Let’s Check

Activity 5: Now that you've understood Hickel's concept of de-development. You

are required to explain the following ideas of the essential knowledge
part of this unit.

1. What is the primary objective or purpose of the Sustainable Development

Goals of the United Nations?
- The primary objective of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) is to eradicate and put an end to poverty. Over 70 years, developing
poor countries through growth had been the central mode of promoting
development and progress around the different parts of the world but,
unfortunately it wasn’t able to annihilate poverty. Thus, the idea of
de-developing of rich countries had been brought up as the alternative
solution.

2. What is the standardized unit that measures resource use and waste?
- Global Hectare (GHA) is the standardized unit that measures both the
biocapacity of the earth and the demand on biocapacity or ecological footprint.
This would become the basis in order to control and give balance on the
consumption and waste of humans with the natural resources.

3. What is the standard response to eradicate poverty?

- The standard response to eradicate poverty is Growth. Growth had become
the main object of progress for over 70 years but apparently, it was not able to
minimize the number of families and people living in poverty.

4. What is the threshold of the Earth for adequately sustaining life?

- The threshold of the Earth for adequately sustaining life is 1.9 global hectares
annually. Even with such amount of consumption, people and individuals can
still achieve life expectancy and happiness.

5. According to the majority of middle-and high-income countries, what puts

the planet and society at risk?
- Overconsumption is what puts our planet and society at risk.
Overconsumption brings imbalance to our planet; it destroys and exhausts the
life support system of earth and thus, leading our lives at risk as well as
putting our wellbeing at a critical state.
6. How many hectares should each of us consume annually based on the
resources available on the planet?
- Each of us should consume a 1.8 global hectares annually as what is rested
upon the available resources on our planet. This is the margin by which
determines the adequate resources for each individual who resides on our
planet to consume.

7. In this article, what are the two items about the quality of life?
- The two indicators of a quality life were life expectancy and happiness. These
determine that, even with an enough amount of resources to consume, we
can still have the sense of satisfaction and quality of our lives.

8. What crisis on the planet would force us to slow down if we do not do so

voluntarily?
- Climate change would become as a crisis that would stop us humans from
overconsumption of our natural resources. We cannot shun the fact about the
laws of nature; nature would still find its way to stop us from destroying it.
Thus, if all of us would not wake up and voluntarily slow down our
consumption then, we should be prepared for the consequences of our
actions.

9. According to Dr. Jason Hickel, what must be done instead of urging

developing countries to 'catch up" with rich ones?
- De-development or to “Catch Down” is what Dr. Jason Hickel encourage and
urges all of us especially those who live in highly developed countries in order
for less developed ones to keep pace with the drastic growth and changes
that is happening around the world.

10. How would the different areas of the world react to the idea of de-
development?
- I believe that there would be conflicting reactions from various parts of the
world when it comes to the idea of the de-development. Those who live in rich
and well-developed countries would have a hard time accepting such change
and method of promoting development and progress. On the other hand, it
would become favorable for those in less fortunate countries in promulgating
such plan as anchored with the objective of development. But despite of such
dispute, I still believe that, with enough information to be disseminated and
that would make people to better understand its advantages to all of us, our
world, and especially our nature then, we can still find the way to live by and
accept the idea of de-development. After all, we could still improve our lives
and integrate quality to it even though we reduce and lessen our
consumption.