Wealth is the reason
why some parts of
the world are at the
technological cutting
edge whereas others
lack even the most
basic access to
technology. However
Wealth is not the only
explanation for the
geographical pattern
of technology
HIV/AIDS anti-retroviral drugs
Used to treat HIV, prolong life by decades but are costly
Drugs are patented and protected by companies that develop them
This prevents cheap 'generic' copies being made that the developing world could afford
Some countries ignore patent laws, feeling they have no choice
Nuclear power
31 countries operated nuclear power plants in 2007
They can be used to manufacture plutonium for nuclear weapons
Western powers have used military force, economic sanctions and tied aid to prevent countries such as Iraq, Iran and North Korea from gaining access to nuclear technology
Communications
In North Korea, citizens have been banned from having private phones or mobiles since 2004
Access to the internet is restricted to government officials and tourists, and is filtered
There is a national intranet, with no connection to the outside world
The North Korean communist government fears political unrest if citizens gain information about everyday life in the West
Contraception
Catholicism bans the use
of contraception, such as
condoms and the pill, on
religious grounds
Italy where 90% of the population are catholic has one of the lowest fertility
rates in the world, but access to contraception is less developed catholic
countries is much more restricted
GM crops
Genetically modified crops are not grown in the UK because of public opposition
In consumer surveys,
90% of the UK public
are against them,
because of concern
about the ethics of
transplanting gees into
food crops, and their
impacts on biodiversity