966

Challenges and

Hopes for the FutureKey Events

As you read this chapter, look for key issues that challenge the contemporary world.• Today’s world faces the challenges of protecting and preserving the environment,

addressing economic and social changes, implementing new technologies, resolving political conflicts, and eliminating international terrorism.

• The world’s inhabitants must adopt a cooperative global vision to address the problems that confront all humankind.

The Impact TodayThe events that occurred during this time period still impact our lives today.

• The debate over nuclear weapons continues as European leaders question the UnitedStates government’s desire to deploy a nuclear missile defense system in outer space.

• Peacekeeping forces remain in the Balkan Peninsula.• Automakers, fuel companies, and other manufacturers are developing methods to

reduce harmful emissions.

World History Video The Chapter 32 video, “In the Twenty-first Century,” explores various issues that the world is facing today.

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975

1962Publication of SilentSpring beginsenvironmentalprotection movement

1969Two Americanastronauts landon the moon

1976The Concordemakes its firstcommercialflight

Concorde in flight

967

The International Space Station, shown here in 2000, combines the scientific and technological resources of 16 nations.

HISTORY

Chapter OverviewVisit the Glencoe WorldHistory Web site at

and click on Chapter 32–ChapterOverview to preview chapter information.

wh.glencoe.com19851980 1990 1995 2000 2005

1986Explosion atnuclear plant in Chernobylreleases deadlyradiation

1989Exxon Valdezcauses oilspill in Alaska

1990WorldWide Webcreated

1987Montrealmeeting createsfirst worldenvironmentalpact

1992Earth Summitproposessolutions toenvironmentalchallenges

2001World respondsto terrorist attackon United States

Cleanup after oil spill in Alaska

968

n September 11, 2001, international terrorists hijackedfour commercial airplanes, two of which were used to

destroy the twin towers of the World Trade Center in NewYork City. Thousands of people died in the attack when firstone tower, and then the other, collapsed. Many of those whodied were firefighters, police officers, and other rescue work-ers who rushed into the buildings to help people to safety.

In the days following the attack, countless tales of unimag-inable bravery emerged. Two office workers carried a dis-abled woman down 68 floors to safety. Peter Ganci, a 33-yearveteran of the New York City Fire Department, survived thecollapse of the first tower but died trying to evacuate peoplefrom the second tower. Father Mychal Judge, the Fire Depart-ment chaplain, removed his helmet to give last rites to adying firefighter but died himself when he was hit by debris.One firefighter, as he climbed toward the flames, stopped togive a fleeing woman a bottle of water. She escaped, but hedid not.

George Howard, a Port Authority officer, raced to help peo-ple, even though it was his day off, and died in the effort. Inan address to the American nation, President George W. Bushsaid that he would carry Howard’s badge as a reminder of the horrors of terrorism, for “Freedom and fear are at war.The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends onus. . . . We will not falter and we will not fail.”

OWhy It MattersThe destruction of the World TradeCenter was not an attack on theUnited States alone. People from over80 countries were killed in what theUnited Nations condemned as a“crime against humanity.” More andmore, people are coming to under-stand that destructive forcesunleashed in one part of the worldsoon affect the entire world. As Britishprime minister Tony Blair said, “Weare realizing how fragile are our fron-tiers in the face of the world’s newchallenges. Today, conflicts rarely stay within national boundaries.”Terrorism, worldwide hunger, nuclearproliferation, global warming—theseissues make us aware of the globalnature of contemporary problems.Increasingly, the world’s nations mustunite to create lasting solutions.

History and You What contem-porary global problem concerns youthe most? Write an essay explainingwhat the world’s nations should do,together, to solve this problem.

A Time for HeroesRescue workers search for survivors in the ruins of the World Trade Center.

1984Toxic fumes kill 3,800people in Bhopal, India

1989Oil spill from tanker in Alaskadevastates environment

Guide to Reading

The Challenges of Our World

Preview of Events✦1984 ✦1985 ✦1986 ✦1987 ✦1988 ✦1989 ✦1990

Main Ideas• The world faces environmental, social,

economic, and political challenges.• The benefits of the technological revolu-

tion must be balanced against its costs.

Key Termsecology, deforestation, ozone layer,greenhouse effect, acid rain, biowarfare,bioterrorism, global economy

People to IdentifyRachel Carson, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin

Places to LocateBhopal, Chernobyl, Sudan

Preview Questions1. What challenges face the world in the

twenty-first century?2. What are the promises and perils of

the technological revolution?

Reading StrategyCause and Effect Complete the tablebelow as you read the chapter.

CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future 969

Biologist and author,Rachel Carson

Concern Cause Effect

Deforestation

Loss of ozone layer

Greenhouse effect

Acid rain

Weapons

Hunger

In 1962, Rachel Carson wrote:

“It is not my contention that chemical pesticides must never be used. I do contendthat we have put poisons and biologically potent chemicals into the hands of personslargely or wholly ignorant of their potentials for harm. We have subjected enormousnumbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often with-out their knowledge. . . . I contend, furthermore, that we have allowed these chemicalsto be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect on soil, water, wildlife,and man himself. Future generations are unlikely to condone our lack of prudent con-cern for the integrity of the natural world that supports all life.”

—Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962

The modern movement to protect the environment began with Rachel Carson’sSilent Spring.

The Environmental CrisisIn 1962, American scientist Rachel Carson argued that the use of pesticides—

chemicals sprayed on crops to kill insects—was having deadly, unforeseen results.Besides insects, birds, fish, and other wild animals were being killed by thebuildup of these pesticides in the environment. Also, the pesticide residue on foodwas harmful to human beings.

Voices from the Past

involves chlorofluorocarbons, which are gases usedin aerosol cans, refrigerators, and automobile air con-ditioners. Many scientists warn that the release ofchlorofluorocarbons is destroying the ozone layer, athin layer of gas in the upper atmosphere that shieldsEarth from the Sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Other scientists have proposed the existence of agreenhouse effect, global warming caused by thebuildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Globalwarming could create various problems. Sea levelscould rise because of melting polar ice, for example,and cause flooding of coastal areas.

Yet another problem is acid rain, the rainfall thatresults when sulfur produced by factories mixes withmoisture in the air. Acid rain has been held responsi-ble for killing forests in both North America andEurope.

Major ecologicaldisasters have alsooccurred during the last 20 years. In 1984, a chemicalplant at Bhopal,India, released toxicfumes into the air,killing 3,800 people and injuring another 100,000. Anuclear explosion at Chernobyl in 1986 released radi-ation that killed hundreds. In 1989, the oil tankerExxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska. Thousands of

970 CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future

Deforestation is one by-product of growingpopulation.

1. Interpreting MapsWhich continent has thegreatest area of existingtropical rain forest?

2. Applying GeographySkills What do younotice about the locationof rain forest areas, bothexisting and destroyed,with regard to latitude?

Carson’s warnings alarmed many scientists andgave rise to a new field of science called ecology, thestudy of the relationship between living things andtheir environment. Many people became more awareof the dangers to the environment on which theydepended for their survival.

Impact of Population Growth Dangers to theenvironment have many sources. A rapid increase inworld population has led to fears that Earth’sresources simply cannot support the growing num-ber of human beings. Deforestation—the clearing offorests—is one by-product of the growing popula-tion. More and more forests and jungles have beencut down to provide farmland and firewood for thepeople on Earth. As forests are cut down, natu-ral dwelling places for plants and animals aredestroyed.

Especially worrisome is the rapid destruction oftropical rain forests near Earth’s equator. Althoughthe tropical rain forests cover only 6 percent ofEarth’s surface, they support 50 percent of theworld’s species of plants and animals. The tropicalrain forests are also crucial to human survival. Theyremove carbon dioxide from the air and return oxy-gen to it.

Chemical Wastes and Disasters Another dangerto the environment is chemical waste. One concern

INDIA

CHINA

ArabianSea Bay of

Bengal

PAKISTAN

NEPAL

Bhopal

S

N

EW

4,000 kilometers0Mollweide projection

4,000 miles0

0° 30°E 60°E 90°E 120°E 150°E150°W 120°W 90°W 60°W 30°W

0°

30°N

30°S

60°N

60°S

EQUATOR

TROPIC OF CANCER

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

Atlantic

Ocean

Pacific

Ocean

Pacific

Ocean

Indian

Ocean

CENTRALAMERICA

NORTHAMERICA

SOUTHAMERICA

AFRICA

MADAGASCAR

INDOCHINA

PHILIPPINES

NewGuinea

Borneo

JavaSumatra

WesternGhats

CongoBasin

GreaterAntilles

AmazonBasin

EUROPEASIA

AUSTRALIA

Existing tropical rain forestTropical rain forestdestroyed since 1940

Global Deforestation

971

birds were killed, fishing grounds were polluted, andthe local environment was devastated.

These ecological disasters made people more awareof the need to deal with environmental problems. In1987, representatives of 43 nations meeting in Mon-treal agreed to protect Earth’s ozone layer by reducingthe use of chlorofluorocarbons. In 1992, an Earth Sum-mit in Rio de Janeiro examined the challenges to theenvironment and proposed new solutions.

Individual nations have reacted to environmentalproblems by enacting recycling programs, curbingthe dumping of toxic materials, and instituting waterconservation measures.

Summarizing What global concernshave arisen since the 1960s?

The Technological Revolution

In this section, you will learn howtwo American astronauts landed on the moon in 1969.This landing opened the new frontier of space to worldexploration.

Since World War II, a stunning array of changeshas created a technological revolution.

Transportation, Communications, and SpaceModern transportation and communication systemsare transforming the world community. Since the1970s, jumbo jet airlines have moved millions of peo-ple around the world each year. The Internet—theworld’s largest computer network—provides quickaccess to enormous quantities of information. Thedevelopment of the World Wide Web in the 1990smade the Internet even more accessible to peopleeverywhere. Satellites, cable television, facsimile(fax) machines, and cellular telephones allow peopleto communicate with each other practically every-where on Earth.

The exploration of space is another world-chang-ing development. In 1969, the American astronautsNeil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on themoon. Space probes and shuttle flights haveincreased scientific knowledge, but not withouthuman costs. In 1986, space shuttle Challengerexploded a minute or so after liftoff, killing allonboard. In 2003, seven astronauts died when theshuttle Columbia abruptly disintegrated over Texas inthe last minutes of a 16-day mission. In both cases,Americans responded with a profound sense of grief.

Reading Check

Health Care and Agriculture In the field of health,new medicines enable doctors to treat both physicaland mental illnesses. New technologies, includingcomputer-aided imaging, have enabled doctors toperform “miracle” operations. Mechanical valvesand pumps for the heart as well as organ transplantshave allowed people to live longer and more produc-tive lives.

Technological changes in the field of health haveraised new concerns, however. For example, geneticengineering is a new scientific field that alters thegenetic information of cells to produce new variations.Some scientists have questioned whether genetic engi-neering might accidentally create new strains ofdeadly bacteria that could not be controlled. Already,the overuse of antibiotics has created “supergerms”that do not respond to treatment with available antibi-otics. The issues of stem-cell research and humancloning have also generated intense debate.

In agriculture, the Green Revolution has promisedimmense returns. The Green Revolution refers to thedevelopment of new strains of rice, corn, and othergrains that have greater yields. It was promoted asthe technological solution to feeding the world’sever-growing population. However, immense quan-tities of chemical fertilizers are needed to grow thenew strains, and many farmers cannot afford them.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon with the Apollo 11 lunar module

In addition, the new crops have been subject toinsects. The pesticides used to control the insects cre-ate environmental problems.

Weapons The technological revolution has also ledto the development of more advanced methods ofdestruction. Most frightening are nuclear, biological,and chemical weapons.

The end of the Cold War in the late 1980s reducedthe chances of a major nuclear war. However, nuclearweapons continue to spread, making a regionalnuclear war possible. Another concern is whethernuclear materials—bombs or radioactive matter—will be obtained and used by terrorists.

After anthrax-filled letters were used to kill U.S.citizens in 2001, people around the world becamemore aware of the increased availability and thepotential threat of biological and chemical weapons.Biowarfare, the use of disease and poison againstcivilians and soldiers in wartime, is not new, how-ever. The first incident occurred in Europe in the1300s when, during a siege, plague-infested corpseswere launched over city walls to infect the populace.Chemical weapons were used extensively in WorldWar I and during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. TheJapanese used biological weapons on China andManchuria in the 1930s and 1940s.

Governments have made agreements to limit theresearch, production, and use of biological and chem-ical weapons. The 1925 Geneva Protocol, for example,prohibits the use, though not the research or produc-tion, of biological and chemical weapons. In 1972, theUnited States and the Soviet Union agreed only topermit work on defensive biological weapons.

These measures have not prevented terrorists andterrorist-supporting governments from practicingbioterrorism, the use of biological and chemicalweapons in terrorist attacks. For example, in 1995members of a Japanese religious sect named AumShinrikyo released a chemical agent, sarin gas, in a Tokyo subway, killing 12 people and injuring thousands.

Identifying List the industries thatthe technological revolution has affected since World War II.

Economic and Social ChallengesSince World War II, the nations of the world have

developed a global economy—an economy in whichthe production, distribution, and sale of goods takeplace on a worldwide scale. In 1995, the World TradeOrganization (WTO) was established. Trade agree-

Reading Check

ments are negotiated, signed, and upheld by itsmember nations, which number over 140. The WTOhas been criticized for placing commercial interestsover environmental and health concerns and leavingout small and developing countries. Still, the WTO isthe only global international organization dealingwith rules of trade between nations.

The Gap between Rich and Poor Nations One ofthe features of the global economy is the wide gapbetween rich and poor nations. The rich, industrial-ized nations are mainly in the Northern Hemisphere.They include countries such as the United States,Canada, and Japan, as well as countries in westernEurope. These nations have well-organized industrialand agricultural systems, make use of advanced tech-nologies, and have strong educational systems.

The poor nations, sometimes called developingcountries, are located mainly in the Southern Hemi-sphere and include many nations in Africa, Asia, andLatin America. Developing countries are primarilyfarming nations with little technology.

A serious problem in developing countries isexplosive population growth. The world’s popula-tion today is 6.2 billion. The United Nations projectsthat by 2050, the world’s population could reach 9billion. Much of that rapid growth is taking place indeveloping countries, which can least afford it.

Rapidly growing populations have caused manypeople to move to cities to find jobs. In developingcountries, the size of some cities has grown dramati-cally as a result of this shift. São Paulo, Brazil, forexample, had 8.1 million people in 1970. Today, it hasover 17 million. Millions of people in such cities livein terrible conditions in slums or shantytowns.

Hunger has also become a staggering problem.Every year, over 8 million people die of hunger,many of them children under five years of age.Besides rapid population growth, poor soil, naturalcatastrophes, and economic and political factors contribute to widespread hunger. In Afghanistan, forexample, most of the population is hungry. Over thelast two decades, the country has experienced amajor earthquake, severedrought, and political andmilitary upheaval.

Civil wars have beenespecially devastating increating food shortages. InSudan, civil war broke outin the 1980s. Both sidesrefused to allow food to

972 CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future

AFRICA

SUDANATLANTIC

OCEANINDIANOCEAN

Khartoum

be sent to their enemies. By the early 1990s, 1.3 mil-lion people had died in Sudan from starvation.

To improve their economic situations, developingnations have sought to establish industrialeconomies. This goal has not been easy to reach,however. Rapidly growing populations place enor-mous burdens on the economies of developingnations and make it extremely difficult to create anew industrial order.

The Gender Gap The gap between rich and poornations is also reflected in the status of women. In theWestern world, the gap between men and womenhas been steadily narrowing. The number of womenin the workforce continues to increase, along with thenumber of women university graduates. Many coun-tries have passed laws that require equal pay forwomen and men who are doing the same work. Anumber of Western countries also have laws that pro-hibit discrimination based on gender.

Women in developing countries, by contrast, oftenremain bound to their homes and families and sub-ordinate to their fathers and husbands. They con-tinue to face difficulties in obtaining education,property rights, or decent jobs.

Comparing What are the differencesbetween developing and industrialized nations?

Reading Check

Political ChallengesAfter World War II, African and Asian leaders iden-

tified democracy as the defining theme of their newpolitical cultures. Within a decade, however, demo-cratic systems in many developing countries had beenreplaced by military dictatorships or one-party gov-ernments. Many leaders underestimated the difficul-ties of building democratic political institutions.

In recent years, there have been signs of renewedinterest in democracy in various parts of the world,particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.Examples are the free elections held in South Korea,Taiwan, and the Philippines. Similar developmentshave taken place in a number of African countriesand throughout Latin America.

Unfortunately, regional, ethnic, and religious dif-ferences continue to create conflict around the world.In Europe, Yugoslavia has been torn apart by ethnicdivisions. In the Middle East, the conflict betweenIsraelis and Palestinians continues to produce acts ofterror. Conflicts among hostile ethnic groups inAfrica have led to massacres of hundreds of thou-sands. It remains to be seen how such conflicts can beresolved.

Explaining Name the areas of theworld where conflict exists. Describe the nature of the conflicts.

Reading Check

973CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future

Checking for Understanding1. Define ecology, deforestation, ozone

layer, greenhouse effect, acid rain,biowarfare, bioterrorism, global economy.

2. Identify Rachel Carson, Neil Arm-strong, Buzz Aldrin, World Trade Organization.

3. Locate Bhopal, Chernobyl, Sudan.

4. Explain why it is difficult for developingnations to establish industrial econo-mies. What specific problems are manydeveloping nations attempting to solve?

5. List three countries in which free elec-tions have demonstrated great progresstoward democracy. Also list three typesof political challenges that remainunsolved and give an example of each.

Critical Thinking6. Analyze What are the individual and

global consequences of overpopulation?

7. Summarizing Information Create achart like the one below listing techno-logical advances in transportation, com-munications, space exploration, healthcare, agriculture, and weaponry. Listthe drawback or cost of each techno-logical advance.

Analyzing Visuals8. Compare the photo on page 971 to the

photo of the International Space Stationon page 967. Describe the advancesand changes in space technology thatare reflected in these two photos. Howmany years have elapsed between thetwo photos?

9. Expository Writing By now, mostleaders of major nations have recog-nized that environmental damage isa significant issue. For this reason,these leaders frequently hold meet-ings and summits to negotiate solu-tions. In an essay, discuss whynegotiations are needed. What con-cerns can cause nations or individu-als to ignore the environment?

Technological Drawback or CostAdvances

Transportation

Communications

Space Exploration

Health Care

Agriculture

Weaponry

1948United Nations General Assembly adoptsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights

Guide to Reading

Global Visions

Preview of Events✦1945 ✦1946 ✦1947 ✦1948 ✦1949

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. . . . Everyone isentitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinctionof any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,national or social origin, property, birth or other status. . . . Everyone has the right tolife, liberty, and security of person. . . . Everyone has the right to freedom of move-ment. . . . Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.”

—The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

The United Nations took the lead in affirming the basic human rights of all peoples.

The United NationsAs people have become aware that many problems humans face are global—not

national—they have responded to this realization in different ways. The UnitedNations (UN) has been one of the most visible symbols of the new globalism.

The United Nations was founded in 1945 in San Francisco, when representativesof the Allied forces worked out a plan for a new international organization. U.S.president Franklin Delano Roosevelt was especially eager to create such an organ-ization to help maintain the peace after the war. At the Yalta Conference in Febru-ary 1945, Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union agreed to join the new organization.

In the original charter, the members pledged “to save succeeding generationsfrom the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime . . . brought untold sorrow tomankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and

Voices from the Past

974 CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future

1945United Nations becomesworld organization

1946United Nations International Children’sEmergency Fund (UNICEF) founded

Eleanor Roosevelt holdsthe Universal Declaration

of Human Rights.

Main Ideas• Organizations have been established to

respond to global challenges.• Citizens’ groups and nongovernmental

organizations have also formed toaddress global concerns.

Key Termspeacekeeping force, disarmament

People to IdentifyFranklin Delano Roosevelt, Hazel Hender-son, Elise Boulding

Places to LocateChina, Canada

Preview Questions1. What international organization arose

at the end of World War II to helpmaintain the peace?

2. How have ordinary citizens worked toaddress the world’s problems?

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Create a pyra-mid like the one below that depicts thestructure of the United Nations. The Secu-rity Council is at the top of the pyramid.

Security Council

worth of the human person, in the equal rights ofmen and women and of nations large and small, andto promote social progress and better standards oflife in larger freedom.” The United Nations, then, hastwo chief goals: peace and human dignity.

The General Assembly of the United Nations iscomprised of representatives of all member nations. Ithas the power to discuss any question of importanceto the organization and to recommend the action tobe taken. The day-to-day administrative business ofthe United Nations is supervised by the secretary-general, whose offices are located in New York City.

The most important advisory group of the UnitedNations is the Security Council. It is composed of 5permanent members—the United States, Russia,Great Britain, France, and China—and 10 memberschosen by the General Assembly to serve limitedterms. The Security Council decides what actionsthe United Nations should take to settle interna-tional disputes. Because each of the permanentmembers can veto the council’s decision, a stale-mate has frequently resulted from Security Councildeliberations.

A number of specialized agencies function underthe direction of the United Nations. These include theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific, and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO), the World Health Organi-zation (WHO), and the United Nations InternationalChildren’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

All these agencies have been successful in provid-ing aid to address economic and social problems. The United Nations has also performed a valuableservice in organizing international conferences onimportant issues such as population growth and the environment.

The United Nations has on various occasions provided peacekeeping forces, which are militaryforces drawn from neutral member states to settleconflicts and supervise truces. Missions in Somaliaand Bosnia, however, raised questions about theeffectiveness of the United Nations in peacekeeping

operations.Unti l recently, the

basic weakness of theUnited Nations was that,throughout its history, ithad been subject to thewhims of the two super-powers. The rivalry ofthe United States and theSoviet Union during theCold War was often

played out at the expense of the United Nations. TheUnited Nations had little success, for example, inreducing the arms race between the two superpow-ers. With the end of the Cold War, the United Nationshas played a more active role in keeping alive avision of international order.

Describing Outline the history of theUnited Nations, name its three main divisions, list its special-ized agencies, and explain how each unit functions.

New Global VisionsOne approach to the global problems we face has

been the development of social movements led byordinary citizens. These movements have addressedissues including environmental problems, women’sand men’s liberation, human potential, appropriatetechnology, and nonviolence. “Think globally, actlocally” is frequently the slogan of such grassrootsgroups.

Hazel Henderson, a British-born economist, hasbeen especially active in founding public interestgroups. She believes that citizen groups can be animportant force for greater global unity and justice.

In Creating Alternative Futures, Hendersonexplained: “These aroused citizens are by no meansall mindless young radicals. Well-dressed, clean-shaven, middle-class businessmen and their subur-ban wives comprise the major forces in Californiafighting against nuclear power. Hundreds of thou-sands of middle-class mothers are bringing massive

Reading Check

975CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future

HISTORY

Web Activity Visitthe Glencoe WorldHistory Web site at

andclick on Chapter 32–Student Web Activity to learn more about theUnited Nations.

wh.glencoe.com

United Nations troops give food to starving Bosnian Muslims.

pressure to ban commercials and violent programsfrom children’s television.”

Related to the emergence of social movements isthe growth of nongovernmental organizations(NGOs). NGOs include professional, business, andcooperative organizations; foundations; religious,peace, and disarmament groups, which work to limitor reduce armed forces and weapons; youth andwomen’s organizations; environmental and humanrights groups; and research institutes.

According to the American educator Elise Bould-ing, who has been active in encouraging the exis-tence of these groups, NGOs are an importantinstrument in the cultivation of global perspectives.Boulding states: “Since NGOs by definition are iden-tified with interests that transcend national bound-aries, we expect all NGOs to define problems inglobal terms, to take account of human interests andneeds as they are found in all parts of the planet.”The number of international NGOs increased from176 in 1910 to nearly 29,000 in 1995.

Global approaches to global problems, however,have been hindered by political, ethnic, and religiousdisputes. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict keeps muchof the Middle East in constant turmoil. Religious dif-ferences between Hindus and Muslims help toinflame relations between India and Pakistan. TheUnited States and Canada have argued about theeffects of acid rain on Canadian forests.

The collapse of the Soviet Union has led to theemergence of new nations in conflict and a generalatmosphere of friction and tension throughout muchof Eastern Europe. The bloody conflict in the lands ofthe former Yugoslavia clearly indicates the dangersin the rise of nationalist sentiment among variousethnic and religious groups in that region. Even asthe world becomes more global in culture and as thenations of the world become more interdependent,disruptive forces still exist that can work againstefforts to enhance our human destiny.

Many lessons can be learned from the study ofworld history. One of them is especially clear: a lackof involvement in the affairs of society can easily leadto a sense of powerlessness. An understanding of ourworld heritage and its lessons might well give us theopportunity to make wise choices in an age that isoften crisis laden and chaotic. We are all creators ofhistory. The choices we make in our everyday liveswill affect the future of world civilization.

Examining List two ways peoplehave attempted to resolve global problems and describe theobstacles to solving these problems.

Reading Check

976 CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future

Checking for Understanding1. Define peacekeeping force,

disarmament.

2. Identify Franklin Delano Roosevelt,Hazel Henderson, Elise Boulding.

3. Locate China, Canada.

4. Explain why global approaches toglobal problems are sometimes difficultto coordinate.

5. List the permanent members of theUnited Nations Security Council. Howmany members serve limited terms atany one time?

Critical Thinking6. Analyze Why was an international

peacekeeping organization createdafter World War II?

7. Categorizing Information Create achart like the one below listing areas ofthe world that have political, ethnic,and religious disputes. Place eachcountry in the correct category.

Analyzing Visuals8. Describe the photo on page 975 in

your own words. Then explain whypeacekeepers wear military clothing.

9. Descriptive Writing Thousands ofnongovernmental organizations(NGOs) represent citizens’ intereststhroughout the world. Choose oneNGO to examine in detail. Write anessay about the organization’s mis-sion, its goals, its accomplishments,and its failures. How has it impactedthe world?

Nature of Dispute Country

Political

Ethnic

Religious

Peace march

977

Developing Multimedia PresentationsWhy Learn This Skill?

You have been assigned a research project aboutBrazil’s rain forest. To vividly present the impor-tant issues to your classmates, you would like toshow them slides of the endangered animals andplants in the rain forest, along with videos of theregion and recordings of native music. This type ofpresentation is called a multimedia presentationbecause it uses a variety of media, such as photo-graphs, music, and video, to convey information to others.

Learning the SkillAt its most basic, a multimedia presentation can

be as simple as using equipment such as a slide pro-jector, a VCR, a TV, and a portable stereo. You canuse pre-recorded materials or make your ownvideotapes or sound recordings.

With the right tools, you can also develop a mul-timedia presentation on a computer. Computer pre-sentations can combine text, graphics, audio,animation, and video in an interactive program. Tocreate this kind of presentation, you might use tra-ditional graphic tools and draw programs, anima-tion programs that make still images move, andauthoring systems that tie everything together. Your computer manual will tell you which toolsyour computer can support.

Practicing the SkillSuppose you want to give a report about the

importance of the Brazilian rain forest. Ask yourselfthe following questions to develop an effective mul-timedia presentation.

• Which forms of media do I want to include?Video? Sound? Photographs? Graphics? Anima-tion? Anything else?

• What equipment would I need to present themedia I want to use?

• If I want to make a computer presentation, whichof these media forms does my computer support?

Multimedia equipment

Applying the Skill

Think of a topic that would be suitable for a multimediapresentation. Keeping in mind the guidelines givenabove, create a plan that describes the presentationyou would like to develop. Indicate what tools you willneed and what steps you must take to make the pres-entation an exciting reality.

• What kind of software programs or systems do I need? A graphics program? An animation pro-gram? A program that allows users to interactwith the on-screen presentation? An authoringsystem that will allow me to change images,sound, and motion?

• Is there a “do-it-all” program I can use to developthe kind of presentation I want?

978

Using Key Terms1. The destruction of large forests and jungles that affects the

world’s climate, animals, and plants is called .

2. A is based on the interdependency of nations’ economic systems.

3. The science of studies the relationship between livingthings and their environment.

4. Organizations that seek to limit or reduce armed forces andweapons are called groups.

5. When the sulfur produced by factories mixes with moisturein the air the result is .

Reviewing Key Facts6. History What environmental message was the theme of

Silent Spring?

7. Science and Technology What chemical is suspected ofharming the Earth’s ozone layer?

8. Science and Technology Explain the greenhouse effect andthe problems it could create.

9. History When and where did the world’s nations meet todiscuss environmental issues?

10. Government What problems do developing nations face?

11. Science and Technology What contributes to the hungerproblem in developing nations? What are some of the possible solutions to the hunger problem?

12. Citizenship Why are nongovernmental organizations taking greater responsibility for protecting the world’s environment?

13. Culture How have the introduction of Western ideas andcustoms had a destabilizing effect in many areas of theworld?

14. Government What is the United Nations Security Council?Why is it difficult for this council to make decisions?

15. Citizenship What is the slogan of grassroots public interestgroups? What kind of issues do these groups address, andwhat kind of members do these groups usually attract?

Critical Thinking16. Evaluating Analyze the interdependency of developing and

industrialized nations.

17. Cause and Effect Explain the increased potential forregional nuclear wars since the Soviet Union disintegrated.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the world has become a global society.Nations are politically and economically dependent on each other, and the world’sproblems are of a global nature, as shown in the chart below.

Cultural Diffusion TechnologicalInnovation

Cooperation Conflict

• Jumbo jetliners transportpassengers around the world.

• Corporations have officesin more than one country.

• Advances in communication,such as the Internet, connect people around the globe.

• The science of ecology is born.

• American astronauts landon the moon.

• Super strains of corn, rice,and other grains producegreater crop yields.

• Health care advancesprolong lives.

• Developments in transportation and communication transform the world community.

• The Earth Summit meets inRio de Janeiro.

• Nations enact recyclingprograms and curb thedumping of toxic materials.

• The United Nations formsto promote world peace.

• Nongovernmentalorganizations advocatesocial and environmentalchange.

• Massive growth in worldpopulation causesovercrowding and hungerin many countries.

• Regional, ethnic, andreligious differences continueto produce violence aroundthe world.

• International terroristsremain a threat to peaceand security.

Analyzing Maps and ChartsUse the above map and the text to answer the followingquestions.

24. Where is the radioactive fallout most concentrated?

25. Where are the furthest traces of radioactive fallout found(using Chernobyl as the point of origin)?

26. What global effects did the explosion at Chernobyl have?

Self-Check QuizVisit the Glencoe World History Web site at

and click on Chapter 32–Self-CheckQuiz to prepare for the Chapter Test.wh.glencoe.com

HISTORY

Directions: Choose the best answer to thefollowing question.

The most important body within the United Nations and itsmany subagencies is

F the General Assembly.

G UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

H WHO (World Health Organization).

J the Security Council.

Test-Taking Tip: Eliminating answers is a good way tobegin on many questions. You may be able to see thatUNESCO and WHO each address a specific area and thatthese areas seem equally important. Since it would be difficult to pick between them, you can conclude that these two answers can be eliminated.

CHAPTER 32 Challenges and Hopes for the Future 979

Writing About History18. Expository Writing Write an essay comparing the nuclear

disaster at Chernobyl with the chemical plant accident inBhopal and the grounding of the Exxon Valdez in Alaska.Which disaster was the most devastating to the environmentin your opinion? Why do you have this opinion, and howwould you prevent a future disaster?

Analyzing SourcesRachel Carson cautioned about the dangers of harmful chemicalsin her book, Silent Spring:

“It is not my contention that chemical pesticidesmust never be used. I do contend that we have put poi-sons and biologically potent chemicals into the handsof persons largely or wholly ignorant of their potentialsfor harm. . . . Future generations are unlikely to con-done our lack of prudent concern for the integrity ofthe natural world that supports all life.”

19. Summarize the argument that Carson is presenting in thisquotation.

20. Who will question the lack of concern shown for the naturalworld, in Carson’s opinion?

21. Why was Silent Spring a groundbreaking book? How has itinfluenced the ways in which people view the relationshipbetween humans and the natural world?

Applying Technology Skills22. Using the Internet The science of ecology has led to a new

form of travel known as ecotourism. Use the Internet toresearch an area of the world where ecotours take place.Select an area to visit as an ecotourist, explain why you haveselected this area, and describe what you will see on yourtravels in your journal.

Making Decisions23. Grassroots politics have moved the burden of decision mak-

ing from the politicians to the individual citizen. Having readthis chapter, what global issues concern you? What have youdone or what would you like to do to help resolve theseissues?

ARCTIC

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an

ARCTIC

Ocean

CA

NA

DA

UN

ITED

STATE

S

US

SR

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JAPAN

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FINLAND

U.K.

FRANCE

SPAINITALY

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GREECETURKEY

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1,500 kilometers

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0Orthographic projection

Radioactive Fallout from Chernobyl, 1986

StandardizedTest Practice

Pattern of fallout

980

J onathan Iwegbu counted himself extraordinarilylucky. “Happy survival!” meant so much more to

him than just a current fashion of greeting old friendsin the first hazy days of peace. It went deep to hisheart. He had come out of the war with five ines-timable blessings—his head, his wife Maria’s head andthe heads of three out of their four children. As abonus he also had his old bicycle—a miracle too butnaturally not to be compared to the safety of fivehuman heads.

The bicycle had a little history of its own. One dayat the height of the war it was commandeered “forurgent military action.” Hard as its loss would havebeen to him he would still have let it go without athought had he not had some doubts about the gen-uineness of the officer. It wasn’t his disreputable rags,nor the toes peeping out of one blue and one browncanvas shoes, nor yet the two stars of his rank doneobviously in a hurry in Biro, that troubled Jonathan;many good and heroic soldiers looked the same orworse. It was rather a certain lack of grip and firmnessin his manner. So Jonathan, suspecting he might be

Civil Peacefrom Girls and

War andOther Stories

Chinua AchebeChinua Achebe was born in Nige-ria and was christened AlbertChinualamogu. He rejected hisBritish name while studying at theUniversity College of Ibadan.Many of his works deal with theimpact of Western values and cul-ture on African society. He has done morethan almost any other author to spread theunderstanding and influence of African liter-ature worldwide. “Civil Peace” is one of thestories from Girls and War and Other Storiesin which Achebe responds to the Nigeriancivil war.

Read to DiscoverHow does Chinua Achebe describe the con-ditions of the civil war? Do you think thisstory accurately reflects conditions forAfrican families following civil war?

Reader’s Dictionarycommandeer: to seize for military

purposes

Biro: a British term for a ballpoint pen

raffia: fiber of a type of palm tree

981

amenable to influence, rummaged inhis raffia bag and produced the twopounds with which he had been goingto buy firewood which his wife, Maria,retailed to camp officials for extrastock-fish and corn meal, and got hisbicycle back. That night he buried it inthe little clearing in the bush where thedead of the camp, including his ownyoungest son, were buried. When hedug it up again a year later after thesurrender all it needed was a littlepalm-oil greasing. “Nothing puzzlesGod,” he said in wonder.

He put it to immediate use as a taxiand accumulated a small pile of Biafranmoney ferrying camp officials and theirfamilies across the four-mile stretch tothe nearest tarred road. His standardcharge per trip was six pounds andthose who had the money were onlyglad to be rid of some of it in this way. At the endof a fortnight he had made a small fortune of onehundred and fifteen pounds.

Then he made the journey to Enugu and foundanother miracle waiting for him. It was unbeliev-able. He rubbed his eyes and looked again and itwas still standing there before him. But, needless to say, even that monumental blessing must beaccounted also totally inferior to the five heads inthe family. This newest miracle was his little housein Ogui Overside. Indeed nothing puzzles God!Only two houses away a huge concrete edifice somewealthy contractor had put up just before the warwas a mountain of rubble. And here was Jonathan’slittle zinc house of no regrets built with mud blocksquite intact! Of course the doors and windows weremissing and five sheets off the roof. But what wasthat? And anyhow he had returned to Enugu earlyenough to pick up bits of old zinc and wood andsoggy sheets of cardboard lying around the neigh-borhood before thousands more came out of theirforest holes looking for the same things. He got a

� Children Dancing, c. 1948, by Robert Gwathmey

1. What does Jonathan’s encounter with the false offi-cer reveal about the conditions of the war?

2. Biafra lost the civil war. What clues in the text indi-cate this outcome?

3. Why was having a bicycle a “miracle”?

4. CRITICAL THINKING Do you think it is effectivefor Achebe to discuss the war through an individualaccount rather than as a direct discussion of thedevastation created? Why or why not?

Applications Activity Choose a contemporary problem and describe itthrough the effect it has on an individual or family.

destitute carpenter with one old hammer, a bluntplane and a few bent and rusty nails in his tool bagto turn this assortment of wood, paper and metalinto door and window shutters for five Nigerianshillings or fifty Biafran pounds. He paid thepounds, and moved in with his overjoyed familycarrying five heads on their shoulders.