Part 2 Flashcards
Name the ways in which society is interested in the environment?
Aesthetic, natural resources, waste management, regulation, knowledge and health/well-being.
What is a discourse?
A way of representing a particular kind of knowledge about a topic.
How can the media help us to understand our landscape?
The media as a lens - what is news-worthy is rarely objective.
The media as a mirror - we seek out information which agrees with our own beliefs.
The media as noise - media is increasingly consumed through online platforms which is more temporal.
What was the result of the agricultural revolution?
It marked a shift in the way we interact with the environment. It allowed foragers to develop food surpluses, which in turn allowed a sedentary human civilization and a rise in social stratification.
What happened in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd industrial revolutions?
1st industrial revolution 1800s: rise of coal power, improved health and population growth, and a manufacturing boom,
2nd industrial revolution 1900s: development of energy networks, fertilizer and globalisation.
3rd industrial revolution 2000s: mass production of transistors, computers and the rise of renewables.
How much of UK land is farmland?
56.7%
What does the environmental Kuznets curve show?
It relates economic development to pollution.
What is rational economic man?
Economists make assumptions about agents’ behaviour, that they are driven by self-interest, make rational choices and are perfectly knowledgeable.
What are externalities?
Spillover effect where the actions of producers or consumers affect other actors than themselves.
What is the definition of market failure?
A situation where the allocation of goods and services is not efficient e.g. where there’s no competition, externalities or imperfect information, or where there are interests to protect.
What does an energy democracy look like?
- Having the power to produce energy (moving away from the big 6)
- Growth in local energy experiments
- More choice
What key actors are invested in understanding and shaping science and technology in relation to the environment?
The government:
-Set policy agendas and mechanisms
-Set research agendas
Innovators:
-Find niches, make investments and experiment
-Realize innovations to justify societal support
Scientists:
-Advance societal understanding of issues and
impacts
What is precautionary policy?
Where risk is know to be present, the precautionary principle emphasizes the importance of discretionary decision making in the absence of scientific consensus.
It requires significant political will.
