Week Two: Global Resources

Hi there,

   A quick recap from yesterday’s meeting – 40-minute documentary about the history, current stance and future prospects / threats regarding global resources. How should we manage them in order to achieve a sustainable growth? How can rich countries help the poorer ones? Should they? What are the possible dangers arising from inadequate (ab)use of the world’s resources? These and other questions were gradually being answered during the process of film watching. Afterwards, 20 minutes of discussion in four groups.

Here’s what they had to say,

Group 1

Q. How can poorer countries be influenced into preserving their natural resources?

A. Um, maybe teams of experts to be sent to those countries? Can help at the local, regional and national level – where to allocate what at optimum quantities using efficient technology. Just an idea.

Q. How can we better manage our own resources?

A. ( i ) group of experts set by government
    ( ii ) authority to impose sanctions and fines on firms/institutions that are maintaining activities which cause too much of environmental damage

Q. Do you consider resource management to be a vicious or virtuous cycle?

A. This is a question of finding the perfect equilibrium between growth (development) and environmental preservation. Depends where you find that point.

Q. Why are some countries less inclined to combat climate change; how does this affect other countries who are trying to make improvements?

A. ( i ) incompetent government
    ( ii ) corruption
    ( iii ) financial restrictions -> opt for development -> betterment of society -> no funds for green technology

    ( i ) disincentive for improvement-seeking countries -> wastage of efforts

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Representatives of remaining groups are more than welcome to present the groups' views. Yup, can post the answers as a comment to this post, for instance.

Cheers,
John A62