Lecture 1 (Grand Challenges)

Question 1

What 4 things are grand challenges?

Answer 1

1. Challenging (hard yet doable)
2. Wide reaching (outcome potentially effecting millions)
3. Interdisciplinary (consists of well-defined metrics)
4. Cause an impact (capture popular imagination)

Question 2

Anthropogenic era

Answer 2

Period in which human activity has been the most dominant influence on climate and environment

Question 3

Women who issued a call for innovative interdisciplinary approaches to confronting major environmental challenges

Answer 3

Elinor Ostrom (1933-2012)
 - won Nobel memorial prize for economics in 2009

Question 4

The 6 ways in which we can meet societies needs in the future in terms of environmental change;

Answer 4

1. Science and technology advancement
2. Change human behaviour advancement
3. Influence political agendas
4. Meeting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
5. Improved health and human security
6. Energy security

Question 5

Name 3 global environmental change research programmes;

Answer 5

• IGBP (international geosphere-biosphere programme)
• WCRP (World climate research programme)
• IHDP (International human dimensions programme)

Question 6

What are the big 5 grand challenges ? (Reid et. al. 2010)

Answer 6

1. Forecasting
2. Observing
3. Confining
4. Responding
5. Innovating

Question 7

The new 10 year international research initiative, which plans on developing the knowledge for responding effectively to the risks and opportunities of global environmental change and supporting each other to achieve global sustainability;

Answer 7

FUTURE EARTH

PEGASuS - to promote innovation and bring researches across different disciplines together

Question 8

Explain what is meant with the saying from “great divergence” to “great convergence” ?
(Martin Wolf, 2012, Living with Limits)

Answer 8

The industrial revolution of the 19th century saw an increase in output per head in western countries and also saw in a revolution in energy, ideas and institutions. This advancement didn’t take place in eastern countries causing a massive living standard difference. However, in 1978 iT came to china and other eastern countries started developing and experiencing revolutions causing the “great convergence”.

Question 9

Why did the “energy revolution” take place in western countries (3 reasons) ?

Answer 9

1. Superior culture of western countries
2. Coal and iron
3. Predatory imperialism

Question 10

the Malthusian hypothesis

approved or disproved?

Answer 10

Malthusianism is the idea that population growth is potentially exponential while the growth of the food supply is linear.
disproved

Question 11

Who argues that energy demand could rise by another 50% as early as 2035?

Answer 11

the international energy agency

Question 12

What % of global CO2 emissions are generated by developing countries ?

Answer 12

55%

Question 13

what is the biggest intractable challenge and what three reasons are given to why high income countries should be responsible ?è

Answer 13

equity

1. They created the current problem
2. Emit far more than low-income countries
3. They can afford it