lecture 3- sustainability Flashcards
System=
a set of things working together, part of a mechanism
simple system example
electrical circuit
complex system
lots of inputs and outputs, uncertain, won’t get the same output for every input
Examples of systems
Biological= digestive, immune…
Societal= family, cultural…
Political= government, provincial…
Economic= banking, currency, trade…
Environmental= hydrological, ecological
Systems theory
- different systems cross paths
- how systems overlap, how they can be brought together
- what is the role of a particular system?
2 Earth systems categories
- Abiotic: non living
- Biotic: living/organisms
There are 4 interconnected Earth systems
- atmosphere
- hydrosphere
- lithosphere
- biosphere
Origins of geographic terms
- come from specific countries and the term has been used worldwide
Fjord= Scandinavian word “lake like”
Ecosystem
- interaction of biotic (flora and fauna) and abiotic (ocean, land, air) systems
-ecology= macro scale
Biomes
= large scale ecosystems
Warmer at the equator
Weather
a condition that is happening at a specific place at a specific time
Climate
the statistical observations over a long period of time, average temperatures, based on previous data, expected temperate
Environmental determinism
Climate is influenced by geography (mountains etc.) which affects people
What influences climate?
Geography!
(environmental determinism)
Latitude (distance from equator),
Elevation (higher up= colder),
Proximity to ocean (wind, currents, precipitation)
Climate change
- increase in 1.5 degrees Celsius during the past century
- increase in severe weather events and associated risks
- change in food supply
- increase in migration
Sea level rise
- global average sea level has risen 8-9 inches since 1880
2 main causes of sea level rise
- Ice sheets are melting
- Ocean is expanding as water warms (becomes less dense)
Social and ecological systems theory
-dualism: separation of two concepts
-humans are part of nature, not separate
-our practices influence the environment, and the environment influences us
Sustainability
= meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations
–> human and environmental!!!
The sustainability doughnut
Inner ring= what people need for a decent life
–> if not, they fall through the middle hole
Outer ring= ecological boundaries
ex. overfishing
