The document discusses the idea of "de-developing" rich countries instead of continuing to urge poor countries to "catch up" with them. It notes that the world exceeds its sustainability threshold and that overconsumption in wealthy nations puts significant strain on global resources and harms the world's poorest people. The document argues that societies with long, happy lives using fewer resources should be models rather than seen as needing development, and that rich countries may need to "catch down" to more sustainable levels of consumption instead of urging perpetual growth.
The document discusses the idea of "de-developing" rich countries instead of continuing to urge poor countries to "catch up" with them. It notes that the world exceeds its sustainability threshold and that overconsumption in wealthy nations puts significant strain on global resources and harms the world's poorest people. The document argues that societies with long, happy lives using fewer resources should be models rather than seen as needing development, and that rich countries may need to "catch down" to more sustainable levels of consumption instead of urging perpetual growth.
The document discusses the idea of "de-developing" rich countries instead of continuing to urge poor countries to "catch up" with them. It notes that the world exceeds its sustainability threshold and that overconsumption in wealthy nations puts significant strain on global resources and harms the world's poorest people. The document argues that societies with long, happy lives using fewer resources should be models rather than seen as needing development, and that rich countries may need to "catch down" to more sustainable levels of consumption instead of urging perpetual growth.
After reading the article, answer the following questions and send in word format to the assigned Google classroom. Write the questions before answering. (50 points) Answer in 2-3 sentences for every item. 1. What is the main objective of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations? The main objective of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations is to eradicate poverty by 2030. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. Hence, it is blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. 2. What is the standardized unit that measures resource use and waste? Global hectares is the standardized unit that measures resource use and waste. It is a useful measure of bio capacity as it can convert things like human dietary requirements into common units, which can show how many people a certain region on earth can sustain, assuming current technologies and agricultural methods. 3. What is the standard response to eradicating poverty? Growth and because as extreme poverty declines, growth on its own tends to lift fewer people out of poverty. This is because, by this stage, many of the people still in extreme poverty live in situations where improving their lives are extremely difficult. 4. What is the threshold of the Earth for adequately sustaining life? The threshold of the Earth for adequately sustaining life is 1.9 hectares. We should take care of our Earth’s Biodiversity and ecosystem because when the world population will exceed 10 billion people, planet Earth cannot resist such demands on natural resources. 5. According to the majority of people in middle- and high- income countries, what puts the planet and society at risk? Overconsumption, with increasing natural resource depletion from the wealthy countries, richer people and private sector businesses lack of food, water and energy are leaving the world’s poorest communities more vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters and the economic downturn. 6. How many hectares should each of us consume annually based on the resources available in the planet? Our planet only has enough resources for each of us to consume 1.8 Global hectares. Today, due to the current rate of consumption, the demand for natural resources exceeds 41% spare capacity of the Earth. If the escalation of this demand continues at this rate, by 2030, with an estimated global population of 10 billion people, two Earths will be needed to satisfy it. 7. What are two indicators of the quality of life given in the article? Life expectancy and Happiness it has been a most important indicators of quality of life because, together with physical and mental health, it shows how people live and thrive, hence, we should regard such countries not as underdeveloped, but rather as appropriately developed. 8. What crisis in the planet would force us to slow down if we do not do so voluntarily? Climate change crisis, the climate change crisis in the planet would force us to slow down and eventually become extinct if we do not do anything about it voluntarily. Because of reality threats of nature, it is important that we voluntarily reduce our carbon footprint, the main cause of global warming. Simple actions such as not burning plastics, using mass transportation as opposed to private vehicles and not eating too much meat would be a good start to fight climate change. 9. According to Hickel, what must be done instead of urging poor countries to “catch-up” with rich ones? “Catch-down” we should be getting rich countries to 'catch down', We should look at societies where people live long and happy lives at relatively low levels of income and consumption not as basket cases that need to be developed towards western models, but as exemplars of efficient living. 10. How would the different areas of the world react to the idea of “de-development”? Such terms are repulsive because they run against the deepest frames we use to think about human progress, and, indeed, the purpose of life itself. It’s like asking people to stop moving positively thorough life, to stop learning, improving, growing. Hence, the idea of “de-development” strongly discourages productivity as it is, even if such productivity comes from currently developed countries.