Lesson 20: Population, Urbanization, and the Environment Attention This graphic depicts the interconnection between various issues that make up our human ecosystem. Each of these contributes to global wellness and safety. Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
Teaching It isn't the Planet that is in trouble... As the human population on our planet continues to rise we are faced with very large and looming questions about our survival as a species. While we might characterize these as "Saving the Planet" we are truly simply trying to save ourselves! Can our planet sustain this level of growth? If so, can we learn to work together to ensure that vital resources like water, food, shelter, and safety are available to everyone on the planet?
Demography Demography is the study of population trends. Fertility rates, mortality rates, male/female, rich/poor...these are just of the few statistics that are used to describe groups of people, nations, or even the entire planet.
Immigration As I write this, there is likely no hotter topics (except maybe health care) on the national agenda than immigration. The US has long been a "light" that has attracted immigrants to a better way of life. One of the most stunning examples of this is the poem that accompanies the Statue of Liberty. I find it very moving and telling of how much of our country is about the "melting pot" or "patchwork quilt" of multi-culturalism.
One perspective of the importance of immigration is the "ecological" one. In the world of Biology we have come to understand that an ecosystem is more stable if there is a wide variety of species in that ecosystem. Applied to societies, this has come to represent that a society that is a mix of various cultures is more stable. Urbanization Along with technology, urbanization is a major culture shifting agent. As we learned from the Shoemaker story back in the beginning of the class, Sociology has its roots in the events of large groups of people starting to live in close quarters during the Industrial Revolution. Interesting ideas to consider when thinking about urbanization are:
Concentric Zone Model
Where do you live now? Have you ever lived in a different type of Zone? Were the people there different? The following video covers the Concentric Zone Model (and two other models) for land use and development.
Climate Change There really is no debate. Issues related to climate change include:
Water security is a major emerging global issue. While scarcity of water is rarely experienced here in Maine, it is a global issue. Click HERE to look at the UN University's Water Security & the Global Water Agenda Click HERE to look at the Intelligence Community Assessment on Global Water Security and it's potential impact on US National Security. Here is a quote from that report: "Our Bottom Line: During the next 10 years, many countries important to the United States will experience water problems—shortages, poor water quality, or floods—that will risk instability and state failure, increase regional tensions, and distract them from working with the United States on important US policy objectives. Between now and 2040, fresh water availability will not keep up with demand absent more effective management of water resources. Water problems will hinder the ability of key countries to produce food and generate energy, posing a risk to global food markets and hobbling economic growth. As a result of demographic and economic development pressures, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia will face major challenges coping with water problems. " Assessment Lesson 20 Discussion Look up information related to Water Security. Discuss the potential outcomes of "Water Wars" or the privatization of water supplies. Lesson 20 Quiz
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