1.4 Sustaniblility Flashcards
define sustanability?
Sustainability is the use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use.
define natural captital?
Natural capital is a term used for natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services.
what is natural income?
Natural income is the annual yield obtained from natural resources.
what is an envirmental impact assesment?
An environmental impact assessment
(EIA) is an assessment of the possible
positive or negative impacts that a
proposed project may have on the
environment, consisting of the
environmental, social and economic
aspects
what are the stages of the envirmental impact assesment?
Project planning
Baseline study
Submitted to authorities (Marine Scotland,
Scottish Natural Heritage)
Overcoming of problems
what may ecosystems provide?
Ecosystems may provide life-supporting services such as water replenishment, flood and erosion protection, and goods such as timberquantity fisheries and agricultural crops.
what are some envirmental indicators of sustainability?
factors such as biodiversity, pollution, population or climate may be used quanitlivy as environmental indicators for sustanibility.
These can be used on a global and a local scope.
What was the millennium ecosystem assessment?
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is a major assessment of the human impact on the environment, called for by the United Nations in 2000.
It conclude that ecosystem changes are increasing the likelihood of nonlinear changes in ecosystems and the first to note the important consequences of this finding for human well-being.
what does an envirmental impact assesment do? (EIA)
they incorporate baseline studies before a development project is undertaken.
what do EIAs asses?
the environmental, social and economic impacts of the project, predicting and evaluating possible impacts and suggesting mitigation strategies for the project.
what are EIAs followed by?
they are usally followed by an audit and continued monotoring. Each country or region has diffrent guidances on EIAs.
whatmay be the bigger impact of EIA and why might this be flawed?
they provide decision-makers with information in order to consider the environmental impact of a project.
There is not necessarily a requirment to impiment EIAs proposals, and many socio-economic fats may also be at play in deciding weather the project is going to go through.
what are some criticisms of EIAs?
the lack of a standard practice or training for practitioners.
The lack of a clear definition of system boundaries and a lack of consideration for indirect imapcts.
what is an ecological footprint?
The EF is the area of land and water required to sustanibly provide all reasroces at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population.
when might a EF suggest unsustainable living?
if the EF is greater than the area available to the given population.
