Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumDebates about the Environment after 1900

Source: Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, address to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 1972.

"We do not wish to impoverish the environment any further and yet we cannot for a moment forget the grim poverty of large numbers of people. Are not poverty and need the greatest polluters? . . . How can we speak to those who live in villages and in slums about keeping the oceans clean when their own lives are contaminated at the source? The environment cannot be improved in conditions of poverty. Nor can poverty be eradicated without the use of science and technology."

Based on the passage, the perspective expressed by Indira Gandhi most directly reflects which of the following debates in the late twentieth century?

  1. A
    The dispute over whether industrial powers should transition from economic imperialism to direct political administration of resource-rich regions.
  2. The tension between developed nations advocating for global environmental conservation and developing nations prioritizing poverty reduction through economic development.Answer
  3. C
    The debate over whether the Green Revolution's eco-friendly agricultural initiatives could successfully prevent global soil erosion.
  4. D
    The concern that international environmental regulations would lead to the complete homogenization of global culture and the loss of local traditions.

Answer

The tension between developed nations advocating for global environmental conservation and developing nations prioritizing poverty reduction through economic development.
Indira Gandhi’s speech outlines the classic post-colonial perspective that developing nations must prioritize economic growth and poverty eradication before they can dedicate resources to global environmental conservation, highlighting a core tension between the developed and developing worlds at international forums.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source attribution and content of the stimulus.
The source is from Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, addressing a 1972 UN conference. The text contrasts environmental protection with the immediate need to eliminate poverty in slums and villages through science and technology.
Understanding the context of a developing nation leader's speech helps identify their main concerns and perspective on global issues.
2
Evaluate the core argument presented by the speaker.
The speaker argues that poverty is the 'greatest polluter' and must be addressed before environmental preservation can be successfully tackled, requiring industrial and technological tools.
This identifies the central conflict between immediate socioeconomic survival/growth and ecological conservation.
3
Connect this argument to late-twentieth-century global developments and debates.
This reflects the ongoing debate between developed nations (Global North), which pushed for global environmental limits, and developing nations (Global South), which argued that such limits could restrict their path out of poverty.
Connecting the specific historical source to the broader historical debate is required to answer the AP-style question.

Key Concept

The conflict between developmental goals in the Global South and ecological conservation standards promoted globally.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Debates about the Environment after 1900

More questions from this topic