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GEOG-2204 - Human Impact on the Environment > Chapter 2 - Responding to Global Environmental Change > Flashcards

Chapter 2 - Responding to Global Environmental Change Flashcards

1
Q

Define Sustainable Development:

A

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

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2
Q

How should Economic Development be done under sustainable development?

A

Conducted without depletion of natural resources.

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3
Q

The concept of sustainable development has generated both ____________ and ______________.

A

enthusiasm, frustration

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4
Q

Why is Sustainable Development faced with enthusiasm?

A

Because it provides a compelling vision for the twenty-first century that acknowledges longer-term development implications and the need to balance social, economic and environmental considerations

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5
Q

Why is Sustainable Development approached with frustration?

A

Others believe that the term is so vague that it can be used in different ways to suit varying and often conflicting interests, such as justifying economic
growth so that future generations have same standard of living.

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6
Q

Sustainable livelihoods emphasize the conditions necessary to ensure that basic _______________ are satisfied.

A

human needs

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7
Q

Define Resilience:

A

The ability of a system to absorb disturbance and still retain its basic function and structure.

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8
Q

What is Resilience in terms of ecosystem functions?

A

The ability of an ecosystem to return to normal life after disturbance.

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9
Q

What does resource management prioritize to do?

A

Optimizing output of goods and services from a natural resource system.

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10
Q

What are the three type of resources in resource management?

A
  1. Perpetual
  2. Renewable
  3. Non-renewable
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11
Q

What are the four type of Renewable Resources?

A
  1. Air
  2. Water
  3. Soil
  4. Biodiversity
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12
Q

Define Sustainable Yield:

A

The highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply.

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13
Q

Define Environmental Degradation:

A

Depletion or destruction of a potentially renewable resource that is used faster than it is naturally replenished.

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14
Q

Provide some examples of environmental degradation:

A
  • Aral Sea
  • Ogallala Aquifer
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15
Q

True or False: Species are going extinct at rates unsurpassed in the last 65 million years.

A

True

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16
Q

Experts have concluded that many of the changes are __________ and once they start, the processes of degradation will increase rapidly.

A

non-linear

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17
Q

What is the key variable affect our impact on the planetary life support system?

A

The number of people being supported.

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18
Q

What has risen sharply as the population has increased?

A
  • Energy Consumption
  • Pollution
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19
Q

What is the Total Fertility Rate?

A

Total number of children born.

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20
Q

What is the Replacement-Level Fertility?

A

The fertility rate that will sustain a population is TFR calculated as higher than 2.0.

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21
Q

What factors kept the population in check back 100,000 years ago?

A
  • Disease
  • Population Growth
  • Food supply growth
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22
Q

Population increased rapidly after 1600, why?

A

Due to increased food supply, better sources of power and better hygiene.

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23
Q

When did the global population reach 1 billion people?

A

1804

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24
Q

The most recent billion people on earth took only __ years.

A

12

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25
Q

About _____ billion of the world’s population live in developed countries.

A

1.25

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26
Q

What are the key factors under population age structure?

A
  • Birth rates/death rates
  • Population age structure
  • Countries with differing size
27
Q

Define Fertility Rate:

A

The number of children a woman has over her lifetime.

28
Q

What is the number of a stable population for Fertility Rates?

A

2.0

29
Q

What is DT?

A

Demographic Transition

30
Q

Define DT:

A

Transition from high birth and death rates to low rates.

31
Q

What are the four main phases of demographic transition between economic growth and population?

A
  1. High Equilibrium (High birth and death)
  2. High Expanding (High birth, low death)
  3. Low Expanding (Low birth and death)
  4. Low Equilibrium (Birth and Death Balance)
32
Q

The richest ___% are responsible for more than ___% of global consumption.

A

20, 75

33
Q

True or False: Canadians are among the top per capita consumers of energy in the world.

A

True

34
Q

What are the two main cause of stress on earths life support system?

A
  1. Overconsumption
  2. Overpopulation
35
Q

Humanity is driving most global ______________ processes.

A

biophysical

36
Q

What are the 2 planetary processes that are exceeding the safe operating zone?

A
  • Nitrogen Cycle
  • Biodiversity Loss
37
Q

Past civilizations have collapsed due to what four reasons?

A
  1. Not anticipating a problem
  2. Anticipating a problem but not its severity.
  3. Anticipating a problem but neglecting to address it
  4. Anticipating a problem, trying to address it but failing
38
Q

What are the three key global efforts to address these environmental problems?

A
  1. 1997 UN Kyoto Protocol
  2. 2000 UN Millenium Summit
  3. 1992 Earth Summit Rio de Janeiro
39
Q

True or False: UN Kyoto Protocol climate change goals not met by
Canada, in fact exceeded GHG emission goals by 29%.

A

True

40
Q

How many planets do we need to stay below the temperature threshold to sustain current carbon dioxide emission levels?

A

2 planets

41
Q

True or False: Emissions are unequally distributed spatially, with the wealthiest countries having the highest per capita and overall carbon footprints, despite lower population densities

A

True

42
Q

What is the major environmental challenges that the world faces today?

A

Climate Change

43
Q

What is the importance of the Montreal Protocol (1987)?

A

It is the only international agreement to have been approved by all UN member states and is one of the most successful international environmental agreements.

44
Q

What does the Montreal protocol highlight?

A

How multiple stakeholders were involved in the response to the old in the ozone layer.

45
Q

Who is authority and responsibility divided between in Canada?

A

Federal, Provincial, territorial and municipal governments

46
Q

Canada is involved in ____________ agreements with the US, and ____________ arrangements with other nations and international organizations.

A

bilateral and multilateral

47
Q

Control and ownership of Crown lands and natural resources is __________, except in the North.

A

provincial

48
Q

Legislative authority is shared by _____________ and ____________ governments.

A

federal and provincial

49
Q

When did provincial governments begin to download responsibilities onto municipalities to save costs?

A

1990

50
Q

Who is involved in Conservation Authorities?

A

Provincial-municipal partnerships

51
Q

What are three ways to create change on campus?

A
  • Environment-related courses
  • Efficiency energy & material use
  • Environmental clubs/activities
52
Q

What does Light Living mean?

A

It expresses the need to tread as lightly as possible, to minimize our own ecological footprints.

53
Q

What are the four R’s that are related to Light Living?

A
  • Refuse
  • Reduce
  • Reuse
  • Recycle
54
Q

What does the Refuse mean in Light Living?

A

Resist to buy anything that you do not easily need

55
Q

What does the Reduce mean in Light Living?

A

To reduce energy, lighting, transportation, food choices, water use and waste.

56
Q

What does the Reuse mean in Light Living?

A

Reuse items instead of looking to dispose immediately.

57
Q

What does the Recycle mean in Light Living?

A

Find a way to repurpose used items.

58
Q

What does the Law of Everybody mean?

A

Accumulated actions of many people make a difference.

59
Q

How does purchasing power influence?

A

Supporting certain businesses that make more environmentally conscious decisions.

60
Q

What are the two key was of measuring progress towards Sustainable Development?

A
  1. Ecological Footprints (EFP)
  2. DPSIR Living Planet Index
61
Q

What is an EFP?

A

Ecological Footprint; Pressure that humans place on nature in terms of supplying materials and disposing wastes.

62
Q

What are the DPSIR indicators?

A

Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response

63
Q

What are the three key environmental impacts from Canada?

A
  • High Consumption
  • High production & waste
  • GHG Production
64
Q

What is one of the main challenges with environmental problems in Canada?

A

To implement effective strategies to ensure that the Ecological Footprint falls below Bio-capacity.

GEOG-2204 - Human Impact on the Environment (2 decks)

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