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Geography > Global Systems > Flashcards

Global Systems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a Global System?

A

To understand complex issues and distant connections, need tools: space, place, scale, and time.

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2
Q

What is the spatial scale?

A
  • Dividing space into larger and smaller units
  • Global, national, regional, local, household, the body.. and more
  • these levels are not rigid, fixed, or natural
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3
Q

What did Edward Soja call the spatial scale?

A

A ‘hierarchy of nested locales’

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4
Q

What is the temporal scale?

A
  • dividing time into larger and smaller units
  • long- and short term connections
  • time usually seen as linear in Western culture
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5
Q

What is the significance of spatial and temporal scales in geography?

A

Help divide space and time into smaller units, affecting how problems and solutions are interpreted

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6
Q

What is time-space compression?

A

David Harvey describes it as: technology “shrinks” the world

  • rapid travel and communication let people and goods move farther, faster
  • physical distance becomes less relevant
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7
Q

Define Planetary boundaries.

A

Concept of a “safe operating space for humanity” with respect to biological limits

  • according to scientists, we are already outside the “safe space” in 6 of 9 areas assessed
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8
Q

What is telecoupling?

A

Distant impacts of local actions or events.

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9
Q

Give an example of telecoupling.

A

Local greenhouse gas emissions (from cars and industry in London) contribute to climate change globally, with concentrated local impacts in other places (the Arctic, small island states)

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10
Q

What is the Brundtland Commission’s definition of sustainable development?

A

Meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

Focus on inter-generational equity
- intra = within
- inter = between

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11
Q

What does “just sustainability” emphasize?

A

Social equity and inclusion, arguing that societies with more equality have stronger environmental protections and stressing the intersection of race, class, and environmental issues.

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12
Q

What are the three pillars of sustainable development?

A
  • economic development
  • social equity
  • environmental protection
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13
Q

How is environmental justice defined?

A
  • unequal exposure to environmental risks along lines of race and class

e.g.
- Aamjiwnaang First Nation exposed to pollution from Sarnia refineries
- environmental racism

  • focus on intra-generational equity
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14
Q

What is “just sustainability”?

A

the need to ensure better quality of life for all, now and into the future, in a just and equitable manner, whilst living within the limits of supporting the ecosystems

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15
Q

What’s the critique of sustainable development?

A

often ‘development’ is interpreted as economic growth

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16
Q

How does sustainability differ from sustainable development?

A

Sustainability puts a focus on equity and environment

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17
Q

What is the doughnut model?

A

adds social ‘floor’ to the planetary boundaries framework’s ecological ‘ceiling’

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18
Q

What does Kate Raworth say about growth?

A
  • It’s a phase; nothing in nature grows forever
  • if something tries to grow endlessly within a healthy system, it threatens the whole
  • we need economies that thrive without growing
19
Q

Is any country within the doughnut?

A

no

20
Q

What is IPAT?

A

Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology

21
Q

What is Impact of IPAT?

A

Impact: human impact on the environment

22
Q

What is Population of IPAT?

A

Population: number of people

23
Q

What is Affluence of IPAT?

A

Affluence: consumption per person

24
Q

What is Technology of IPAT?

A

Technology: resource intensity of production

25
Q

Why has global population grown so fast?

A

Death rates falling due to:
- advances in agriculture + transport made food supplies more reliable
- advances in public health + medicine reduced deaths from disease
- other technologies (e.g electricity, fossil fuels) helped human survival in various ways

26
Q

Why is the population growth rate now slowing?

A

Birth rates falling:
- widely accessible
- empowerment of women in society (including education, engagement in work force)
- increased incomes
- better health services in general
- in some cases, state policies

27
Q

What was the theory of population growth from Thomas Malthus?

A
  • population size is limited by available resources
  • if population overshoots carrying capacity, a crisis will cause it to fall (famine, disease, conflict)
  • predictions of ecological catastrophe
28
Q

What was the theory of population growth from Ester Boserup?

A
  • as population grows, innovation increases
  • new agricultural methods will increase food production to meet demand
  • technological optimism
29
Q

What if we assumed environmental impact only depended on population?

A
  • most population growth occurring in parts of the Global South where birth rates remain higher than elsewhere
  • blame for environmental impact would be directed to poor people (espc women) for having “too many” babies

-blame global south

30
Q

What is Affluence

A
  • Consumption per person
  • Income or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person are common proxies for affluence
31
Q

What does higher consumption mean?

A

using more energy, materials, food

  • producing more emissions and waste
32
Q

What is ecological footprint?

A

method for calculating how much land area is required to support a given way of living

33
Q

What if we assumed environmental impact only depended on affluence?

A
  • incomes and consumption levels are highest in industrialized countries
  • blame for environmental impact directed at rich people (relative to global avg) for using “too many” resources
  • blame global north
34
Q

How does technology impact resource extraction?

A

Enable faster, more extensive resource extraction

  • forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining, oil and gas
  • remove larger quantities of renewable resources
  • harvest resources in more difficult locations
35
Q

How does technology impact consumer products?

A

Can produce more and cheaper consumer products

  • automobiles, electronics, cheap disposable items, appliances for every occasion
36
Q

What does time-space compression enable?

A

consumption

37
Q

How does time-space compression enable consumption?

A
  • faster transportation allow goods to reach more, and more distant, markets
  • production can move where labour is cheapest
  • lower prices means people can buy more stuff
  • raw material use has increased by 70% annually since 2000
38
Q

What can technology contribute to?

A
  • energy efficiency
  • advances in medicine and public health
  • increasing food yields and reducing losses
  • spreading education and knowledge
39
Q

Technology affects what that affects environmental impact?

A

the intensity of resource use

  • can increase or decrease resource intenisty – depends
40
Q

Population, consumption and technology all contribute to _______ impact.

A

Environmental

41
Q

What role does governance play in population management?

A
  • invest in health and education
  • promote women’s empowerment (parental leave; accessible childcare)
42
Q

How can governance address affluence-related issues?

A

Adopt policies that redistribute wealth
- higher taxes on higher earners; inheritance tax

43
Q

What regulations can governance apply to technology?

A

place regulations on industries
- pollution limits with mandatory reporting
- emission standards for vehicles
- environmental impact assessment

44
Q

What does IPAT imply on culture?

A

IPAT implies that everyone makes consumption choices with similar degree of environmental impact.

  • NOT TRUE
  • huge variation in values and ways of living

Geography (10 decks)

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