Social Studies 9 – Consumerism Unit Video #4 – Consumerism and the Environment
Checking for understanding
Read through these questions – can you answer them quickly? If you can, then you understand the key concepts in this video. If not, go back and watch it again. Don’t forget to check your answers with the answer key (don’t peek – the whole point of this is to see if YOU understand the key ideas).
- How can you demonstrate to others your opinions on how to balance the environment and the economy?
- Summarize the Kyoto Protocol – why do some people support it and why are others opposed to it?
- What does it mean to live in a disposable society?
- How do planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence relate to our disposable society?
- How does our consumption of goods impact Aboriginal groups?
- How does your opinion regarding the balance of the environment and the economy demonstrate your ideology?
- Define the following terms – biodiversity, ecosystem, land use, sustainable development.
Answer Key
- How can you demonstrate to others your opinions on how to balance the environment and the economy? (Join lobby group, protest, vote, consumer choices – dollar voting)
- Summarize the Kyoto Protocol – why do some people support it and why are others opposed to it? (It was an international agreement to have countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Supports liked the idea that the world would take action together to solve pollution problems, opponents said that it punished the developed nations and hurt their economies)
- What does it mean to live in a disposable society? (We are encouraged to throw things away)
- How do planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence relate to our disposable society? (Planned is when products are created to only last for a short time, perceived is how marketing makes us think something is no longer useful – both will cause us to dispose of that product)
- How does our consumption of goods impact Aboriginal groups? (Traditional connections to the land are being threatened)
- How does your opinion regarding the balance of the environment and the economy demonstrate your ideology? (If you want more focus on the economy, you are right wing; if you want more focus on the environment, you are more left wing)
- Define the following terms – biodiversity, ecosystem, land use, sustainable development. (Biodiversity - The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem; ecosystem - A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment; land use - human interaction with the environment; e.g., agriculture, forestry, oil and gas production, urbanization; sustainable development - maintaining or improving the standard of living and quality of life while ensuring the preservation of natural resources and ecosystems for future generations)