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Conniffe, PatriciaNorway: Charting a Course for the 21st Century. Teacher'sResource Guide.Learning Enrichment, Inc., Williamsburg, VA.Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo (Norway).1994-00-0011p.; Color poster may not reproduce adequately. BusinessReply Card not available from ERIC.Learning Enrichment, Inc., P.O. Box 3024, Williamsburg, VA23187-9940. Tel: 757-220-1093.Guides Classroom Learner (051) -- Guides ClassroomTeacher (052)MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.*Area Studies; *Cross Cultural Studies; Ecological Factors;*Environmental Education; Foreign Countries; *GlobalEducation; Multicultural Education; Physical Environment;Secondary Education; Social Studies; World Affairs; *WorldProblems*Norway

This teaching unit is designed to present the Norwegianviewpoint on the importance of participation in the global community. Throughits national policies and the efforts of countless citizens, modern Norway ismaking an urgent statement to the global community about the best course tofollow for the planet's safe future. This resource guide contains threestudent exercises to focus on the global environment: (1) "Forging Links fora Peaceful World"; (2) "Facing the Future Together"; and (3) "Rethinking theValue of 'Wealth.'" Follow-up exercises and a reference list are alsoincluded. (EH)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

110 MEVCHARTING

a): A COURSEs) FOR THE

21 STle CENTURY

10

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOff ice of Educational Research and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.

O Minor changes have been made to

improve reproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy.

TEACHER'S RESOURCE GUIDE

Every person has a right to anenvironment . . . conducive tohealth, and to natural surroundingswhose productivity and diversityare preserved.

A clause in a utopian bill of rights?Look again. Those are the opening wordsin Article 110b of the constitution of theKingdom of Norway. "Natural resources,"the article continues, "should be made useof on the basis of comprehensive long-term considerations, whereby this rightwill be safeguarded for future genera-tions." And, in conclusion, Norwegians"are entitled to be informed . . . of theeffects of any encroachments on naturethat are planned or commenced."

In this last decade of the 20th century,Norway has come to be recognized as atrusted leader in clarifying global environ-mental issues and in recommendingpolicies for their resolution. Part of thereason for this trust is the extent to whichthe government of Norwayand over-whelming numbers of its citizenshavemade environmental protection theirway of life.

What motivates Norway? What does itsexperience say to Americans and othernations in the world? What risk do we take,by not looking at the answers? This unitwill help students explore their own andothers' views on these most critical issues.

POSITIONINGTHIS UNIT

The study unit you have just receivedincludes several key items:

Poster. "Norway: Charting a Coursefor the 21st Century" is a stunning wallposter that embodies Norway's positionon global environmental protection.

Student Article. The unit includes30 copies of an Article for classroom use.

Teacher's Resource Guide. The TRGincludes three student exercises with vary-ing degrees of complexityboth in con-tent and in skills demands.

The unit has been developed to allowfor effective placement in any number ofsenior high school courses. Certainly, its

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focus on the global environmentanissue that increasingly engages the atten-tion of world leadersargues for sharingit with students in a Contemporary Issuesclass. The Article's development alsoinvites use with a World or EuropeanHistory class. And, in Grades 9-12, thisunit should serve the curriculum demandsof a course on Global or Regional Studies.

LEARNINGOBJECTIVES

With most students using this unit, youshould be able to ask them to demontrate

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE ANDDISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS

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what they've learned within the followingbroad categories:

Identify ways by which variousgenerations of Norwegians have interactedwith their natural environment, explaininghow it shaped their opportunities andhow they harnessed its benefits (geogra-phy).

Trace the economic, social, andpolitical "movements" by which differentgenerations of Norwegians have interactedwith other societies (history).

Analyze environmental problemsand priorities in Norway and comparethem with what they know of such

Dear Educator:

"To translate well is a difficult matter," wrote Norwegian playwrightHenrik Ibsen in 1872. "It is not simply a question of rendering the mean-ing, but also . . . of remodeling the expression and the metaphors."Ibsen's comment, cited by Eva Le Gallienne in her introduction to anEnglish translation of his plays, echoes a frustration that many educatorsalso feel. It is difficult to "translate" another society's experience of theworld into terms one's own students can grasp.

Still, the need to undertake such efforts in the 1990s classroom iscritical. As members of the global community, young Americans really doneed to know what other societies are experiencingand saying. ConsiderNorway, for example. Through its national policies and the efforts of count-less citizens, modern Norway is making an urgent statement to the globalcommunity about the best course to follow, for the planet's safe future.What might Norway's recommendations mean for America?

To help you "translate" Norway's views for students, we are pleasedto offer you this brand-new study unit, "Norway: Charting a Course for the21st Century." Produced by Learning Enrichment, Inc., the unit was gener-ously funded for free distribution to U.S. schools by the Royal NorwegianMinistry of Foreign Affairs. Please use the enclosed Business Reply Card totell us how well this material serves you and your students.

Yours sincerely,

Clayton C. WestlandLearning Enrichment, Inc.

g BEST COPY AVAILABLE

matters in their own nation, state, or town(political/economic).

Synthesize and evaluate argumentsfor and against a global policy of sustain-able development.

INTRODUCINGTHE UNIT

Teachers who receive this unit at the timeof its first mailing have the exciting optionof using it during the February 1994 WinterOlympics in Lillehammer. Studentswatching telecasts can see glimpses ofNorway's environment. Once the Gamesare over, however, you might try thefollowing warm-ups.

Background Check. Do you live in aNorwegian American community? Checkto see if there's someone in your classwho can share family anecdotes about lifeand customs in Norway. In at least somestatesWisconsin, Minnesota, andWashington, for examplethe odds offinding such secondary sources are inyour favor. Norway has given a higher per-

PHOTO SUBJECTSThe design elements and photogra-phy in this unit provide an excitingcommentary on the Norwegiangoal of preserving the environmentwhile using its resources wisely.

Poster. The backdrop photo is astunning view of Geiranger Fjord,one of the most beautiful in Norway.Photo credits: Geiranger Fjord,HUSMO-FOTO. Prime MinisterBrundtland, Associated Press.

Student Article. The back-ground photo on the cover showscoastal vessels near Kristiansund. Toits right: an off-shore oil rig near anold Norwegian village. The buildingin the lower left on Page 2 is a 12th-century stave church, so named forthe strips of wood with which it wasbuilt. The composite head shot onPage 4 illustrates break-through diag-nostic technology by the HafslundNycomed company. Photo credits:Background photo on cover, and oth-ers counterclockwise: HUSMO-FOTO,ESPEN BRAILLE,SAMFOTO, AndrewStevenson, Lagarhus/SAMFOTO.Pages 2-4, counterclockwise fromfisherman: TRYGVE BOLSTAD/SAM-FOTO, Museum of National Antiquities,Norwegian Tourist Board, NorwegianTourist Board, KIM HARTSAMFOTO,Hemsedal Tourist Board, The RoyalMinistry of Foreign Affairs. Final photocourtesy of Hafshmd Nycomed A.S.,Oslo, Norway.

centage of its population to the making ofAmerica than has any other Europeannation (except Ireland). And, according tothe 1990 census, there are almost as manyAmericans of Norwegian descent (3.9 mil-lion) as there are Norwegians in Norway(4.3 million).

Poster Impact. One of the quickestways to focus students' interest will be todisplay the unit Poster. Satisfy theircuriosity about the photo subjects (seebox, lower left). Then draw their attentionto Brundtland's words in the Postercaption. Who are the "all" of whom shespeaks: Norwegians? Europeans?Delegates to the UN? The 1.5 billionhumans who lack basic health care andclean drinking water? Americans?

Vocabulary Preview. One of the mostcritical terms students will meet in thisunit is sustainable development, aconcept introduced and defined on Page 4of the Student Article. Other terms youmay want to preview include the follow-ing (many are defined or explained incontext): archaeologist, biotechnology,economic development, environmentalissue, gross domesticMational product,hydroelectric power, indigenous people,industrial revolution, merchant fleet ,peninsula, and purchasing power.

STUDENTARTICLE

Student readers may be absorbed by thenarrative in the Student Article, "Norway:Charting a Course for the 21st Century."But the Article is structured to do muchmore than tell a story. Here's a run-downof its components:

Photos and introduction. Thephotos illustrating this Article and theintroduction on Page 2 (Columns 1 and 2)are meant to lay down several threads inthe major unit themes. Some studentsmay feel contrasts among these threads.Help them to articulate what they recog-nize: tradition and change, silence andmovement, the individual and society,work and play, naturaland humanenvironments.

Guiding questions. The threequestions bulleted in Column 2 on Page 2actually preview the rest of the Article.(You might even want to use them forevaluation purposes, later.)

Geographic setting. The rest ofPage 2 and Column 1 on Page 3 offerdetails about Norway's environment. Youmight want to add this fact: MainlandNorway lies between the 58° N and 71° Nlatitudes, and is intersected by the ArcticCircle.

Historical evolution. Columns 2

3

ENVIRONMENTAL DEBATEIn the late 1980s, more than 100Norwegian organizations joinedtogether to form a "Campaign forEnvironment and Development."Member groupsincluding politi-cians, homemakers, youths, andenvironmentalistsmirrored allof Norwegian society. Yet theirgoalto create a solid front onenviromnental policywill notcome easily. Norwegians have notalways agreed with one anotheror with the rest of the worldonstrategies. An example:

Whaling. In 1993, Norwaygave permission for a limitedresumption of minke whaling byits coastal fishing villagers. Up tothen, it had agreed to themoratorium on whaling imposedby the International WhalingCommission in 1986. But whenthe IWC announced that NorthAtlantic minkesnow numberingabout 87,000are no longer indanger of extinction, Norwaycited the UN principle of sustain-able management (responsibleuse) of marine resources. It set acatch quota of slightly more than150 whales. Despite ensuingprotests and the possibility of U.S.trade sanctions, Norway held firm.In late 1993, Norway and theUnited States agreed to work foran "acceptable solution."

and 3 on Page 3 take Norway through theperiods usually studied in EuropeanHistory courses. Column 3 positionsNorway as a member of the post-warglobal community.

Local, global, environmentalconcerns. Page 4 is the goal of the entirearticle. Here, students are reminded,through Norway's experience, of the envi-ronmental problems caused by pollution.And they are introduced, in Column 2, tothe dilemma facing the world communitytoday: If developed nations have tested theenvironment to its limits, what room is therefor the development of poorer societies?Again, Brundtland's role in refocusing thisquestion was a major contribution to theworld's understanding of the true basicissue and of options for addressing it.

DUPLICATIBLEEXERCISES

"Forging Links for a Peaceful World"(Page 4). This duplicatible provides anexcellent coded-map exercise and under-

CHARTINGA COURSEFOR UHE

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To MAKE the 17looter, I'll needtwo trees, said the Norwegian crafts-man thougWully. I can select themfrom the forest on that hill Andwhen the boat is finished, there'll bejust a few wood shavings left over. . . .

Why make it by hand? Most fish-ing crews use fiberglass boats.

True. But there's something tolearn by doing it the traditional way.

The craftsman, interviewed for a recentissue of Norway's Facing the Future, hasno illusions about the role his small boatwill play in his country's economy.Norway relies on huge steel ships andtankersnot 17-footersto carry itsexports of oil, paper, and metals todistant ports. Indeed, Norway's merchantfleetthe fourth largest on Earthcarriesthe cargoes of many nations.

Yet in the eyes of many Norwegians,the boatman fills a vital role. He andothers like him are keeping their people'soldest skills alive. Not only can theymake sturdy wooden ships that ride therestless seas. They know how to selectexactly what is neededand no morefor the task. For a 17-footer: justtwo logs.

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To Norwegians, making the fullestpossible use of Earth's resourcesinsteadof wasting or destroying themis morethan just a skill. It's an essential tool forsurvival. Not financial survival: Ranked byper-capita income, Norway is one of theworld's richest nations. The issue is theplanet's survival. Norwegians realize thatthe human goals they share with peopleeverywherepeace, jobs, health, educa-tiondepend on how every nation, richand poor, handles Earth's resources. In aunique way, Norwegian people really dosee the world as a global village.

To understand these viewsand thedynamic effect they have on Norway'spolicymakingyou might begin by askingthree questions:

How has Norway's own environ-ment influenced its people's economicand social development?

What efforts are Norwegians makingto protect their resources, and what environ-mental issues are they still grappling with?

How has Norway tried to influenceother nations to use Earth's resources wisely?

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Little is known about the earliesthuman settlers in Norway. An

article in the November 1990issue of History Today

reports a few pointsabout which archaeol-

ogists agree

5

They know, for example, that "smallgroups of families" lived as hunters andfishers in the arctic zone of Norway 9,000years ago. Rock carvings near the town ofAlta prove that people were herdingreindeer there as early as 4,000 B.C. Infact, the region holds "more remains ofStone Age houses" than any other part ofScandinavia, the peninsula of whichNorway is a part.

Norway's indigenous Sami peopledescendants of those early hunters andfishersstill preserve the culture theirancestors developed. But the rest ofNorway's population enjoys a culture thathas undergone many changes since theirfirst ancestors arrived 6,000 years ago.To a large degree, these changes can beexplained by Norway's unique environ-mentand by the creative spirit of thosewho learned how to live in harmonywith it.

The first settlers in southern Norwayprobably arrived during a slow migrationof peoples across the Baltic and NorthSea coastal regions. Evidence shows thatfarming was an early occupation in south-eastern Norway. But Norway would neverbecome a farming country, as did earlyFrance and other European societies. Halfof Norway's interior is mountainous.Less than five percent is farmable. In the

long run, it was the sea thatwould shape Norway's

future and openits people's,

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CREDITS. Batkground photo on cover, and otherscounterclockwise HUSMO-FOTO, ESPENBRATLIE/SAMFOTO, Andrew Stevenson,Lagarhus/SAMFOTO Pages 2-4, counterclockwisefrom fisherman TRYGVE BOLSTAD/SAMFOTO,Museum of National Antiquities, NorwegianTourist Board, Norwegian Tounst Board, KIM HART/SAMFOTO, Hemsedal Tourist Board, The RoyalMinistry of Foreign Affairs Final photo courtesy ofHafslund Nycomed A S , Oslo, Norway

eyes to the rest of the world.What environment did Norway's first

sailors find? The warm waters of the GulfStream flowing past the west coast madethe climate favorable for work in openboats, year-round. The seas teemed withfish (and still do). Hundreds of fjords, thelong sea inlets fringing Norway's coast,provided safe harbor for small boatsduring storms. And at home, thick forestson the coastal mountains provided timberfor sturdy boats.

Once at sea, early fishermen knew noboundaries. So the instinct to chase aschool of halibut into uncharted watersthe impulse to sail a few miles farther onthis voyage than on the last oneeventu-ally turned

towns developedjust as in other partsof Europe. Unlike the practice in otherEuropean societies, however, Norway'sfarmers always retained their indepen-dence.

Two centuries later, Norway's growthand prosperity were sorely challenged.The Black Death, a plague sweepingacross Europe, decimated Norway's pop-ulationsome say by half. Farms weredeserted. Trade declined. Conflicts with

border kingdoms further weak-ened the country

and led

Norway'sseamen into

brave explorers.By the 11th

century, Norwegians wereI known far and wide as master seafarers.

Their Viking ships probed coasdines fromNewfoundland in North America to theAsian shores of the Caspian Sea. Skillfultraders, the Vikings exchanged fish, wood,fur, iron, and leatherwork for glass,bronze, cereals, precious cloths, andartwork. In some placesIceland, forexamplethey set up colonies. In othercases, such as Ireland, they conqueredthe peoples they met. At home, folk talesand sagasheroic storiescelebratedtheir deeds.

Stimulated by such contacts with othercultures, Norwegians began to develop astrong sense of their shared identity anddestiny. In the late 9th centuty, KingHarald Fairhair united large stretches ofNorway's Land. Three centuries later, Oslobecame the capital of an even larger king-dom. During that same period,Christianity was introduced and small

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But the loss of their independence didnot crush the Norwegians' spirit. Neitherdid it interfere with their economic skills.Once more, they prospered from trade infish, metals, and timber. A smallbut voordmiddle class emerged. And this groupbegan to press for Norway's freedom.

In 1814, during the upheaval thatfollowed the Napoleonic wars in Europe,Norway won a small victory. It became anindependent state under the Swedishmonarchy. On May 17th of that year,Norway's leaders adopted a written con-stitutionone that provided for aStoning, or representative parliament.Finally, in 1905, the Storting broke tieswith Sweden and chose Denmark's PrinceCad to head a new Norwegian monarchyunder the name King Haaken VII.

During the century between 1814 and1905, Norway embarked on an "industrialrevolution." New textile factories werebuilt. Railway and telegraph lines werelaid. Norway's merchant fleet expandedrapidly. And engineers discovered how toproduce hydroelectric power from thecountry's many waterfalls. Norway hadfound a cheap, constantly renewablesource of energy for its economy.

At the same time that Norway wasexpanding industrially, a wave of culturalrevival gripped Norwegians. Much of itcentered on their beloved land. Artistsand writers celebrated Norway's fjords,mountains, and forests. Outdoorsports multiplied.Skiingonce theonly formof wintertravel in partsof Norwaybecame a majorsport. Towndwellers began tokeep or rent a countrycottage for thosemoments when they couldrevisit and enjoy their naturalenvironment. 7-\

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The enthusiasm and hopes thatNorway and many other nations sharedin the 19th century were devastated bytwo global wars in the 20th. Nations wereforced to refocus their goals and to worktogether for peace and prosperity.Norway became a co-founder of the UNand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO). In addition, Norway co-signedthe General Agreement on Tariffs andTrade (GATI).

Democratic governments also began toaccept more responsibility for their citi-zens' welfare. In this regard, Norway wasalready at the forefront. Its people's egali-tarian values had long inclined them tocare for one another's needs and to shareequally in the challenges and joys of life.In this spirit, the Kingdom of Norway pro-vides its people with universal education,health care, unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, and many other services.To support such services, Norwegiansabsorb a higher tax rate than those paidby most other societies.

[YaoliA11---kahIn the late 1960s, Norway discovered

an unexpected source of new income.Buried beneath its coastal waters lay vastreserves of oil and gas. In engineeringterms, there proved to be at least 5 billiontonnes of oil equivalent (toe)enoughnatural gas to sustain production for acentury, enough oil for 30 years.

Oil changed the profile of Norway'seconomy. Money from its sale began topour into communications technology,hydroelectric power stations, and a vastarray of service industries. Exports swelleduntil trade equaled more than 50 percentof Norway's gross domestic product (GDP).

Ironically, at almost the same time that

Norwegiansbegan mining their

newfound resource, theydiscovered threats to other parts

of the environment. Cherished forestswere dying rapidly. So were freshwaterfish. Acid rainacid formed when moisturein the air reacts with certain emissionsfrom cars and factorieswas destroyingtrees and marine life.

Norwegian scientists pointed out whatthe nation's industries and car ownerscould do, to reduce harmful emissions.But that didn't solve the problem. Aircurrents pick up similar pollutants fromseveral countries in western and centralEurope, then dump them over Norway.Close to Norway's northeastern border,a Russian nickel smelterone of theworld's largestemits more sulphuricdioxide than all emission sources inNorway, combined. Fears of radiationfrom Russian nuclear waste and reactorsbegan to mount, too.

Among Norwegians, reaction to thesethreats to their precious environment wasswift and widespread. Concerned teen-agers held rallies across the country.Tens of thousands of other Norwegiansa cross-section of the nation's societyorganized in groups to draw attentionto environmental issues. Some peoplebegan to argue for a return to a simplerlifestyle.

In 1972, the Norwegian governmentcreated a new ministry for environmentalprotection. Its members quickly reviewedthe complex choices they seemed to facein three policy areas:

Economic development. Norway'seconomic growth called for producingmore oil and building new hydroelectricstations. But would such efforts increasethe risk of oil spills? Or keep fish fromreaching their spawning grounds?

Environmental protection. Repairinglarge-scale pollution at home would takemiffionsperhaps billionsof dollars.Would such expenses weaken support forNorway's social welfare programs?

Foreign aid. Norway, which gives

1.16 percent of its GDP in foreignaid, could not ignore the risks posed

by poorer nations' dreams of industri-alization. Scientists were warning that

the planet may not be able to support amultiplication of cars, factories, and otherpolluting practices by which the world'sricher nations developed. But might therebe a way to support further developmentwithout taxing the environment?

In 1983, a Norwegian woman took abig step toward exploring these complexissues. Gro Harlem Brundtland, then andnow prime minister of Norway, wasinvited to head the UN's new WorldCommission on Environment andDevelopment. Her mandate: to exploreglobal environmental issues like thosethat Norwegian policymakers were grap-pling with at home. Over the next fouryears, Brundtland's commission gathereddata, listened to experts, and worked onits report, Our Common Future.

The report electrified people every-where. Brundtland argued that it isuseless to discuss the environment asthough it were something separate fromour daily life or to think of developmentas referring only to poor nations in needof help. "The environment," she wrote,"is where we all live; and development iswhat we all do in attempting to improveour lot within that abode. The two areinseparable."

Technology and science, the commis-sion further argued, are not the problem.They are tools that enable people tounderstand how the world works. Withsuch tools, people can make "develop-ment sustainable" and ensure that devel-opment meets the needs of people todaywithout "weakening the ability of futuregenerations to meet their own needs."

The concept of sustainable develop-ment caught fire. It became the watch-word of nations attending the 1992 "EarthSummit," a UN-sponsored conference inBrazil. Yes, members agreed, every nationhas the right to develop its ownresources. But yes, too, the goal of sus-tainable development means that nationsshould limit their use of fragile resources,taking only what they need. And yes, thelong-term priority for researchers every-where should be new technologies thatallow people to use Earth's resourcesmore efficiently.

The Norwegian government did nothave to wait for the Earth Summit, tobegin charting its own course toward a

new environmental future. Support forlong-term fundamental research wasalready a national priority, especially inthree areas:

Information technology. By combin-ing computer, phone, and video tech-nologies, Norwegian researchers havemade it possible for decision makers toshare knowledge quickly and plan theefficient use of resources.

Biotechnology. Finding new scien-tific methods for growing fish and otherfoods is benefitting Norway and the restof the world enormously.

Oil and gas development. Leaks andemissions from Norway's offshore fieldshave already been cut in half. Futurereductions seem certain.

In modern-day Norway, no environ-mental concern seems too small or toolarge. Two examples: To help save threat-ened plant species, Norway maintains adeep-freeze underground "bank" inSvalbard, an arctic island-group, whereseeds can be stored permanently. WhenNorway was preparing to host the 1994Winter Olympics, elaborate plans weremade to avoid disturbing the environ-ment at the events sites. In Gjovik, forexample, a new ice rink was created with-in a huge rockbed in the town's center.The list goes on.

But sustainable development involvesmore than hi-tech research. It alsorequires policies for resolving borderpollution. Norway, for example, recentlyannounced a new regional agreementwith other arctic nationsone of whichis Russia, a major source of pollution.

Even more important, sustainabledevelopment demands an end to thedestruction of life and the environmentthat happens during war. In 1993,Norway played a key role in helping Israeland the Palestinian Liberation Organiza-tion to negotiate a breakthrough peaceaccord.

To Norwegians, the spirit behind allsuch efforts is modern, but not new.Indeed, it may be rooted in an ancientmemory of the very first "voice" theyheard in their beloved land. One ofNorway's contemporary poets describesthis voice in his poem, SSSH:

Sssh the sea says/ sssh the small wavesat the shore say, sssh/ not so violent, notlso haughty, notl so remarkable./ Sssh/say the tips of the waves/ crowdingaround the headland's/ surf Ssshl they sayto people/ this is our earth,1 our eternity.

Rolf Jacobsen

Translation © 1976 by Robert Bly. Reprintedfrom RolfJacobsen: Twenty Poems, SeventiesPress. Reprinted with Robert Bly's permission.

NORWAY'S GOVERNMENTNorway's constitutionin Europe,the oldest written constitution stillin effectwas adopted on May 17,1814. As amended since that time,it provides for a constitutionalmonarchy in which the monarchhas no separate political role butexercises strong influence as asymbol of national unity. The headof government is the prime minister,whowith other cabinet membersis chosen by political parties repre-sented in the Storting (parliament).Other points:

Storting. The parliament has165 members, elected from 18 bilker(counties) and Oslo every fouryears. After each election, the Stortingdivides into two chambers withboth separate and shared legislativetasks. Elections in 1993 sent thefollowing parties to the Storting:Labour 37.1%, Centre 18.5%,Conservative 15.6%, ChristianDemocrat 8.4%, Socialist Left 7.9%,Progress 6.0%, Liberal 3.6%, RedElectoral Alliance 0.5%, Others 2.4%.

Local Governments. TheNorwegian political systemincludes strong local governments.Among a widely scattered popula-tion of only 4.3 million people,Norway supports more than 400municipalities. Each of these has anelected local council whose dutiesrange from maintaining roads, atypical local concern, to managingschools and hospitals as part ofNorway's welfare services.

scores the point made in Column 3 ofPage 4 in the Student Article: In pursuit ofpeace Norway has many ties to the rest ofEuropethough it is not a member of theEuropean Community. Norway wouldhave little difficulty in fulfilling the criteriafor EC membership. But its people aredivided over the issue of joining the EC.Some fear that membership would altertheir unique way of life.

Answers. 1-T; 2-F; 3-ND; 4-T; 5-F; 6-ND; 7-T; 8-ND. Answers to "And ThinkAgain" will vary.

"Facing the Future Together" (Page 5).As much data as this page provides, thereis much more that could be offeredstudents, to illustrate Norway's extraordi-narily healthy economy. Two items: Norwayis the world's fourth largest exporterof oil and its sixth largest exporter ofnatural gas.

Answers. 1-F; 2-0; 3-F; 4-0; 5-F; 6-0;

7-F; 8-F. Among the three duplicatibles,this is the easiest, so far as skills challengesgo. But Item 8 is tricky: "Favorable balanceof trade" is a conventional economic mea-surement, not an arbitrary statement ofopinion. Answers to "And Think Again"will vary.

"Rethinking the Value of 'Wealth' "(Page 6). This exercise asks a lot of stu-dents by way of inference-drawing andapplication of information. But it's anexcellent introduction to a global "discus-sion" that is gaining more attention, daily.

Answers. Student attempts at "law-making," in the "And Think Again" ques-tion, will surely vary. A few possibilities:A-"The Army Engineering Corps shallcalculate the annual value of topsoil lostin agricultural counties facing the 100largest U.S. rivers, and this amount shallbe deductedas a deficitfrom the grossnational product." C-"Policymakers shallnot encourage the use of more than X%of any nation's land for the developmentof a single crop." D-"A single clearinghouse shall be created to oversee thereplenishment of resources removedunder the license of any U.S. agency."E-"Before any of the practices named(felling timber, e.g.) shall be permitted,the market value of the natural resourcethat would be destroyed shall be calculated,and provisions shall then be made forreplenishment of this loss with a resourceof equal value (new tree plantings, e.g.)."

FOLLOW-UPEXERCISES

Here are three additional projects thatstudents involved with this study unit mightwant to pursue.

Reading Biographies. Norway has giventhe world a host of daring explorers. Urgestudents to research the feats of RoaldAmundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, Thor Heyerdahl,and Monica Kristensen. What have theirefforts contributed to our knowledge ofthe world?

Keeping Journals. Perhaps a team ofstudents might begin keeping a journal onenvironmental problemsand possibleremedieswithin their own state, county,or town. Encourage them to "dream" ofcreative remedies. In Norway, for example,some trash is dried and turned into pelletswhich are then burned as fuel by hospitals.Even rubbish that is buried is put to work.Methane gas produced during the decom-position process iS collected for fuel.

Debating the Issue. Thoughtful studentswill not miss a key premise beneath cur-rent efforts to develop global responses

8

to global environmental problems. Thepremise is named variously: Consensusbuilding might be one way of putting it.Encourage students to debate this issue:Should Americans be open to internationalconsensus building on the environment,even if it demands changing their habitualways of using their resources?

LET US HEARFROM YOU

The Learning Enrichment (LE) team forthis unit on Norway included:Project Director, Clayton Westland;Design Director, Richard Leach;Education Consultant and Writer,Patricia Conniffe.

LE's staff would appreciate know-ing how well this unit works for youand your students. Please take amoment to fill out and return theenclosed Business Reply Card. It is ouronlyand surestway of learning howbest to serve you in the future.

Please mail the BRC today!

REFERENCE SHELF

The following list includes readingson topics (such as sustainabledevelopment) introduced in thisunit. With screening, starred (*)items may be recommended tostudents.Editorial. "Chinese Puzzles." The

Economist. May 15, 1993. (Newpurchasing-power formula.) *

Gore, [Then Senator] Al. Earth in theBalance. New York: HoughtonMifflin Company. 1992. *

Henderson, Hazel. "Needed: A ScoreCard on National Growth."The Christian Science Monitor.May 3, 1993. *

Solow, Robert M. "Sustainability:Our Debt to the Future." USA Today(magazine). September 1992.

World Commission on Environmentand Development. Our CommonFuture. New York: OxfordUniversity Press. 1987. *

Unsigned. "IMF Unveils New GDPStandards." Facts on File. June 3,1993.

Additional Materials. Copiesof Facing the Future . . . (which wascited in the Student Article) andinformation about other materialson contemporary Norway can beobtained by writing to this address:

Norwegian Information Servicein the United States

825 Third Avenue (38th Floor)New York, NY 10022-7584

PTO IRWMTCHARTINGA COURSE FORGING LINKSFOR THE

CENTURY21 ST FOR A PEACEFUL WORLD

Perhaps it's the image of the Nobel Peace Prize, announced annually from Norway'scapital, Oslo. Or maybe it's the news of Norway's leading role in recent peace talks betweenIsrael and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Whatever the cause, the effect is clear:Norway is recognized worldwide as a leader on the path to peace.

Not only does Norway belong to the UN and NATOorganizations dedicated to keepingpeace. It also sees a peacemaking value in environmental agreements, such as those adopted atthe Earth Summit in 1992. Norway gives 1.16 percent of its GNP to poor nationsa rate higherthan that of any other nation. And it has signed the Agreement on the European EconomicArea, which, in 1994, will extend the EC's peaceful, free-trade rules to EFTA nations.

NORWAY'S REGIONALAID PROGRAMS: 1992

5

434.6

171.1

63.5 -70.2-

Africa Asia Latin OthersAmerica

NORWAY AND ALLIANCES IN WESTERN EUROPE: 1993

NORWAY A

ICELAND AAdantic

Ocean

Nordic Coundl (NC)

A North Afiantic Treaty Organization

(NATO)

European Community (EC)

European Free Trade Associalon

(EFTA)

UNITED KINGDOM A MI

IRELAND

FINLAND

SWEDEN

GERMANY A

SPAIN A

o "Mediterranean

Sea

Mi

Km 1750

1 750

Think Twice. Basing your answers on the data above, labeleach of the following statements as true (T), or false (F). Ifthere is not enough data to help you decide, write (ND).

1. Norway is a member of EFTA, but not a member ofthe European Community (EC).

2. All the members of the Nordic Council are locatedon a peninsula in northern Europe.

3. Norway became a member of NATO before it joinedthe European Free Trade Association.

4. An air trip from northern Norway to NATO's south-

ernmost European borders would cover more than2,000 miles.

5. Among the associations shown on the map above,the EC has the smallest number of members.

6. In 1992, Norway gave $70.5 million worth of devel-opment assistance to the country of Mozambique.

7. In the same year, Norway provided assistance toAfrica and Latin America on a roughly 7:1 ratio.

8. The aim of the Nordic Council is to foster economicand cultural cooperation among its members.

And Think Again. Norway believes that peace among nations can be developed in a varietyof waysthrough international alliances, free-trade pacts, environmental protection agree-ments, and assistance to developing nations. Select two of these avenues to peace and, inan essay, explain why each type of effort contributes to worldwide harmony.

9

1101IVTINCHARTINGA COURSEFOR THE

mils 21 ST/CENTURY

FACING THEFUTURE TOGETHER

"Contrast is at the basis of Norwegian experience," said a citizen of Norway recently,when asked to describe life in his country. There's certainly evidence to support his view.

Norway is a small country, with only a few large cities (see fact box). But it has achieved amajor service-sector economy and a vigorous world trade (graphs). Its people believepassionately in their right to live and work wherever they choose. But they also accept taxes

for national health-care coverage (table),retirement benefits, free education, and abasket of other social benefits. . . .

On second thought, maybe there is a basic,unifying principle here. Norwegians love avigorous, productive life. Maybe the contrastis only in the eye of the beholder.

NORWAY: A SMALL, STRONG KINGDOM ...

Area: 150,000 sq mi (386,000 sq km). Norway is almost as large as the

State of California.

Government: constitutional monarchy. Chief of State: King Harald V.Prime Minister: Gm Harlem Brundtland, Labor Party (Social democratic).

Population: 4.3 million. Largest Cities: Oslo, capital (467,000);Bergen (216,000); Trondheim (139,600); Stavanger (100,000).

Cultural Background: Norwegians 96%; indigenous Semi people 0.5%;

natives of other countries 3.5%. Religious Majority: Evangelical

Lutherans 88%.

Workforce: government, social, and financial services 45%; trade 18%;

manufacturing 15%; farming, fishing, and forestry 8%; others 14%. Gross

National Product, 1992: $100.2 billion.

...WITH A VIGOROUS TRADE ...

Fuel

(3.3%)

Food

products(6.5%)

Chemical

(9.3%)

productsManufactu ed

Other

Other

Machinery

& transport

equipment

(37.3%)

Imports, 1992:$22,974,000,000

and metal goods

(36.4%)

(3.2%)

Exports, 1992:$31,210,000,000

Machinery

8, transport

equipment

(14.2%)

_Manufacturedand metal

goods

(18.3%)

\_Chemicalproducts

Food products (6.2%)(7.9%)

... AND EMPHASIS ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Each year, the UN compares trends in various nations, to see if

their people's standard of living is improving. Here are just a few

of the areas in which Norway achieved top ranking in 1993.

Rank Among Basis on Which173 Nations Comparison Was Made

3 Percent of parliamentary seats occupied by women

2 No. of scientists, technicians, per 1,000 people

1 Percent of health bills paid by public insurance

1 Daily newspaper circulation per 1,000 people

6 Per-capita gross notional product (GNP)

3 Overall rank, based on more than 200 factors

Think Twice. Basing your answers on the data above, labeleach of these statements as fact (F), or opinion (0).

1. According to international data for gross national products,Norway ranks sixth in per-capita income.

2. Norway may rank high for the number of women in itsparliament, but they probably have little influence.

3. In Norway, more people work in the trade industry thanin farming, fishing, and forestry, combined.

4. To provide for the future, Norway should increase thenumber of its furniture manufacturing companies.

5. Norway's export trade depends heavily on fuels producedwithin its borders, then sold abroad.

6. Norwegians undoubtedly draw most of their informationabout the world from daily newspapers.

7. Norway's population is 75-percent urban. Thus, mostNorwegians live in small cities (under 100,000).

8. The balance of trade between Norway's exports andimports is, by economic standards, a favorable one.

And Think Again. According to the UN, human development (HD) within any nation is"development . . . of, . . . by, . . . and for people." By this criterion, Norway currently ranks amongthe top five nations in the world. Using the data on this page, list the factors that you thinkmake Norwegian society strong. Then, reflecting on the world you expect to find in the year2003, draft an editorial on this topic: Norway's Readiness for the 21st Century.

10

UOIIVTINCHARTINGA COURSEFOR THE

0021 ST

CENTURY

RETHINKING THEVALUE OF "WEALTH"

"How much is this paycheck worth?" When employees ask that question, they typically mean:"How many of my needsfood, clothing, sheltercan I satisfy with this amount of money?"

The question is universal. But the answer does not translate easily from one country toanother. For example, Americans who read that China's per-capita income is $370, tend toimagine people buying $370 worth of goods at U.S. prices. But, say economists, the "purchas-ing power".of $370 in China is equal to that of $2,000 in America. To avoid confusion, Norwayand other nations support a "purchasing-power" formula for measuring per-capita income, oreconomic wealth.

Norway has also taken the lead in urgingnations to find ways of measuring the useof natural wealth. The excerpts below dealwith this hotly debated issue.

E. Replenishing Resources"[World Bank economist Herman E.] Daly and others pro-pose a few simple rules. One is 'no net loss' of naturalcapital. That would preclude projects that destroy forests,drain wetlands, dam rivers, or pave over croplandsunless a compensating resource is replenished."

Emily T. Smith"Growth vs. Environment,"Business Week. May 11, 1992

D. Fragmented Responsibility?"Impacts on forests rarely worry those involved in guidingpublic policy or business activities in the fields of energy, industrialdevelopment, crop husbandry, or foreign trade. Many of the envi-ronment and development problems that confront us have their rootsin this ... fragmentation of responsibility. Sustainable develop-ment requires that such fragmentation be overcome."

Gro Harlem Brandt land,Prime Minister of NorwayOur Common Future

A. Topsoil Loss in Iowa"Consider the most basic measure of a nation's economicperformance, gross national product (GNP). In calculatingGNP, natural resources are not depreciated [assigned alower value] as they are used up. [But] buildings and fac-tories are depreciated; so are machinery and equipment,cars and trucks. So why, for instance, isn't the topsoil inIowa depreciated when it washes down the MississippiRiver after careless agricultural methods have lessenedits ability to resist wind?"

[Then Senator] Al GoreEarth in the Balance

Points ofView on

MeasurinEnvironm

Losseental B. What Price the Ozone Layer?

"Many environmental decisions do, in effect, balancethis generation's right to health and wealth against the

unknown preferences of the unborn. Suppose a developingcountry must choose between allowing its people to buy refigera-tion containing ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CF(s) andbanning the sales of new fridges because no inexpensive CFC-freemodel is available. One result may be that more people succumb tofood poisoning. What price then the ozone layer? It is unclear why

the environment should impose auniquely privileged constraint oneconomic activity."

Editorial"The Price of Green,"The Economist. May 9, 1992

C. A Lesson in Cacao"[The goals of] 'comparative advantage' and 'specialization'should no longer be prized [by states], since they contribute to thedestruction of biological and cultural diversity. For example, IvoryCoast gained little and lost much when World Bank loans encour-aged it to destroy its farming base in order to supply cacao to theworld market. The country's problems were heightened when theprice of cacao fell, and it was left not only without export earningsbut also without food or the money to buy food."

Stephen Viederman"Sustainable Development: ..."Current History. April 1993

And Think Again. Imagine that you are an assistant to the U.S. Senator from your state. Youhave two tasks: (1) Without taking sides on the positions stated in "A," "C," "D," or "E," turnthe central focus of each of these excerpts into a brief proposal for a new law. Then (2) selectthe item that you think is most important ("A" through "E"), and draft a memo to yourSenator explaining why you agree with the writer's point of view.

ii

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r.

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