NAME_________________________________________ DATE ________________ CLASS __________
Reading Essentials and Study Guide
Contemporary Global Issues 1989–Present
Lesson 4 Science, Technology, and the Environment
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How do social and environmental issues affect countries differently?
Reading HELPDESK
Academic Vocabulary
intense marked by great zeal, energy, determination, or concentration
manipulation skillful or artful management
Content Vocabulary
telecommunications the science and technology of sending information electronically over
distances by means of wires or radio signals
microchip also called an integrated circuit; a tiny assembly of electronic components and their
connections that is produced in or on a tiny bit of material, usually silicon
ecology the study of the relationships between living things and their environment
deforestation the clearing of forests
desertification formation of degraded soil, turning semi-arid lands into nonproductive deserts
greenhouse effect global warming caused by the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
sustainable development an economic development that does not limit the ability of future
generations to meet their basic needs
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TAKING NOTES: Summarizing
ACTIVITY As you read, use a table like the one below to identify important technological advances
discussed in this lesson.
Communication, Health Care Agriculture
Transportation, and Space
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NAME_________________________________________ DATE ________________ CLASS __________
Reading Essentials and Study Guide
Contemporary Global Issues 1989–Present
Lesson 4 Science, Technology, and the Environment, continued
IT MATTERS BECAUSE
In the twenty-first century, science and technology continue to help build a global community.
The world is now connected by the Internet. Advances in science have improved communications,
transportation, health care, and agriculture. They have even led to more ways to explore space.
However, they have also resulted in environmental challenges.
Technological Revolution
Guiding Question How have scientific discoveries and technological innovations
transformed society?
The amazing changes that have taken place since World War II—especially since the 1970s—have
created a technological revolution. This revolution has had the same effect as the first and second
Industrial Revolutions. It is having a major effect on people’s daily lives and on entire societies. The
technological revolution depends on scientific discoveries.
Communication, Transportation, and Space
Global transportation and communication technologies are developing our modern global society.
People are connected throughout the world as they have never been before. They are often connected
“online” using computers. Space exploration and satellites have increased our understanding of our
world and of solar systems beyond our world.
Since the 1970s, jumbo jet airliners have moved millions of people around the world each year. A
flight between London and New York took half a day in 1945. Now that trip takes only five or six hours.
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
The Internet is the world’s largest computer network. The internet provides quick access to large
amounts of information. The World Wide Web was developed in the 1990s. It has made the Internet
available to even more people around the world.
Satellites, cable television, cellular telephones, and computers enable people to communicate with
one another practically everywhere in the world. Communication and transportation systems have
made the world a truly global village.
The invention of the computer had a major effect on people’s lives in the twentieth century. The
first computer was a product of World War II. British mathematician Alan Turing designed the first
electronic computer. It was created to crack enemy’s secret codes. Turing’s machine did calculations
faster than any human. IBM of the United States made the first computer with stored memory (it
could hold information) in 1948. These early computers used thousands of vacuum tubes (tubes that
allow electricity to pass through them) to operate. These computers took up large amounts of space.
Then the transistor and the silicon chip were developed. Information could be carried and stored on
these small parts. These small parts made great changes to computers.
Then, in 1971, the microprocessor was invented. It led to the personal computer. The microprocessor
made personal computers both small and powerful. People in businesses, schools, and homes regularly
used computers by the 1990s. The computer made many routine, or common everyday, tasks easier. It
has become important in nearly every area of modern life. Other tools and machines, such as those
that help fly airplanes, depend on computers to function.
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NAME_________________________________________ DATE ________________ CLASS __________
Reading Essentials and Study Guide
Contemporary Global Issues 1989–Present
Lesson 4 Science, Technology, and the Environment, continued
Through personal computers, people can use the Internet, a huge web of linked computer networks.
The Internet was introduced to the public in 1972. Computer technology began to add to our modern
global society. Electronic mail, or e-mail, was also introduced in 1972. The system developed rapidly in
the 1990s. A new way of sending Internet information also developed at this time. It was called
hypertext transfer protocol (http). This system along with Web browsers made it easier for people to
use the Internet. By 2015, there were more than 3 billion Internet users worldwide.
People were able to do more and more things on the Web. This allowed new forms of
communication to take place. Twitter is a communications platform that allows people to send instant
updates from their computers or cell phones to their followers. Facebook is a social networking site
and YouTube is an Internet video site that allows people to view many events. These platforms have
become important in communications.
The field of telecommunications saw advances in cellular, or mobile, phones. Cell phones existed in
the 1970s and the 1980s. However, they were not truly portable, or small enough to carry easily. They
only became small enough to carry when the microchip was invented. A microchip is a small piece of
material that conducts electricity and that carries information. Cell phones have since become very
important. Cell phones are everywhere. Their ability to transfer data electronically has made text
messaging a standard form of communication. Text and instant messaging have greatly changed
written language. This is because shorthand script has replaced complete sentences when
communicating short messages.
Advances in technology have improved humans’ ability to explore space. In 1969 Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. The exploration of space has continued since then. Space probes
have increased our understanding of distant planets.
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Today, hundreds of satellites orbit Earth. Some are used to predict weather. Others help navigate
ships, aircraft, and cars. Communications satellites relay radio, television, and telephone signals.
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a large astronomical observatory. It was launched in 1990. The
HST orbits about 375 miles above Earth’s surface. Earth’s atmosphere distorts images of space.
Because the HST orbits outside the atmosphere, the observations from there are not distorted. The
HST provides clear views of our solar system and distant galaxies.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sent two rovers, small vehicles used to
explore the surface of a planet, to the planet Mars in 2004. The rovers were named Spirit and
Opportunity. These rovers found certain minerals in Mars’ rocks. As a result, NASA scientists
determined that the now barren planet once had a large water supply. NASA continues its Mars
Exploration Program. NASA continues to analyze data that is sent from rovers to the Odyssey orbiter.
The orbiter, which was launched in 2001, sends the data to Earth. Such data includes radiation risks
for potential future human exploration of Mars.
Health Care
New health care technologies have helped develop modern global society. They also allow people to live
longer and more productive lives. For example, doctors can add mechanical valves and pumps to the
human heart, and they transplant organs. New medicines can treat both physical and mental illness.
Scientific research has also led to improvements. From 1990 to 2003, the Human Genome Project unlocked
the secrets of DNA. This led to new ways to diagnose and treat genetic, or inherited, diseases. DNA is
the molecule that carries genetic information from parents to their children. James Watson, Francis
Crick, and Maurice Wilkins discovered DNA. They received a joint Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1962.
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Reading Essentials and Study Guide
Contemporary Global Issues 1989–Present
Lesson 4 Science, Technology, and the Environment, continued
These new technologies have caused the field of bioethics to grow. Bioethics deals with moral
choices in medical research. Genetic engineering is the changing of genetic information of cells to
produce new cells. Some people worry that this could create deadly types of bacteria. The possibility
of human cloning causes intense debate in some countries. Stem-cell research (using stem cells from
human embryos to research cures for certain diseases) has also raised concerns in many countries.
Agriculture
In agriculture, new strains, or kinds, of rice, corn, and other grains have been produced. These are
known as genetically engineered (GE) foods. GE foods are created by the manipulation of the DNA of
plants. Some GE strains produce more food than existing plants. Scientists and world leaders disagree
over the use of GE foods. Some experts see GE foods as a way to solve hunger crises in developing
countries. Others are concerned about the effects GE foods have on health and the ecosystem. Huge
quantities of chemical fertilizers are needed to grow these new strains of food. Many farmers cannot
afford these fertilizers.
Concern about the effects of chemical pesticides (chemicals sprayed on crops to kill insects) in food
and soil is growing. It has led to an increase in organic farming in industrialized countries. Organic
farming has led to the profitable export of organically grown crops by developing nations. Organic
farmers do not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, or livestock feed additives. The
goal of organic farming is to produce safe, healthful food and to maintain a healthy and sustainable
environment.
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Reading Progress Check
Identifying Points of View What are the arguments for and against the use of GE foods?
Connections to Today
Medical Advancements
Many medical advancements that have had a major impact on our lives today were
developed during World War II. For example, Charles R. Drew, an African American
physician, started the American Red Cross blood banking program to assist soldiers. Today,
nearly 3 percent of the U.S. population donates blood, which is used to save military and
civilian lives across the country. Likewise, Dr. Jonas Salk developed vaccines for the flu and
polio. Today, mass vaccinations prevent many childhood illnesses each year, and polio is
close to being eradicated globally.
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NAME_________________________________________ DATE ________________ CLASS __________
Reading Essentials and Study Guide
Contemporary Global Issues 1989–Present
Lesson 4 Science, Technology, and the Environment, continued
Environmental Challenges
Guiding Question What are the environmental challenges of the twenty-first century and
how have governments and citizens responded to them?
American scientist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962. In her book, she argued that the
buildup of pesticides was causing unforeseen, or unexpected, effects. Pesticides were chemicals sprayed
on crops to kill insects. Insects were dying, but birds, fish, and other wild animals were dying too. Also,
the pesticide residue, the small parts left behind, on food harmed humans.
Carson’s warnings alarmed many scientists. This gave rise to the new science of ecology. Ecology is
the study of the relationship between living things and their environment. Since then, scientific research
studies have shown that dangers to the environment have many sources.
Impact of Population Growth
Some fear that the population is growing too fast. Earth’s resources cannot support all the population.
Deforestation, or the clearing of forests, is one result of a growing population. Forests and jungles have
been cut down to provide more farmland, firewood, and timber (wood used to make things).
Deforestation can lead to habitat destruction and loss.
The rapid destruction of tropical rain forests near Earth’s equator is a major concern. Tropical rain
forests cover only 6 percent of Earth’s surface. However, they are home to 50 percent of the world’s plant
and animal species. Tropical rain forests are very important to human survival. They remove carbon
dioxide from the air and return oxygen to it.
Desertification is the process of turning land into desert. It is another result of overpopulation. There
Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
are many factors that turn land in desert. People overgraze areas, they use poor farming practices, and
they destroy plants and trees on land without much water. As a result, the soil is destroyed, and not as
many crops can be grown on the land. Over 250 million people are directly affected by desertification.
Chemical Wastes and Disasters
Chemical wastes pose another danger. They hurt the environment. In turn, Earth becomes unsafe for
people. Chlorofluorocarbons are gases used in aerosol cans, refrigerators, and air conditioners. They
destroy the ozone layer when released into the air. The ozone layer is the thin layer of Earth’s upper
atmosphere. It helps protect Earth from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. These rays can harm humans. Sulfur
dioxide is a major air pollutant. It often is given off from factories. When sulfur dioxide mixes with
moisture in the air, it forms acid rain. Acid rain kills plants and forests.
Ecological disasters also have severe and long-lasting results. There have been many such disasters.
Toxic, or poison, fumes escaped a chemical plant in Bhopal, India, in 1984. In 1986 a nuclear reactor
exploded in Chernobyl, Ukraine. The ship Exxon Valdez wrecked in Alaska in 1989, and it spilled tons
of oil. Ecological and health problems from all these incidents can still be seen today.
Another threat to the environment is global climate change. This climate change has the potential
to create a worldwide crisis. Burning fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, releases carbon dioxide
into the air. The warming of the Earth is due to the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This
process is called the greenhouse effect. Many scientists agree that it is contributing to devastating
droughts and storms. It also adds to the melting of the polar ice caps. This extra water causes rising
sea levels, which could flood coastal regions later in the twenty-first century. Also alarming is the
potential loss of biodiversity, or range of different kinds of plants and animals in an area. Seven out of
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Reading Essentials and Study Guide
Contemporary Global Issues 1989–Present
Lesson 4 Science, Technology, and the Environment, continued
ten biologists believe the planet is now experiencing a surprisingly high rate of extinction (loss of an
entire species). Many species of both plants and animals are disappearing from the planet.
Nations understand the importance of trying to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. More than 150
nations have signed the Kyoto Protocol. This agreement calls on countries to reduce air pollution. The
United States, however, did not ratify, or approve, the treaty. The U.S. government said that the
required changes would cost too much. In December 2015, 196 countries approved a historic climate
pact to stabilize global warming. This pact is known as the Paris Agreement.
A number of nations have already begun to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. They have
introduced geothermal (using heat from inside the earth) and hydroelectric (using moving water to
make electricity) power plants. Another source of energy is wind. Scientists estimate that wind
generators could supply one-third of the world’s electricity by 2050. That would stop 113 billion metric
tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. Wind farms, or groups of wind
generators, have appeared around the world—including in the United States.
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development means using resources in a way that helps ensure people in the future will
also have resources to use. The United Nations promotes sustainable development. It urges nations to
work to conserve, or protect, all natural resources. Many nations already have enacted recycling and
water conservation programs. They have also tried to slow or stop the dumping of toxic materials.
Another major problem is that 4 out of every 10 people around the world have only a limited access
to water. People without access to clean water often get sick with diseases such as cholera, typhoid,
and diarrhea. More than 5 million people die every year from the lack of water or from drinking
unsafe water.
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Reading Progress Check
Summarizing How have nations responded to global environmental challenges?
