Cause and Effect: Worksheet
Rainforest destruction is now recognized as one of the greatest environmental tragedies of all time. By why are the rainforests disappearing so quickly ?- In 1800, there were 2.9 billion hectares of tropical forest worldwide. There are 1.5 billion hectares of tropical forest remaining.
- Almost 65% of Central America has been cleared to create pastureland for grazing
cattle - Rainforest land cleared for pasture or farming degrades quickly and is usually abandoned.
- At least 42 million acres of tropical forest are lost each year, approximately 100 acres/minute.
- Between 1960-1990, 445 million hectares of tropical forest were cleared.
- We lose 50 species every day – 2 species per hour – due to tropical deforestation.
Cause and Effect: Worksheet
Rainforest destruction is now recognized as one of the greatest environmental tragedies of all time. By why are the rainforests disappearing so quickly ?- In 1800, there were 2.9 billion hectares of tropical forest worldwide. There are 1.5 billion hectares of tropical forest remaining.
- Almost 65% of Central America has been cleared to create pastureland for grazing
cattle - Rainforest land cleared for pasture or farming degrades quickly and is usually abandoned.
- At least 42 million acres of tropical forest are lost each year, approximately 100 acres/minute.
- Between 1960-1990, 445 million hectares of tropical forest were cleared.
- We lose 50 species every day – 2 species per hour – due to tropical deforestation.
Cause and Effect: Hunger
- Go to this UNESCO website
- Complete the activity “Analyse these ten explanations of hunger in the world” at the end of the page.
- Put your name in Number 1, as well as the answer.
- Print your page.
- Go the first page, and click on the second activity (at the bottom of the page.)
- Do the matching exercise.
- Read the article from the International Food Policy Research Institute (reproduced below).
Causes of Hunger
Marc J. Cohen and Don ReevesThe persistence of hunger in a world of plenty is the most profound moral contradiction of our age. Nearly 800 million people in the developing world (20 percent of the total population) are chronically undernourished. At least 2 billion suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Yet since the mid-1970s the world has produced enough food to provide everyone with a minimally adequate diet.
The Geography of Hunger
The number of undernourished people in developing countries fell from 942 million in 1970 to 786 million in 1990 and from 36 percent to 20 percent of the population (Figure 1). The poorest and most food-insecure people are disproportionately in Africa.The largest number of chronically undernourished people live in the Asia-Pacific region, although the number dropped from 762 million in 1970 to 540 million in 1990 (from 40 to 20 percent of the population). However, hunger remains especially severe in South Asia (Figure 2). In Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of hungry people rose from 94 million in 1970 to 175 million in 1990.
Growing poverty, debt, economic decline, poor terms of trade, rapid population growth, unfavorable weather, war, and governmental collapse have all contributed to the continent’s food problems. In the United States, the share of the population facing hunger rose from 8 percent in 1985 to 12 percent in 1990 (from 20 to 30 million). Butt hunger in wealthy nations is neither as severe nor as widespread as in developing countries.
Causes of Hunger
Hunger is one piece of a complex of interrelated social ills. It is linked intricately to global economic, political, and social power structures; modes of development and consumption; population dynamics; and social biases based on race, ethnicity, gender, and age.(1) Poverty and powerlessness
. One of the main causes of hunger is poverty–lack of purchasing power and access to resources. Worldwide, 1.3 billion people live on less than US$1 per day. Nearly one-third of the people in developing countries are poor; the figure rises to 70 to 80 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa.Poverty is linked not only with poor national economic performance but also with an unequal distribution of income and a political structure that renders poor people powerless, whether in a democracy or a dictatorship.
Mustering the political will to make policies that fight hunger and favor a more equitable distribution of income a top government priority requires a strong public constituency. Popular movements and government policy can work to end the spiral of powerlessness. In such diverse places as Brazil, Zimbabwe, and the Indian state of Kerala, popular movements have pressed governments to end hunger. In South Korea the government enacted public policies that fostered economic growth accompanied by decreasing income inequality.
(2) Population, consumption, and the environment.
The world’s population is expected to grow from its current 5.5 billion to about 8 billion by 2020; more than 93 percent of this increase will occur in lower-income countries. Debate is ongoing over whether the earth can support its growing population without severe ecological damage. Even if the world’s population stabilizes by the mid-21st century, food production will have to double. Pessimists see this requirement as beyond the planet’s “carrying capacity.” Optimists expect continued innovations, such as the recent breakthrough in rice breeding, to meet this demand.Fresh water, land, forests, and fisheries are today being used at or beyond capacity. In the competition for resources, poor and hungry people, lacking economic and political clout, become even more marginalized. Especially in countries where landholdings are inequitable, poor families are forced to move onto fragile land and often to overcrowded cities.
Globally, incomes and consumption differ starkly. Twenty percent of the world’s population–mostly in industrial countries–receives 85 percent of the world’s income and accounts for 80 percent of consumption, producing two-thirds of all greenhouse gases and 90 percent of ozone- depleting chlorofluorocarbons. This level of consumption is not sustainable at the global level. If the current global population lived as the richest 20 percent do, consumption of energy would increase 10 times and minerals 200 times.
Policymakers on all levels need to shape integrated policies and programs that reflect the relationship between improved lives for poor people and reduced population growth, reduced consumption of nonrenewable resources, and protection of the environment.
(3) Violence and militarism.
New and continuing civil strife are the source of severe human disasters in Afghanistan, Burma, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, the former Yugoslavia, and elsewhere. Most victims of these conflicts are innocent civilians, not combatants. A study by Frances Stewart found that in 14 of 16 developing countries at war since 1970, per capita food consumption dropped, by more than 15 percent in 6 of them.War slows or stops food production and marketing. Food supplies are plundered and used as instruments of war, crop cycles are interrupted, seeds and breeding livestock are consumed in desperation, and children suffer permanent damage as a result of insufficient food.
Even if fighting never occurs, heavy military spending drains resources away from food production, education, and health care. Global military spending declined from its peak of $1 trillion in 1987 to an estimated $767 billion (still more than the total income of the poorest 45 percent of the world’s population) in 1994. Some of the savings have shifted to national social programs, but none have gone to international development assistance. Developing countries spend $125 billion per year on military forces. One-quarter of this would provide primary health care for all their citizens, reduce adult literacy by half, and provide family planning to all willing couples.
(4) Racism and ethnocentrism
Racial discrimination and competition between ethnic groups have caused hunger, malnutrition, and resource deprivation for black populations in South Africa and the Americas, Indians in Latin America, Kurds in Iraq, and Tamils in Sri Lanka, to name just a few. In Sudan, discrimination against the black Christian and animist south by the predominantly Arab Muslim north has locked the country in civil war for decades. Both sides use food as a weapon, and malnutrition rates are the highest ever documented–80 percent in some areas. In recent years, 1.3 million people have died from famine and disease. In 1994, the United Nations estimated that 2.5 million Sudanese required food aid. Between 1980 and 1991, per capita food production in the south declined by 29 percent.While the problems are immense and complicated, some countries have triumphed over racial differences. Zimbabwe has achieved social integration without substantial racial strife, offering a model for achieving multiracial democracy and reduced hunger in nearby South Africa.
(5) Gender discrimination
Because women bear and nourish children, they have special nutritional needs. Yet women of every age have disproportionately higher rates of malnutrition than men and are overrepresented among poor, illiterate, and displaced people. Malnutrition among mothers also has a negative effect on the growth of children.Almost universally women work longer hours than men and carry primary responsibility for household chores even when working outside the home. Women’s pay rates are nearly universally lower than those for men (on average, 30 to 40 percent lower), even for equivalent work.
Women’s needs and rights are receiving greater weight in development efforts, but there is still a long way to go before women and men around the world have equal economic, social, and political opportunities.
(6) Vulnerability of children and elderly people
. The effects of childhood malnutrition last a lifetime, and even into succeeding generations. Malnutrition is a factor in one-third of the 13 million annual deaths of children under five years old. The number of malnourished children under five in the developing world rose from 168 million in 1975 to 184 million in 1990, but fell as a share of all developing-country children from 42 to 34 percent. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are less easily noticed, but they can severely retard the growth and mental development of children. The 1990 World Summit for Children pledged to halve malnutrition among children under five by the year 2000. Progress is uneven, but generally encouraging.Elderly people are disproportionately vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition in both industrial and developing countries. Elderly populations are growing everywhere as people live longer, and with changing lifestyles and family structures, the elderly in many countries are receiving less care from the family. Strategies to care for the increasing number of aged over the next 25 years need to be developed.
Conclusion
The world community has both the knowledge and the resources to eliminate hunger. Putting these tools to work requires us to ground our choices–small and large, individual and collective, political and economic–in ethical values, including empowerment and justice, stewardship of common resources for the common good, and affirmation of diversity.Cause and Effect: Outline
This is an outline for a cause-and-effect essay about fast food – how it become so popular and what its effects have been in the United Arab Emirates. It uses 4 paragraphs and a 3-7-7-3 layout (three sentences in the introduction, seven in the causes paragraph, seven in the effects paragraph, and three in the conclusion).| Introduction: |
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| Causes | There are many reasons why fast food has become so popular…
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| Effects | These changes have had serious effects…
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| Conclusion: Three Sentences |
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Cause and Effect: Obesity
This is a cause and effect essay on obesity (being overweight or too fat). It is divided into four paragraphs:- introduction
- causes
- effects
- conclusion
Obesity has become a major problem in the UAE. Over 60% of Emirati nationals are overweight. This is a difficult problem with many serious effects on the individual and country.
Obesity can be divided into three main causes - diet, lifestyle and education. One of the chief causes is diet. Young Emiratis eat more and more high-carbohydrate, high-fat burgers and pizza in fast-food restaurants. However, some traditional foods are also very oily, and because of increasing affluence are eaten more often than in the past. Lifestyle is a second main cause of obesity. As a result of cheap foreign labour, many Emiratis now have sedentary jobs, and do not exercise regularly. However, one of the main causes is lack of education and awareness. The society’s attitude to food often leads to over-consumption. Parents do not teach good eating habits to children, and many people lack knowledge about good nutrition or a balanced diet.
Obesity affects the individual and the country. The biggest effect is on the individual. First of all, being overweight has health risks. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. The quality of life suffers, as it is difficult to enjoy exercise or move. Another result is lack of self-esteem. This can lead to depression, eating disorders and crash diets. The country is also affected. It becomes very expensive for the government to provide advanced medical care such as heart transplants. Unhealthy citizens are also less productive. and their children learn poor eating habits.
Obesity or even being overweight has serious effects on the individual and the society. Both need to take action to examine the causes of this problem and find solutions.
Cause and Effect: Fast Food
This is a cause-and-effect essay about fast food – how it become so popular and what its effects have been. It uses 4 paragraphs and a 3-7-7-3 layout (three sentences in the introduction, seven in the causes paragraph, seven in the effects paragraph, and three in the conclusion).In the past people in the United Arab Emirates used to eat healthy, freshly prepared food with their families in the home.Today however, many people, particularly young people, prefer to eat fast food such as hamburgers, fried chicken, shawarma, or pizza.There are many reasons why this change has occurred, but this essay will also outline the serious effects of this move towards fast food on individuals and society.There are many reasons for the popularity of fast food.One of the main reasons is the change in lifestyle.Many people in the UAE are working long hours, shifts, or extended school days. They don’t have time to find ingredients or prepare good food.Women are now starting to work in the Emirates, and this can result in less time being available for preparing family meals.Another cause is the huge number of young, affluent people in the United Arab Emirates.The rapid development of the country has meant that young people, who comprise over 75% of the population, have money to spend. A third reason is advertising.The UAE is a modern, free-market country, with all forms of media such as the Internet and satellite television, and people like to try new products and different kinds of fast food. However, this change in diet can have some serious effects.One effect is on health.Many individuals in the UAE are becoming obese.These people will be less productive and have conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.Another result of fast food culture is the loss of the family tradition of eating together.Children and adults rarely eat together now, and thus get less opportunity to talk.A further effect is on the economy.Although fast food is not very expensive, it is more expensive than cooking properly for yourself.Many of the fast-food companies are franchisees of foreign corporations, so profits leave the country.In conclusion, fast food, although it is convenient and a tasty addition to a diet, can have serious health and social effects.People should learn to choose fast food carefully and remember the pleasure of eating good food in good company.
Cause and Effect: Traffic (2)
Abu Dhabi is a modern city but also has a modern problem: traffic
jams. In the early mornings, and again in the evening, around 8 pm, the
streets are crowded with cars, taxis, and trucks. This essay will explain the causes of gridlock in Abu Dhabi and discuss the effects of this problem.
Abu Dhabi’s traffic problems stem from several causes. The rapid economic growth of the emirate has enabled most residents to buy their own cars. This has put intense pressure on the road system, which although it is highly developed, has not been able to keep up with the expansion in population. Another cause is the absence of any major public transport system such as buses or trains. Because of this, residents rely on hordes of taxis, thus adding to the congestion. Yet another contributing factor is the layout of the island. This limits road construction.
The resulting gridlock has several adverse effects. First of all is the frustration and anger felt by road-users. This can result in tension and accidents, and, ironically, emergency vehicles may not even be able to reach the scene of such accidents. Another effect is the waste of time spent in traffic. This lowers productivity at work and contributes to reduced time at school and with family. There are also additional costs to the city in terms of air pollution and unnecessary fuel consumption. Shopping and daily errands become more of a chore, and the city suffers.
Commuters and road-users will need to cooperate with municipal authorities as they introduce measures to reduce congestion. However, Abu Dhabi has shown its ability to rise to challenges in the past, and most residents are confident that the city will still be an attractive place to live as the problem of traffic is addressed.
Cause and Effect.
There are many reasons why we suffer traffic jams every day. One of these is the rapid growth of the population. As a result of this, the number of cars is increasing annually. A further point is that there are more women drivers and younger drivers today than in the past. The increase in the number of trucks and commercial vehicles also causes traffic congestion. These vehicles move very slowly, sometimes stopping to unload goods, and blocking traffic. Road works are another major problem that can lead to streets being very crowded.
Traffic congestion has many effects. One of the most important is parking problems. People find it difficult to park their cars especially in the city center. Long delays in getting to and from work are another result, leading to less productivity from employees. There are also more accidents, because people become frustrated or angry due to the traffic jams. Pollution in the city center worsens as a result of car emissions, and the city becomes a less attractive place to live. Shops are forced to close in the city center and have to relocate to malls or to the outskirts of the city, where parking is available.
In conclusion, although Abu Dhabi has good roads and modern infrastructure, it is suffering from traffic problems. There is no simple solution to this problem because it has many causes, but the effects are damaging both the city and the people who live there.
What the reasons behind the establishment of the the UAE Marriage Fund, and what have been its effects?
Getting married in the UAE can be very expensive. To help solve this problem, the Marriage Fund organization was set up by the UAE government to help Emiratis get married and to try to reduce the number of marriages to non-nationals. This essay will describe why it was set up and how effective it has been.
There are two main reasons why the government decided to spend money on weddings in the UAE. The first reason is expense. A typical wedding can cost hundreds of thousands of dirhams for receptions, jewellery, wardrobe, and money paid to the bride’s family. As a result, many young couples are in debt, or have huge bank loans, and this in turn can lead to stress and strain in the marriage. At one time, almost 80% of loans in the UAE were for marriage expenses.
More worrying for the government than the expense was the fact that Emirati men were marrying non-nationals. This was because of lower costs, but it lead to cultural problems within the marriage. Many Emiratis felt such marriages weakened their society.
The Marriage Fund has been quite effective. Over 44,000 weddings have taken place since 1992. The percentage of marriage to non-nationals dropped from 64% to 26%, which has also decreased the number of unmarried Emirati women. More importantly, marriages have started more securely, without the pressure of huge borrowings.
Overall, although weddings are still expensive affairs in the UAE, the Marriage Fund has been very successful in reducing costs and in strengthening traditional family bonds.
Telecommuting will have major effects in the worlds of work and family life . However, its biggest effect will be in the area of individual freedom, responsibility, and time management.
Work and workplaces will alter dramatically. Offices may become smaller, as fewer desks are needed. There will be greater need for high-bandwidth connections to link the office and the home, and even homes to other homes, as other employees and supervisors also begin working at home. Hours spent commuting, traffic jams, and fights for parking should diminish, as workers make fewer journeys or work staggered hours.
Family life will also change. Workers, both husbands and wives, can arrange their work around family commitments such as taking children to school, cooking, leisure activities, etc. However, households will also have to set aside areas for work – particularly if both spouses are telecommuting.
However, although the ideas of more time at home and less time traveling are attractive, there are some drawbacks to telecommuting. People may feel unable to escape their work, and may even work longer or more unsocial hours. The quality of work may suffer because of the reduced face-to-face interaction with other employees. There may be delays if other workers are not immediately available. Telecommuters may feel isolated or unmotivated, or insecure about decisions. A major change will be in the way people think about work as a place or an institution. Instead, they will focus on the task or product. Workers may feel less loyal to a company and more inclined to change jobs or work part-time or on contract.
In conclusion, the effects are difficult to predict because they depend on the extent to which telecommuting becomes popular. However, telecommuting could be the start of a major societal shift, possibly as big as the Industrial Revolution which created our present ideas of work.
Abu Dhabi’s traffic problems stem from several causes. The rapid economic growth of the emirate has enabled most residents to buy their own cars. This has put intense pressure on the road system, which although it is highly developed, has not been able to keep up with the expansion in population. Another cause is the absence of any major public transport system such as buses or trains. Because of this, residents rely on hordes of taxis, thus adding to the congestion. Yet another contributing factor is the layout of the island. This limits road construction.
The resulting gridlock has several adverse effects. First of all is the frustration and anger felt by road-users. This can result in tension and accidents, and, ironically, emergency vehicles may not even be able to reach the scene of such accidents. Another effect is the waste of time spent in traffic. This lowers productivity at work and contributes to reduced time at school and with family. There are also additional costs to the city in terms of air pollution and unnecessary fuel consumption. Shopping and daily errands become more of a chore, and the city suffers.
Commuters and road-users will need to cooperate with municipal authorities as they introduce measures to reduce congestion. However, Abu Dhabi has shown its ability to rise to challenges in the past, and most residents are confident that the city will still be an attractive place to live as the problem of traffic is addressed.
Cause and Effect.
Cause and Effect: Traffic (1)
Although Abu Dhabi is one of the most modern cities in the world, it is facing a problem of traffic congestion. Many residents spend hours stuck in traffic in the city every day. This is a complex problem with many serious effects.There are many reasons why we suffer traffic jams every day. One of these is the rapid growth of the population. As a result of this, the number of cars is increasing annually. A further point is that there are more women drivers and younger drivers today than in the past. The increase in the number of trucks and commercial vehicles also causes traffic congestion. These vehicles move very slowly, sometimes stopping to unload goods, and blocking traffic. Road works are another major problem that can lead to streets being very crowded.
Traffic congestion has many effects. One of the most important is parking problems. People find it difficult to park their cars especially in the city center. Long delays in getting to and from work are another result, leading to less productivity from employees. There are also more accidents, because people become frustrated or angry due to the traffic jams. Pollution in the city center worsens as a result of car emissions, and the city becomes a less attractive place to live. Shops are forced to close in the city center and have to relocate to malls or to the outskirts of the city, where parking is available.
In conclusion, although Abu Dhabi has good roads and modern infrastructure, it is suffering from traffic problems. There is no simple solution to this problem because it has many causes, but the effects are damaging both the city and the people who live there.
Cause and Effect: Matching Exercise
Copy and paste into Word: match the answers correctly.| Owing to being over-crowded, Britain’s main cities all have… | . …the more pollution is created. |
| We are part of an unhealthy, consumerist and throwaway society, which … | …creates an environmental crisis. |
| One effect of living on the street is that… | …drug abuse and crime rates rise. |
| In a city, light, heat, transport and food must all be supplied artificially as… | …roads crawling with cars. |
| The consequence of too dense a population is that… | …we are living a life removed from nature. |
| Cities face a number of problems which are due to.. | …one or all of these areas (housing, healthcare, education, jobs and a certain quality of life) must suffer. |
| A city crowded with people leads to… | . …overcrowding. |
| The greater the population, the more natural resources are burnt up and, consequently.. | …a number of people living on the street |
Essay: The Marriage Fund in the UAE
This is a cause and effect essay on the United Arab Emirate’s Marriage Fund, which is a special fund the government provides to young Emirati couples who want to marry.What the reasons behind the establishment of the the UAE Marriage Fund, and what have been its effects?
Getting married in the UAE can be very expensive. To help solve this problem, the Marriage Fund organization was set up by the UAE government to help Emiratis get married and to try to reduce the number of marriages to non-nationals. This essay will describe why it was set up and how effective it has been.
There are two main reasons why the government decided to spend money on weddings in the UAE. The first reason is expense. A typical wedding can cost hundreds of thousands of dirhams for receptions, jewellery, wardrobe, and money paid to the bride’s family. As a result, many young couples are in debt, or have huge bank loans, and this in turn can lead to stress and strain in the marriage. At one time, almost 80% of loans in the UAE were for marriage expenses.
More worrying for the government than the expense was the fact that Emirati men were marrying non-nationals. This was because of lower costs, but it lead to cultural problems within the marriage. Many Emiratis felt such marriages weakened their society.
The Marriage Fund has been quite effective. Over 44,000 weddings have taken place since 1992. The percentage of marriage to non-nationals dropped from 64% to 26%, which has also decreased the number of unmarried Emirati women. More importantly, marriages have started more securely, without the pressure of huge borrowings.
Overall, although weddings are still expensive affairs in the UAE, the Marriage Fund has been very successful in reducing costs and in strengthening traditional family bonds.
Essay: Telecommuting
This is a cause and effect essay on telecommutingTelecommuting will have major effects in the worlds of work and family life . However, its biggest effect will be in the area of individual freedom, responsibility, and time management.
Work and workplaces will alter dramatically. Offices may become smaller, as fewer desks are needed. There will be greater need for high-bandwidth connections to link the office and the home, and even homes to other homes, as other employees and supervisors also begin working at home. Hours spent commuting, traffic jams, and fights for parking should diminish, as workers make fewer journeys or work staggered hours.
Family life will also change. Workers, both husbands and wives, can arrange their work around family commitments such as taking children to school, cooking, leisure activities, etc. However, households will also have to set aside areas for work – particularly if both spouses are telecommuting.
However, although the ideas of more time at home and less time traveling are attractive, there are some drawbacks to telecommuting. People may feel unable to escape their work, and may even work longer or more unsocial hours. The quality of work may suffer because of the reduced face-to-face interaction with other employees. There may be delays if other workers are not immediately available. Telecommuters may feel isolated or unmotivated, or insecure about decisions. A major change will be in the way people think about work as a place or an institution. Instead, they will focus on the task or product. Workers may feel less loyal to a company and more inclined to change jobs or work part-time or on contract.
In conclusion, the effects are difficult to predict because they depend on the extent to which telecommuting becomes popular. However, telecommuting could be the start of a major societal shift, possibly as big as the Industrial Revolution which created our present ideas of work.
