*Name Omitted

Dr Katherine Nashleanas
GEOG140 - Introduction to Human Geography
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
12th December 2021
As I Look Ahead ...

In an evaluation of the article titled "Prosperity Rising', readers are presented with the successes

achieved by humans towards Economic and Human Development globally. Over the past few

decades, particularly in developing nations, poverty has halved, life expectancy has increased,

and advancements in healthcare have reduced infant mortality and improved the quality of life.

The article explains that general American understanding of the state of global affairs relating to

development is ill-informed and doesn't account for the significant strides in social and economic

development taking place on a worldwide scale. Developing nations are advancing at

unprecedented rates, previously unseen in history; however, the U.S. seems to fail to

acknowledge and facilitate many developmental efforts through the provision of technical

support and guidance. Instead, strained relationships between the U.S. and many developing

nations have resulted in countries turning to china and other more facilitating superpowers for

aid and support. The article also highlights that the U.S. benefits from the global human and

economic development as economic upliftment creates a new class of consumers and pathways

for access to new markets for U.S. Businesses.

While human development and the advancements to our social and economic lives fell into focus

in the previous article, the article titled "Welcome to the Anthropocene', provides a new

perspective associated with the dramatic changes incurred by the environment in pursuit of
development. The report highlights the stresses imposed upon the planet's systems by human

activities. According to the article, humans are responsible for drastic alterations to our planet

environment; large tracts of land and forest ecosystem, for example, have been removed for

Urban Expansion, Agriculture and Cattle grazing, altering the landscape and the species that live

therein. Earths resources are under pressure, and the article emphasizes how human development

may be plotting a trajectory of irreparable destruction if it remained unchecked. The article's

authors call readers to prevent irreversible damage to our planet through various interventions. It

argues that change in our ideological views through scientific awareness of our existing

circumstances is necessary to decelerate the hostile planet altering trajectory.

The recognition of the correlation between advancements in human development globally and

the degraded state of the environment is unavoidable. Both articles seem to present two sides to

the same coin. Unsustainable human development has come at the cost of losing clean air, water

free of pollution, deforestation, species loss etc. Development is a double-edged sword. As more

persons depart from poverty, the demand for luxury goods and services increases and mass

consumption increases waste and accelerates resource depletion. Our shift to excess has placed

our planet in great danger of being pushed beyond the path of no return. One takeaway from

these articles is that there is still time to address the pitfalls of development, particularly reducing

our waste and being more conservative in resource utilization. Sustainability is the ultimate goal

to ensure that future generations have access to today's resources, and we should always keep the

future generation in mind. We need to React to the current realities while becoming proactive to

future challenges we may face.

Questions ;

1. Has China and Russia chosen to fill the strategically opted to support developing nations

as a modern cold war initiative to win over nations?

2. Would climate education in schools reduce the reckless depletion of resources and

pollution?

3. How has the U.S's pulling out of Afghanistan weakened the confidence of other

developing nations in the U.S. ability to follow through?

4. What can the U.S. do to gain the confidence of developing nations to ensure the ideals of

the U.S. are maintained, e.g. democracy?

5. Would taxing resources such as water help reduce wastage and inspire better

conservation for future generations?

6. Would regions of the world remaining undeveloped ultimately benefit the overall planet

since development can be environmentally damaging?

7. Would increase prices due to climate change result in a net increase in poverty?

8. Should developing nations be given incentives to maintain certain aspects of the forests

and other precious resources rather than utilize them and contribute to global depletion?