Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumDebates about the Environment after 1900

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts: the concept of 'needs', in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."
— World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future, 1987

The definition of sustainable development presented in the excerpt was primarily a response to which of the following global developments in the late twentieth century?

  1. The growing concern over the ecological limits of economic growth and the need to address global economic disparities.Answer
  2. B
    The success of the Green Revolution in implementing eco-friendly, organic farming practices to protect global ecosystems.
  3. C
    The attempt by Western nations to establish direct colonial administrations over resource-rich territories in the Global South to enforce conservation laws.
  4. D
    The complete homogenization of global consumer culture, which eliminated regional differences in resource consumption.

Answer

The growing concern over the ecological limits of economic growth and the need to address global economic disparities.
The correct answer is correct because the Brundtland Report was a landmark document that arose during the late twentieth century as global organizations and governments debated the ecological limits of industrial growth, recognizing that global economic inequalities must be addressed in tandem with environmental preservation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text to identify the main themes.
The excerpt defines 'sustainable development' by balancing the needs of the world's poor with the physical limits of the environment and technology.
Understanding the focus on both developmental equity and ecological limits is necessary to locate the correct historical context.
2
Relate the source themes to late-twentieth-century environmental history.
In the late 1900s, debates grew over global warming, resource depletion, and how economic growth could be maintained without destroying the biosphere.
This contextualization links the specific vocabulary of the Brundtland Report (1987) to the broader subtopic of debates about the environment after 1900.
3
Evaluate the options to identify the correct response.
The option concerning concern over ecological limits and economic disparities matches the Brundtland Report's emphasis on sustainability and the needs of the poor.
It is the only option that accurately reflects both the historical context of late-twentieth-century environmental debates and the text's contents.

Key Concept

Late-twentieth-century debates over sustainable development, ecological limits, and international inequality.
Rate this question

Topics

Debates about the Environment after 1900

More questions from this topic