Today’s World
Section 4
Environment and Technology
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Protecting the Environment
• Science and Technology
• Quick Facts: World Internet Access
• Faces of History: James D. Watson
Today’s World
Section 4
Environment and Technology
Preview, continued
• Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts
• Video: The Impact of September 11, 2001
Today’s World
Section 4
Environment and Technology
Main Idea
People are working together to protect the environment and
using science and technology to improve living conditions
around the world.
Reading Focus
• What are people doing to protect the environment?
• What changes are recent advances in science and technology
bringing to the world?
Today’s World
Section 4
Protecting the Environment
How do we balance growth and development with practices that will
help protect the resources and environments we all count on?
Resource Use
Sustainable Development
• Improved nutrition, medical
treatment have led to dramatic
increase in world’s population
• Economic development that does
not permanently damage
resources
• 1 billion to over 6 billion since
1800
• Try to balance need for
development with protection of
environment
• Industrialization, development
have placed great strain on world’s
resources, environment
• Major challenge: achieving
sustainable development
– Limit use of resources
– Set aside areas where no
development allowed
Today’s World
Section 4
Forests
• In areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, Amazon region of Brazil,
deforestation—clearing of trees, taking place at rapid rate
• Trees burned, cut down to dig mines, clear land for farming, ranching
• Some species of animals, plants have become extinct as result
Deserts
• Sahel region of West Africa, people struggling with desertification—spread
of desert-like land conditions
• Caused partly by drought, partly by human activity
• Trees cut for firewood, livestock overgraze land
• Without plants, wind blows rich soil away; land becomes useless
Today’s World
Section 4
Pollution
The global environment has been seriously affected by pollution.
Human beings have always polluted their environments, but pollution
did not become a serious issue until the Industrial Revolution.
Threat
How To Fight
Global Warming
• Revolution brought
new industrial
processes
• Countries cannot
agree on how best to
fight pollution
• Could bring
disastrous changes in
Earth’s climate
• Created waste
products that harmed
water, air, land
• One debate, issue of
global warming
• Many scientists
believe air pollution
caused by human
activity has caused
global warming
• By 1960s, began to
be threat to human
survival
• Rise in surface
temperature of earth
over time
Today’s World
Section 4
Laws and Problems
Environmental Laws
• Some governments have taken
legal action against pollution,
global warming
• Many nations do not have strict
pollution controls in place
• United States has passed many
environmental laws but is one
of largest polluters
• Some fear strict emissions
limits could harm economic
development
Accidents
• Even with environmental laws
in place, pollution, toxic waste
can be released due to
accidents at industrial facilities
• 1984, toxic gas leak at Indian
factory killed over 15,000,
injured a half-million more
• 1986, meltdown of Soviet
Union’s Chernobyl nuclear plant
sent deadly radiation into air
over parts of Europe
Today’s World
Section 4
Find the Main Idea
What environmental issues face the world
today?
Answer(s): pollution, global warming,
deforestation, desertification
Today’s World
Section 4
Science and Technology
Advances in science, technology have greatly changed world in
recent years
• New discoveries brought great benefits, raised new questions,
challenges
• Space Exploration
– Data from satellites, space shuttle missions have given
scientists new information about origins, development of stars,
galaxies, planets
– Other data helping scientists understand earth’s climate
change
• Development of new technologies from space experiments
– Scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses
– Farther-flying golf balls
Today’s World
Section 4
The Information Age
More Advances
• Other advances in science, technology have led to great changes in way we
transmit, receive information
• Exchange of information so important, some say this is Information Age
Instant Communication
• Space satellites transmit signals for cell phone, satellite television
• Personal computers, Internet link people, educational institutions,
businesses, governments; people work, shop, maintain friendships online
Digital Divide
• Not all areas of world have joined Information Age
• Difference in access to Internet and other information and communications
technologies called digital divide; obstacle many trying to overcome
Today’s World
Section 4
Today’s World
Section 4
Medicine and Genetic Engineering
• Great medical advances took place in years following World War II
• Medicines, vaccines developed to prevent spread of contagious diseases,
treat physical, mental illness; techniques developed to transplant organs
• Advances in ultrasound, laser, and computer technology allow doctors to
more easily treat human body
Genetics
• Developments in study of genes,
heredity have led to rapid growth in
biotechnology, use of biological
research in industry
• Some biotechnology companies
manufacture vaccines to treat
diseases
Altering Genetic Makeup
• Other biotechnology companies
genetically modify food plants
• Altering genetic makeup of plant,
animal called genetic engineering
• Plants can be hardier, more
productive than conventional
• Grown where other crops struggle
Today’s World
Section 4
Modified Crops
Green Revolution
Food Production
• Genetically modified plants part
of green revolution
• Scientists developing new types
of wheat, rice, other food crops
• Attempt by agricultural
scientists to increase world’s
food production
• With enough water, fertilizer,
pesticides, modified crops
produce more than unmodified
Advocates
• Believe genetically modified
crops can reduce pesticide use
• Say farmers will make more
money on crops
Concerns
• Genetically modified crops
might have harmful effects on
humans, environment
• Could see possible reduction of
genetic diversity
Today’s World
Section 4
Human Genetics
Cloning
Possibilities, Questions
• Another use of genetic
engineering being debated,
cloning
• Cloning offers possibilities for
improving livestock, medical
research
• Process of creating identical
organisms from a cell of original
organism
• Presents serious moral, ethical,
legal questions
Today’s World
Section 4
Today’s World
Section 4
Make Generalizations
How have recent advances in science and
technology brought both great benefits and
new challenges?
Answer(s): possible answer—hardier crops,
larger yields; debate on the ethics of DNA
research and work such as cloning
Today’s World
Section 4
Today’s World
Section 4
Video
The Impact of September 11, 2001
Click above to play the video.