Question

Difficulty: MediumCalls for Reform and Responses after 1900

The following is an excerpt from a statement by Chico Mendes, a Brazilian union leader and environmentalist, in 1988:

"We realized that in order to guarantee the future of the Amazon, we had to find a way to preserve the forest while also providing a livelihood for the people who live here. The creation of extractive reserves—where rubber tappers and indigenous groups can harvest forest products without destroying the trees—is the only way to prevent the total destruction of our environment by large-scale cattle ranching and logging. Our struggle is not just about trees; it is about the survival of our community and the global climate."

Mendes’s advocacy in the passage is most representative of which of the following late twentieth-century developments?

  1. A
    The expansion of the Green Revolution to improve agricultural efficiency and crop yields in developing nations.
  2. The rise of global environmental movements that linked ecological conservation with social and economic justice.Answer
  3. C
    The rapid homogenization of global culture through the spread of Western consumerist ideals and lifestyle choices.
  4. D
    A reaction against direct colonial rule and the formal political annexation of territory by European powers.

Answer

The rise of global environmental movements that linked ecological conservation with social and economic justice.
The correct option is correct because Chico Mendes's struggle on behalf of Brazilian rubber tappers illustrates how late twentieth-century environmentalism evolved to link ecological sustainability with the social and economic rights of local populations, presenting an alternative to destructive development practices.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the author's primary goal.
Chico Mendes is advocating for 'extractive reserves' to protect the Amazon rainforest while maintaining a sustainable livelihood for local rubber tappers and indigenous groups.
Understanding the core argument of the source is essential for contextualizing the movement.
2
Connect the author's goals to broader late twentieth-century global trends.
The demand to protect the Amazon environment while securing local rights aligns with late twentieth-century calls for reform, particularly the rise of environmentalism integrated with social justice.
This step links the specific case study in Brazil to the general historical trends tested in the AP curriculum.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that accurately characterizes this connection.
The choice describing the rise of global environmental movements linking conservation with social and economic justice is the correct match, while others conflate distinct movements or represent incorrect time periods.
This step ensures the selected option is historically accurate and directly answers the prompt.

Key Concept

Late twentieth-century environmental movements increasingly challenged traditional notions of economic development by advocating for sustainability, social justice, and the protection of local ecosystems.

Hints

1
Identify the primary focus of Mendes's statement. Is it focused on agriculture, culture, colonization, or the environment?

Practice More

Review how other grassroots movements, such as the Green Belt Movement in Kenya or the Chipko Movement in India, similarly combined ecological protection with local community rights.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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