Unit 1

• HDI

  Human Development Index
• The HDI is calculated by combining three factors: life expectancy, education, and income.
• Life Expectancy (LE) = average number of years that people can be expected to live at birth
• Education (EDUC) = mean number of years of schooling completed by adults aged twenty-five or older
• Income (INC) = gross national income per capita
• A country's Human Development Index score ranges from 0 to 1 with higher scores indicating greater human development
• Good Country Index

  Judges countries based on how morally good they are. They judge countries based on 7 categories of global contribution:

  1. Science and technology
  2. Culture
  3. International peace and security
  4. World Order
  5. Planet and Climate
  6. Prosperity and equality
  7. Health and wellbeing
• Antonio Guterres


  Portuguese politician and diplomat, served as secretary-general of the United Nations, the ninth person to hold this title.
• Clothing


  Our chosen skin, a way we communicate who we are
• Fast fashion


  Almost overnight transforming the way clothing is bought and sold, with new items coming in every week
• Why were most world maps wrong?

  Flattening a sphere: Projecting Earth (sphere) onto a flat map creates distortions (e.g., size near poles).

  Power & perspective: Early maps reflected European dominance and political agendas, impacting how regions are shown.
• What is an issue vs. a problem?

  Issue: A topic or concern that needs attention or discussion. It may or may not have a readily identifiable solution.

  Problem: A difficulty or challenge that needs to be solved. It usually has a negative impact and requires a solution.

  Example:

  Issue: The high cost of education. (Needs discussion but solutions might be debated)

  Problem: The broken water pipe is flooding the basement. (Needs a clear solution to fix the leak)
• Global citizen


  A person who identifies with being part of a worldwide community and actively contributes to solving global challenges.
• Differences between 1st World vs 2nd world vs 3rd world

  1st World: Developed, industrialized countries.

  2nd World: Former communist/socialist countries.

  3rd World: Developing or underdeveloped countries.

  
  

  Considered derogative to class countries like this nowadays
• Difference between core and periphery countries

  Core: Developed, industrialized countries with strong economies.

  Periphery: Less developed countries with weaker economies, often reliant on core countries.
• What is a country?


  A defined territory with its own government that provides services and enforces laws for its citizens. It's typically recognized by other countries and has a shared culture and history that unites its people.
• State vs Nation vs Nation-state

  State: Political entity with defined borders and a government.

  Nation: Group of people sharing common culture, language, history, or ethnicity.

  Nation-state: State that primarily consists of a single nation.
• What is the criteria to be a state?

  Defined territory, permanent population, government, and capacity to enter into relations with other states.
• What are Micronations?


  Self-proclaimed entities claiming to be independent nations but not recognized by established governments. Example: Sealand
• Left vs. Right poitical ideology

  Left - advocates for the interests of the poor and the working class.

  Right - advocates for the interests of the rich and the middle class.
• Why do international organizations exist?

  To promote international cooperation and peace, to promote economic development, to promote human rights, to promote social justice, to promote environmental protection, to promote democracy.
• Are international organizations successful?

  Yes, they have been successful in reducing poverty and hunger, and in promoting human rights.
• United Nations (UN) 


  An international organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 


  An alliance of 28 countries that aims to promote peace and stability in Europe
• The Commonwealth 


  A group of former British colonies that have been granted independence.
• World Trade Organization (WTO): Aims to reduce trade barriers and promote free trade.
• Developed vs developing countries

  Developed countries have a high standard of living and a high level of development.

  Developing countries have a low standard of living and a low level of development.
• The Gap Instinct


  We tend to see the world divided into two groups: developed and developing countries. This view oversimplifies reality and hinders understanding of progress.
• Rosling's Data & Dollar Street


  Rosling uses data visualizations and "Dollar Street" (a representation of income levels) to show global progress in health, income, and development. This data reveals a more nuanced picture of progress, with many countries transitioning from lower to higher income levels.
• The Four Levels of Income


  Rosling categorizes countries into four income levels: Level 1 (lowest), Level 2 (low-middle), Level 3 (upper-middle), and Level 4 (highest). This framework emphasizes progress within and between levels, instead of a strict developed/developing divide.
• Negativity Bias


  We focus more on negative news and may overestimate global problems. Rosling encourages questioning assumptions and seeking a more balanced perspective.
• Ola Rosling's 4 Ways to be Less Ignorant

  1. Have a Size Sense: Understand the scale of global issues using data.
  2. See Patterns, Not Just Categories: Look beyond stereotypes and recognize trends.
  3. Be Cautious of Most of the Headlines: Don't accept negativity bias at face value.
  4. Fight Your Instinct to be Right: Be open to new information that may challenge your assumptions.
• Wagah Border Crossing: A border crossing between India and Pakistan, where the Indian and Pakistani soldiers perform a military ceremony representing the divide between the two nations
• Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia that will generate 6,000 MW of electricity. This has caused tensions to rise between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt due to water issues
• What is the connection between carbon, fossil fuels, and climate change?

  Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is released when fossil fuels are burned.
• The Paris Agreement: Aims to limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, most countries have failed to meet their commitments in the agreement
• Pakistan Water Crisis (2021): 1.5 million people affected by water shortages due to droughts, a lot of corruption with selling the water, now getting that water back.
• How many people do not have access to a toilet?

  Approximately 2.3 billion people.
• Tragedy of the Commons: When everyone has access to a common resource, they will overuse it. An example of this is when everyone uses a common pool of fish, and someone overfishes, which ends up killing the fish.
• Collapse Theory / Phantom Carrying Capacity: The idea that the carrying capacity of a population is limited by the amount of resources available. Examples of this are Easter Island and the Atlantic Cod Fishery.