FINAL Flashcards
Agricultural past vs present
Before: Steady state with stable environment, population, and wealth.
After: Increased population and wealth due to better food supply.
Industrial Revolution Impact:
energy sources and machines led to more population and wealth.
GDP consistently increased
Issues with Growth:
Economists support growth, even if harmful to the environment.
Continuous growth may be unsustainable, leading to societal collapse.
Sustainability Definition:
economic growth plus protecting the environment.
Eco-efficiency aims for resource efficiency and pollution reduction through technology.
Limits to Tech Solutions:
Energy and material efficiency have limits.
No industrial process is impact-free.
can’t solve sustainability.
Sustainable changes need political and ideological factors.
Challenges of Efficiency:
gains not keeping up with growth= environmental impact
Continuous growth, even with efficiency, challenges sustainability.
Unsustainability of Industry:
85% of energy from non-renewables.
Raw materials are non-renewable, and industry generates too much waste.
Impact on Agriculture:
Industrialization made agriculture energy-inefficient.
Modern agriculture, reliant on fossil fuels, is unsustainable.
Conditions for Sustainability:
Energy from renewables.
Materials from renewable sources, recycling.
Waste discharge sustainable for the environment.
Challenges to Sustainability:
Environmental impacts of large-scale renewable energy.
Switching to renewables at current rates is damaging.
Recycling non-renewables is inefficient.
Alternatives in Renewables:
Biomass has land use and environmental issues.
Hydroelectricity has limited sites, solar and wind face land and public resistance.
Challenges to Growth:
Rapid resource use and pollution.
Limited resources and waste capacity.
Slow political responses to environmental limits.
Shifting Perspectives in Canada:
in the 19th-century European settlers in Canada transitioned from simply taking resources to carefully managing them for their own farms.
Water became vital for mining, agriculture, and industry in western British North America.
Formation of Water Rights:
The rules about land and water rights were crucial during the colonial period in Canada
Water rights shaped by input from lawyers, judges, elders, anthropologists, and historians.
Revision of Native History:
Old narratives portrayed Natives as victims with limited agency.
emphasize interdependency, contesting victim narratives.
Colonial Ideals and Indigenous Views:
Christianity shaped European colonial perspectives on how indigenous lands should be utilized.
Indigenous land use deemed “inefficient” in industrial terms.
Complexity of Indigenous Water Rights:
Indigenous water rights face challenges due to conflicts between federal and provincial governments, disputes over water use, and interactions with settlers. Complicated water use for everyone
Matsui recommends examining case studies for a better understanding.
Case Study: The Stoney Nakoda
Traditional Stoney Nakoda territories focused on animal grazing and hunting.
Stoney Nakoda had a say in water rights due to undefined hydroelectric technology.
Hydroelectric Development Challenges:
Late 19th-century innovations enabled hydroelectric power.
Development locations differed in the US and Canada; confusion around water use laws.
Case Study: The Horseshoe Falls Development
Initial surveys at Horseshoe Falls disregarded indigenous groups.
Stoney Nakoda negotiated for fair compensation, facing delays and changes.
Case Study: Kananaskis Falls
Calgary Power attempted to build on Stoney Nakoda land without permission.
Negotiations involved land demands, payments, and water rental rights.
Case Study: The Ghost Development
Dominion Water Power Act (1919) gave federal control over water power.
Stoney Nakoda negotiated a deal for land and rights, facing administrative delays.
Conclusion: Stoney Nakoda’s Situation
Stoney Nakoda faced challenges but had a say in negotiations.
Using riparian rights language set a precedent for indigenous ownership.
The government acknowledged the importance of hydropower, leading to its development on reserves.
Matsui emphasized active participation, not just accepting things..
Agricultural Advances:
Tractors replaced horses, boosting crop growth.
Electrification enhanced efficiency in the 1930s.
Crossbreeding led to resilient plants but raised biodiversity concerns.
Pesticide Overview:
Global use: 2.5 million tons, $20 billion.
Despite pesticides, 37% crop loss persists.
Pesticide use spiked tenfold from 1945-1989.
Pesticide Costs: Human Health:
1 million poisonings, 20,000 deaths yearly.
Developing countries face higher risks.
Chronic effects uncertain but significant.
Pesticide Costs: Non-Pest Impact:
Harm to non-target species and ecosystems.
Bees vulnerable, impacting pollination.
Soil harm affecting crop rotation.
Pesticide Resistance:
Insects develop immunity, spreading resistance.
potential for increased transmission of infectious diseases through organisms
Other Contamination:
Pesticides linger, leech into water.
Soil erosion harms aquatic life.
Millions of fish and bird deaths.
Costs & Controls of pesticides:
Regulatory costs: hundreds of millions.
Pesticides save $16 billion but incur $8 billion in indirect costs.
Industry costs: $3 billion; $5 billion in public health costs.
Suggested solution: reduce pesticide use, balance with natural control.
Critical Considerations about pesticides:
Nature control can lead to unintended consequences.
Holistic approach needed for health and environmental impact.
Biodiversity loss weakens crops; farming practices need reevaluation.
Alligator Basics:
Features: Heavy, armored, strong jaws.
Historical hunting: Ancient and widespread.
Valuable parts: Meat, skin, skeletons, teeth, and fat.
Conservation Steps:
State-regulated hunting rules.
Conservation methods: Size limits, closed seasons, bans, protected areas.
Criminalization for conservation.
Alligator Products:
Parts used: Meat, skin, skeletons, teeth, and fat.
Economic impact in different states.
Historical references, increased demand, and rising prices.
Legal Limits and Views of alligators:
Labeling as “poaching.”
State sees alligator as both a creature and a commodity.
Conservation linked to profit; sustainability means profitability.
1930s Conservation Shifts:
1930s regulations due to misfit categorization.
Swamp reclamation for industry.
Conservation linked to tourism, not health.
Population decline from reclamation.
Enforcement Challenges:
Game wardens as enforcers.
Few arrests and prosecutions.
Criminalization changes hunters’ self-image.
Evasion tactics: night hunting, camouflaged boats, hiding traces.
Hunter Response to Laws:
Secretive practices to avoid issues.
Territorial changes and opportunistic law use.
Exploiting regional differences and “poaching.”
Population Rebound:
Alligator populations recover after endangered classification.
Alligators as Common Property:
Alligators seen as common property.
Poaching as trespass.
State focuses on preservation for tourism, contributing to population rise.
Chlorinated Compounds:
Lack noticeable characteristics (smoke, smog, taste, odor).
Used in degreasers and CFC refrigerants.
Delayed health consequences (e.g., cancer).
Environmental Delay:
Delayed action due to scientific uncertainties.
Lack of consensus on contaminant pathways.
No accepted measurement modes.
Biomedical effects on public health unclear.
Groundwater Discovery:
1981: U.S. groundwater contamination national issue.
Factors causing delayed detection:
Shop floor problem.
Hydrologists unable to test.
Lack of scientific models.
Reduced inquiry into contamination science..
Other Compounds:
Identification: DDT, CFCs found.
Links: CFCs tied to ozone.
Action: Delayed response.
Degreasing Process:
Necessary for various industrial processes.
Vapor degreasing method explained.
1930s: Growth with automobile industry.
Environmental legislation in 1960s for solvent emissions.
6. Chlorinated Compound Detection:
Compound Detection:
Identification in groundwater since 1945.
Pesticide pollution recognized in 1980s.
1970s laws on allowable amounts in drinking water.
Safe Drinking Water Act and widespread testing.
Environmental Impact:
1970s: Industry advised to dump chlorinated compounds.
1980s: Environmental tests find hydrocarbon ‘plumes.’
Computer models developed in Germany for trapped solvents.
“Migration, trapping, and dissolution” understood in the 1980s.
Small-Bore IC Engines:
Applications: Snowmobiles, motorcycles, ATV’s, motorboats, leaf blowers, lawnmowers.
Types: Two-stroke and four-stroke.
Pollution: Two-stroke emits more pollutants.
Issues: Air and noise pollution.
Snowmobile Evolution:
Early Use: Late 19th century, tracked sleds.
Popularization: Ski steering design in the 1970s.
Brand Impact: Bombardier’s Ski-Doo.
Diversification: Development of ATV’s and all-track vehicle
Snowmobile Impact:
Usage: Recreational, emergency, commercial, law enforcement.
Economic Impact: $875 million (2002-2003) in New York State alone.
Users: 2.6 million worldwide.
Concerns: Overhunting, environmental damage, disruption to native communities.
Environmental Impacts:
Issues: Noise, pollution, soil damage, plant and animal disruption.
Areas Affected: Pristine environments, national parks like Yellowstone.
Contradictions: Need for emergency services vs. environmental concerns.
Deaths and Injuries: 110 deaths, 13,400 ER visits per year.
Societal and Regulatory Influences:
Lobbying: Industry and consumer groups.
Regulation Resistance: Fears for manufacturing jobs.
User Resistance: Advocacy for self-regulation.
Influence: Impact on regulations and policies.
Tension and Contrasts:
Tension: Demand for recreation vs. environmental impact.
Contrast: Freedom of movement vs. environmental damage.
Snowmobile Clubs: Promoting responsible use.
Government Involvement: Influenced by lobby groups.
Snowmobile Facts:
Sales: 150,000 to 260,000 per year.
User Spending: $4000 yearly.
Trail Access: 230,000 miles of groomed trails.
Average Distance Ridden: 990 miles per year.
Automobile’s Impact:
Pervasiveness:
Millions owned.
Thousands produced regularly.
Integration:
Used for various life activities.
Symbol of freedom and prosperity.
Automobile Restrictions:
Licensing and Cost:
Licensing requirements.
Operational costs.
Cultural Significance:
Indicator of adulthood.
Problem with Automobiles:
Pollution Source:
Internal combustion engines.
Greenhouse gas emissions.
Dilemma:
Individual actions contribute.
Difficulty in convincing individuals to change.
Solutions:
Technological:
Hybrid cars.
Electric cars.
Social:
Carpooling.
Public transit.
History of Electric Cars:
Competition Dynamics:
Electric vs. gas & steam cars.
Early Presence:
Electric cars in the 19th century.
Decline Factors:
Internal combustion cars gained dominance.
Consumer expectations of improvements.
Competition with Horses:
Advantages Over Horses:
Faster and versatile.
Worked in various conditions.
Postwar Outcome:
Cars won competition against horses.
Steam Cars:
Lighter design.
Flexible fuel options.
Unreliable and dangerous.
Electric Cars:
More flexibility.
Easy to stop & restart.
Limited by charging technology.
Internal Combustion Cars:
Initially less reliable but lighter.
Higher speeds.
Less prone to breakdowns.
Gasoline as a Fuel:
Scientific Advancements:
Improvements in gasoline quality.
Chemical Process:
Cracking petroleum for lighter fuels.
Advantages:
Gasoline became a cheap, plentiful, and efficient fuel.
Rise of Internal Combustion:
Market Dominance:
By 1914, 1.5M internal combustion vs. 35,000 electric cars.
Infrastructure Investment:
Roads, fuel, repair facilities, parking lots, traffic police, courts, insurance.
Postwar Impact:
Increased demand and production.
Oil price shocks led to improvements.
Challenges:
Rising car-related deaths and injuries.
Shift to Manufacturing:
18th-century transition from craft to manufacturing.
Science’s role in industrial development.
why did Capitalists invest in science at universities and R+D laboratories
Goal was profit and increased efficiency
Started with chemistry and physics
Downside of R+D laboratories
Long and Expensive, requires excess capital: Traditional manufacturing profits
Financial speculation
Industrial consolidation (vertical integration)
what happened to family-owned industries
Gone, large corporate organizations appeared due to
1920s: 500+ mergers in chemical and electrical industries
and Small number of large companies emerged as dominant
Noble’s Analysis:
Late 19th/early 20th century advantages from science.
Capitalist investment in university R+D for profit.
Emergence of large corporations and mergers.
Chemical Industry in the US:
industrial revolution high demand met by batch production and artificial substances
Chemical were in high demand
Dyes
Popular in textile and printing industries
Before WWI, german companies dominated chemical dye market
Due to initial lead, production at low cost, university science R+D network and ownership of patents
Germany and USA’s relationship
German patents put national trust in US and sold to individual companies to develop processes in US
Tariff barriers put up protect domestic industry
US industry developed different processes
Electrolytic process
Used to produce salts, soda, chlorine and bromine
Reciprocal Relationship:
Science providing processes, reinforcing monopolies.
Shift in scientific research towards industry applications.
Corporate influence on educational curriculum.
Electrical Industry:
Dominated by few large companies in the early 20th century.
Model for modern science-based industry.
Impact on power generation, lighting, transportation, and communications.
Patents and Innovation:
Importance of patents in the scientific industry.
Patent aggression, mergers, and their role in company dominance.
The role of mergers in obtaining enough patents for control.
Patent pooling for cost-sharing.
Vertical Integration:
Definition: Supplier merging with the user.
Reducing transaction costs and guaranteeing supply.
Examples in the chemical industry.
Integration with raw material producers.
GDP
Gross Domestic Product, the total market value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given year, has increased consistently since the late 1800s
