Europe: Review and Self-
1. Environment: The European Union (EU) is a world leader in responding to climate change. Its goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions are complemented by its many other strategies for saving energy and resources. However, much of Europe’s air and many of its seas and rivers are very polluted, and consumption patterns in the region impact environments across the globe.
How does Europe’s physical geography complicate problems of river and sea pollution? What could the European Union do to reduce its contribution to the pollution of Europe’s seas?
Why might it make economic sense for Europe to address climate change now?
On a more local level, what evidence is there that European ways of life contribute less to global warming than do North American ways?
Which technological advances are being implemented in Europe to address climate change?
2. Globalization and Development: In order to better compete in the global economy, the EU has shifted labor-
What challenges to the euro have emerged in recent years?
What impact do Europe’s heavily subsidized and regulated agricultural systems have on the rest of the world? What worries is the European Union addressing with its large investment in regulations of, and subsidies to, agricultural enterprises?
What are some of the ways that the colonial empires created by European countries affect life in Europe today? How do colonial relationships still affect modern trading patterns?
3. Power and Politics: Following World War II, political freedoms have grown and strong welfare states have been established in this region. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, international politics within Europe have centered on the expansion of the EU into Central Europe and the development of EU political institutions. Having grown so much in the past several decades, the European Union, which is already a global economic power, could become a global counterforce to the United States in political and military affairs.
How has the expansion of the EU into Central Europe transformed this region?
In what ways is the European Union similar to the United States politically?
What new role for the European Union is developing through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?
What are the major types of tax-
4. Urbanization: Europe’s cities are both ancient and modern, with old town centers now surrounded by modern high-
How did the Industrial Revolution lead to urbanization in Europe?
What is the connection between urbanization and democratization in Europe?
Which economic sectors are most European cities now oriented toward?
Why are so many cities in Europe located either on navigable rivers in the interior or along the coasts?
Why do only a small percentage of Europeans live in single-
5. Population and Gender: Europe’s population is aging as fertility rates decline for a number of reasons, including the fact that career-
What are some of the potential consequences to Europe of aging populations and negative population growth rates?
How do improvements in education and work opportunities for European women affect population growth?
Which policy interventions have been most successful in countering low birth rates in Europe?
How do immigration policies influence aging in Europe? What about these policies worries Europeans?