Geography, Culture, and Environment

Japan - Effects of ClimateClimatic conditions have a major effect on

population distribution, agriculture, and industrial development in Asia.

Western Japan has harsh winters due to Siberian winds

The central and eastern portions of Honshu have mild winters without much or any snow.

Where weather is milder, the population is usually larger – all major Japanese cities are on the East Coast.

• Japan is a rugged, mountainous group of islands.

•Mt. Fuji reaches 12,500 feet into the sky

•The distance from coast to coast is less than 200 miles anywhere in the islands

•Almost 80 percent of the land surface is mountainous

•20 percent of the land is arable (good for farming)

• Japan is called the “Land of the Rising Sun.”

•Japan is a part of the “Ring of Fire” which is a great chain of volcanoes lying along the west coast of the Americas and then curving down the eastern shores of Asia

•There are about 3,400 islands in Japan

•The main ones are called Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku

It ranges from a subarctic climate in the north, to a tropical climate in the south.

Most of China’s population is concentrated in the east and southeast, where the climate is milder.

Probably the most important geographic fact has been its isolation (separation).

High mountains (Himalayan) and wide deserts (Gobi) isolated this area from other parts of Asia.

These natural and protective barriers allowed the Chinese to develop their culture without constant interruption from the outside.

• China also enjoyed conditions favorable for the development of a great culture as they had wide plains, fertile soil, great rivers, and coastal harbors.

• Geography explains why Chinese civilization turned out to be unique (one of a kind)

•Chinese civilization began on the banks of one of its major rivers; the Yellow river (Huang He)

•It was develop there because of the rich soil called loess.

•The other river that Chinese civilization developed around was the Chang (Yangtze)

•While the rivers serve as a source of life, it also brings death and destruction.

•The rivers often overflow their banks, flooding large areas of the surrounding countryside.

•Because of these floods, the Chinese people call the Yellow river “China’s sorrow.”

Mekong River is one of the longest rivers in Southern & Eastern Asia. It stretches almost

2,700 miles long, runs through western China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, before emptying in the South China Sea.

DesertsTaklimakan Desert: The Taklimakan Desert in northwest

China is a vast region of sand desert sitting in a depression between two high, rugged mountain ranges.

The desert is hemmed in to the north by the snow-covered Tien Shan Mountain range and to the south by the rugged Kunlun Mountains.

Desertification and shifting sand dunes are a major concern for the farmers and grazers who live at the desert's edge.

Gobi Desert: Is a vast stretch of land roughly 1,000 miles

long between 300 to 600 miles wide. The desert lies between the Altai and

Hangayn mountains and stretches across parts of Mongolia and China.

Much of the desert is made up of bare rock, rather than sand.

Winters are harsh, January average low -40 degrees Fahrenheit & July average high 113 degrees Fahrenheit.

Severe dryness limits vegetation; few plants and shrubs that grow.

Few people live in the desert, those that do, tend to live as nomadic herders.

Overall Effects of Geography – INDIAIn general, geography affects

where people live, what they do there, and how they move around.

The Indo-Gangetic Plain offers an example to demonstrate this.

This large plain area lies between the Himalayan mountain ranges and the Deccan Plateau, within India.

Much of this area benefits from the three large rivers of South Asia: the Ganges, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra.

These rivers have their sources in the Himalayas.

These rivers and their many tributaries carry silt from the mountains that fertilizes farmlands on the plains.

These rivers also provide a reliable source of irrigation.As a result of its steady sources of water, its fertile soil, and

its long growing season, the Indo-Gangetic Plain is densely populated.

In mountainous areas, travel is much more difficult. Mountain passes are important in these areas because they

allow people to travel through or over mountains.The Khyber Pass has been used for centuries, and has been

the way that invading armies took over South Asia from the northwest.

Presently, the Khyber Pass connects Afghanistan to Pakistan.

• India has a high population density.

• It has 898 people per square mile compared to 354 for China and 79 for the US.

•countries include Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Singpore

•500 million people

•has neither cultural or political unity

•there are many races, religions and customs

•it is an area of islands and peninsulas

•Indo-Chinese Peninsula, Malay Peninsula, islands of Indonesia and Philippians

•archipelagoes (a group of islands)

•along some of the seacoasts are lowlands that are densely

populated

•The Great Lake

•Tonle Sap in Cambodia is the only major lake in SE Asia

•END SEC. 1

HinduismIt is the oldest religionAround 1500 BC, Aryan people

migrated to the Indus Valley, where Pakistan is today (Hindu means Indus)

Hinduism does not have any founder or any prophets.By 1200 BC, the earliest sacred books of Hinduism

appeared. They are called the Vedas and include the story of the Aryans.

By 4th c. BC, Hinduism had spread through all of India.As it spread, Vedic Hinduism mixed with local religious

practices.

Hindu’s worship many forms of one God calledBrahman

During the 6th century BC, groups of people had different ideas from the traditional Vedic thinkers.

These groups included Janis and Buddhists, two sects of Hinduism.

A sect is a smaller group of people that have differing beliefs from the larger group.

Another group of people, called Upanishad thinkers, had different ideas from the traditional Vedic thinkers.

Almost all of the Upanishads are dialogues between a teacher and student.

They question the nature of both the individual soul, called atman, and the collective soul, called Brahman.

All these deities are but

Manifest forms (attributes

and functions) of theimpersonal Brahman

All these deities are but

Manifest forms (attributes

and functions) of theimpersonal Brahman

The 3 most important Hindu gods are:

Brahma - known as the Creator.

Vishnu - Known as the Preserver Shiva (Siva)- known as the Destroyer.

Brahma Vishnu Shiva

Everyday practicesPuja: worship either at temple or

shrine at homeArti: worship that takes place in front

of statues of the gods – offerings given

Ahimsa: all life is sacred – so many are vegetarianCows are especially sacred – give freely of

themselves (work, milk)

Holy Place – river Ganges (used for spiritual cleansing, funeral rites, and other Hindu

rituals) – city of VaranasiFestivals – Holi, Diwali

DiwaliHindu festival of lights “row of lights” lasting five days.

In at least one region, the “row of lights” are lit on the new-moon night to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth (In the Indian culture, wealth is not viewed as a corruptive power. Instead, a wealthy person is considered to have been rewarded for good deeds of a past life).

homes are thoroughly cleaned, windows are opened candles and lamps are lit to welcome Lakshmi. Gifts are exchanged and festive meals are prepared during Diwali. Celebration means as much to Hindus as Christmas does to Christians.

Diwali

During King Asoka’s rule in the 3rd century BC, Buddhism gained more followers in India.

The number of Hindu followers lessened.Starting at 320 AD, Hinduism became

popular once again.As the popularity of Hinduism increased, it

also absorbed beliefs and practices of both Buddhism and Jainism.

Beginning as early as the 7th century AD, Islam became established in India.

It later spread throughout much of the country, and is the second most practiced religion in India today.

As Indian merchants moved to SE Asia, the Hindu religion spread to new areas. Local chiefs converted to Hinduism and the religion took hold in their region.

In the late 1800s, many Hindus left India and went to places like East Africa, islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and islands of the Caribbean.

Again, as they traveled, their religious ideas moved with them.

Hinduism has a long history, and it has spread to various

parts of the world.It is still the major religion

of India.Roughly 80% of the Indian

population practices Hinduism.

•believe in reincarnation - "to be made flesh again", is a doctrine that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body.

•Karma - Through the law of karma, the effects of all deeds actively create past,

present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to him/her and others.

•if a person does what he or she is suppose to do, his or her soul will be rewarded in the next life

•dharma is a set of rules that must be followed by all living things of they wish to work their way up the reincarnation ladder

•began 3,000 years ago

•when Aryans took over India they thought of themselves a superior and the conquered

Indians as subordinate so started the class system

•untouchable (AKA dalits) is the lowest class that deals with sweeping the streets, handling dead people and animals, and tending to pigs that feed on the village garbage; they must live away from the others and are not permitted to use the village wells

•it divides the population into hereditary (passed from one generation to the next) social groups

•1) Brahmin (priest), 2) Kshatriya (soldiers), 3) Vaisya (merchants & farmers), 4) Sudras (laborers), 5) untouchable

•you belong to same caste all your life; jobs are passed down from father to son

•according to the rule of karma, if one is an untouchable, one has no one to blame but one’s self so instead of complaining, that person had better do a good job to move up the ladder

•moksha is the final resting place

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

ShudrasShudrasCommeners/peasents/servantsCommeners/peasents/servants

VaishyasVaishyasMerchants/LandownersMerchants/Landowners

KshatriyasKshatriyasWarriorsWarriors

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

PriestPriest

BrahminsBrahmins

Ashrama: Four Stages of Life

The guru, who The guru, who renounces all renounces all

possessions and possessions and wanders from wanders from place to place place to place

begging for foodbegging for food

The hermit, or retiree who The hermit, or retiree who withdraws from society to pursue withdraws from society to pursue

ascetic and yogic practicesascetic and yogic practices

The householder, who supports his The householder, who supports his family and the priests and fulfills family and the priests and fulfills duties to the gods and ancestorsduties to the gods and ancestors

1-20 Years Old1-20 Years OldThe student, who is devoted and The student, who is devoted and

obedient to his teacherobedient to his teacher

•Vedas•collection of hymns, sacred prayers, chants, and epic poems about heroic deeds.

•are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India& they form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism

•Upanishads•a collection of rituals and ceremonies written about 2,500 years ago

•The Upanishads speak of a universal spirit (Brahman) and an individual soul, (Atman) and at times assert the identity of both. Brahman is the ultimate, both transcendent and immanent, the absolute infinite existence, the sum total of all that ever is, was, or shall be.

•The Mahabharata• longest poem in the world with about 200,000 lines (5,000 pages)

•It’s a discussion of human goals, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world and the workings of karma.

•The Ramayana

•Indian soap opera written in 400 BC

•It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king.

•began in India by Siddhartha Gautama born 567 BC

•was a prince who did not life the difference of rich-poor

•he left the palace for 6 years to wander the earth but did not find wisdom

•so he sat under a tree for 49 days until he became enlightened (Buddha means

“enlightened one”

•it is more a way of life than a religion, has no gods, no belief in a soul or a

main god

•4 noble truths 1. existence is suffering, 2. suffering comes from desire, 3. cure for suffering is extinction of desire, 4.for no desire must have right views, effort, mindfulness, intentions, speech, conduct, livelihood, concentration

•key ideas; 1. self-salvation is a person’s most immediate responsibility, 2. nirvana is the goal of all Buddhist. Nirvana is a state of extinction or release from the Wheel of Rebirth (reincarnation),

•worship at a Pagoda

2. The Eightfold Path

Wisdom1) Right View – know the truth

2) Right Intention – resist self-centeredness

Ethical Conduct3) Right Speech – refrain from unkind, negative speech

4) Right Action – respect all life

5) Right Livelihood – work for the good of others

Mental Discipline6) Right Effort – exert oneself in freeing the mind of evil (egocentric

thought)

7) Right Awareness – elevate one’s thoughts beyond the haze of emotion and mood

8) Right Meditation – practice the discipline of meditation

Everyday practices1. Live by this moral code:

Do not take the life of anything livingDo not take anything not freely givenAbstain from sexual misconduct and sensual

overindulgenceRefrain from untrue speechAvoid intoxication

Do not lose mindfulness

2. Meditation: training the mind to empty it all of thoughts.

When this happens what is important comes clear

The Spread of BuddhismDuring the beginning of the Common Era (AD), it

was easy for Buddhism to spread, as followers traveled the common trade routes of the time such as the Silk Road.

The Silk Road connected Asia to Europe.

After Xuanzang’s Buddhist studies in India, he brought more than 600 copies of sutras back to China with him.

A sutra is a Buddhist text.Once Buddhism took hold

in China it then spread to the Korean peninsula during 4th to 6th centuries.

From Korea, Buddhism moved to Japan.

As a result of trade that occurred via Sri Lanka, Buddhism reached SE Asia, especially the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, present-day Cambodia, and southern Vietnam.

Buddhist ideas reached northern Vietnam mostly from China.

Since Buddhism spread over a wide area during many centuries, it is practiced differently in many parts

of the world.Buddhism, like many other religions,

continues to have many sects, with the two major ones being Mahayana and Theravada.

•do not have Gods and do not pray

•do not believe in violence “ahimsa”

•don’t fight back and don’t farm since it is killing plants or animals

•it was not that big of a religion

•Jainism is one of the oldest religions that originated in India.

•Jains believe that every soul is divine and has the potential to achieve God-consciousness.

•Jains have an ancient tradition of scholarship and have the highest degree of literacy in India.

•they were a religion founded by Guru Nanak (1469 - 1539) as a mix of Islam (monotheism) and Hinduism (reincarnation)

•after Nanak died, his work was carried out by gurus (teachers)

•the Golden Temple is their main shrine; they are militaristic and men never cut their hair or beard•There is only One God. •The soul goes through cycles of births and deaths before it reaches the human form. •Sikhism condemns blind rituals such as fasting, visiting places of pilgrimage, superstitions, worship of the dead, idol worship etc. •Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of God.

The philosophies of Confucianism and Daoism originated between the 5th and 3rd

centuries BC during a period of civil war and great unrest.

Confucianism and Daoism are considered philosophies and not religions because they were not concerned with God or life after death.

They were mainly concerned with ways of improving society and

achieving a better life on earth.

•Confucius was born in 551 BC and died in 479 BC.

•The philosophy that is known as Confucianism come mainly from the speeches and writings of Confucius.

•Confucianism is an ethical system rather than a religion (Ethics deals with human behavior and

conduct)

•Confucius was mainly concerned with how human begins behaved toward each other and paid little attention to such matters as sin, salvation, and the soul.

•He developed a system of government, society, and justice which we call Confucianism.

•Confucius was revered as a sage or wise person.

•His sayings are collected in a book called the Analects.

•Confucius hoped that if people knew what was expected of them they would behave correctly.

•The relationships are 1)ruler and subjects; 2) father and son; 3) elder brother and younger brother; 4) husband and wife; 5) friend and friend.

•The right to rule belong to superiors over subordinates; that is, to older people over younger people, to men over women.

•Family life was seen as a training ground for life in society.

•The family is responsible for educating the child to be a good member of society.

•Confucius emphasized the importance of education, the aim of which is to turn people into good family members, responsible members of society, and good subjects of the emperor.

•It was the duty of the ruler and his officials to set a good example for the people.

•The Chinese believed that a dynasty ruled as long as it held the “Mandate of Heaven”, that is, the right to rule.

•If the people of China suffered, they were sure that Heaven had taken away

its protection of the Emperor, so they rebelled.

•When the rebellion was successful, the Mandate of Heaven was given to the leader of the rebellion so he became the emperor of a

new dynasty.

•The philosophy of Daoism (AKA Taoism)stated that people should live naturally.

•Society does not allow people to live naturally as society forces humans to live according to rules which are not natural.

•This results in suffering and problems.

•To escape from this unhappiness, people must free themselves from all the rules that are forced

upon them by society; they must find the Dao, or “Way” of the universe.

•The Taoist believed that society corrupted people and separated them from their true nature.

•Shintoism as a religion developed only in Japan

•Shinto means “the way of the gods”

•Shintoism is based on the worship of nature and good spirits called kami.

•This religion has no bible or no formal prayer book

•It is based on the feelings of human beings toward

the world around them

•The kami (nature spirits) live in shrines, animals, birds, plants, mountains, waterfalls, storms, and in most natural things.

The Four Affirmations of Shinto1.Tradition and the family: The family is seen as the main force for traditions to be preserved. Main celebrations relate to birth and marriage. 2.Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the Gods. Natural objects are worshipped as sacred spirits3.Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouth often. Shinto stresses purifying that which is unclean, such as dirt, wounds, and disease. Touching the dead is considered unclean. 4.Matsuri: The worship given to the kami and the ancestral spirits.

Torii GateTorii GateWhen entering a shrine, one passes through

a Torii

The Torii marks the separation between the finite world and the infinite world of the

Gods.

•The main idea of Zen is to find self-understanding, called satori or enlightenment

•believers in Zen feel that prayer and religious worship are a waste of time

•Personal character and discipline are important

•Meditation (thinking) is the main form of worship

•The goal of Zen is to bring the person to satori - to help people go from thinking to knowing.

•END SECTION 2

•The Asian people have always considered the family to be the most important part of society.

•The individual thought of himself as a member of the family.

•If the individual was successful, the prestige of the family was increased but if the individual was a failure, that brought shame on the whole family.

•Arranging marriages was the responsibility of the parents.

•The bride and groom had little to say about the choice of their mate or marriage arrangement.

•In most cases the bride had not seen her husband before.

•The most difficult adjustment was to her mother-in-law as the mother-in-law was responsible for training and discipline her daughter-in-law.

•Women were never considered equal to men.

•When there was famine, girls were often sold by their parents who regarded them as just another mouth to feed.

•Girls sometimes as young as six were often betrothed (promised marriage).

•If the girl’s parents experienced bad times, she would be sent to work in the house of her future husband.

•Young brides were often mistreated by their mother-in-laws.

•If a woman's husband died, she was not allowed to remarry.

•NOW

•Since after World War II, women gained equal rights with men.

•Women can now seek divorce and own property.

•There are little forced marriages

Indian Language

•Hindi is major native language, English major business language,

13 recognized language, but over 200 other languages

•Sanskrit is the ancient, holy language; 3,000 years old, used by upper & educated

class

•different language has divided India into many small states

•following words come from Indian languages: bungalow, khaki, loot, pajamas, punch, thug

•China is made up of many different peoples.

•About 94% of the people are know as Han Chinese

•The other 6% of China is made up of 55 different groups.

•Most of the minorities live in the sparsely populated western China.

•The minority peoples differ from the Han Chinese in language, religion, race, custom, and history.

•Some minorities (like Tibet) want independence, but China will probably never loosen its control

over the regions because they have most of China’s natural resources.

•Korea is called “The Land of the Morning Calm”

•It is a peninsula nation that extends off the east coast of Asia between China and Japan

•Only one-fifth of the land is suitable for farming.

•The peninsula is divided into two countries, N. and S. Korea

•Because of its location near China and Japan, invading armies swept through Korea many times.

•The invaders settled down and intermarried with the local people.

•Like Japan, Korea is homogeneous (one type) with 99.9 % of its people Korean

•The Korean people were united into one cultural group hundreds of years ago.

•many people live in village which is the center of life

•house made of bamboo and wood; roofs are steep with palm leaves

•well is the place for gossip

•tool shed is for everyone

•wat is the village temple

•under the house is where the family water buffalo lives

•sleep on mats; no electricity, no running water, bathe at river

•major food is broiled meat served on thin bamboo skewers (satay)

•The diet and cuisine of the Japanese have been strongly influenced by geography and agriculture

•Rice has always been the staple food in Japan

•The scarcity of meat, together with the Buddhist taboo against the taking of animal life made the Japanese non-meat eaters, except for fish, for most of their history.

•Much of the fish in Japan is eaten raw, wither in small slices called sashimi or as sushi which combines the fish with seaweed and rice

•Another source of protein besides fish is soybean which is used to make tofu

Ikebana - It is the art of flower arrangement

•Ikebana uses line, color, and rhythm to create floral designs

Bonsai - For centuries the Japanese have developed the art of dwarfing (making things

small) trees.

•This is the art of bonsai which are planted in pots, are used for ornaments in rooms or to decorate a garden

•Noh Play: the backdrop is often a single pine tree

•In Noh plays there are usually three roles - an old man, a woman, and a samurai

•Noh plays are usually short and they are presented as a group of plays with performances as long as 6

hours.

•The groups plays are about subjects such as: God plays, warrior-ghost plays, women plays, and demon plays.

•Dancing and chanting accompany the action of the plays.

•Masks and beautifully designed costumes are worn by the actor-dancers

•Bunraku is a puppet play where the puppets are nearly life-size and are very lifelike.

•They are controlled on the stage by a team of three puppeteers who are visible

to the audience

•The puppeteer’s performances depend upon long years of practice and teamwork

•The most popular type of drama for the Japanese is Kabuki

•All roles in Kabuki, both male and female were until recently played by men

•Actors taking feminine roles were trained from childhood to walk, talk, and behave like women.

•Haiku is the simplest form of poetry

•It consists of one verse with 17 syllables, spaced over three

lines in a 5-7-5 pattern

The Silk RoadThe Silk Road began about the 5th to the 4th

centuries BC.Traders used this road to carry goods to and

from Asia and Europe. It included many branches, rather than just one

direct route.Many middlemen were involved in the trade occurring over the 4,000

mile route.Traders would never travel the entire route with their goods.Camel caravans were used to transport goods along the Silk Road.It was the longest road on Earth.The Silk Road started in Xi’an, in northwestern China & ended in

Antioch on the Medditerrian CoastThe journey was difficult, dangerous, and long.

The Products and Ideas the Traveled the RoadPeople at each end of the Silk Road, as well as along the

way, wanted to trade their goods with each other.Crops from western Asia, such as grapes, figs,

and walnuts went to China.Glass from Europe and cotton cloth from India traveled

to China.The Chinese traded their prized silk with the rest of Asia

and Europe.Europeans also wanted spices because they not only

added flavor to food, but they also helped preserve food.Asians wanted wool, gold, and silver from the west.As a result of its basic beliefs, Buddhism easily spread

along the Silk Road.Travelers as well as local people liked the Buddhist idea

that thought their present life is dull of suffering, the cycle of birth, death, rebirth, and suffering can be broken by following Buddhist ideas and practices.

The Road’s ImportanceTraders used the Silk Road until a safe sea route

from Europe to Asia was possible.A safer and faster water passage route connecting

Eastern Europe to India and China had to be found.Then, instead of getting goods via and middlemen

of Central Asia, European traders could buy spices and other goods from East Asia directly, and then sell them in European markets.

Once the sea-routes started in the 15th & 16th century, the Silk Road fell into disuse.

SilkThe Chinese invented the method

to make silk cloth by 2700 BC.China kept the method of silk

making a secret for centuries.China made a vast amount of

money trading silk with Europe and the rest of Asia.

Paper and Block PrintingIt is commonly accepted that Cai

Lun showed the Chinese emperor the invention of paper in 105 AD.

In order to make their paper, the Chinese used the fiber from bamboo.

GunpowderAbout 850 AD the Chinese invented gunpowder.They mixed saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and

charcoal, which are natural resources found in China.Gunpowder was used in firework displays.The gunpowder was used in weapons of

warfare such as flaming arrows, grenades, and cannonballs.

Tea was first consumed around 2700 BC.

Today, tea remains the most widely drunk beverage in the world.

The Development of Tea

Crops of Early Indian CivilizationsThe people of the ancient Indus River

valley civilization farmed and traded.These farmers were the first people

to grow cotton and weave the fiber into cotton cloth.

The merchants traded such goods as cotton cloth, grain, copper, and ivory to other lands.

Arabic Numbers•The mathematicians of the Gupta dynasty, during the period from 320 to 550 AD, created the concept of zero and the numeral system we use today.•Then, Europeans learned about the concept of zero and the numerals from Arabic traders in the Middle East.•When Europeans started to use zero and the numerals, they called them Arabic numerals. END SEC. 3

•most farmers use primitive farming methods; everything done by hand; water buffalo is used as plow

•in mountains people clear away the forest to farm; when soil is no good after a few years, they move on as rains wash the soil into the rivers

•rains ruin the soil by leaching which is the loss of minerals

•no roads to transport their products

•Pollution, maintaining wildlife, and protecting the natural environment in the face of attempts to industrialize, are all examples of environmental issues.

•Overpopulation (more people than an area can comfortably support) presents environmental problems for countries like

India.•More people means that more land is

used for faming, grazing, and development.•leads to deforestation (destruction of forests)•As the number of people increases, more forests areas have to be destroyed to make room for homes, farms, cities, and businesses.•Increased population means that more people

generally drive cars, work in factories, produce products, and power the economy

•In India, air pollution has created a cloud that stretches across much of South

Asia known as the “Asian Brown Cloud.”•As the population grows, more people use

water supplies like the Ganges River.•People along the Ganges often use this river as a sewer and deposit for trash, as well as drinking, bathing, and religious rituals.

•Today, China leads the world in its pace and scale of economic

development and foreign investment because of its large population, and the economic

opportunities those consumers and producers represent.•Their environmentally destructive factories however, produce large amounts of pollution.•More people live in China than any other nation (1.3 billion)•The Chinese face the unique challenges and opportunities associated with feeding, housing, and building key industries to employ over a billion people.•Because of lax environmental standards, however, the industries growing in China are polluting at unsustainable levels.•The oil based economy and the traffic and industrial pollution they represent, make air and water pollution huge concerns.

•Japan’s main environmental problem is pollution

•While Japan has benefited from economic development since the end of WW II, progress has presented environmental challenges.

•As a small series of islands, space on Japan is limited.•Cities like Tokyo are incredibly crowded.•Traffic, factories, and business produce large amounts of pollution as they provide economic opportunities.•Fortunately, because Japan is so highly developed, it can afford to put in place new policies and technologies aimed at protecting the environment that poorer nations cannot.

•Many governments are responding to environmental problems.

•India has set aside areas to protect endangered land and animals•China now requires large plants and factories to install pollution control devices•The Chinese government also enforces bans forbidding families to have more than one child.•Japan’s newest laws environmental laws are some of the toughest in the world.•They raise air and water standards, restrict pollution, encourage recycling and establish national parks.

•While each country has sought to protect the environment, enforcing such rules often proves difficult.•Many Asian populations live in underdeveloped regions.•Large numbers of people live at levels of poverty few in the US could imagine•The desire to produce wealth, modernize industries, and provide basic human needs often outweigh any environmental concerns.•Nations often extract natural resources regardless of the environmental impact because they depend on these resources for income and survival.•Governments often experience conflict between what is best for the environment and the immediate

needs of their people.