, & political unrest in Ireland, the Mid-East, Africa, Lat Am etc. | |||||
LOCAL BENEFITS OF TOURISM | |||||
Local tourism provides income to:
|
|||||
Local benefits of tourism include that it:
|
|||||
LOCAL DISADVANTAGES OF TOURISM | |||||
Local disadvantages of tourism include that it can:
|
|||||
An example of the threat of tourism can be seen in the Caribbean where sewage poisoned mangrove trees & polluted the coast, boats & divers damaged coral reefs | |||||
An example of the threat of tourism can be seen in the Alps where 40,000 ski runs attracts tourists in numbers 10 time greater than the local pop | |||||
Local disadvantages of tourism include that it can:
|
|||||
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM | |||||
On an alternative vacation, there is an emphasis on self determination, authenticity, social harmony, preservation of env, small scale dev, use of local techniques, materials, architecture styles, etc. | |||||
To be successful, alternative tourism must be aimed @ tourists who
are both
- wealthy & - envlly conscious |
|||||
Alternative tourism is not a large mkt, but it is growing | |||||
See Also: | |||||
- Costa Rica: Alternative Tourism | |||||
- Ecuador: Alternative Tourism |
Links |
|
Links |
|||
ECOTOURISM IS CHARACTERIZED BY ITS ABILITY TO PRESERVE OR EVEN IMPROVE THE REGIONAL ENV & SUSTAIN OR IMPROVE THE LIVES OF REGIONAL PEOPLE |
|
||||
Tourism is a significant factor in envl destruction |
|
||||
Tourism today consists of large hotels, using large amts of energy, of cruise ships, planes, & automobiles propelled by fossil fuels |
|
||||
The alternative to mainstream tourism is green, or 'eco' tourism |
|
||||
Ecotourism, as defined by ecotourism.org is: 'responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the env & improves the well being of local people' |
|
||||
There are various types of ecotourism & it is becoming more popular as the 21st C continues moving forward |
|
||||
TOURISM IS AS OLD AS HUMANITY BUT ECOTOURISM, AS A MAINSTREAM ALTERNATIVE, HAS ONLY DEVELOPED SINCE THE 80s |
|
||||
Ecotourism has a very short history, starting w/ the beginning of strong environmental efforts in the 1980s |
|
||||
Before this, society had very little concern for protecting, or sustaining the env |
|
||||
However, w/ the rise of env ed, ecotourism became a more popular alternative |
|
||||
While ecotourism was introduced in the 1980s & 1990s, it has been the ed & the env mvmt efforts of the 21st C that have allowed ecotourism to gain its current popularity |
|
||||
Ecotourism really has its roots in African safari trips, & legal poaching |
|
||||
Once it was discovered that this tourism based poaching was destroying the animal populations, it was mostly stopped; which was a great victory for the env mvmt w/ such notable exceptions as rhino, tiger, & elephant hunting |
|
||||
Though the 'green mvmt' has several pieces all collecting to create one big envl picture, ecotourism & 'green' tourism have become some of the more popular forms of commercial envlism |
|
||||
Throughout the 21st C, ecotourism has gained significant popularity as the env mvmt picks up support in political & social circles | |||||
More & more, people are demanding ecotourism opportunities, & expect a green, or sustainable places for them to stay while engaging in their tourism | |||||
THE STRENGTHS OF ECO TOURISM INCLUDE:
A. SUPPORT FOR JOBS & DEV IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY B. AWARENESS OF LOCAL ISSUES C. ECO FRIENDLY POLICIES WHICH 'GREEN TOURISTS' DEMAND D. A SMALLER ECO 'FOOTPRINT' |
|||||
Ecotourism is building popularity & support; however, there are both strengths & weaknesses in environmental tourism | |||||
Strengths |
|
||||
Tourism has several strengths on its own | |||||
A. Like tourism, ecotourism can support the local econ by providing jobs in the industry | |||||
Tourism jobs can include positions in hotels, travel agencies, recreational businesses, even small businesses that cater to tourists primarily, such as souvenir shops | |||||
There are even areas that are sustained almost completely by the money that tourism funnels into their econ, such as exotic islands in the Bahamas or Dollywood in TN | |||||
B/c of the increase in funds fueling the local econ, areas with high tourism also tend to develop faster | |||||
B. Tourism in an area, also means more people, mostly those w/ disposable income becoming more aware of issues in those areas | |||||
As more people are exposed to an econ depressed area, there is a higher likelihood that there will be donated support to the area | |||||
Green tourism has its own advantages, beyond just those of tourism | |||||
C. Tourists involved in ecotourism provide pressure for the local govts in those destination areas to promote more eco friendly policies | |||||
In promoting eco friendly policies, these areas may be pushed toward a cleaner env, even if it is only in order to appease visitors | |||||
D. Eco friendly policies help to lower the 'footprint' left by tourism overall | |||||
Tourism as a whole leaves a large 'footprint' where it is popular unless policies are developed to limit that impact | |||||
THE WEAKNESSES OF ECO TOURISM INCLUDE:
A. DIFFICULT ADJUSTMENTS FOR NATIVE / LOCAL PEOPLE B. 'GREEN WASHED' OR FAKE ECO FRIENDLY ENTERPRISES C. ELUSIVE PROFITABILITY RESULTING IN DETRIMENTAL PRACTICES FOR ENV & PEOPLE D. COMPETITIVE PRESSURE FROM OTHER TYPES OF TOURISM: 'ADVENTURE TOURISM' & TRADITIONAL LUXURIOUS TOURISM E. ECO TOURISM DESTINATIONS ARE NOT NATURALLY AVAILABLE IN ALL REGIONS |
|||||
Any time there is significant development in order to accommodate a large amt of visitors to an area, one can expect to see a significant negative impact to the surrounding area | |||||
A. Even if development is done with an env friendly goal in mind, it is often difficult to adjust for the larger amt of non native peoples visiting & engaging the local env | |||||
Sometimes due to mismgt of the local env in order to appeal to all tourists, what may seem like an env friendly area, may actually be a sorely depleted area w/ regards to natural resources & health | |||||
B. A lack of regulation contributes to many businesses, tours, & tourism establishments labeling themselves as 'eco friendly' | |||||
These businesses are taking advantage of the growing popularity of ecotourism by attempting to imitate what the travelers are looking for | |||||
Profitability is one of the main aims of the tourism industry | |||||
C. Despite the rising popularity of ecotourism; it is difficult for many ecotourism to maintain profitability | |||||
There are three major types of barriers to successful ecotourism: attitudinal, operational, & financial | |||||
In order for ecotourism to be successful, attitudes must be in order | |||||
D. Adventure tourism & 'traditional tourism' w/ its focus on high levels of comfor & consumption but competitive pressure on eco tourism | |||||
It is mostly those who are seeking adventure who end up participating in ecotourism | |||||
Not all tourists seek adventure | |||||
Besides adventure, it is often those with high levels of disposable income & significant feelings of obligation to the environment that seek ecotourism | |||||
Even with the rising popularity of ecotourism, it pales in comparison to the popularity of traditional tourism which is motivated by those seeking a simple get away in a new env | |||||
Many tourists feel that their comfort is more important than protecting the env that they are visiting | |||||
|
E. Eco tourism opportunities in the env are not available in all locals, or if they are present, they make need significant development to become attractive to eco tourists |
|
|||
In SW Va, the eco attractiveness of the mtns, valleys, streams, & local flora & fauna are not widely recognized across the nation & therefore the VA Tourism Board is expanding advertsing on the local eco treasures | |||||
There are operational barriers to tourism & ecotourism | |||||
A lack of easily accessible 'green' alternative suppliers, products, & info designed specifically for those in the tourism industry make 'going green' more difficult than it needs to be | |||||
Financial barriers include, not just sustaining an env friendly tourism business, but also switching to more env friendly policies can be fiscally challenging | |||||
ADVERTSING & THE DEV OF ECO TOURISM DESTINATIONS WILL HELP ADVANCE THE POPULARITY & ECO EFFECTIVENESS OF ECO TOURISM | |||||
Advertisement done by tourism companies needs to focus on attracting those travelers who are already env friendly | |||||
These visitors will treat their env w/ greater respect, thus automatically lowering the footprint involved w/ tourism | |||||
Rather than spending the money attempting to attract all tourists, this more targeted form of advertisement will help to lower the cost of ecotourism, while increasing the profitability & ease of transition into an env friendly outlook on tourism | |||||
The appeal of ecotourism needs to be developed in the tourism industry as a whole | |||||
Making ecotourism seem fun, exciting, or wild will attract more of the adventure grp of tourists | |||||
If ecotourism is advertised as sleek, or minimalist, it will attract more of the trend followers | |||||
There needs to be significantly greater regulation regarding what may be labeled eco friendly | |||||
Regs related to false advertising will stop the abuse of the label by local businesses, ie green washing, cheating their way through the green tourism trend | |||||
TOURISM & ECO TOURISM ARE GROWING INDUSTRIES & BOTH CAN BE DEVELOPED IN ECO FRIENDLY MANNERS | |||||
If current trends continue; the popularity of ecotourism will continue to rise | |||||
W/o reg, however, the meaning of 'ecotourism,' the true level to which it is 'green' will begin to decline in positive correlation to the rise in popularity | |||||
However, if regulation is implemented successfully, ecotourism can stand as a viable, if not fruitful alternative to modern tourism |
Links |
|
Links |
|||
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IS AN IMPORTANT & RAPIDLY GROWING INDUSTRY |
|
||||
Alternative tourism is one of the major industries in Costa Rica |
|
||||
One quarter of the land is in biosphere protection & wildlife preserves |
|
||||
The large amounts of protected biosphere attracts tourists |
|
||||
The 800,000 annual tourists' generated income exceeds the income from banana exports |
|
||||
THERE ARE MANY 'OFFSHORE BENEFITS' AVAILABLE TO AMERICANS |
|
||||
Retirees from No America flock to Costa Rica because of the climate, alternative tourism, strong health system, low taxes, & inexpensive living conditions |
|
||||
Costa Rica is developing a public health system |
|
||||
There are no taxes on pensions, dividends or trust funds |
|
||||
50,000 Canadians & 120,000 US citizens partake in some form of offshore benefits |
|
||||
|
Links |
|
Links |
|||
ECUADORIAN ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IS STRONG DUE TO NATURAL LANDSCAPES & A DIVERSITY OF LIFE WHICH ENTHRALLED DARWIN |
|
||||
While being relatively small, Ecuador has 6 natl parks, 7 nat reserves, & 20 private protected areas |
|
||||
Ecuador has some of the oldest rain forest in the world |
|
||||
Ecuador has many active volcanos |
|
||||
Native Amazonian tribes still survive in the rain forest |
|
||||
The plant & animal wildlife in the Galapagos Islands is world renowned & attracted Darwin & many other naturalists to the area |
|
||||
The native Andean culture continues to thrive |
|
||||
Ecuador has taken many steps to preserve the legacy of Spanish colonialism |
|
||||
Two thirds of tourism is run by the private sector while the govt & ensures sustainable dev thru env awareness |
|
||||
|
|
Links |
|
Links |
|||
THE KYOTO PROTOCOL COMMITTED NATIONS TO VOLUNTARY 1990 LEVELS OF CO2 PRODUCTION |
|
||||
Delegates from more than 160 countries met in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan to draft an agreement to limit global warming |
|
||||
The meeting, called the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, took place in Kyoto, Japan, hence the name the 'Kyoto Protocol' |
|
||||
The resulting agreement, known as the Kyoto Protocol, calls for decreases in the emission of greenhouse gases |
|
||||
38 industrialized nations would have to cut their emissions of carbon dioxide & five other gases |
|
||||
The cuts would occur during the years from 2008 through 2012 |
|
||||
The cuts would average from 6 % to 8 % of the 38 nations' 1990 emissions levels |
|
||||
Developing countries would limit emissions voluntarily or by cooperating w/ nations that would be subject to limitations |
|
||||
THE KYOTO PROTOCOL PERMITTED POLLUTION TRADING |
|
||||
In addition, the Kyoto Protocol would allow industrialized nations to buy or sell emissions permits |
|
||||
If a nation cut its emissions more than required by the agreement, that country could sell other industrialized nations permits allowing those nations to emit the remaining amounts |
|
||||
THE KYOTO PROTOCOL ENCOURAGED DEVL & ENVL AID FROM THE CORE TO PERIPHERAL NATIONS |
|
||||
An industrialized nation could also earn credit toward meeting its requirement by helping a developing country reduce emissions |
|
||||
For example, the industrialized nation might help the developing country replace fossil fuels in some applications |
|
||||
|
One replacement might be solar energy devices that generate electric power |
|
|||
|
The protocol would took effect when 55 countries approved it & the approving countries' emissions were equal to or greater than 55 % of the 1990 emissions of the 38 industrialized nations |
|
|||
The developed nations finally hammered out a voluntary agreement to reduce emissions, & the semi peripheral & peripheral nations demanded exemptions to these reductions | |||||
The US Congress refused to sign the Kyoto agreement until the semi peripheral & peripheral nations complies w/ some level of non voluntary reduction | |||||
Many nations, but not the US, which is the largest producer of greenhouse gases, have begun to operate under the Kyoto protocols & are moving toward meeting their goals | |||||
Because the US dithered under the leadership of Bush, Jr, there was no progress made in the US on reducing greenhouse gas production, now making it much more difficult to achieve 1990 levels than it would have been had we worked toward that goal beginning during the Clinton admin | |||||
AFTER KYOTO, LITTLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE THROUGH GLOBAL AGREEMENTS,
BUT PROGRESS IS STILL BEING MADE BY GRPS OF NATIONS |
|||||
Despite more global conferences aimed at reaching an agreement to limit greenhouse gas production, no significant advances have been agreed to | |||||
The US still refuses to sign, but has made weak overtures toward the reduction of greenhouse gases | |||||
Other dev nations, esp Euro & Japan, have moved toward significant reductions of greenhouse gases | |||||
In 2008, China surpassed the US in total greenhouse emissions, but both China & India have now agreed to greenhouse emission limitations |
Links |
|
Links |
|||
THE SUCCESS OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT ORGS IN ECON DEV OR ADDRESSING GLOBAL WARMING IS CHECKERED |
|
||||
The internationalization of envlism is grafted on to a set of pre existing geopolitical instits including the existing nation states, as well as global instits such as the World Bank, IMF, GATT |
|
||||
The env mvmt has worked w/ World Bank, the IMF, & other global instits on envlly correct development projects & other issues |
|
||||
THE 3RD WORLD DEBT CRISIS IS A THREAT IN THAT STRESSED NATIONS
CARE LESS FOR THE ENV,
& AN OPPORTUNITY IN THAT DEBT DEALS CAN BE USED TO LEVERAGE ENV FRIENDLY PROJECTS |
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But in general the envl mvmt has not taken on the world debt crisis as being a fundamental contributor to envl degradation |
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The World Bank's control of 3rd world debt is one of the primary determinants of 3rd world development |
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Social justice oriented opposition, which became much stronger at the end of Cold War, is still important, but adding the envl agenda to debt deals has only complicated 3rd world development making it appear that the social justice mvmts & the envl mvmt are resistant to econ dev |
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Because of the perception of opposition to 3rd world dev, the social justice & envl mvmts must clearly state that they are for econ dev, & that envlly correct econ dev is superior to tradl dev |
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Indebted countries are subject to having envl agendas attached to debt deals & unless envl agendas provide additional advantages, nations will avoid them |
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POOR NATIONS RESIST BEING FORCED INTO ENVLY COSTLY PROGRAMS UNLESS THERE IS ALSO A NET BENEFIT | |||||
Because they perceive that envlism limits their options, the 3rd world reacts against they see as 'envl colonialism' |
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In the debate over greenhouse gas emission, the 3rd world produces only a small proportion of the overall amt |
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The 3rd world wants the right to produce more greenhouse gases, which will still only be a small proportion as compared to the lions share produced by the core nations |
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Greenhouse gases produced by developing nations are called 'survival emissions' because these nations need this level just for their people to survive & grow |
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Greenhouse gases produced by developed nations are called 'luxury emissions' because these nations do not need them in the sense of basic necessities as do the developing nations, & indeed many are produced by luxuries unknown to developing nations' peoples such as SUVs, air conditioning, lawn care, etc. |
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The 3rd world is demanding parity btwn 'survival emissions' of the semi peripheral & peripheral nations & the 'luxury emissions' of the core |
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REFORM CONTINUES ON 3 FRONTS: ON 3RD WORLD DEV, ON THE DEV ORGS & BANKS, & ON ENVL DEV | |||||
The World Bank, GATT, state sovereignty, & end of Cold War have had adverse consequences for the env because today the globalized system degrades the env by forcing competition among countries over the exploitation / destruction of the env, i.e. it has exasperated the commons problem | |||||
The end of the Cold War provides little geopolitical reason to restore foreign aid to 70s level | |||||
Efforts to reform the World Bank & other world development orgs continue |
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Reformists of world development orgs want econ dev to be less on the western model & more customized to the needs of each nation |
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SAVING THE RAIN FOREST WILL REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING BECAUSE IT STORES CO2 & COOLS THE EARTH |
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Rain forests have a significant amt of biomass, more than any other single entity except the ocean | |||||
In the rain forests' biomass is a significant amt of carbon | |||||
The rain forests also keep the equator region cooler by absorbing the sun's rays | |||||
MANY GOVTS & ENVL ORGS ARE WORKING TO SAVE THE RAIN FOREST | |||||
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Many conservation orgs, including the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation Intl, & the Nature Conservancy, are working w/ govts to conserve rain forests |
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Efforts to save the rain forest include:
a. establishing protected areas b. promoting intelligent management of rain forests c. increasing public awareness about the importance of the forests |
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In the 1980s & 1990s, hundreds of protected areas were established in tropical forests |
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These areas included nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, & national parks |
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However, such efforts affected only a small percentage of the total area of rain forest |
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Moreover, many conservation areas remain only "paper parks," w/ little protection or enforcement on the ground |
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GOVTS & ENVL ORGS ARE DEVELOPING BEST MGT STANDARDS FOR
RAIN FORESTS TO EDUCATE & REGULATE RAIN FOREST USERS |
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Govts & conservation orgs also promote sound mgt of tropical forests by the people who use them |
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For example, certain orgs certify timber from loggers that harvest rain forest wood in a sustainable fashion |
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Lowes & Home Depot now carry certified lumber in their stores, which is lumber that has been grown & harvested under more envlly sound practices | |||||
Certified timbers may bring a higher price on the intl mkt |
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Areas of some rain forests have been set aside as extractive reserves |
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Local populations manage these reserves & practice sustainable harvesting of many forest products |
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THE RAIN FOREST AFFECTS EVERYONE IN A GLOBAL ECON |
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In the core nations, we all use products that come from the rain forest, most notably, fast food | |||||
Thus saving the rain forest saves people & their lifestyle in the core nations & what people in the core nations do impacts what happens in the rain forest | |||||
Increasing public awareness about the plight of rain forests may also aid the struggle to conserve them | |||||
Awareness has grown due to greater exposure of rain forest issues in the media, & to an increasing number of tourists who travel to rain forests |
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TWO SOLUTIONS TO THE WATER SCARCITY AND MANAGEMENT PROBLEM: INVOLVE CONSERVATION & TECHNOLOGY |
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The most efficient method to address the water scarcity problem is to use less water |
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There are many ways we can all cut back on water use from using low water toilets to recycling gray water |
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There are big saving available in reducing seepage from agricultural irrigation by switch from ditches to pipes, & using drip irrigation |
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Water conservation has only slowly & marginally been utilized in the US | |||||
Technological solution involve desalination of ocean water; however, at this time desalination is still prohibitively expensive for most regions |
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The left over salt is a problem too |
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While cloud seeding: can yield a 5 to 15 % increase in rain, there are law suits over it b/c if you seed, you may be taking someone else's rain |
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Some nations are developing mega water projects to address water scarcity |
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Turkey is using pipelines to move water from streams to the regions that need it downstream countries... Iran? |
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China has developed a major diversion of the Yangtze River |
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China's project also focuses on restoring degraded land & soil stabilization which aids in sustaining a healthy & effective watershed |
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China's project has downsides including the displacement of people & towns, problems inherent in reservoirs such as siltation & the growth of insect populations, & more |
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Other technological solutions which are more remote include the towing of icebergs |
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