1.4 Sustainability

Question 1

What is a “resource”?

Answer 1

A stock of some material or service that is of use or value to humans

Question 2

What is “natural capital”?

Answer 2

Natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods and services.

Question 3

What is “stock”?

Answer 3

The stock is the present accumulated quantity of natural capital. It is a supply built up for future use.

Question 4

What is “natural income”?

Answer 4

The yield obtained from natural resources.

Question 5

What are the 4 general services natural capital provides us with?

Answer 5

1. Provisioning - (products from ecosystems)
   –> Food, wood, water, plants used in medicine, rubber,
2. Regulating - (benefits from ecosystem processes)
   –> Purification of air and water, decomposition of waste, regulation of pollution
3. Cultural - (non-material benefits for ecosystems)
   –> Recreation, religious, educational, touristic
4. Supporting - (essentials for life)
   –> Primary productivity, nutrient cycling, soil formation

Question 6

What is “renewable natural capital”?

Answer 6

Renewable natural capital can be generated and/or replaced as fast as it is being used, includes:
–> Living species and ecosystems that use solar energy and photosynthesis
–> Non-living items (eg. groundwater and the ozone layer)

Question 7

What is “non-renewable natural capital”?

Answer 7

Natural capital that is either irreplaceable or only replaced over geological timescales

Question 8

What are “recyclable resources”?

Answer 8

Iron ore is a non-renewable resource.
HOWEVER, the iron produced from iron ore can be recycled and thus becomes a renewable resource.

Question 9

Does a natural resource always hold the same value?

Answer 9

NO!

Dynamic nature of a resource:
The importance of a particular resource varies over time. A resource available today may NOT be a resource in the future…
–> Eg. Uranium is far more important now due to its use in generating nuclear energy

Question 10

What are some different ways in which humans may value natural resources?

Answer 10

1. Ecological (providing life support services)
   –> biodiversity maintenance, role in water cycle
2. Scientific (useful for applications)
   –> source of potential medicine, sources of genes for genetic engineering
3. Economic (having marketable goods or services)
   –> ecotourism, forest crops, timber, minerals
4. Intrinsic (having cultural, aesthetic, spiritual or philosophical values)
   –> cultural identity, intellectual stimulation

Question 11

What’s the problem with valuing natural resources?

Answer 11

Natural resources of ecological value have no formal market price.
–> (How do you value photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation…. these are essential for our existence but taken for granted….)

Question 12

What are “use values”?

Answer 12

natural capital that we can put a price on!

• Direct use value
  Ecosystem goods and services directly used by humans
• Indirect use value
  Values derived from ecosystem services that provide benefits outside the ecosystem itself
• Optional value
  Derived from the potential future use of ecosystem goods and services not currently

Question 13

What are “non-use values”?

Answer 13

Natural capital we can’t put a price on…
–> include the intrinsic and aesthetic values of a resource.

Question 14

What is the difference between “use values” and “non-use values”?

Answer 14

Use values - can be priced

Non-use values - can NOT put a price on this

Question 15

What is the definition of “sustainability”?

Answer 15

“Use and management of resources that allow full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use”

Question 16

What is important when using resources sustainably?

Answer 16

• Natural capital does not decrease
• Natural income is constant

Question 17

What happens to the natural income if resources are used unsustainably?

Answer 17

Natural income increases initially but in the long term will fall dramatically

Question 18

What is the “sustainable yield”, and how can it be calculated?

Answer 18

The rate of increase in natural capital that can be exploited (harvested) without depleting the original stock or its potential for replenishment.

Animal species:
SY = (annual growth and recruitment) - (annual death and emigration)

Or for plant species:
SY = (total biomass or energy at time t + 1) - (total biomass or energy at time t)
–> where t+1 is the end time and t is the start time

Question 19

What are some environmental indicators of sustainability?

Answer 19

• Factors such as biodiversity, pollution, population or climate may be used quantitatively as environmental indicators of sustainability
• Factors used to assess sustainability can be applied on a range of scales, from local to global

Question 20

What is the “Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)”?

Answer 20

• international assessment of effects of human activity on the environment
• scientific appraisal
• launched in 2001 - lasted 4 years
• 1,300 individuals from 95 countries took part

Question 21

What are the main assessments from the “Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)”?

Answer 21

• Over the past 50y, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly than in any comparable period of time in human history
  –> led to an irreversible loss in biodiversity
• 2/3 of environmental services are in decline

Question 22

What were some recommendations of the “Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)”?

Answer 22

• Remove subsidies to agriculture, fisheries and energy sources that harm the environment
• Encourage landowners to manage property in ways that enhance the supply of ecosystem services
• Protect more areas from development, especially in the oceans

Question 23

What is the definition of “sustainable development”?

Answer 23

“Development which meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to achieve their needs and aspirations”
–> basically a fair society, healthy environment and a thriving economy

Question 24

What is an “Environmental Impact Assessment”?

Answer 24

“An assessment of the possible impact that a proposed project may have on the environment”

Question 25

What does an “Environmental Impact Assessment” include?

Answer 25

1. Description of project
2. Alternatives to be considered
3. Baseline study (description of current environment)
4. Assessment of impact (description of significant effects on the environment)
5. Mitigation
6. Non-technical summary (a summary of everything, uses no jargon for anyone to understand)

Question 26

What are some strengths of an “Environmental Impact Assessment”?

Answer 26

• important tool used to inform the decision-making process
• May lead to changes in the proposed development and thus avoid negative impacts
• monitoring the impacts during and after development can inform decision-makin in the future
• Process allows input from specialists and the public

Question 27

What are some weaknesses of an “Environmental Impact Assessment”?

Answer 27

• In some countries the findings of the EIA are often ignored
• Predicting environmental impacts is based on speculation (may be wrong!)
• Monitoring of implementation is not always carried out
• Often not all potential impacts are identified
• Information and suggestions in the EIA are not always acted upon (depends on integrity of developer!)