Lecture 3

Question 1

Define the malthusian catastrophe

Answer 1

• Thomas Malthus 1798

• Human population grows exponentially (i.e. doubling with each cycle)
• Food production grows at arithmetic rate
• Control of pop by later marriages only when man can sustain the family (strongly opposed to birth control)
• Danger of having illegitimate birth but he considered it was smaller problem than continuing rapid growth of pop.

• Malthusian Economy
- Birth rate increases with income
- Death rate decreases with income
Income decreases with pop

Question 2

Define the industrial revolution

Answer 2

• Late 1700s –> early 1800’s i.e. James Watt
• Use of coal, gas and oil => rise of pollution
• Demographic revolution

Question 3

Define the Alkali Act

Answer 3

• 1863 Leblanc process - sodium chloride

* Alkali Inspectors - George E.Davis

Question 4

Define the environmental movement

Answer 4

• Carson - Silent Spring = industrialisation of agriculture
• Ehrlich - Population Bomb = population control
• Meadows - Limits to Growth = World3model

• I = PAT    
- I - environmental impact 
- P - population
- A - affluence
T - impact of productive technology

Question 5

Describe the world3model

Answer 5

Population

• pollution
• capital investments
• agriculture
• natural resources

Question 6

Define UN involvement 1972

Answer 6

· Stockholm UN Conference on human environment (1972)

• 113 countries => introduced environmental concerns into politics
• Stockholm Declaration = 26 principles, UNEP created (1973), international environmental law development

Question 7

Define UN involvement 1983

Answer 7

• UN World Commission on Env. And Development (1983)

• Chaired by Brundtland => developed concept of sustainable development
• Sustainable development = meets needs of present without compromising ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 8

Define UN involvement 1992

Answer 8

• UN World Conference on Env. And Development (1992): Earth Summit
172 countries => outcomes - Agenda 21, Rio Declaration, Forest management principles, biological diversity convention, climate change framework convention

Question 9

Describe 2 of the (UN involvement) Earth Summit 1992 outcomes

Answer 9

• Rio Declaration on Env. And Development

• 27 sustainable development principles e.g. environmental bill of rights, polluter pays principle
• Not legally binding

• Agenda 21
- 178 countries => voluntary (not legally binding) action plan for realising sustainable development:
Social and economic dimensions ,
major group role strengthening, implementation means, conservation and management of development resources

Question 10

Define the Kyoto Protocol (UN Involvement)

Answer 10

• Limit on greenhouse gas emissions (1990 levels) i.e. CO2,CH4,N2O
• Mechanisms: emissions trading, clean development mechanism, joint implementation
  monitoring emission targets i.e. US -7%

Question 11

Timeline of UN involvement

Answer 11

• 2000 = UN millennium declaration - Millenium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015 i.e. women equality, eradication of extreme poverty
• 2002 = Sustainable Development world summit (SA)
• 2012 = Rio+20 - reaffirmed commitment to previous agreements