Analysing Environmental Problems Flashcards
To effectively address global environmental challenges, what do we need to do?
- Systematically identify and analyse the sources that lead to environmental pressures as well as the nature of flow-on effects in nature, and back upon humans.
What two systems are used to identify any problems and their solutions?
- The DPSIR framework
- The IPAT equation
Why do we use the DPSIR and IPAT models?
- To analyse and help guide sustainable production and consumption
What is the DPSIR framework?
- Systems analysis of environmental problems
- A cause-effect framework that describes the interactions between society and nature
- Great for systematic analysis and planning to help fix environmental problems
What does DPSIR stand for?
- D = Driving forces
- P = Pressure
- S = Changes in the environment
- I = Impact of changes in environment on humans
- R = The responses of humans to there impacts
What are the Driving forces in the DPSIR model?
- Are the human activities, processes and patterns that are the sources of environmental resource and waste flows and their impacts
What are the Pressures in the DPSIR model?
- The material and energy flows (releases and intakes) between human (economic) activity and the natural environment
What are the State trends in the DPSIR model?
- Trends or changes in biophysical conditions on Earth; the quality and quantity of natural resources
What are the Impacts in the DPSIR model?
- The ultimate effects (cost and benefits) of environmental state (S) change on people
What are the Responses in the DPSIR model?
- Intentional human action and strategies to deal with impacts or changes in pressures and states
Why is R the most important part of the DPSIR model?
- Policy is focused on the “R”
- Human actions to deal with the environmental challenges are “Response”
- R is about how can our “Response” change the “Driving forces” (preventive)
What is the relationship between the DPSIR model and the IPANT model?
- PANT (from IPANT) fits into the DRIVING FORCES of the DPSIR framework
- The I from IPANT is the same as P in the DPSIR
What does IPANT stand for?
- I = Pressures
- P = Population
- A = Affluence (overall consumption or output per person)
- N = Nature of output or consumption - composition
- T = Technology - based environment - intensity of each form of output or comsumption
Draw a diagram of the DPSIR - IPANT integrated framework
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16FjJCOFWz5ynvXAK-XpESXD05IefA35BJCL75vT4HVc/edit?usp=sharing
Why is IPAT important?
- The IPAT equation is one of the best approaches to deeply understand the real driving forces behind any environmental issue
- Its extensions, like IPANT break down the I = PAT
- It separates P out, and then splits A.T into different types of economic activity (output and consumption), that is, different “layers”
What is the main use of the IPAT, IPANT and DPSIR models?
- To analyse and help guide sustainable production and consumption
What is the IPAT equation used for?
- An Equation for Analysing the Human Sources of Environmental Impacts
- It identifies the primary factors driving anthropogenic sources of environmental “pressure” or impact (environment - intensity)
Give the IPAT equation.
I = P x A x T
Where:
- I = Environmental Impact (pressure on the nature)
- P = Population
- A = Affluence; GDP per person; output/capita
- T = Technology; environmental impact per unit area
Why is the IPAT equation not good enough?
- Not good enough for effective sustaiability strategies
- We need the IPANT equation to make connections to human wellbeing
What does the environmental impact of what we consume depend on?
- How much (A) of each type of thing (goods & services) we consume
- The technology (T) used in those types of production and consumption (and can have many technology options)
What is the N is IPANT and how is it created?
- N = nature or type of output
- The economic activities and output we have included in A is broken down into different types of output.
- Each type has an environmental impact per unit but this also depend on the technology (T) used.
- So, A.T from IPAT becomes many layers of A.T.
- Each layer Ni is a type of output or economic activity (with its impact person depending on the technologies used)
What 4 aspects will show us the sources of environmental impact and what we need to change?
- Population
- The amount of production and consumption per person
- Break this down into the mix of goods and services (The nature of consumption)
- The technology used for each type of good and service produced/consumed
What is the main goal of the IPANT equation?
- Community well being
- Many of the factors in the IPANT have a significant influence on well being (but other things affect well being)
What is the overall summary of the DPSIR model?
- It is an overall framework to analyse all aspects of major environmental challenges [not just human sources emphasis in IPAT & IPAT]
- It enables consistent & coordinated analysis, understanding and responses across natural and social sciences and policy makers
- It includes the study of sources covered in IPANT (in D and P) but is broader and provides a comprehensive environmental analysis framework
What is the overall summary of the IPAT & IPANT equations?
- They are great starting points for analyzing, in detail, the human sources of the environmental challenges we face
- If we know the sources, we can direct our strategies to more effectively address these challenges
