Sustainability

Question 1

What is the definition of sustainability?

Answer 1

Ensure no one falls short on life’s essentials (food, housing, healthcare, political voice etc), whilst ensuring that collectively we don’t overshoot our pressure on Earth’s life supporting systems on which we fundamentally depend - such as a stable climate, fertile soils and a protective ozone layer

Question 2

What was the Great Acceleration?

Answer 2

The growth of global economic system starting after WW2

Question 3

What factors allowed the Great Acceleration?

Answer 3

Cheap energy from fossil fuels

Abundant natural resources

Global expansion of farmland

Question 4

How does urbanisation effect sustainability?

Answer 4

Urbanisation causes economic productivity and that causes energy and natural resource consumption

Increasing wealth causes an increase in urbanisation which increases the amount of meat and empty calories

Increasing empty calories and overconsumption increases the amount of waste

Question 5

Name some natural climate solutions

Answer 5

Forestation

Mangrove restoration

Increasing carbon storage

Question 6

Basics of anthropogenic climate change

Answer 6

Increase in extreme climatic events (not categorised by temperature but how the events affect people)

Sea ice is lower than previous years

Ocean temperatures increased

Question 7

Food and agriculture

Answer 7

Use 1/2 of Earth’s land to produce food

Food globally causes 28% of GHG emissions

Future demand will drive up emissions without changes to agriculture and food systems

Question 8

Name techniques for sustainable intensification of agriculture

Answer 8

Increase yields

Reduce inputs

Improve soil health

Limit agricultural GHG emissions