Session Two Flashcards
With the concept of planetary boundaries, Johan Rockström and his colleagues propose a tool to…
> Help humanity navigate within a “safe operating space” and stay within Holocene-like conditions, which have allowed human civilizations to thrive
Define the key processes which condition the stability of the Earth system and estimate limits that should not be crossed to keep the system stable
According to the planetary boundaries framework…
Crossing 1 planetary boundary already puts humanity outside of its safe operating space
Which of the following are examples of tipping points, according to Rockström?
> The Arctic ice sheet, which is at risk of locking itself in a meltdown process passed a certain threshold of melting
The hard coral systems harbouring a rich biodiversity, which can turn into soft coral systems pass a certain threshold of environmental damage
Before the industrial revolution, only the biodiversity loss planetary boundary had been crossed. True or false?
False
As of 2010, only 2 out of 9 planetary boundaries were estimated to have been crossed: climate change and biodiversity loss. True or false?
False
The ozone layer was the first planetary boundary to be efficiently preserved from overshooting by humanity. It was addressed with the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and is now in recovery. True or False?
True
The notion of planetary boundaries imply that governments and companies must stop adressing environmental topics in silos, with separate strategies and actions. True or false?
True
How many planetary boundaries are there and what are they?
There are 9
- Ozone Layer
- Biogeochemical Flows
- Climate Change
- Ocean Acidification
- Freshwater Consumption
- Biodiversity
- Land System Change
- Atmospheric Aersol Pollution (not yet quantified)
- Chemical Pollution (not yet quantified)
Holocene Phase
remarkably stable, only period in history that can support human development
Quadruple Squeeze on the Planet
- Equity Issue, 9 billion people, but most enviro impact has been caused by the rich minority
- Climate Agenda, prevent 2-degree warming and destabilizing ice sheets
- Ecosystem Decline
- Need to abandon old paradigm, aka the belief that ecosystems behave linearly
Main Discourses of Climate Delay (article, 4)
Surrender: not possible to mitigate climate change
Emphasize the Downsides: change will be disruptive
Push non-transformative solutions: disruptive change is not necessary
Redirect Responsibility: someone else should take action first
Discourses of Climate Delay (slides, 12)
- Whataboutism
- Free Rider Excuse
- Talk vs Action
- Technological Optimism
- Individualism
- Fossil Fuel Solutionism
- No sticks, just carrots
- Appeal to social justice
- Policy perfectionism
- Appeal to wellbeing
- Doomism
- Change is Impossible
Biodiversity
- Genetic Diversity, variety in genes within a species
- Species Diversity, variety of species within a given area
- Diversity of Ecosystems, the assortment of ecosystems
the variability among living organisms from all sources in a particular habitat
Humanity relies on biodiversity: ecosystem services
Ecosystem services are the ecological functions that directly or indirectly contribute to human wellbeing
- Provisioning services (food, timber, etc.)
- Regulating Services (climate regulation, water purification, pollination, etc.)
- Cultural Services (recreational, aesthetic, scientific, etc. use of ecosystems)
- Supporting services: ecosystem processes enabling and conditioning other ecosystem services (nutrient cycling, photosynthesis, oxygen production)
Drivers of biodiversity erosion
- Changes in land and sea use
- Over-exploitation of resources (e.g. fishing)
- Climate Change
- Pollution
- Invasion of Alien Species (e.g. invasive plants)