Unit 6: Modern World History
Lesson C: Research - Challenges of the Modern World
Activity 4: Challenges of a Growing World
Big Question: Can the earth sustain human progress?
Possible Subtopics:
- Climate change
- Deforestation
- Pollution
- Technological advances in agriculture
- Efforts to conserve of natural resources
- Demographics: world population growth/reduction, health, birth rates, and mortality trends
- Organizational efforts to reduce environmental damage
- Political efforts to reduce environmental damage without impacting economic growth
- International environmental treaties
- Energy crises and innovations
Resources
- Climate change
- Facts behind Climate Change, Washington Post Editorial, 5/15/11. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/climate-change-denial-becomes-harder-to-justify/2011/05/13/AF44QQ4G_story.html
- Interactive Map of Carbon Emitters, NPR, 2011. http://www.npr.org/2009/12/11/121240453/climate-change-trends-carbon-emissions-giants
- Thinning Snow in Rockies Tied to Global Warming, NPR, June 10, 2011. http://www.npr.org/2011/06/10/137088287/thinning-snows-in-rockies-tied-to-global-warming
- Climate Change Tools, Resources, and Information. http://arcserver4.iagt.org/climate1stop/
- The Heat of the Moment: This Pulitzer Gateway on climate change demonstrates the human impact of climate change. http://pulitzercenter.org/heat-moment
- This interactive "chapter" allows users to "visualize how temperature and snow coverage might change over the next 100 years." http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/envisioningclimatechange/
- American Museum of Natural History Interactive Exhibit on Climate Change. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/climatechange/?src=h_h
- Resources from the World Bank on Climate Change. http://climatechange.worldbank.org/climatechange/
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. http://www.ipcc.ch/index.htm
- Washington Post Coverage of Climate Change
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/climate-change/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/climate-change/global-emissions.html - Changing Rains: Floods and Draughts. National Geographic, April, 2009. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/04/changing-rains/kolbert-text
- At Climate Talks, Resistance from India, China, and U.S. 12/7/11, NPR. http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143254976/at-climate-talks-resistance-from-india-china-u-s
- Can Carbon Ranching Offset Emissions in California? 12/7/11, NPR. http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/142947234/can-carbon-ranching-offset-emissions-in-calif
- Climate Change fight intensifies in Virginia. Officials prepare for sea-level rise while residents challenge the science behind climate change. Washington Post, 12/18/11. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/virginia-residents-oppose-preparations-for-climate-related-sea-level-rise/2011/12/05/gIQAVRw40O_story.html
- Delegates at UN Climate Talks Work to Salvage a Compromise, 12/11/11, Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/un-climate-talks-in-south-africa-teeter-on-edge-of-collapse/2011/12/10/gIQAwJXWlO_story.html?sub=AR
- Alternate viewpoints on climate change http://www.heritage.org/initiatives/energy-and-environment
- Search "Climate Change" on SIRS. Click Pro/Con Issues, Global Warming: Are human activities causing global warming? This will bring up three articles saying yes, three saying no. In addition, there are countless articles below relating to climate change.
- Resources from the U.S. State Department on climate change, http://www.state.gov/e/oes/climate/index.htm
- Climate Change: Debating America's Policy Options. Stanford, 2004. http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/20701/climate_change.pdf
- Resources from Brown University on Climate Change. http://www.brown.edu/Research/ECI/resources/
- Editorials and articles from American Enterprise Institute about climate change. http://www.aei.org/search/Climate+Change
- Brookings Institution editorials, research, and articles about climate change. http://www.brookings.edu/topics/climate-change.aspx
- Deforestation
- Brazil's Plan to Limit Deforestation, Washington Post, 2008. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/05/AR2008120503325.html
- A Protected Forest's Fast Decline, Washington Post, February, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/05/AR2009020503199.html?hpid=artslot
- Population Growth Taxing Planet's Resources, Washington Post, 10/23/11. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/population-growth-taxing-planets-resources/2011/10/16/gIQAD9bMAM_story.html
- Interactive Maps of Water and Deforestation. Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/evaporating-water-supplies/2011/10/23/gIQAPV1oAM_graphic.html
- Deforestation in Borneo, 8/21/11, NPR. http://www.npr.org/2011/08/21/139788964/a-battle-is-under-way-for-the-forests-of-borneo
- Analysis of Impact of Deforestation in Brazil, 6/23/09, NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105799907
- NY Times Coverage of the Logging Industry http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/l/logging_industry/index.html?scp=4&sq=deforestation&st=cse
- Search "deforestation" in SIRS. Many relevant articles will appear on the results page.
- Search "deforestation" on Stanford University's website for many relevant resources. http://www.stanford.edu/
- Editorials, resources and articles from the Brookings Institution. http://www.brookings.edu/search.aspx?doQuery=1&q=deforestation
- Search "deforestation" on the United Nations website for resources and articles. http://www.un.org/en/
- Pollution
- Clean Air is a Luxury in Beijing. 12/7/11, NPR. http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143214875/clean-air-a-luxury-in-beijings-pollution-zone
- Digital waste being dumped in developing countries. Fronline, Ghana. http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/ghana804/video/video_index.html
- Technological advances in agriculture
- Impact of Green Revolution in India, PBS Frontline, July, 2005. http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2005/07/seeds_of_suicidlinks.html
- Toxic Consequences of Green Revolution in India, US News and World Report, July, 2008. http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2008/07/07/the-toxic-consequences-of-the-green-revolution
- Green Revolution Trapping India's Farmers in Debt. NPR, April, 2009. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102944731
- Bucking the Green Revolution, Going Organic in India, NPR, June, 2009. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104708731
- Green Revolution Miracle in Brazil, Washington Post, October, 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/16/AR2010101604144.html
- Scientists Help Make Brazil An Agriculture Dynamo, NPR, October, 2010. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130907013
- Green Revolution: Curse or Blessing? International Food Policy Research Institute, 2002. http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/pubs/pubs/ib/ib11.pdf
- Lessons from the Green Revolution, Food First, Institute for Food and Development Policy. http://www.foodfirst.org/media/opeds/2000/4-greenrev.html
- How to Feed the World Without Destroying the Environment, NPR, October, 2011. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/10/12/141278457/facing-planetary-enemy-number-one-agriculture
- Search "Green Revolution" in SIRS. Many relevant articles will appear on the results page.
- Resources from the U.S. State Department on Food Security http://www.state.gov/s/globalfoodsecurity/index.htm
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford. Resources and articles about food security. http://foodsecurity.stanford.edu/
- Editorials, resources on the global food crisis from the Brookings Institution. http://www.brookings.edu/topics/global-food-crisis.aspx
- Demographics: world population growth/reduction, health, birth rates, and mortality trends
- Article Exploring Implications of India's Population Boom, Washington Post, 10/15/11. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/amid-population-boom-india-hopes-for-demographic-dividend-but-fears-disaster/2011/10/12/gIQA9I4nmL_story.html
- Energy crises and innovations
- China's Quest for More Energy, Washington Post, July, 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/china-rich-with-coal-seeks-more-next-door-in-mongolia-to-meet-its-energy-needs/2011/07/01/gIQADIncII_story.html
- Top Consumers of Energy, NPR, June, 2009. http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2009/06/lux.html?ps=bb3
- Resources about Energy Use and Cost from National Academies. http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/
- The Future of Energy, Frontline, April, 2007. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hotpolitics/reports/procon.html
- How Much is Left? The Limits of Earth's Resources, Made Interactive: Scientific American. September, 2011. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=interactive-how-much-is-left
- Alternative Power Interview, Frontline, June, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blackout/future/alternative.html
- Solar Power, National Geographic, September, 2009. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/09/solar/johnson-text
- Graphic showing which countries produce renewable energy, Washington Post, November, 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/11/20/GR2009112003993.html
- International Rivers. International Rivers is an organization that opposes the construction of destructive dams on rivers, and they also support communities affected by dams. Their aim is to "protect rivers and promote just and sustainable water and energy development." http://www.internationalrivers.org/
- Map of Environmentally Sustainable Countries, National Geographic, 2010. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/greendex/
- Search "energy" in SIRS. Many relevant articles will appear on the results page.
- The World Can Be Powered With Alternative Fuel Technology in 20-40 Years, Stanford University, January, 2011. Louis Bergeron http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/january/jacobson-world-energy-012611.html
- Search "energy" on Stanford University's website for many relevant resources. http://www.stanford.edu/
- Resources on energy policy, U.S. State Department. http://www.state.gov/e/eb/esc/
- Editorials, resources, and articles from the American Enterprise Institute about energy. Scroll down website, click on energy and environment tab. http://www.aei.org/
- Search each trade agreement into the search field on Brookings Institution's website to find relevant articles and editorials. http://www.brookings.edu/
