Thoms_Friedman's_Article_Hot,_Flat,_and_Crowded_Summary

Thomas Friedman’s article Hot, Flat, and Crowded describes in great detail how modern-day global citizens have entered in an era of global warming, global crowding, and global flattening. The modern day global citizen can not only focus on his or her city, state, or country. He or she must examine the entire world’s problems with overcrowdings, global warming, and flattening or technological revolution has caused all of us to connect more with each other on a daily basis. The world is becoming crowded due to improvements in health care, economic development, and disease eradications because people are living longer and healthier lives. The world’s population will cause major cities to explode in extreme high numbers and the overcrowding in major cities will lead to people moving to rural and/ or unincorporated lands. The article states by 2053 over nine billion people will live on earth. The overcrowding in major and small cities will lead to increase in electricity needs, water shortages, water pollution, deforestation, loss of land, and over fishing to a name few of the negative effects of overcrowding in the world. The world is Hot, the heat balance between the sun and the earth affects the plant, animal, and human life on earth. The Industrial Revolution and the global surges on using natural resources have lead to high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The rise of the carbon dioxide is not a positive effect on the earth’s atmosphere. The temperature levels of the earth rising to hot temperatures in turns the earth’s energy out of balance turns to warming the globe. The modern day thinker must view this era as the Energy Climate era. We must think of new ways to live that will not cause a major meltdowns due to over consuming natural resources i.e. coal, gas, oil, electricity, water, food, etc.. Lastly, Thomas Friedman states the Technological Revolution has caused the world to become flat. The technological revolution has helped the world to connect more and compete on an even playing field with the use of technology. We are able to work with each other faster, more efficiently, and this has changed the economy for many nations that were not major players in the Industrial Revolution. The rise of the middle class in China and India has caused analyzers to see shifts in world consumers. The increase in economic status of nations and countries leads its citizen wanting more electricity, cars, food, and becoming more consumers of natural resources. Response: Agree/disagree, insights gained, questions you may have, comments – I agree with the article that we are entering a new Era that requires a new way of thinking. We as a whole must think about everyone and not “my needs”- we must say collectively, how can we make the world better for us' I have a clearer understanding about the present world emergencies with gas and the new world super powers after reading this article. Friedman helps me to understand China’s reasoning for paving roads in Africa. I saw a news clip recently about China’s interest in Africa and forgiving some of Africa’s debt to China. The super power China is paving roads in Africa to accommodate its consumers with their needs of electricity, gas, and oil. The article answered my personal questions, about the Oil nations setting their rules because they know that the world needs oil for the consumer. The world leaders and the citizens must work on changing our thinking of being heavy consumers and start producing an energy efficient lifestyle in order to accommodate the crowded, flat, and hot earth.