Senior Thesis Environmental Conservation First World Concept Vs Third World Reality

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ITS NOT EASY BEING GREEN:

CLIMATE CHANGE & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION:
FIRST WORLD CONCEPT AND THRID WORLD REALITY

KARLI JONASEN

INS489-01

DR. MARK KEHREN

12-14-13

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Its Not Easy Being Green:
Climate Change & Environmental Conservation:
First World Concept and Third World Reality

Abstract

This research argues that environmental conservation is a first world concept, but that
third world countries tend to live a more environmentally conservative lifestyle. The main
argument addresses the World Systems Theory. Environmental Conservation is a concept in
First World countries, but not in Third World countries. Some of the factors that contribute to
third world countries having to be environmentally conservative are explained. Main
environmental issues covered are the Clean Water Crisis and the deforestation of the Worlds
Tropical Rainforests. The data reflects the un-proportional use of natural resources between First
World and Third World countries. The international community must come together to make
compromises because it is the key to saving the environment. This research explains what needs
to be done in order to change the current environmental trends. Lastly, the consequences both
First World and Third World countries will face from Climate Change are shared.

Key Terms/Concepts: Environmental Conservation, First World and Third World, Clean Water
Crisis, Deforestation, International Cooperation

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Table of Contents

Section

I. Title and Abstract

II. Introduction

III. First World and Third World

IV. First World Concept and Third World Reality

V. Clean Water Crisis

VI. Factors forcing third world countries
Environmental conservative lifestyle

1) Politics
2) Poverty
3) Lack of Education
4) Lack of technology
5) Lack of natural resources
6) Population size

VII. Deforestation of Tropical Rainforests
1) Causes of deforestation
2) Displacement
3) Environmental effects of deforestation

VIII. Why Environmental Conservation is Important

IX. They Key To Success

X. Conclusion

XI. Literature Review

XII. Case Studies:
1) Walking for Water in Africa
2) Deforestation of the Amazon

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Introduction: Climate Change

Environmental conservation, climate change, and global warming are all terms that have
become part of our everyday language throughout the world. While these terms may hold
different weight and context in different regions of the world, every corner of the world is
affected by the reality of these terms. The consequences of climate change will be widespread,
but they will not be equally distributed.
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There is a huge disparity between First World and
Third World countries regarding how they are affected by climate change. There are diverse
factors that make it difficult for Third World countries to live by First World standards. These
factors include politics, poverty, war, lack of education, lack of transportation, lack of natural
resources, and population size. Environmental Conservation is the new phenomenon. The Earth
is changing and humans play a larger role than first believed. People are now starting to notice
these changes. Human actions are considered to be a driving force behind global environmental
change.
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Every action humans take leaves a footprint. We can literally scar the Earth. There
are many resources being exploited and destroyed, particularly clean water and resources in
tropical rainforests. When it comes to clean water, there is less than one percent of accessible
water for the over seven billion people on this planet, and much of that is not even clean enough
for people to drink. The tropical rainforests are being destroyed every day. Soon there will be
no more tropical rainforests left on our Earth if the world continues at the current rate of using
resources. These environmentally destructive trends are hurting all living things. Every day that
goes by without action contributes to a suffering Earth and a changing planet. There are several
consequences that go along with climate change. These environmental consequences will not be

1
Leichenko, Robin, and OBrien, Karen. (2008). Environmental Change and Globalization.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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evenly distributed. Many Third World countries, the poorest countries in the world, will feel the
burden of climate change first, but it will hit all other countries eventually. There is no point in
waiting for these consequences to be knocking at our front door because at some point, it will be
too late to reverse the damage that has already been done. However, if we take the time to be
educated about the consequences and learn about what countries, politicians, and individuals can
do in order to change, we may be able to protect the last of our natural resources. It is important
to see where First world and Third world countries can work together to make change. Climate
change and environment conservation is a global issue and in the case of saving our Earth, every
country, every human being is on one team.

First World and Third World

When looking at the unevenness of climate change, the differences between First World
countries and Third World countries are evident. Issues that revolve around the environment and
natural resources magnify the importance of the relationship among diverse nations. This
relationship between First World and Third World nations introduces us to the World-System
Theory. A World-System theory is any historical system of interdependent parts that form a
bounded structure and operate according to distinct rules, or a unit with a single division of labor
and multiple cultural systems.
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Basically, this system is an historical system where there were
divisions created for different countries of the world.
According to Daniel Chirot and Thomas Hall, authors of the Annual Reviews of Sociology: World-System
Theory, The World-System Theory is a highly political approach to the problem of economic development in the
third world. It was created by policy-oriented intellectuals in countries at a medium level of development. In its

3
Lechner, Frank. (2000-2001). The Globalization Website: Theories: World-System Theory.
Retrieved from http://sociology.emory.edu/faculty/globalization/theories01.html

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contemporary American form, the World-System Theory has broadened into a more purely academic enterprise
designed to explain the historical rise of the West, as well as the continued poverty of most non-western societies.
But it has generally remained the property of the left, which demands redistribution of the worlds economic wealth
and which provides theoretical and ideological support for a new international economic order.
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As you look into the modern World-System Theory, it is evident that all the First World
countries are higher in economic status and that many of these countries are western. Many
Third World countries live in poverty and are non-western. First World refers to so called
developed, capitalist, industrial countries, roughly, a bloc of countries aligned with United States
after WWII while Third World are all other countries, also known as developing countries.
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Countries that are placed in this Third World category experience a high infant mortality rate, a
low economic status, high levels of poverty, low utilization of natural resources, a heavy
dependence on industrialized nations, unstable governments, a high population growth rate,
illiteracy, disease, and a lack of a middle class. This theory is created from a Western
perspective. While terms may have adapted a bit, internationally, this view has stuck. The world
is divided and stratified into these different categories based on economics and power. The
terms First World and Third World are no longer used as frequently. Today the terms have
changed to Developed and Developing nations as a more respectful way of saying that there is a
global hierarchy and that Third World is at the bottom. Throughout this paper, the terms First
World and Third World will be used.
Globalization is part of climate change and the relationship between First World and
Third World countries. With globalization, there is more interaction between countries.

4
Chirot, Daniet, and Hall, Thomas. (1982). Annual Reviews of Sociology: World-System Theory.
Annual Reviews Inc. 8, 81-106.
5
Nationsonline.org. (1998-2013). Worlds Within the World?: The First, the Second, and the Third World. Retrieved
From http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world_countries.htm

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Globalization is often understood as a movement toward greater economic, political, and
cultural integration across nations
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It is thought that maybe through globalization, Third World
countries could eventually move up the global hierarchy ladder, but that has not been the case.
Many First World countries have remained First World and most Third World countries are still
viewed as Third World even if they have advanced in certain areas such as their economy. When
it comes to climate change and environmental conservation, both First World and Third World
countries play a role. First World countries and Third World countries have an interesting and
interactive relationship when it comes to environmental conservation.

First World Concept and Third World Reality

The main argument of this thesis states that environmental conservation is only a first
world concept. Why is this not a concept in third world countries? The First World view of
climate change and environmental conservation is very different from that of Third World
countries.
First World countries tend to be wealthier, more politically stable, and have more power
in the international community. First World countries usually live a much more luxurious
lifestyle compared to Third World countries. First World countries tend to not have to worry
about the same issues as Third World countries. For example, there is poverty found in both
First World and Third World countries. However, First World countries have relative poverty,
where basic needs are still met, while citizens of Third World countries often live in absolute
poverty. People in Third World countries often suffer from extremely high mortality rates, a low
economic status, a high rate of poverty, lack of natural resources, lack of education, an unstable

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government, a growing population, disease, and violence or war. Their last worry is to study and
explore the issues and consequences of climate change or to be concerned with new ideas of
environmental conservation. The people living in these situations are simply trying to survive
for one more day. Their worries are in the present, not for the future. In many countries where
poverty and hunger thrive, people are worried about where they are going to sleep, whether it is
safe, or whether they are going to have a meal for the day, not about conservation. Global
warming and the greenhouse effects role in it promises to be one of the most controversial and
potentially most disastrous, environmental problems the world faces in the century to come
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The reality is, these issues tend not to be the main concern of those in Third World countries.
While they are environmentally conservative because they have so little, the concept of
conserving the environment in order to prevent global warming does not cross their mind.
In contrast, issues such as high mortality rates, low economic status, a high rate of
poverty, lack of natural resources, lack of education, an unstable government, a growing
population, disease, and violence or war, are not a major concern in First World countries. More
typical First World issues are things such as finding more resources because they have depleted
many of their natural resources, reforming their educational systems, or participating in a war
across seas. However, these are not dire issues that affect the entire population. First World
countries have the top schools and the best scientists to study the issues of climate change, global
warming, and environmental conservation because First World countries have the luxury of
thinking about the future. In addition, First World countries overlook the fact that having the
ability to think about the future is a luxury. This is not to say that First World countries should
not think ahead. It is good that First World countries do think about the future, but then it is up

7
Steger, Will, and Bowermaster, Jon. (1990). Saving the Earth: A citizens Guide to
Environmental Action. New York: Byron Preiss.

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to them to lead the way, especially when it comes to an issue like climate change which affects
all regions and all people of the world.
A common phrase in First World countries is going green. Climate change, global
warming, and being environmentally conservative is discussed everywhere now: on TV, at work,
at school, at home, on the streets, at stores, and even in politics and during presidential debates.
Unfortunately, these environmental issues have become more political than anything else. Al
Gore states in his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, that global warming is a moral and
ethical issue, but politicians often do not see it that way.
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Although many scientists see this as a
less than political issue, climate change and global warming has taken its place in politics.
Relating this to the United States, The climate issue has been turned into a partisan political
dispute in the United States
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There appears to be a polarization, with Democrats supporting
changes in order to protect the environment, while Republicans oppose restrictions and rules that
would require environmentally friendly practices because these practices can be costly.
Unfortunately people do not see this as an issue that affects all people no matter the political
affiliation. Rather it is seen as either a blue or red issue in the United States.
Now that the issues of climate change, global warming, and environmental conservation
have become a political agenda, it appears that the concept of environmental conservation is not
fully comprehended by everyone in First World countries. When this researcher asked several
people what is the first thing that comes to mind when told to go green, responses included the
following: recycle, turn off the lights, turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, or reuse
plastic bags. First World countries come up with catchy phrases to go green in the hope that

8
David, Laurie., Scott B., and Lawrence B. (Producers), & Davis Guggenheim (Director). (2006).
An Inconvenient Truth [motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.
9
Miller, Richard (Editor). (2010). God, Creation, and Climate Change: A Catholic Response to
The Environmental Crisis. New York: Orbis Books.

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people will remember to be conscious of going green. However, it may be that First World
countries do a lot of talking, yet not a lot of action is taken. So, yes, climate change, global
warming, and environmental conservation are all intellectual concepts for First World countries,
but due to the lifestyle Third World countries live, these environmental issues are conscious
concerns. They are not ideas that Third World citizens study and learn about in their free time.
It is something they live every day without having to put a name, title, or catchy phrase on it.

Clean Water Crisis

The Clean Water Crisis is one of the biggest crises our world will face, but it is
something that is not a commonly discussed issue. The simplicity of water makes many in First
World countries forget how important it truly is. As a chemical compound, nothing could be
simpler than water: two atoms of hydrogen joined to one atom of oxygen.
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It is one of the
simplest natural resources on our planet, but most people do not know how to utilize it
responsibly. Within in our universe, Earth is so special and unique because it holds water and
supports life. Why then, are we abusing something that makes it possible for humans to exist
and live? Water covers more of our Earth than land does, so how is a world water crisis
possible? There are many facts as to why this crisis is so serious. There are two main types of
water on our Earth: saltwater and freshwater. 97.5 percent of the water on Earth is saltwater.
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That leaves the remaining 2.5 percent as freshwater. Now, about two-thirds of that 2.5 percent
of freshwater is locked away in icecaps and glaciers.
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This water is not accessible to humans
and is not a usual source of water to societies. This means that the remaining one-third of

10
Johns, Chris (Editor). (2010, April). Water: Our Thirsty World. National Geographic, 217(4), 3-
178.
11
Pankratz, Tom. (2010, April). Get the Salt Out. National Geographic, 217(4), 32-35.
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freshwater on our planet is accessible to humans. At this time, our world population is above
seven billion people. When the Earths water supply is put in numbers like these, it becomes
apparent that in order to provide water for the already large and growing populations,
conservation of our water source is critical. People around the world can get their drinkable
freshwater from groundwater, surface water such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, or the other
option for getting clean water is getting desalinated seawater.
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The worlds water supply has
become a crisis because our world, especially First World countries, is draining aquifers and
using our accessible water much more quickly than the natural recharge rate. The natural
environmental systems cannot keep up with the rate at which the world is using its natural
resources.
A mistaken belief is that we are running out of water. The truth is that the amount of
water on Earth has never changed. None of it has left our planet. Water does not leave our
atmosphere. The fact of it is that we are running out of freshwater sources. We are polluting our
above ground water and we are draining our underground water faster than it can replenish itself.
We are also polluting our underground water. Due to all the pollution that is increasing the
carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere, our global temperature has increased. Because of the
increase, our ice caps and glaciers are either melting into the oceans or being polluted once the
melt-off enters fresh water sources that are already polluted. We are melting our water sources
too quickly. So instead of a steady consistent flow of water from mountain ice, a heavy load of
water will come. The irony is that there will not be enough water to supply the billions of people
who rely on it. Higher temperatures require plants to use more water, but higher temperatures

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Zackowitz, Margaret. (2010, April). Back to the Source. National Geographic, 217(4), 18-19.

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also lead to drought and less available water.
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There is always a cycle when it comes to the
environment. When one thing happens, something else is affected. When humans do something
to the environment, usually it does not only affect the other areas of the environment, but it
affects humans. There are some major consequences to polluting the waters of our world.
Humans are polluting the oceans, which hurts all the living plants and animals in the oceans. In
addition, humans are polluting our freshwater, which hurts the living plants and animals in our
lakes and rivers, as well as hurting humans. Polluted water is killing more children than
malaria, AIDS, or wars themselves.
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In First World countries, having water whenever needed
is not recognized as a luxury. People can turn on the sink or shower, and water comes out.
People can go to the bubbler and water comes out. People can go to the swimming pool or go
buy water at any store. People in First World countries do not need to worry about their water
being dirty. This is a luxury and many people forget this. Nearly 900 million people in the
world have no access to clean water.
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In other terms, One out of eight people lacks access to
clean water. 3.3. million die from water related health problems each year.
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This includes
both children and adults. When looking at the death toll of just children dying from water-
related diseases, 1 child dies every 21 seconds from a water related disease. 171 children die
every hour.
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In addition, sometimes people forget how much soap and water can save lives.
Hand-washing has become second nature to many in First World nations, but this is not the case
in many Third World countries. Hygiene is not a major concern. First, people need to find water

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15
Blue Gold: World Water Wars. (2009). Films On Demand. Retrieved October 29
th
, 2013, from
http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=9746&xtid=41082
16
Rosenberg, Tina. (2010, April). In Much of Africa a Faucet Would Offer Hope and Dignity.
National Geographic, 217(4), 96-115.
17
178.
18
Projecthumanity. (2012). The Water Problem. Retrieved from http://projecthumanity.org/

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to drink and only if they have enough can they think about cleanliness. Dirty water and lack of
toilet and proper hygiene kill 3.3 million people around the world annually
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It is even more
shocking to consider what this means in a smaller time frame. 25,000 people die every day
because they lack access to clean water and sanitation.
20
For many years we did not understand
that when people pollute the waters of the world, the water does not recover to an unpolluted
state right away. It is true that our world is resilient and that it can recover from natural
disasters, but this does not happen overnight. When the damage is too severe the environment
cannot recover on its own. Polluted water takes years to cleanse itself, and when a lot of damage
is done, it can take centuries. Sometimes parts of the environment will die if the damage is done
and the environment is pushed passed the point of recovery. With water becoming more polluted
and scarcer every day, people have had to adapt to finding water wherever they can. Three
hundred million people now get their water from the sea or from brackish groundwater that is too
salty to drink
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Already people are searching for water and this is just the beginning because
we continue to use our water sources until our resources are dry and there is nothing left. In
Third World countries people often have to search for water, even if the water is too salty to
drink. Even though some Third World countries are developing and becoming bigger world
economic powers, they still struggle with environmental issues. For example, Delhis water
demand already exceeds supply by more than 300 million gallons a day.
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Many Third World
countries continue to increase their population without regard to the lack of natural resources
they have for their population already. As the population grows in both First World and Third

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20
21
22
Larmer, Brook. (2010, April). The Big Melt: The Gods Must Be Furious. National Geographic,
217(4), 60-79.

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World countries, so does the water crisis. It is projected that by 2025, 1.8 million people will
live where water is scarce.
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With the current rate of pollution, that number may be even higher
than originally thought. It is important that both First World and Third World countries look at
the seriousness of the environmental harm that is being done. As of 2010, weve lately raised
the Earths average temperature by .74 degrees Celsius or 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit, a number that
sounds inconsequential, but these words do not: flood, drought, hurricane, rising sea levels,
bursting levees. Water is a visible face of climate change. Shifting rain patterns flood some
regions and dry up others.
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One of the outcomes of rising global temperatures is that it melts
the ice caps and glaciers and raises sea levels. Rising seas also endanger several hundred
million people in low-lying coastal regions. Many of these areas are in developing countries.
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Although many of those low-lying regions are in Third World countries, many First World
countries will also be affected. In fact, any coastal region around the world will be affected.
When the coastal regions of a country are affected, the rest of the country will be affected in
some way, whether financially or due to migration. Much of these shifts in the water cycle are
connected to human actions. Human intervention in the global water cycle can be tied to
urbanization, industrialization, and hydropower development.
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There are also other effects to
human actions besides natural disasters. Even a human activity such as creating dams can
negatively affect human environments. Dam projects have displaced up to 80 million people

23
178.
24
Kingsolver, Barbara. (2010, April). Everyday Wonders Reflect the Primacy of Water. National
Geographic, 217(4), 36-59.
25
26

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worldwide.
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With water cycle patterns changing and with more human development, the land
is dramatically changing. Water is becoming scarcer as more land becomes desert. More land
around the world is desertifying, making it very difficult for water to enter the ground.
28
Some
of the driest places on Earth are becoming even drier, and places that had sufficient moisture are
becoming dry. So, as more land becomes impermeable, people struggle more to find water,
especially ground water. As water becomes more difficult to find for those living in Third World
countries, there is only one option they have in order to not go thirsty, and that is to buy bottled
water. In First World countries, people are used to bottled water and the idea of having to
purchase their water. Sadly, privatization of water has become an economic dictatorship.
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As
a result, Third World citizens without water either go thirsty or buy water, which they often
cannot afford. Third world countries are already some of the driest places on Earth, yet they do
not have the financial resources to buy water. The privatization of a natural resource such as
water is making life even more difficult. Many corporations that control the sale of water are not
Third World corporations. Usually these corporations come from across borders and from across
the ocean. Some of the biggest corporations are taking advantage of one of the most critical
natural resources to all living things and taking advantage of some of the most disadvantaged
places on Earth.

27
178.
28
th
, 2013, from
29
th
, 2013, from

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Figure 1: Comparison of First World and Third World Income and Cost of Water

Picture provided by Projecthumanity.org
30

The water problem has become a financial issue for Third World countries which can
lead to further upheaval. The driest continent [Africa] is exporting water to corporations in
order to get out of debt.
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With big foreign corporations controlling water in many regions of
the world, people may become desperate. For Third World citizens, the only alternative may be
to fight. The next big world war could be over water. Governments will fight for control of this
natural resource and sometimes governments may even fight their own people for power over
water. In some regions of the world where you find governments letting foreign corporations
control their water source, the people will have to fight against their own government. The irony
is that the government would be aligning with foreign investors instead of with its own people.
Water is a basic need. First World countries especially tend to take water for granted. Yet every
day, Third World countries are fighting for the right to the most basic need: water.

30
Projecthumanity. (2012). Clean Water Economies. Retrieved November 18
th
, 2013 from
http://projecthumanity.org
31
th
, 2013, from

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Factors Forcing Third World Countries to Live Environmentally Conservative Lifestyles

Third World countries may live a more environmentally conservative lifestyle, but that is
not really a life choice they have made. There are people in First World countries that choose to
live environmentally friendly lifestyles. But in Third World countries, people usually do not
have a choice and there are a diverse group of factors that contribute this. These factors include
politics, poverty, lack of technology, lack of education, lack of natural resources and population
size.
The political trend in Third World countries is to have unstable governments. There is
not a strong self-governing foundation because many of these countries were colonized and
controlled by western powers. This hierarchy is still powerful today. Those Western powers are
still the leading countries in the world. The controlling countries have become the First World
countries and the colonized countries have become the Third World countries. The biggest
geopolitical fault lines of our age: the vast economic disparity between the developed and
developing worlds.
32
Third World governments were left weak after decolonization and these
countries were left to figure out the mess that the colonizers left behind. The politics and
politicians tend to be corrupt. They are more about money than doing what is best for the entire
population in their country. There are signs of instability in many regions where poverty is very
high. There is a great disparity between the rich and the poor, and the poor class is much larger.
There is not usually a strong middle class or even the existence of a middle class. Inequalities
from globalization are reflected in uneven rates of economic growth and capital mobility,
polarization of income and wages, differential access to political power, and limited diffusion of

32
Karaim, Reed. (2011). Climate Change. CQ Researchers (Editors). Global Issues (415-438).
Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
18

new technologies.
33
Politics is huge in the success and cohesiveness of a country and its people.
Politics always has the last say. When it comes to climate change and environmental
conservation, Third World country politics do not have a lot to say. Meanwhile climate change,
global warming, and environmental conservation have become partisan and very divided
political issues in First World countries. If First World countries cannot affect change, it makes
it very difficult for them to work with Third World countries.
Poverty is a major factor as to why Third World countries have to conserve the
resources they do have. When we relate poverty to something like the clean water crisis, there is
a correlation. Unsafe water is the primary cause of disease, poverty, and hunger throughout the
developing world.
34
Because people have to walk for water every day, they are not able to do
other things such as going to school, going to work, taking care of their children, or having
leisure time. Women spend so much time walking for water that they are unable to get jobs.
When they cannot work, they end up living in poverty. Many adults also get sick from dirty
water and then they are unable to work. They cannot make money and then their family starts to
struggle. Even if they are able to pay for their childrens education, they end up having to pull
them out to help work to make money for the family. Children also suffer a lot when they are
required to walk for water, cannot afford the school fees, or work for very little money. They
miss out on their education. In the long run, this prevents the country from moving forward.
The level of education remains low and then people do not have the education necessary to make
their way out of poverty. The least developed countries are based on low human development
and this includes thirty-five African countries, ten Asian countries, five Pacific Islander

33

34
Projecthumanity. (2012). The Water Solution. Retrieved November 23
rd
from http://projecthumanity.org/
19

countries, and one Caribbean nation.
35
These nations struggle with poverty already and with
environmental issues increasing, they continue to stay in poverty. Education is huge in moving a
country forward. Without education, a poor country will continue to stay poor. People will
continue to die from preventable diseases because people are not educated.
Due to the lack of education, Third World countries also often lack the technology that
has helped First World countries become so successful. Even though some areas in First World
countries do not have a lot of resources, there are the methods of road development and
transportation that make it possible and affordable for these people to get what they need.
However, it is different in Third World countries. In much of Sub-Saharan Africa, delivery of
safe drinking water to people is impaired by lack of infrastructure.
36
In Third World countries
where development is low, it is very difficult and pricy to get the resources to areas where they
are needed. There are other technologies like drills that would make it easier to dig for water,
but Third World countries do not have that type of technology or money, so they have to do the
work manually, which takes up so much more time. With this lack of technology, Third World
countries end up becoming dependent on First World countries giving them environmental aid,
they rely on First World companies or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to do the work.
Thus, this global hierarchy is kept alive and the poor continue to stay poor.
Lack of natural resources is another contributing factor to Third World countries
struggling to support themselves, but it also contributes to why they are so environmentally
conservative. Many of the countries of the world that are poor tend to have a harsher

35
Nationsonline.org. (2013). Current World Population. Retrieved November 18
th
from
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/world_population.htm

36
Furlong, Mariel. (2010, April). Water Availability and Water Use. National Geographic, 217(4),
19.

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environment. For example, many countries in Africa are deserts and they lack not only water,
but other natural resources such as wood. Even if a poorer country does have natural resources,
sometimes in order to get out of debt, the government allows First World nations to extract the
natural resources. But in the end the country still does not have enough of the resources they
need and then they struggle to get them. Some countries are in regions where they do have some
natural resources, but they also have some of the worst storms. Some regions in Asia have
typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis that can destroy crops. There are places in Africa where,
although they may be able to grow crops, they have cycles of nine year droughts. For example,
Botswana has a usual cycle of eighteen years. Nine years of a good raining season, a dry
season, but then nine years of drought.
37
This is not exactly the best place to have annual and
reliable crops. Climate Change is a global issue; however the poor and the most vulnerable
populations are likely to be disproportionately affected due to the lack of resources.
38
This lack
of natural resources ends up making Third World countries very dependent on First World
countries again.
There is a reason why the world is using more resources and at the same time running out
of resources. The worlds population is constantly increasing at a very fast rate; a rate that the
worlds natural environments just cannot keep up with. A hundred years ago, in the beginning
of the twentieth century, the entire world population was less than two billion people. Today, in
2013, the current world population exceeds seven billion.
39
It is expected that the worlds
population will continue to grow. In some of the poorest countries, the population is growing

37
(Perkins, J.S., personal communication, July-December 2012).
38
Kumaresan, Jacob and Nalini Sathiakumar. (2010). Climate Change and its Potential Impact on
Health: A Call for Integrated Action. World Health Organization, 88 (163), 163.
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faster and faster, while in First World countries, the population growth is slowing down. As
First World countries provide education on birth control and as women continue to become more
empowered, they are choosing to have jobs instead of having so many children. In Third World
countries, people do not have the resources to educate adults about birth control. In many Third
World countries, women are not as empowered as they are in most First World countries and
women do not have jobs to go to or think about, so they continue to have more children. With a
higher death rate in these countries, people tend to have more children because they know that
some of their children will not survive. Sadly, this is the reality of the lifestyle of those living in
absolute poverty. When looking at the top twenty countries based on population size, four are
considered to how extremely low human development and two of them are considered some of
the least developed countries. China is number one with over 1,347 million people; India is next,
followed by the United States. Nigeria is number seven and is defined as having low human
development. Bangladesh is number eight and also has low human development. Ethiopia is
number fourteen and is one of the least developed countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo
is number twenty and is considered to be both one of the least developed countries and have low
human development.
40
This list also includes countries like Indonesia, Mexico, and the
Philippines who also have environmental, political, and social issues that result in high poverty
rates. While environmental issues continue worsen, Third World countries continue to have a
very high birth rate and a growing population.
These factors affect and are affected by different environmental issues, especially when
related to the clean water crisis. Political, social, and environmental factors all impact each
other. Thus, when climate change causes devastation in any region of the world, the entire world

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is affected. It is a cycle. As clean water in the world is running out, people are becoming
desperate to find this human basic need. In regions where they lack a natural resource like water,
they end up having to go walking and searching for the resource. They also do not have the
technology to make this resource easier to obtain. So, women have to walk for water as water
was already scarce and becoming scarcer every day. When a day is full of women fetching
water and taking care of the family, they have no time to get a job and they do not even have
enough time to get an education because they end up having to walk for water at such a young
age. Because they do not receive an education, the country becomes stagnant as a majority of
the population is unable to get an education. Without education or the empowerment of women,
women are unable to get a job. They end up having children because they also do not receive an
education about birth control and the financial pressure that having a lot of children puts on
people living in poverty. Because politics tend to be unstable in Third World countries many of
these issues including lack of resources, a growing population, lack of education, and poverty are
unable to be resolved.

Deforestation of Tropical Rainforests

Deforestation of the worlds tropical rainforests has been an issue for decades. However,
lately it is grabbing more attention from the international community because of the massive
destruction locally and globally. There are only a few major tropical rainforests in the world and
they are more important to the Earth than we think. They are critical links in the ecological
chain of life that makes up the planets biosphere
41
Tropical rainforests are unique compared to
the rest of the Earths other biomes. Tropical rainforests contain more than ten million species

41
The Earth Works Group. (1989). 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth. Berkeley,
California: Earthworks Press.
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of plants and animals
42
There is no other place on Earth, no other ecosystem, no other biome
that contains as much diversity as the tropical rainforests. Although rainforests only make up
only two percent of the Earths surface, over half the worlds wild plant, animal, and insect
species live there.
43
Not only are the tropical rainforests home to the greatest amount of
diversity in the world, they also are positive for the environment. The tropical rainforests are the
worlds greatest carbon sink. This means that all the carbon dioxide, whether it was put in the
atmosphere naturally or by humans, is soaked up by the plants of the rainforests. They keep the
Earth in balance.

Data from Nasas Terra and Aqua satellites are helping scientists to map the rate at which plant life on Earth
absorbs carbon out of the atmosphere.
44

42

43
44
The Guardian Alpha. (2009). Amazon could Shrink by 85% due to Climate Change, Scientists say. Guardian
News and Media. Retrieved November 24
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from
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/mar/11/amazon-global-warming-trees
24

Another positive role the tropical rainforests play is that, the forests absorb and hold large
amounts of rainwater. That water is soaked into the ground, and it recharges underground
aquifers.
45
This is important because many as people rely on underground aquifers. In order
for this water source to stay filled, it needs to refill itself. In order to make sure that the Earths
underground freshwater sources do not run out, they need to be able to refill themselves and keep
up with the natural recharge rate. This means all the underground water cannot be used too
quickly, or that aquifer will dry up. This requires time, so it is crucial that the rainforests and its
plants are able to soak up the water. The rainforests receive more water than any other biome in
the world.
Most of the worlds tropical rainforests are located in Third World countries. The first
largest rainforest is the Amazon located in Central America. The second largest rainforest is in
the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The Third largest rainforest is in Indonesia and
other parts of Southeast Asia. And the fourth largest rainforest is in northeast Australia.
46

The tropical rainforests have become a great interest to First World countries because of
the natural resources and free useable land. Because of First World agendas, there has been a lot
of destruction of the rainforests in a very short amount of time. One thing many from First
World countries do not realize is that many people live in the rainforests and make profit off the
natural resources. They have been doing this for decades.

The best example of the use and preservation of rainforests may be that carried out daily by the 300,000
people who still live by collecting rubber, nuts, resin, and other forest products in Brazil. They have proven over the

45

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decades that using and preserving rainforests can go hand in hand and may even be profitable. Sadly, many of the
rubber tappers have been driven from their homes by encroaching development and greedy landowners.
47

The main causes of this deforestation includes logging, agriculture slash and burn
cultivation, agriculture cash crops and cattle ranching, fuel-wood, large dams, mining and
industry, and tourism.
48
Because of these practices much of the rainforests have been
destroyed. Each year, twenty-seven million acres of tropical rainforests are destroyed, which is
about fifty acres per minute.
49
There are many positive attributes of the rainforests. So, what
happens when it is destroyed? One of the most unique aspects of the rainforests is its great
diversity. When the forest is destroyed, so are the plants and animals that live there.
Rainforests are home to fifty to seventy percent of all life forms on Earth. Scientists estimate an
average of 137 species are driven into extinction every day for a total of 50,000 each year.
50

Often people think that the tropical rainforests have the richest soil in the world. Surprisingly it
does not. The tropical rainforests do receive a huge amount of rain, but most of that is not
soaked into the ground. Most of the water is soaked into the roots of all the trees and plants.
This explains why the rainforests have some of the tallest trees in the world. When the trees are
cut down, sunlight and dry, hot winds pour in.
51
The soil turns hard and dry. It is not nearly as
effective as it was when it was covered with vegetation. The soil is already poor. The vegetation
protects the soil.

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Regarding the destruction of the rainforests, the connection between First World
countries and Third World countries is monumental. As stated before, most of the tropical
rainforests are located in Third World countries. Most of these countries suffer from huge
national debt and then they have huge foreign investment. The Hamburger Connection is a
great example of how large of a role First World countries play.
52
This occurrence shows how
First World countries exploit poorer countries and their resources. Third World countries have
the land and resources First World countries seek, but they do not have the power or money to
protect their land and its resources. The Hamburger Connection is the link between
deforestation and the growth in international demand for Brazilian beef.
53
There is a great need
for land in order to raise cattle to keep up with this growing demand for beef. As fast food
chains continue to grow too, there is more need for beef. For example, through globalization,
McDonalds has touched almost every corner of this world. And that is only one fast food chain
that requires beef. Many other fast food chains that have expanded across borders require beef
as well. Not only is beef needed for the fast food chains that have become common in most
countries, but a lot of beef is shipped back to First World countries. Every year the United
States imports over 120 million pounds of fresh and frozen beef from Central American
countries. Two-thirds of these countries rain forests have been cleared to raise cattle.
54
In
order for First world countries to be supplied with the amount of beef they need, many trees have
been cut down and the land has been cleared. Then cattle are raised on the cleared land, killed,
and packaged and shipped. People may think that the land is being used for a long time for

52
53
Kaimowitz, David., Mertens, Benoit;, Wunder, Sven;, and Pacheco, Pablo. Hamburger Connection Fuels Amazon
Destruction: Cattle Ranching and Deforestation of Brazils Amazon. Center for International Forestry
Research. Retrieved November 24
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from http://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/media/Amazon.pdf
54
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raising cattle. That is false. The land is not able to be used for a long period of time. The soil in
rainforests is surprisingly not rich at all. Only about a two-inch layer contains any nutrients.
55

Although the rainforests do receive the most rain compared to any other biome in the world, the
soil does not absorb that much of the water. Much of the water that reaches the ground is then
soaked up by all the vegetation and almost every inch of the rainforests are covered by dense
vegetation. When a rainforest is converted to say, cattle grazing, the soil is grazed out within
two years.
56
The trees are cut down, the cattle are raised, and a desert is left behind. Every day,
there is more interest in the rainforests from foreign companies. As a result, more vegetation,
more wilderness, and more diversity are lost every day. If this is not enough of a loss, then
consider the other consequence that results from a loss of our rainforests; more carbon dioxide in
our atmosphere. The worlds tropical rainforests are the worlds largest carbon sink. It keeps the
Worlds Carbon Dioxide levels in balance. As the worlds population continues to grow and
pump more carbon dioxide into the air, this balance is off set. The destruction of the Earths
tropical rainforests adds up to 2.5 billion tons of carbon to the atmosphere annually.
57
Now,
deforestation contributes between ten to thirty percent of worldwide carbon dioxide
emissions.
58
Consider all the machines needed to cut down forests and exploit the minerals in
the ground. Think about the technology that is used in order to increase production of cattle.
These machines are running all the time. Not only does cutting down the rainforests hurt us, but

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the tools used in order to cut down the rainforests have severe consequences on the rest of the
worlds environment. Besides losing the worlds natural carbon sink/carbon absorber, we are
decreasing a great amount of diversity. Through human actions, many plants and animals are
facing extinction.
There are also consequences that will affect humans first hand. Disease and epidemics
spread. As the Earth continues to heat up due to climate change, disease spreads because there
are more regions with warmer climates.
59
Disease has started to spread further north and south.
For example, malaria and roundworms are beginning to spread as temperatures rise. This means
more people will be touched and affected by these diseases.
As people lose land to foreign investors, there is less land for the locals. This causes
tension and conflict. In the past three decades, hundreds of people have died in land wars.
60

Yet, many people in First World countries are uninformed about these issues. For many in Third
World countries the violence for land is very real. This conflict crosses borders as useable land
becomes scarcer. One major result of this conflict is more violence. The most important fact
that people need to know is that the rainforests cannot just regenerate themselves. While many
parts of our planet are resilient, not every environment can save itself. People often think if we
take a little, the Earth will be okay, but now the mind-set has become that people think we can
take everything and the Earth will still be okay. This is not true. Rainforests can regenerate
after 50-120 years, but most of the obliterated species will never come back.
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We can help the
rainforest grow back by planting trees, but it will still take decades and even centuries for

59
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Wallace, Scott. (2007, January). Last of the Amazon. Retrieved from
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/last-of-amazon/
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rainforests to grow again. The rainforests will never fully be complete without its massive
diversity. The loss of the rainforests is measurable. If this destruction continues at the current
rate, many of these species will be gone forever. The Earth may not be able to recover.

Why Environmental Conservation is Important

The Earth is changing and the people of the world can either take action or continue to
ignore the environment. If the people of the world, including both First World and Third World
nations, ignore the environment, there are many consequences. These natural changes will touch
every corner of the world. This is worldwide.
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There will not be any one person who will not
be affected in some way. There will be people who are touched by these changes more than
others. The effects and distribution of climate change are uneven. As a result, people question
climate change and global warming. They question the need to be environmentally conservative
because they do not feel or see environmental issues that so many have been warned would
come. It is true that not every area of the world is seeing a change, but it is a guarantee that
every area of the world will see and feel the environmental change in the future. It is important
that we understand the consequences in order to understand that everyone has a responsibility to
take action.
The consequences of climate change include natural disasters, and this can create a chain
reaction. It can lead to political crisis, conflicts, displacement, increased disease, and more
human suffering than ever before. The world always has a way to balance itself out when it feels
the population is too much to sustain. Natural disasters do not pick and choose where they hit.

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The past decade has brought more extreme storms than ever before.
63
These storms include
more severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, blizzards, typhoons, monsoons, and
tsunamis. Climate shifts will be widespread. Droughts across the grain belt. Forest and brush
fires will spread. Coastal wetlands will be swamped. Disease will spread.
64
Many of these
storms will hit around the world, but a majority of them will be seen in Third World countries
simply because most of them are near the equator. Uneven outcomes from global environment
change manifest via changing temperature patterns, changes in water availability, reduction of
species habitats, and loss or gain of livelihood opportunities.
65
Global warming is a term people
use when they want to warm about the terrible consequences of human action and activity. But
climate change will have the exact same consequences. Some of the worst effects of global
warming are likely to be felt thousands of miles from those nations that are most responsible for
the higher temperatures and making it easier for responsible parties to delay action.
66
For
example, many of the richest and least affected countries were a part of the Industrial Revolution
and the World Wars, polluting the worlds environments. Many of these rich nations were also
colonizers, bringing pollution to Third World nations. Carbon dioxide is a major issue in our
atmosphere currently and First World countries are the biggest contributors to the issue. The
richest seven percent of the worlds population are responsible for fifty percent of the worlds
carbon dioxide emissions, while the poorest fifty percent of the worlds population have

63
178.
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contributed just seven percent of the worlds carbon dioxide emissions.
67
Is this really fair to
the majority of the worlds population who has not polluted the Earth? The richest are the ones
polluting the environment and not feeling the environmental consequences. Meanwhile, the poor
of the world who cannot escape their environments are forced to suffer the consequences created
by the richest people in the world. We are running the risk of condemning the poorest of the
world, the 2.6 billion people who will survive on less than two dollars a day, to a desperate
struggle for food and water and all the displacement, violence, and suffering that such a struggle
could entail.
68
Many of those violent storms mentioned before will strike those in the poorest
regions of the world. The current rate of climate change, as some would define as global
warming, is creating terrible environmental changes. The current trend of environmental
destruction will lead to droughts, floods, heat waves, and violent storms that displace tens of
millions of people, particularly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
69

Earlier, the world water crisis was discussed. Water is such a basic need that many
around the world take for granted. The world water crisis is becoming a critical issue because
water is becoming polluted and drying up. Water is an issue that correlates with climate change
and is something that people can connect climate change to. Water is the visible face of climate
and therefore, climate change. Shifting rain patterns will flood some regions and dry up
others.
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When the world begins to heat up, one of the first consequences believed to occur is
that sea levels will rise due to the melting ice camps and glaciers. There are many regions of the

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Geographic, 217(4), 36-59.
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world that are below sea level and those will be the first that will be affected by rising sea levels.
Many islands will fall victim to rising sea levels. This alone will affect many regions of the
world, but even places that are not below sea level will eventually fall victim to rising sea levels.
As the sea levels continue to rise, many coastal regions around the world will be under water.
Rising sea levels will submerge some island nations by 2100 and create widespread dislocation
and damage to coastal areas, threatening more than $28 trillion worth of assets by 2050.
71

Climate change will affect water in many other ways other than just rising sea levels. Water is a
part of daily life, so there are parts of our lives that will affected as well. It is important to
remember that seventy percent of our freshwater resources are used for irrigation of crops. Thus
if you have water problems, you are going to have food problems.
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If the poorest countries of
the world are already feeling the effects of food shortages because of the lack of water, what will
happen to them when First World nations begin to struggle with food shortages? So much of our
world relies on agriculture. As water starts to become scarcer, the worlds crops will suffer.
Food will not be as cheap as it used to be. It will not be as easily accessible. Land will become a
desert. Soil will dry up. It will not just be the United States; other areas will be turned into
permanent dust bowls. This includes Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, and
Western Australia.
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Nature does not pay attention to which countries are First World or Third
World. There are many consequences for people around the world if the agriculture around the
world suffers. In order to avoid these consequences, taking care of our freshwater is critical.

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Conflict can be another outcome of water scarcity. There are few major sources of
water that do not cross one or more political boundaries, says Gidon Bromberg, the Israeli co-
director of Friends of the Earth Middle East.
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There are already tensions between many
countries and their borders. Water is a scarce resource particularly in the Middle East. As if
there is not enough tension between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, the clean water
crisis is just adding to the fire. Tension, conflict, and violence will increase as resources,
especially water, become scarcer. The Jordan River that lies between Israel and its neighbors is
now drying up. The Jordan River is depleting due to drought, pollution, and overuse. Its
reservoir has shrunk to a fifth of capacity and has not filled since 2003, forcing Jordan to ration
water.
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This issue will cross borders. It will cross seas. Conflict will arise and that is why
people fear that the next major war will be over water. Climate change in general can cause a lot
of conflict. It can create a high risk of violent conflict in forty-six countries, now home to 2.7
billion people, as the effects of climate change exacerbate the existing economic, social, and
political problems.
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Environmental issues affect people regarding where they live, forcing migration.
Displacement is a major issue due to natural disasters and human destruction to natural
environments, such as the tropical rainforests. Environmental deterioration caused by climate
change could force up to one billion people from their homes in the coming decades.
77
Many of
the people being forced to move already live in poverty. There have already been millions of

74
Belt, Don. (2010, April). The Middle East Could Be a Model for Averting Water Wars. National
Geographic, 217(4), 154-171.
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Geographic, 217(4), 154-171.

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Felton, John. (2011). Aiding Refugees: Outlook: Environmental Refugees. CQ Researchers
(Editors). Global Issues (355-388). Washington D.C.: CQ Press.
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people displaced due to past typhoons and tsunamis in Southeast Asia. Even in the United
States, people have been displaced due to hurricanes and tornadoes. The predictions that
scientists have made are already coming true. Climate change will create environmental
refugees. When a refugee situation occurs, governments, especially those in the developing
world, will be disrupted, creating political instability will occur.
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Refugees put a lot of stress
on the home government, but it also puts stress on the countries sharing borders because people
begin to cross borders due to instability. Refugee situations are expensive. These are not easy or
cheap situations to solve. Most environmental issues will not be solved quickly or cheaply. The
cost of climate change, both economic and in human lives, already appear significant. Disasters
tied to climate change kill around 300,000 people a year and cause roughly $125 billion in
economic losses, according to the Global Humanitarian Forum.
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This would not only cause
death to humans. It would cause death to many natural environments which are home to a great
amount of diverse species. Much of the diversity is loss due to the destruction of the tropical
rainforests, but there are many other species around the world that are starting to become extinct
and many may never return. Events in Earths geological history suggest that it will take tens of
thousands of years for the ocean chemistry to recover, while the recovery of the ecosystem
function and biological diversity can take much longer.
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This is a serious issue that must be
taken seriously or the world will suffer much more.
Population plays a scary role in the consequences of climate change. The world is
continually growing and as the population increases so does the amount of resources needed to

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sustain that population. The more resources used, the more land destroyed and the more the
world increases its chance of speeding up climate change. Thus, the consequences may reach
people a lot more quickly than previously predicted.

While the planets population is projected to reach nine billion by 2050, Hans Joachim Schellenhuber, one
of the leading climate scientists in the world, carefully argued at a major international climate conference that at a
five degree Celsius increase (nine degree Fahrenheit increase) from pre-industrial temperatures, which is where we
are heading on our current path, the planet could probably support only about one billion people.
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Currently, our population is already above seven billion. The more the environment is
pushed to its limits by human action and activity, the higher risk there is of billions of people
dying. Because natural disasters are uneven, Third World countries are feeling the affect more
than First World countries are. Third World countries will lose more people and they will suffer
more losses first. This is something that all countries need to take into account. The poorer will
be the first to suffer and suffer massive losses of human life, and how will First World countries
respond to that? Eventually First World nations will have to accept that fact that they will be
next to suffer massive losses of life.
In spite of these discouraging predictions, many scientists do not believe it is too late to
make change. We have the ability to make change. We must because the survival of billions of
people is at stake.
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First World countries have the largest responsibility to make change. Third
World countries must be willing to make changes as well. First World Countries and Third

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World countries must find a way to work together that has positive effects on the environment.
In order to save billions of lives, change is a must.

The Key to Success

There are many things that the people of the world need to understand before they take action.
In order to conserve our resources and protect our planet and all living things, people cannot just
recycle, turn off the lights, and waste less water. There are so many more perspectives needed in
order to really make a difference. This includes accepting the very large differences between
First World and Third World countries, exploring what policies have been tried in the past and
what the international community is trying to do now, and then looking into what global and
individual changes people can make in order to help the environment.
The World System Theory defines that there are First World countries, the rich countries
and Third World countries, the poorer countries. The lifestyle differences between these two are
extremely different. The economic gap between First World and Third World countries are
huge. The international community must recognize this gap because environmental conservation
will never be successful without that recognition. The biggest geopolitical fault lines of our
age: the vast economic disparity between the developed and developing worlds.
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The amount
of resources used in First World countries compared to Third World countries is a wake-up call.
When related to the United States, Americans make up five percent of the worlds population
and consume thirty percent of the worlds resources.
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The amount of water people in the
United States use compared to those in Third World countries is just as large. 100 gallons per
day compared to 13 gallons or less in Third World countries. The problem is not scarcity of

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resources; it is the political will to make change.
85
The world has enough resources; it just is
not equally distributed. A wide gap has developed between what is understood about global
warming by the relevant scientific community and what is known by policymakers and the
public.
86

There have been times when policies have been made and when politicians from around
the world have come together to discuss the climate and the environment. But did these
meetings really work? Politicians from First World countries know that in order to be successful
politicians, they must go with the peoples first priority. Usually the environment and climate
change is not the first priority because it is not visible. Politicians also understand how pricey it
is to make environmental policies and changes. In the United States, According to
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the cost of complying with federal air and water
pollution-control regulations was $52 billion in 1981, and between 1981-1990, the price was
$640 billion.
87
That is extremely expensive for even a rich country. There have been many
attempts by individual nations to make changes. It is surprising how long ago some of these
protective regulations were put in place, and yet people today are still struggling to follow them.
In the United States, The Water Quality Act of 1965 was the first federal law to mandate state
action with respect to water pollution control policy.
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This act took place in 1965, so why are
people today still not protecting the waters? There are problems with past regulations because
they usually are not enforced. The rules become more lax, and people start to not follow the

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Portney, Paul (Editor). (1990). Public Policies for Environmental Protection. Washington, D.C.:
Resources for the Future.
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rules. One of the results is the polluted water of today. Looking globally, there have been
strides made in Europe to help protect the environment and its resources. Several Scandinavian
countries have adopted carbon taxes, with mixed results.
89
While these Scandinavian countries
had the right intentions, it is not as easy as it sounds. There are mixed feelings on this carbon
tax. Some analysts believe a carbon tax, a levy on carbon-emitting fuels, couples with a system
to rebate most of the tax back to consumers, but at the same time, a carbon tax would both
directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide powerful incentives for technological
progress in this area.
90
It is difficult to have everyone agree. Since nations first began to
seriously wrestle with climate change, most effort has gone into fashioning a legally binding
international treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions while helping poorer nations cope with the
effects of global warming.
91
At least, this was the intention-- to make treaties that would bind
the international community and help poorer countries. But it has not really gone as planned. As
stated before, it is not easy to get everyone to agree even within one nation, so it is even more
difficult for the international community to all agree on a treaty that fits all. There was the
Kyoto Protocol in 1997, where more than 150 nations agreed on it. The Kyoto Protocol was a
landmark accord to reduce greenhouse gases, but some of the richest and biggest contributors to
the issues did not ratify it, like the United States.
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When the richest nations of the world
cannot agree, it is almost impossible to get poorer countries to work with and agree with the
richest nations. Many of the treaties that richer countries put together are simultaneously suicide

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packs to the poorest countries of the world. Many of these gatherings on the environment are run
by First World countries and often Third World countries are not even invited. The treaties are
coming from First World perspectives on climate change and in that way, the treaties are not
helpful to Third World countries. In 2007, the U.N. report concludes that global warming is
unequivocal, human actions are primarily responsible, so in 2009, there was another large
gathering in Copenhagen. A gathering of 194 nations came to discuss climate change and after
two weeks a nonbinding accord was made which only 55 out of the 194 nations signed.
93
This
accord fell short of many peoples hopes. A nonbinding accord will not last long, and fifty-five
nations out of 194 is not a positive outcome of this large gathering. Copenhagen clearly
demonstrated how extremely difficult and complex global climate negotiations can be.
94

Scientists had really pushed these negotiations to take place because of current research and
predictions of the threat of hundreds of millions people, species of plants and animals perishing
if no action is taken. With past negotiations, and past treaties, it has become clear that no
cleanup law in the world has yet proved totally effective.
95
People have tried, but these
nonbinding treaties are not lasting and not decreasing the impact people have on the environment
around the world. To come up with a universal agreement has never been done in the history of
man and it is unlikely it will ever happen. World-wide agreements are quite unrealistic.
The climate change crisis is a global issue. Both First World and Third World countries
can make changes and they must work together in order to make any substantial and visible
change. Sustainable economic growth must become the priority in many tropical regions-but at

93

94
95
40

the same time, First World nations must all help lay the groundwork for their protection.
96
First
World countries should hold Third World countries accountable for any destructive actions to the
environment. But First World countries must help them in order to make sure they know how to
protect the environment properly. First World countries have been the countries that have
already made all the mistakes and have learned from them. First World countries have also
caused most of the environmental damage, so it should be a moral responsibility to help Third
World countries cope with the environmental changes they are facing. Developing nations
demand more financial aid for coping with climate change.
97
Because of the financial troubles
many Third World countries face, they cannot be held to the standards of First World countries.
In order to work together, Third World countries do need financial help from the richest
countries of the world. This does not mean that we should allow First World countries to do all
the work because then Third World countries will never learn to do it on their own. This would
only continue the cycle of Third World countries becoming reliant on First World countries. It is
essential to empower the developing communities to take responsibility for ensuring and
maintaining a projects sustainability.
98
There are changes that the nations of the world and the
people of the world can make on their own; individual changes in order to protect our planet and
its resources. Policies advocating sustainable forest land and resource use, such as land tenure
reform and incentives for proper forestry management and re-forestation, should be promoted.
99
This is the type of thing we are starting to see from Third World countries. They are trying to

96

97
98
rd
99
41

protect their environment, but want some sort of incentive for continuing to do so. Mostly Third
World countries are just requesting compensation because they are turning down First World
countries who want to come in, pay for the land, and then destroy it. So, Third World countries
are losing money as they try to protect the environment. When a typhoon struck the Philippines
last month, those islands requested compensation for the destructive storms they are suffering.
They feel that their suffering is due to First World nations environmentally destructive actions.
Local environmental groups in the tropical rainforests must be strengthened so they can play a
larger role in shaping local policymaking.
100
Without these groups being strengthened, it will
make it very difficult for them to be seen or heard by politicians. Reckless deforestation must
be halted and the millions of rain forests areas already stripped to stumps and decay must be
replanted.
101
That means that large lumber, oil, and cattle ranching investors from the richer
countries must stop buying and exploiting the land. That is a large request that many large
companies in First World nations will refuse to honor.
The public is not only uniformed about the threat of global warming, but also about the
potential for change.
102
Every day, the people of the world, especially in First World nations
can make changes in order to help the environment. Little changes can make the greatest
difference in the long run. Conservation can be accomplished by simple cost-effective
measures that require little change in life-style.
103
Regarding the clean water crisis, it should be
understood that the world should protect the waters of the world every single day. Saving water

100
101
102
103
42

is not just something to do in a drought.
104
Regarding the rainforests, citizens can gather and
put pressure on governments to make changes. Also, strike eating fast food hamburgers or
processed burgers that come from Central or South American.
105
This is not saying it is banned
to eat burgers all together, but just to watch where beef is coming from. By eating beef coming
from Central or South American, indirectly, there is continued support for the foreign investors
in these Third World countries who are buying land cheaply, destroying it, exploiting resources,
shipping them across borders, make locals work in slave-like conditions, and causing the
displacement of millions of locals. Overall, the people of the world need to push for laws that
are in line with science. The scientists are come to a consensus about climate change and the
consequences of it. Economic growth must go hand in hand with environmental protection.
106

There needs to be pressure put on large companies, markets, and economies to tell the truth about
the environmental destruction that goes along with their business. Maybe it is time to accept that
buying more and paying less is not the best concept. The relationship between First World and
Third World countries is the key to changing the destructive environmental trend currently
taking place. Only with cooperation, with an issue as large as climate change, can change be
made. It is difficult to try to relate First World and Third World lifestyles, so it is difficult for
both to see eye to eye on this issue. The difficult part is explaining why all nations must
cooperate in seeking solutions to global warming. While it may be difficult, it is not impossible,
especially with more severe storms hitting different parts of the world all the time. The key to

104
105

106
43

environmental success is education.
107
Education is so important because it can save so many
lives in the long run whether it has to do with clean water, deforestation, or just the consequences
of climate change. Another key to success is just spreading awareness about the environmental
problems especially in areas where people are protected from the visible signs of climate change.

Conclusion

Through the realization of the role First World countries play in the destruction of the
environment and its resources, it is clear that there is a big difference between First World and
Third World countries. Environmental conservation is just a concept to First World countries,
but Third World countries are living environmental conservation every day because they are
forced to through unstable politics, high rates of poverty, a lack of education, a lack of
technology and development, a lack of natural resources accessible in certain regions of the
world, and a growing population size. The major issues many Third world countries are facing
are the clean water crisis and the deforestation of the tropical rainforests. These issues are not
visible to First World countries, but First World countries play a very important role in
contributing to the destruction and have a moral responsibility to stop the destruction. The
destruction of tropical rainforests as a result of foreign investors coming in to buy the land and
then destroying and exploiting the resources, causes death to the plants and animals. It also
causes displacement, makes locals work under slave-like conditions, and displaces many who
live in the rainforests. These issues are increasing the dangerous effects of climate change and
increasing the global temperature. Both case studies, which include walking for water and the

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44

native people trying to protect the Amazon rainforest, display the economic difference between
First World countries and Third World countries, but they also shed light on the relationship that
binds them. This relationship is key to making environmental changes and working together to
protect the Earth and its resources. If action is not taken by people, companies, and politicians,
there is a great risk that storms will get worse and more people will die. Scientists agree that
changes are already happening and that even though First World countries have contributed the
majority of pollution to the planet, they will not feel the effects as quickly. Third World
countries are already feeling the effects of climate change. The effects of climate change are
uneven. There is a risk of billions of people dying if there is no change made by countries and
individuals around the world.

45

Literature Review

The World-System Theory is a basic theory that is no longer really used as much because
the term first world and third world are not used quite as often. The terms first world and third
world has changed to developed and developing. But this world-systems theory is extremely
important to understanding the relationship between the richer and more developed countries and
the poorer and less developed countries. This relationship is key in environmental issues and it
is an important aspect to making future changes. This Review of the World-system theory
connects to the Globalizations Website explanation of the World-Systems Theory.
108
The
Nationsonline website defined what the World System Theory means by First World and Third
World.
109
Leichenko and OBriens textbook Environmental Change and Globalization, ties
together how the world-systems theory and environmental change connect.
110
In order to
understand the impact of environmental change, it is important to understand the role
globalization plays. Nationsonline.org was able to reveal the effect that population plays in
economic disparity between First World and Third World countries.
111
Environmental change is
a global issue. The sections of the book that relate to this thesis are about how the
environmentally changes are widespread, but how they are not equally distributed. There will be
certain regions of the world that will suffer first and suffer more than other regions. And it will
mostly likely be third world countries who suffer the most and suffer first compared to first

108
Lechner, Frank. (2000-2001). The Globalization Website: Theories: World-System Theory.
Retrieved from http://sociology.emory.edu/faculty/globalization/theories01.html
109
Nationsonline.org. (1998-2013). Worlds Within the World?: The First, the Second, and the Third World.
retrieved From http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world_countries.htm
110
111
th
from
46

world countries who will be less affected to due to their financial state and development. The
documentary An Inconvenient Truth makes it clear that climate change is worldwide.
112
This
is a global issue and it will touch every corner of the world.

The special issues of National Geographic regarding water came out in 2010 and it
covered many different perspectives of the Clean Water Crisis.
113
It covered it from both first
world countries and third world countries. National Geographic offered maps and graphs
depicting how severe the water crisis is and how so many different regions of the world are being
affected. Tina Rosenberg writes an article about how people in Africa suffer getting clean water
every day. She explains how women are walking for miles to get water, which sometimes not
enough.
114
Barbara Kingsolver also reflects on the issue that water is a basic need. She discusses
how those in rural and poorer countries are the ones suffering the most and that they have to
search for water. Water is primary to the survival of all living things. She emphasizes the
importance of clean water.
115
Tom Pankratz writes an article about desalination and how only
wealthy countries could afford to pay for that sort of water treatment. Unfortunately it is the
poorer countries who would need that kind of water treatment.
116
A documentary called, Blue
Gold: World Water Wars, covers many areas of the clean water crisis.
117
This documentary
correlates much with what the National Geographic Water edition covered.

112
113
178.
114
115
Geographic, 217(4), 36-59.
116
117
th
, 2013, from
47

The book, A Long Walk To Water, is based on a true story about a young girl who must
walk for water every day.
118
Walking for water is a reality that many young children and women
face in regions of the world where water is scarce. This is used as a case study talking about
women who have to walk for water in Africa. A short documentary called, Walking in Sabinas
Shoes, shares the story of a women with three children who has to spend most of her day
walking for water.
119
It reveals how it has affect her life and how it will affect her childrens
lives. Both of these primary sources share the reality that many in sub-Saharan Africa face.

Margaret Zakowitz explains in her article where many sources of water come from.
120

Most of Earths water is salt water that is in the oceans. A little less than three percent of the rest
of water on Earth is freshwater, but over two-thirds is locked away in icecaps and glaciers. So,
that leaves less than one percent of freshwater that is accessible by over seven billion people.
These freshwater sources include rivers, lakes, streams, and groundwater. Zakowitz reveals
where different regions retrieve their water from and how quickly those resources are being used
up. Mariel Furlong has a map and graph that helps visualize where there are large amounts of
freshwater stored around the world. The map also shows how much water different countries
use.
121
Gwin Peter writes about how the richest countries use an excessive amount of freshwater

118
Park, Linda. (2010). A Long Walk To Water. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
119
Costanza, Kari. (2010). Walking in Sabinas Shoes. World Vision. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bEtqZoD4V4
120
Zackowitz, Margaret. (2010, April). Back to the Source. National Geographic, 217(4), 18-19.
121
Furlong, Mariel. (2010, April). Water Availability and Water Use. National Geographic, 217(4),
19.
48

for luxury sort of activities.
122
This freshwater is not being used for the basics like washing and
cooking.

There are many consequences to not taking care of our environment and using the natural
resource faster than the recharge rate. Directly and indirectly people are contributing to the
destruction of many different types of environments. When climate change and global warming
are being discussed, people picture the melting glaciers. And yes, glaciers melting are not good,
but what is even worse is that people depend on a consistent and controllable melting of ice from
the mountains in Asia.
123
The ice on mountain slowly melts and runoffs and then supports
billions of people around the world. With the climate changing, the ice is melting too fast that
soon there will be no more water for billions of people to rely on. Book Larmers article in the
Special issue of National Geographic on water educates on how many people will suffer and
possibly die from not enough water. Water is becoming scarcer and this is a major issue that
more people are starting to face around the world every single day. Don Belt explains how water
wars may become a reality in many regions in the world.
124
There are already tensions among
nations regarding other things like religion, government style, resources, past histories, but now
there is another dimension of conflict added. Projecthumanity.org is a website that looks into the
world water crisis, the water problem, and the water solution.
125
An article about climate change

122
Gwin, Peter. (2010, April). Golfs Hot Green. National Geographic, 217(4), 29.

123
Larmer, Brook. (2010, April). The Big Melt: The Gods Must Be Furious. National Geographic,
217(4), 60-79.
124
Geographic, 217(4), 154-171.
125
rd
Projecthumanity. (2012). Clean Water Economies. Retrieved November 18
th
, 2013 from
http://projecthumanity.org
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and its potential impacts shares the consequences the world faces if no action is taken.
126
It
shares how many of the natural disasters will affect Third World countries first and how storms
will continue to get worse around the world and ultimately affect humans health.
Deforestation is another main focus for this thesis. It is one of the case studies because
the loss of the worlds tropical rainforests has been a growing issue and now it is at a critical
moment.
127
The destruction done may not be reversed, so it has become a global issue to save
the last of the worlds rainforests. Scott Wallaces article gives an inside look in the life of
native living in the Amazon. Not only is the natural environment being destroyed, but the
diversity that exists in the rainforests are becoming extinct. Animals are dying every day. The
diverse species are not the only ones suffering. The natives of the Amazon are fighting every
day to protect the last of their jungle because they are being displaced by outside first world
companies trying to control the resources. Soon the natives will be extinct too is something is
not done. John Felton goes into the issue of environmental displacement.
128
While the forests
are becoming privatized by the first world and then being cut down, the natives are losing their
homes. Professor Perkins of the University of Botswana covered many environmental science
issues, climate change and the loss of the worlds tropical rainforests was his main lecture.
129
He
revealed the major role first world countries play in destroying the tropical rainforests. He
revealed how every type of animal, plant, and insect species are being extinct every day.
Another perspective she shared was how not only the rainforests affect those directly living
there, but the rest of the world. With the rainforests gone, not only does the world lose the most

126
Kumaresan, Jacob and Nalini Sathiakumar. (2010). Climate Change and its Potential Impact on
Health: A Call for Integrated Action. World Health Organization, 88 (163), 163.
127
Wallace, Scott. (2013, January). Rain Forest For Sale. National Geographic, 223(1), 82-119.
128
Felton, John. (2011). Aiding Refugees: Outlook: Environmental Refugees. CQ Researchers
(Editors). Global Issues (355-388). Washington D.C.: CQ Press.
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diverse and large area or resources, but the global temperature is affected when we lost the
forests. The global temperature will continue to rise as we put more Carbon Dioxide in the air
and cut down the rainforests because the rainforests are the largest absorber of Carbon Dioxide
in the world. The planet needs the rainforests to keep in balanced.
A National Geographic article shares the story of the native people living in the Amazon
rainforest.
130
How they are affected and what they are trying to do in order to protect their land,
resources, and their way of life. Scotts article, Last of the Amazon,
131
and the World
Preservation Foundation
132
supply the research with many statistics about how much of the
rainforest and its species have been lost. It also shares what the consequences are of so much
destruction of the tropical rainforests. A picture provided by The Guardian Alpha shows how the
tropical rainforests which are all located around the equator are Earths greatest Carbon Dioxides
absorber.
133
This picture shows the critical role the worlds rainforests play to the balance of
Earths climate.

A documentary called, Whos Destroying the Forest?, reveals the role that First World
countries play in contributing to the destruction of the tropical rainforests mostly located in Third
World countries.
134
This relationship is critical is the destruction of the tropical rainforests and it
is so unknown to so many around the world, especially those in First World countries. The daily

130
Wallace, Scott. (2013, January). Rain Forest For Sale. National Geographic, 223(1), 82-119.
131
132
World Preservation Foundation. (2010, June). Deforestation Statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.worldpreservationfoundation.org/blog/news/deforestation-statistics/#.Uj-
CCxBYKM8
133
The Guardian Alpha. (2009). Amazon could Shrink by 85% due to Climate Change, Scientists say. Guardian
News and Media. Retrieved November 24
th
from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/mar/11/amazon-
global-warming-trees
134
Whos destroying the forest? A global analysis. (2007). Films on Demand. Retrieved November
28, 2013, from
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.loras.edu/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=9746&tid=39439
51

activities and wants of those in First World countries indirectly reinforces foreign investors to go
into the tropical rainforests and use and exploit the land and people. These foreign companies,
specifically cattle ranching are the biggest contributor to the destruction of the rainforests and
then the complete destruction of the soil. The Hamburger Connection fuels the destruction of the
rainforests.
135
Both of these sources share the trouble that follows foreign investors coming in to
Third World countries. The consequences not only affect the environment, global climate, but
the poverty, violence, and poor treatment of the locals.

When researching environmental change and environmental issues, public policy is a part
of the process.
136
Governments get involved in how their country handles natural resources and
where they are going to get other natural resources from. Governments make compromises with
other nations and companies cross borders that can either help or hurt anothers environment.
This book is dated now, but it shows that public policy on the environment has been going on for
years. Most of the policies made have been unsuccessful. Reed Karaims chapter on Climate
Change discusses some current environmental issues, but it mostly discusses the past and present
attempts to make change through policy.
137
There are reasons why many of the third world
nations cannot be in many of these policies because they just do not have the funds to make
changes like first world countries do. But many of the policies first world countries come up
with, end up not being signed by all parties, compromises fall apart, and many of the countries
fall short of their goals to conserve resources.

135
Kaimowitz, David., Mertens, Benoit;, Wunder, Sven;, and Pacheco, Pablo. Hamburger Connection Fuels
Amazon Destruction: Cattle Ranching and Deforestation of Brazils Amazon. Center for International
Forestry Research. Retrieved November 24
th
from
http://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/media/Amazon.pdf
136
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Although, this book was written in 1989, it proves a point that environmental issues have
been talked about for years.
138
There have been simple actions explained to people in order to
conserve their resources and protect the limited amount on Earth. It shows that it will take
decades for real action to take place and for these changes in lifestyle to really sink into a culture.
Many of the 50 simple things you can do to help save the earth are actions that people are still
taught today. The Earth Works Group writing is a combination of many authors who studied
different areas of the environment and adapted actions that could be taken by every day citizen to
help the environment. This book is helpful in the last section of this thesis because it explains
what needs to be done. Will Stegers textbook covers many different areas of the environment,
conservation, and what citizens and governments can do to change destructive trends.
139
This
includes the different type of environmental issues like pollution, garbage, acid rain, water,
deforestation, Carbon Dioxide emissions, and so much more. Not only was there a lot of
statistics and facts about water and deforestation, which are the two main environmental issues
focused on, but it takes a look into the politics of these issues. It explains what the average
citizen can do in their own daily lives and how they can put pressure on their governments to
take action on protecting the government. Richard Miller also discusses environmental issues,
and explains about the consequences of climate change.
140
If people continue to use too much
without conserving, a dangerous cycle is created and that cycle is difficult to break or even slow-
down from spiraling out of control.

138
139
140

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Appendix: Case Studies
Case Study I: Walking for Water

Having clean water easily accessible is something First World countries take for granted.
It is a luxury to have water so close whether it is clean or dirty. Unfortunately, having water at
all has become a luxury for only a few privileged among the entire worlds population. In many
areas of the world, the scarcity of any water, whether it is clean or dirty, is increasing. People
are struggling every day. Forty percent of the households in Sub-Saharan Africa are more than
a half an hour from the nearest water, and that distance is growing.
141
What do people do to get
water then? They do not have the money to buy water. So they do the only thing they can do.
They walk. Walking for water has become something very common around the world in
developing countries where the scarcity of water continues to increase. The water problem
affects women and children as they are responsible for collecting water and this is their
responsibility in 76 percent of households in developing countries.
142
The issue of walking for
water is unknown to many in First World countries. Even people who have an awareness that
walking for water exists in other places do not fully understand the consequences of this daily
chore. Based on Linda Sue Parks book, A Long Walk to Water, this case study will be able to
allow people to hear the true story of a young girl who has to walk for water every day.
This story takes place in 2008 in Southern Sudan. An eleven-year-old girl named Nya
walks swinging the empty container while there is a dust cloud that follows her every step. She
steps carefully to avoid thorns. It is only the morning, but the sun is beating down on her. The
heat is hot. She finally reaches her resting place, stops, and she feels the throbbing pain of a

141
Geographic, 217(4), 36-59.
142
54

thorn in her foot. As much as she has tried to avoid thorns on this daily trek, they are
unavoidable. She continues on through dry dirt. Eventually her feet reach mud, and then her
feet are in some water, meaning she has finally reached the pond. Nya notices every day how
alive it is near the pond. There are always birds and cattle, along with other women and children
fetching water for the day. She knows that water is the source of life. She bends down, scoops
some of the muddy water into her container and drinks until she feels a little cooler inside.
Three hundred million people now get their water from the sea or from brackish groundwater
that is too salty to drink
143
It is dangerous to drink this muddy water, but she has no choice
sometimes, especially when she is dying of thirst. She is not always thinking about the
consequences; she just knows how thirsty she is. Around many areas in the world where water is
scarce, women and children travel six to nine miles per day collecting water.
144
Nya then fills
her container full of water, scooping little by little into her container. She routinely puts a cloth
on top of her head, lifts the container and places it onto the top of her head. She then holds the
water in place with one head and starts to trek home; hoping that she will reach home by noon.
Women and children carry up to forty-four pounds of water per trip.
145
This is an incredibly
heavy load for women, but especially for children. As soon as Nya reaches home, her mother,
who is caring for Nyas younger siblings, grabs the container of water and places it in jars. Nya
grabs a quick lunch and then promptly turns around and walks to the pond again for a second
load of water. This was Nyas daily routine seven months of the year. Daily. Every single
day.
146
There were other sources of water, but they were much further away. There was a big
lake which was a three day walk. That did become Nyas family home when the rain stopped

143
144
145
146
Park, Linda. (2010). A Long Walk To Water. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

55

and the pond Nya visited seven months out of the year dried up. The family would camp near
the big lake in order to have water close by. However, this lake was a place of conflict, so Nyas
family had to be careful. There was conflict between different tribes as they fought over the land
around the lake. In the past, men and boys had been killed over water conflicts. Nyas family
would only stay camped near the lake for the five months of the dry season with the hope that
they would be able to avoid the time when most of the conflicts would surface. Nyas job at the
lake was the same as at home. Her daily chore was to fetch water. During the dry season, even
the lake was dried up. However, there was water if a deep enough hole could be dug. Every day,
Nya would dig a hole with her hands as deep as she could until she reached enough water. The
water was muddy, and she would sometimes have to wait for hours for the water to come.
Sometimes people think that scarcity of water is something new. But in some regions of
the world, people have been suffering with finding enough water for decades. For example,
Nyas family has been making the move to the big lake for five months during the dry season for
her whole life. Nyas little sister, Akeer, became sick from some bad water. Akeer no longer
had the strength to complain or make any noise. Nya said, she knew many people who suffered
from the same illness. First cramps, stomachache, then diarrhea. Sometimes fever, too.
147

There was a village with a medical clinic where Akeer could get the medicine that would make
her feel better. But the medical clinic was a few days walk away and Akeer was so week, so the
walk would be very difficult for her. Nya worried that her sister would not survive. Nya knew
that older children and younger adults could usually recover even though they suffered from
symptoms for the rest of their lives, while young children and the elderly usually did not survive
these types of water illnesses.

147
Park, Linda. (2010). A Long Walk To Water. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

56

The lack of education about clean water kills many in Third World countries. People do
not always understand that the water is not clean enough for them to drink. Only once the doctor
told Nyas mother that she had to boil the water to make sure it was clean, and that the water
they fetched every day could really be dirty and the cause of Akeers illness. This is the daily
life of Nya and so many other women and children in Third World countries. Fetching water,
long walks, heavy containers, dirty water, conflict, and illness are the norm for nearly 900
million people who have no access to clean water and the forty percent of sub-Saharan (Africa)
homes that are half an hour from the nearest water source.

Another case study takes us to a rural village in Kenya, where fetching water is the daily
lifestyle of another woman. A women named Sabina was willing to allowing an organization
called World Vision into her home to see what her daily routine is and how having to walk for
water affects her life. A World Vision journalist, Kari Costanza, took on the task of walking in
Sabinas shoes and shared Sabinas daily routine which many in First World countries cannot
even imagine.
Since the age of seven, Sabina has gone to the river every day to fetch water. Her day
begins at sunrise and does not finish until 17:00. Not only does Sabina fetch the water every
day, but she also takes care of her three young children, does all the cleaning and cooking, and
supports her husband Jacob, who is a farmer. Costanza notices how important water is and how
it is a part of every aspect of Sabinas life. She uses it to clean, cook, and bathe. Costanza
stated, If she isnt using water, she is walking for it.
148
It is a four mile walk to the water, a
dirty river. She makes two trips a day with her best friend. One of the obstacles that Sabina and

148

57

her friend face is a large thorn made fence that they have to climb over without water on their
back. On the return trip, they climb it again, but this time with a very heavy load of water. Even
when Sabina was nine months pregnant, she still had to overcome these obstacles, beside the fact
that she had to walk for miles to get water. She even walked for water the day she gave birth.
There is a halfway point where the women rest for a very short time and then continue on their
walk. Once the women reach the water, they notice that the water is browner than the day
before, so they start to dig a new hole. As they dig the hole with their little cups and hands, they
start to get all the muddy water out first. Later the water appears clearer, but it still is not clean
water. There is a cleaner source of water; a cleaner river, but the women do not want to make
that walk because it is even longer and they still have a lot to do in their day. Every minute
counts. These women choose not to go to the cleaner source because they know how precious
time is. When Sabina reaches the muddy river, there is a group of women there who are bathing
in that same water. The river is not a safe place to be drinking from, but she gets water from this
place anyway. The day before Costanza made this trek with Sabina, Sabina and her husband had
to take their baby to the doctor because it was vomiting and having diarrhea every ten minutes.
The baby had to be on an IV for twenty-four hours.
Once the women dig their new hole in the muddy water, they start to fill their large
containers little by little, cup by cup. Costanza weighed the two containers of water Sabina
carried every single day twice a day. The larger container weighed fifty-seven pounds and the
little container weighed fifteen pounds. This is a total of seventy-two pounds. She has to carry
this on her back all the way back home. The women say that their backs ache and the pain gets
worse over time. Sabina uses about thirteen gallons of water a day. To make a comparison to
first world countries, particularly the United States, Americans use about 100 gallons of water
58

at home each day.
149
Sabina is able to retrieve thirteen gallons of water a day, but in other areas
of the world, people use much less water because that is all they can find. Millions of the
worlds poorest subsist on fewer than five gallons.
150

Costanza shared the story of Sabinas first time ever seeing water come from a tap.
Sabina had only seen water come from a tap once in her life. She did not know that there were
places like this. Once she saw it, she did not want to come back, to her life of walking to the
river every day to get water.
151
Sabinas dream is that all her children get an education, an
education that she could not get because she has had to fetch water every day since she was
seven years old. Walking for water takes up so much time and it has consumed so much time of
her life. She cannot do what she dreams of doing. Women cannot get jobs or have any sort of
occupation and children cannot go to school and get an education because they have the
responsibility to walk and fetch water every single day. This leaves a lasting impact for the
future. Those already in poverty can never get out of poverty because they are just trying to
survive every single day. They do not have the chance to look ahead and make a brighter future
when all they can worry about is the present.
It is amazing to hear these stories and have a little more knowledge about what women
and children have to do every day in order to have one of humans basic needs: water. In
developed nations, ninety-eight percent of all citizens have access to clean water.
152
Yet

149
178.
150
178.
151
152

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nearly 900 million people in the world have no access to clean water.
153
It is even more
incredible to see how much water is used in First World countries for non-basic needs. Two
billion is an average number of the gallons of water used each day for golf course irrigation in
the United States.
154
And in Florida, three thousand gallons are used to water the grass for
each golf game played. Also, U.S. swimming pools lose one hundred-fifty billion gallons to
evaporation every year.
155
The disparity in usage is huge between First World and Third World
countries when it comes to this natural resource that is considered a basic human right. It is clear
how First World countries are so much more privileged than Third World countries. First World
countries really do not have the same concern as Third World countries do about one of the
simplest basic needs. First World countries are able to use water for pleasure, while water is a
symbol of survival for many in Third World countries.

Case Study: The Amazon and its worst enemy: First World countries

Deforestation had its beginning in the colonial era. The common goal of colonizers was
to establish self-sufficient communities in agricultural areas for the purpose of export. Their
intention was to take full advantage of resources at the lowest cost without considering the
ecosystem.
156
Even after many of the colonized countries got their political independence, they
were still heavily reliant on the colonizers economies. The colonized had resources that the
colonizers still wanted and this was a way the colonized governments could make money.

153
154
Gwin, Peter. (2010, April). Golfs Hot Green. National Geographic, 217(4), 29.
155
178.

156
Whos destroying the forest? A global analysis. (2007). Films on Demand. Retrieved November 28, 2013, from
60

People in these deforested areas are not doing better by staying attached to First World countries
economies. Deforestation has caused poverty and more natural disaster. These Third World
countries are not benefitting. Inequality and poverty has actually increased.
157
The
deforestation of tropical rainforests is affecting many regions around the world, but the Amazon
is suffering the most at the current moment. Now some believe deforestation is due to the way in
which poor farmers used lumber. This is false. The responsibility falls squarely on lumber
companies.
158
A couple case of studies are able to explore and explain the urgency of action
needed to save the rainforests, its plants, animals, and people. These case studies also reveal the
destructive relationship between First World and Third World countries.
Colonization has played a huge role in the deforestation of the tropical rainforests and as
more countries have become independent, globalization has become a player in the destruction of
the rainforests. The market forces of globalization are invading the Amazon.
159
First World
countries are always pushing the idea of buy more and pay less. The international market has
certain wants and many poor countries have what the international market requires. The poorer
countries are often powerless and the penetration from First World countries is inevitable. These
regions then suffer a lot of environmental destruction. Rainforests do not cover that much of our
world. Regarding the Amazon in Brazil, The Brazils Amazon River Valley encompasses half
of all the worlds tropical forest.
160
Every day deforestation is taking place due to the
international market and globalization. 80 percent of all Amazonian deforestation has taken

157
Who's destroying the forest? A global analysis. (2007). Films On Demand. Retrieved November 28, 2013, from
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.loras.edu/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=9746&xtid=39439
158
Whos destroying the forest? A global analysis. (2007). Films on Demand. Retrieved November 28, 2013, from

159
160
61

place since 1980.
161
That is only thirty-four years ago. There has been a lot of damage done in
a very short amount of time. During the past forty years, close to twenty percent of the Amazon
rain forest has been cut down.
162
There are many different reasons why the Amazon has been a
target to foreign investors. These include lumber, oil, and raw materials, but the main reason is
due to cattle ranching. The deforestation statistics reveal that 60-70% of deforestation in the
Amazon can be attributed to cattle ranches.
163
Many people do not realize that people live in
the tropical rainforests. There are people who live off the land and use the rainforest to make a
living. Rubber tappers have been living in the rainforests for years and have been quite
sustainable. In this region of the world many people suffer from poverty. The Amazon
rainforest is a place where people living in poverty find refuge. Poverty drives people into the
woods for fuel, food, and work.
164
The intrusion deep into the Amazon has separated or killed
the native Indians. More than 1,000 tribes of indigenous peoples are thought to be close to
extinction.
165
What happens when foreign investors come into the rainforest to destroy the land
and exploit the resources? Tension and conflict arises as these foreign investors come in and
intrude on Native homes and lifestyles.
The particular area this case study focuses on is the Ecuadorian Amazonian rainforest.
Tensions have been on the rise since oil workers arrived a few months ago to work on the well

161
162
163
World Preservation Foundation. (2010, June). Deforestation Statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.worldpreservationfoundation.org/blog/news/deforestation-statistics/#.Uj-
CCxBYKM8

164
165
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next door. The isolated groups felt their land was shrinking.
166
Because these Native Indian
groups want to protect their land, they end up coming together and taking a stand. Sometimes
they use nonviolent approaches, but they react with violence. Nenquimo Nihua, a community
Chief is taking a stand and protecting native clans like the Waorani. Nihua says, No more oil
development. No more colonizers entering here. No more loggers.
167
This is an example of a
non-violent approach, but there are many more instances where violence is the answer for many
Native Indians living in the rainforests. For example, Waorani warriors ambushed oil workers
and more recently, the Tagaeri and Taromenane have impaled illegal loggers with spears before
retreating into the forest shadows.
168
Both the Tagaeri and Taromenane are other rainforest
tribes that are fighting to hold onto their land and resources. When these tribes successfully push
any illegal or legal investors out of the forests, it is worth celebration, but unfortunately not a
long celebration because foreign investors can always find a way back in and sometimes it is
them just changing their name. Those living in the Amazon are trying to find ways to live
sustainably in the rainforest. They are trying to find a way out of poverty without being
dependent on First World Nations coming in and buying the land and then destroying it for its
resources. Indians in the Amazon are trying to foster their own sustainable rain-forest based
economy.
169
President Correa of Ecuador made a statement about the relationship between First
world countries and the poor country of Ecuador. Ecuador is a poor country. We still have
children without schooling. We need health care, decent housing. We lack many things. What

166
Wallace, Scott. (2013, January). Rain Forest for Sale. National Geographic, 223 (1), 82-
119.
167
119.
168
119.

169
63

would suit the country most would be to exploit the resources. But we also understand our
responsibility in the fight against global warming. That is the dilemma.
170
He understands the
typical relationship many Third World countries have with First World countries. In order for
Third World countries to get out of debt, sometimes their only option is to allow First World
investors to come in and pay loads of money to get access to local resources. He understands
what Ecuador needs most, but he is also able to see into the future and the consequences of not
protecting their environment now. President Correa is trying to take responsibility for their role
in climate change and global warming. President Rafael Correa has offered to leave
indefinitely untouched an estimated 850 million barrels of oil. As payment for preserving the
wilderness, he is seeking $3.6 billion in compensation.
171
First World Countries will not agree
to this type of compensation. The $3.6 billion would be used to finance alternative energy and
community development project, according to President Correa.
172
But no matter what the
money is going to be used for, First World Nations are still looking for the cheapest route to get
their raw materials. First World countries, the richest countries, will not compromise and will
not provide compensation. When the worlds policy makers and environmental leaders sit
down to plot the rainforests future, they must keep in mind that many of the people destroying
the forests have a simple goal,
173
and that is to buy more and pay less. Meanwhile, the natives
trying to live sustainably in the rainforests have a different, but simple goal. That goal is
survival.

170
119.
171
119.

172
119.
173
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