SESSION #9 The Contemporary World

Summary

The lesson covers the difference between stability and sustainability, three models of sustainable development, global security, and criticisms and possible solutions related to global food security.

1. Stability and Sustainability

Stability means maintaining a system’s current state or balance and resisting change. The instructor illustrates this as keeping resources untouched—for example, holding on to a supply of potatoes rather than using them.

Sustainability means using resources in a way that allows them to be replenished and continue supporting people over time. For instance, potatoes can be eaten while some are planted to grow a replacement supply.

The key distinction is that stability preserves the status quo, while sustainability allows adaptation and change while maintaining a system’s ability to function over the long term. The instructor argues that sustainability is preferable because it supports the continued use of resources rather than simply keeping them unused.

2. Models of Sustainable Development

The lesson discusses three models associated with sustainable development.

Brundtland Report

The Brundtland Report defines sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs. It seeks to balance economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection.

The central lesson is not to solve present-day problems by exhausting resources that future generations will need.

Doughnut Economics

Doughnut economics presents a framework for meeting people’s needs while remaining within the planet’s environmental limits. Its guiding idea is to provide enough for everyone without encouraging excessive consumption or greed.

The instructor emphasizes taking only what is needed and avoiding overuse of shared resources.

Circular Economy

A circular economy aims to keep products and materials useful for as long as possible, recover their value, and regenerate materials at the end of their use. Its practical principles are:

• Reuse: Use an item again rather than immediately throwing it away.
• Reduce: Limit consumption, including the use of plastics and other non-biodegradable materials.
• Recycle: Transform discarded items into useful products or give them another function.

Repeated use can reduce consumption and, in turn, lessen environmental damage.

3. Global Security

Global security is a broad effort to address threats to international peace and stability, protect human rights, and maintain safety around the world.

Traditional threats include:

• Wars between states.
• Terrorism and attacks such as the September 11 attacks.
• Nuclear proliferation and the testing or use of nuclear weapons.

The class watches a video about the September 11 attacks. It includes footage and accounts from people who experienced the events, including stories of evacuation and rescue.

Non-traditional threats include:

• Climate change and changing weather patterns.
• Pandemics, including COVID-19 and its effects on daily life and mental health.
• Cyberattacks, hacking, and the exposure or sale of personal information.
• Resource scarcity, particularly the declining availability and rising cost of petroleum products.

The instructor also connects human security with protecting human rights, meeting basic human needs, and safeguarding privacy.

4. Criticisms of Existing Global Food-Security Approaches

The lesson identifies several challenges:

• Overreliance on industrial agriculture: Monoculture, chemical inputs, pesticides, and intensive water use can contribute to soil degradation and water pollution. The instructor cautions against excessive dependence on chemical-based farming and suggests greater use of organic practices.
• Inequality, poverty, and hunger: Poverty can prevent people from accessing adequate food, leaving many people food insecure.
• Population growth and food scarcity: Feeding a growing population is a challenge, particularly when household resources and food supplies are limited.
• Climate change: Flooding and other changing conditions can damage farmland and crops, disrupting farmers’ livelihoods and food supplies.
• Biodiversity loss: The loss of species can affect ecosystem balance. The lesson also notes that invasive species can disrupt local biodiversity and harm other species. The Philippine eagle is mentioned as an endangered species.

5. Suggested Responses to Food-Security Challenges

The lesson suggests the following responses:

• Promote agroecology and sustainable farming, including small-scale food growing at home, in gardens, or on balconies.
• Support small farmers who grow crops for everyday consumption.
• Reduce food waste by using food fully and avoiding unnecessary disposal.
• Use climate-smart agriculture and technology to protect crops and improve production. The instructor mentions protective structures such as domes.

The instructor links these issues to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and specifically refers to SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

6. Class Activity

Students are asked to respond in Google Classroom to a question from an earlier lesson: whether Malolos City should be considered a global city based on four characteristics attributed in the subtitles to “Saksya SAS.” The response should be no more than five sentences, include citations, and not use AI or Taglish.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Instructor/teacher: Leads the lesson and explains the concepts.
• Ashley: Asked to read the lesson objectives.
• Ethan: Responds during the discussion of the SDGs.
• Other students: Participate in the class, though most are not identified by name.
• Embedded September 11 video: Includes narration and unidentified eyewitnesses or other people describing the attacks, evacuation, and rescue efforts.