Chapter 5 & 6 Flashcards
Resources
anything that we get from the living or nonliving environment to meet our needs and wants
Resource in Human Terms
- Perpetual=inexhaustible
- nonrenewable=finite supply
- potentially renewable=can be renewed by natural processes
Natural Growth
below renewal capacity (use at a rate that can be sustained)
Maintenance
at renewal capacity (maintain levels consistently)
Decline
Above renewal capacity
Alteration
change in composition (used to be one species then planted another)
Pollution
threatens health (byproduct of changing matter into another form of matter)
Economic Systems for Resources
- Private Enterprise
- Socialism
- Commons
- Philanthropy
Private Enterprise
one company making money
-Used by- individual
Proceeds to- individual
Socialism
tribal culture group always vested in the resources
Used by- group
Proceeds to- group
Commons
group uses but 1 individual gets money
Used by- group
Proceeds go to- individual
Philanthropy
ex) Bill Gates
Used by- individual
Proceeds to- group
Philosophy
pursuit of wisdom
- most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes or an individual or gorup
- sets the stage for best practives and problem-solving in Environmental Science
To improve resource and Enviro management
- Use science to inform decision making (*not economics, politics, or relationships)
- Use management decisions to reflect what are accepted and best planning and management approaches.
Worldviews
sets of commonly shared values, ideas, and images concerning the nature of reality and the role of humanity within it
Ecocentric perspective
natural order exists on earth; balance is disrupted by humans
Technocentric perspective
humans can understand,, control, and manipulate nature to meet our needs and wants
Leopold’s Land Ethic
- nature valued without consumption
- each of us is a steward
- impacts of today’s environment will affect future generations
Challenges in Resource and Enviro Management
developing more effective ways to integrate high quality, objective scientific and technical assessment with key decision needs
Two Approaches to problem solving
1) Standardized approach- treat every tregion the same
2. Custom designed solutions- design management that addresses specific conditions of a place and time (may be criticized for playing favourites)
- every area is unique and has its own challenges that needs individual attention
Muir
Preservationist- quasi religious
- need nature to enhance spiritual needs
- stop humans from going in, limit access
Leopold
-ecological/evolutionary land ethic
management of Banff Springs snail
Pinchot-
resource conservationland ethic, wide use *anthropocentric) utilitarian (human use)
-takes resources out of environment
Rio Summet 1992
- resource management is multi-jurisdictional (federal, provincial, municipal)
- can have conflicting legal mandates and interests
- ex) provincial=fishing license, federal= fisheries and oceans, municipal pay water bills to
Alteration
change the original composition of a natural area ex) mixed forest cut down to create a mono culture
-huge implications to species that live there
Cultural Aspects of Wise Management and Resources # 1 and 2
- Preoccupation of government with debt and deficit reduction
- significant reduction of spending on enviro when gov. is in debt
- good economy= care about enviro
- recession= don’t care - Many national and provincial governments have… a) downloaded responsibilities for enviro services to lower levels of gov (lack of resources there)
b) commercializing enviro services (back country fees, campground fee etc.) c) privatization (business)
Why do municipal govs. not succeed with enviro management?
too high a workload
no budget
no one trained in natural resource management
Principle of Subsidiarity
allocating responsibility to levels of gov. closest to where the services are used or received. Similar to downloading. More cost effective but sometimes not the best way.
- ppl closer are more invested
- change is local
- know how to manage better
Principle of efficiency
providing services at least cost
-is cheapest thing always the best
Cultural Aspects of Wise Management and Resources #3
Governments favouring less government intervention and more reliance of private sector and market to deliver products and services (globalization, business model)
-organizations use business plans (cost/benefit analysis) problem=can’t value everything ex) polar bear?
Cultural Aspects of Wise Management and Resources #4
Governments have been backing away from concern for or commitment to enviro issues in favour of economic growth
- after kyoto Canada went up 20% and pulled out (many Countries met their goals)
- 13 pieces of enviro legislation changed to facilitate economic growth
Sustainable societies
- attention needs to be given to meeting basic human needs
- realizing equality and justice
- protecting ecological integrity
- attaining self-empowerment
- integrating economy and enviro
- keeping options open
Pacific Yew
Plant in BC take all the extra stuff and burn it and discovered this is a cure for ovarian cancer…
Sustainable development
meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.
Need to Balance
1) enviro
2) economic
3) social
- not always same balance economics usually seen as most important
science
systematic attempt to understand the universe
-often need to do experiements
Misunderstandings about science
science is not value free
-we fund what we find important and this changes all teh time
Science and critical thinking
- many competing views and claims about enviro so which ones do we believe?
- won’t get funding if you mention climate change in a grant proposal
Reductionism
- examining increasingly lower levels or organization
- search for hidden structure, unifying force, component
- break into small groups/particles and look at them that way
Holism
- focus on the interrelationships of organisms themselves in context of time and space
- ecosystem perspective (in order to understand the whole you must understand the parts)
World View Analysis
Core values- relationship with nature, values of nature
-children need a relationship with nature in order to want to protect it
Guiding Principles- economy, society, role of nature, knowledge
Environmental Values
=relative worth or merit
Utilitarian
direct economic benefits (how much can we make off of the resource)
Ecological
specific functions necessary for persistence of life (Leopold)
Aesthetic
beauty, profound human importance (muir)
Moral
right to exist, separate from humans
What influences our perspectives?
societal norms in culture, religion, education, political affiliation
Sustainable Livlihoods
creating diverse opportunities efficiently and sufficiently relative to basic needs (-social equity, sensitivity with regards to enviro integrity
- who gets what resources based on values
- always put humans back into the equation
- programs in place where people learn how to grow their own food.
What is the major cause and effect of global enviro problems?
Poverty
Enviro Justice
advocates policies of ecologically and economically appropriate development eg) pollution prevention, pollution control) Acid rain & montreal protocol, Obama pushing climate change initiative, protected parks, wind power (bats flying too close, humans sleep, bird migration patterns)
Moral rights issue
a safe and healthy enviro should be a right not a privilege
Ecosystem Approaches
- whole system (humans too)
- interrelationships
- dynamic nature of ecosystem
- limits to human activity (carrying capacity, resilience, sustainability)
- rural and urban
- natural geographic units
National Parks are based on…
ecosystems
Adaptive Enviro Management
Policies are experiments- LEARN FROM THEM
- predict what you expect
- collect and analyze data and compare predictions with reality
- correct errors, improve plants
- make a policy and treat it like an experiment
- based on precautionary principle
Enviro Impact Assessment
- identifies and predicts impacts of a proposed project on enviro and human health and well-being
- bats considered with windmill applications
Key Federal EIA legislation
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012
Precautionary Principle
to protect the enviro when there are serious risks error on the side of caution
- EIA assessments
ex) build bridge over a highway to avoid influencing genetic diversity of animals
EIA- what is assessed?
projects- designated project (federal), mandatory project (provincial)
- minister’s discretion
- specified requirements
- assessing things with significance/huge enviro affects (ex- coal/nuclear plants)
When should EIA be done?
Early in the process before the baco hits the ground, with a proposal we do an EIA, tools based on policy & legislation that help you manage the enviro
What is the significance?
Depends on the resources affected, the project, and the location
