Date: April 15, 2010
Creator: Hubby, Desiree & Engen, Ryan
Description: This paper discusses research on rebuilding the world with green BRICs. Developed nations grew rich, in part, through over exploiting natural resources, dumping greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere, and encouraging consumerist lifestyles with little concern for the long-term effects on our collective home, plant Earth. Today, these patterns are being replicated in developing nations. In countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRICs), there is a rising global middle class that desires to live an American-style of life, complete with cars, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other sources of pollution. Factors contributing to this social, economical, and global problem include inadequate responses to climate change, increases in global consumption, and dangerous dependency on non-renewable resources of energy. What is needed is a Green Energy Revolution, which includes development of an energy policy in developing countries. Specifically, the international community needs to collectively explore green, energy-efficient ways of living and producing that include (1) switching from the use of fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy alternatives and more efficient systems, and (2) focusing on developing and implementing green policy in these countries.
Contributing Partner: UNT Honors College