Midterms - Policies

Question 1

What does economy require?

Answer 1

Material and Energy?

Question 2

What is the old model of economy relating to environment?

Answer 2

Material and Energy (from environment) –> Economic Activity –> Product + Waste; Waste goes into environment

Question 3

What is the new model of economy relating to environment of “closing the loop”?

Answer 3

Material and Energy (from environment) –> Economic Activity –> Product + Waste; Waste is used again as material instead of going back to environment; + sustainability.

Question 4

Why have societies ignored waste-to-resource loop (2)?

Answer 4

Cheaper to use crude materials, and resources considered limitless.

Question 5

What did the US do to illustrate the idea of environment as an infinite sink? (2 instances; places, specifically?) How is it biting us back in the ass?

Answer 5

1951 - 1962: >34 K containers of radioactive waste dumped by coast of SF @ Farollone Island.
1946 - 1970: >55K containers @ Pacific
Metal containers being eroded by salt water.

Question 6

In which 2 ways do economic activity seriously effect environment?

Answer 6

1. Resource utilization

2. Waste GEneration

Question 7

With the closed loop system, economy will be…

Answer 7

Constrained.

Question 8

What can change constrained nature of waste reusing?

Answer 8

Valorization– making waste more expensive than before with chemical processes.

Question 9

What did the Brundtland Report say? When was this written?

Answer 9

1987: Population growth ∆ what we can afford from environment, and that population is growing too fast compared to technology we have to draw resources.

Question 10

What is Sustainable Development? What document defined this?

Answer 10

Meets need of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet own needs; Brundtland’s Report

Question 11

What is Nach Equilibrium?

Answer 11

Set of strategies with the property that no player can benefit from ∆ing their strategy while others keep their own strategies.

Question 12

What 3 factors do complete views of sustainability include?

Answer 12

1. Economy
2. Environment
3. Society

Question 13

What is the Triple Bottom Line?

Answer 13

Framework by which policies can be made by individuals, gov’t and corporations.

Question 14

What is the 3-Level Model? What does it hinge on?

Answer 14

Hinges on transport of effect from local to regional to global levels.

Question 15

What are the 4 progressions of industry efforts?

Answer 15

1. End of Pipe Treatment
2. Pollution Prevention
3. Design for Environment
4. Sustainable Development

Question 16

What does End of Pipe Treatment entail?

Answer 16

No ∆ in manufacturing, rather fixing what gets in environment.

Question 17

What does Pollution Prevention entail?

Answer 17

No ∆ in manufacturing; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Question 18

What does Design for Environment entail? What is “Full Cost Accounting”?

Answer 18

FIRST LARGE-SCALE ∆ in manufacturing process; Proactive; Extended product responsibility. “Full Cost Accounting” accounts for non-monetary cost.

Question 19

What does Sustainable Development entail? How is it different from Design for Environment?

Answer 19

Triple Bottom Line. Societal issues/ideological changes come into play.

Question 20

What did UN Conference on Environment and Development agree on? Where was it and when?

Answer 20

1992, Rio. Improve scientific understanding and technological knowledge by sharing.

Question 21

What did Rio + 20 conference agree on? What document was signed? Why was it problematic?

Answer 21

“The Future We Want” stresses need to incorporate science into policy, and “recognized” importance of “voluntary” commitment for sustainable development.

Question 22

What are Indicators of Sustainable Development? Why is it important? What does it include?

Answer 22

First benchmark & concrete document, more than recognition. Sustainability is based on Economic, Environmental, and Societal Sustainability.

Question 23

UN Millenium Summit Declaration decided on two dates. What were they? Did it work?

Answer 23

189 nations promised to reduce poverty by 2015, with mind on environmental sustainability. 2010 deadline for significant decrease in rate of biodiversity loss. Didn’t work.