Global East Asia response paper

Peter Matanle (2017)

Chap. 6: The ecological dimension of globalization � Chap. 6 Response paper due: Tues. April 17

10:00 PM Wed. April 18 Chap. 6 Recitation

Chap 6 readings April 10 Tues. lecture: Hydropower and the politics of managing water resources � Reading: Kenneth Pommeranz, “The Great Himalayan

Watershed: Water shortages, mega-projects, and environmental politics in China, India, and Southeast Asia,” japanfocus.org (2009)

April 12 Thurs. lecture: Depopulation and the environment � Reading: Peter Matanle, “Towards an Asia-Pacific

‘depopulation dividend’ in the 21st century: regional growth and shrinkage in Japan and New Zealand” japanfocus.org (2017)

Tues. April 17 extra credit opportunity 6:10-7:30 documentary film by dir. Steven Okazaki, White Light, Black Rain: the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki � Clicker will be used to take attendance at

beginning and end of film

Electronic devices OFF

Chap. 6 Threshold to nowhere? “…the contemporary phase of globalization has been the most environmentally destructive period in human history.” (p. 108)

Today’s environmental degradation � Global scale � Fast pace

Causes of Environmental Degradation

1. Population growth 2. Wasteful consumerism

Population Growth 7.6 billion humans translates to vastly

increased pressure on the planet’s ecosystems:

� Food � Water � Timber � Fibers

Overpopulation + Consumerism

Steger’s recommendation: We must change the underlying cultural & religious value system that has supported unrestrained consumption.

� This recommendation does not address issue of overpopulation.

Population control policy China: Restricts the number of children people can have

� “One child policy”à “Two child policy” � United States: No restrictions on the

number of children people can have � Japan & ROK: No restrictions; encourage

couples to have more children

“I’m not having children because I want to save the planet” http://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-43699464/i-m- not-having-children-because-i-want-to-save-the-planet 3.35

Group Discussion: If you asked family members or friends— 1. Would they support or oppose government

restrictions on their right to decide how many children they have?

2. Would they support or oppose your decision if you decided not to have children?

What do you think would be the biggest source of opposition to a “one-child” policy in the U.S.? A. Religious opposition to birth control &

abortion. B. Political opposition to government

interference in individual rights. C. Economic opposition to shrinking the

number of consumers who are needed to support economic growth.

Matanle: “Japan is shrinking.” “Population reduction is potentially good news, providing opportunities for alleviating human-environmental pressures, reconfiguring the built environment, and improving lifestyles.” (p. 1)

Japan and New Zealand � Japan—the first Asia-Pacific country to pass over the

transition to national scale depopulation � New Zealand—high income country exhibiting signs

of a 21st century post-growth regime

China, Japan, South Korea 1. Japan’s turning point: 1990-95, working age

people reached its peak. Parity (50/50) expected by 2040.

2. China reaches its peak ratio in 2015-20. Parity expected around 2060.

3. South Korea reaches its peak ratio in 2020- 25, reaching parity in around 2050.

“Japan is a pioneer ageing and shrinking society.” � Adaptive responses in Japan might inform

prospects for other Asia-Pacific countries experiencing their own post-growth pathways

Matanle, ‘Depopulation Dividend’ Definition: “the achievement from depopulation of positive gains that contribute to socio-cultural, political- economic, and environmentally sustainable living.” (p. 2)

Spatial inequalities/Rural-urban gap Rural regions lag behind urban centers in economic development and capital accumulation, but the proportion of older residents needing intervention is larger � In 1950, 53% lived in urban areas � In 2015, this had increased to 95%

“Agency” Some rural residents in Japan are exercising agency in response to deepening and widening spatial gaps.

Agency is a response to shrinkage within Japan’s rural regions The rural experience (1) May be useful in assisting urban areas in

their transition to shrinkage (2) May be useful in contributing to an

emerging post-growth and post- developmental relationship among Asia- Pacific neighbors

Re-orientation of values “…it is values which inform human motivation, which in turn feeds behavior, and which together constitute part of a complex series of psychological and emotional dimensions that constitute ‘agency.’

Modernity values growth “Where growth is unattainable, and to maintain a hopeful outlook, it makes sense to place importance on values that can be realized.” Three inter-related orientations: 1. Turn towards the local or regional 2. Environmental conservation 3. Lifestyle aesthetics

Examples from Sado, Japan 1. Eco-island � Eco-tourism � Toki—Japanese crested ibis 2. Reviving traditional food production and consumption � UN Global Heritage status 3. Vocational education for local needs � Environmental management � Care and Welfare of Elderly � Traditional crafts

Toki Japanese crested ibis

More examples from Sado 4. Conference on Small Island Cultures 2009 5. Kodo taiko drumming group 6. International triathlon each September, 1200 athletes 7. Microbreweries for saké production, Niigata prefeture 8. Japan’s traditional Noh theaters (1/3 on Sado)

Kodo O-Daiko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7HL5wYqAbU 8.24

Sado Int’l Triathlon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCKmTvFY4sw 5.23

Examples from New Zealand’s South Island 1. Eco-tourism—symbolic value recasting remote

regions as unspoiled areas of natural beauty

2. Wine production—softer, lighter NZ “brand”

3. Renovation of buildings used in gold mining heritage—early Chinese miners’ settlement restored for visitors from China

4. Off-road cycling path on former Otago Central Railway (150km)

Top 5 eco-tourism attractions in NZ https://greenglobaltravel.com/ecotourism-attractions- in-new-zealand/

More examples from New Zealand’s South Island 5. Public art � Bus stops and railway sheds � Conceptual art installations � Street art, wall paintings

21st-century values In a shrinking Japan (or NZ South Island), we see a “gradually emerging change in personal orientation away from 20th-century values that prioritize economic growth and demographic expansion, towards 21st-century values that emphasize the achievement of personal and community well-being.”

Overpopulation + Consumerism

Steger’s recommendation: We must change the underlying cultural & religious value system that has supported unrestrained consumption.

Matanle: modernity Growth is still almost universally recognized as a positive and normative condition of modernity. There is inadequate acknowledgment of: � possible alternatives to growth � whether and for how long growth is

sustainable � whether and under what circumstances

shrinkage might be preferable.