Sustainability Flashcards
1
Q
What are the elements of sustainability? Describe the focus of each category
A
- Ecological sustainability
- conserve life support systems and biological diversity
- anticipate/prevent impacts
-environment/social costs,
global responsibility, respect nature - Economic Sustainability
- improve quality of life while using constant physical resources
-ensure renewable resources are used+ non renewable available for fitter - Social sustainability
- equitable distribution of resources
- ensure future generations have = or more resources
- promote quality of life, involve citizens in land use and environmental discussions
2
Q
Describe the wizard and prophet approaches
A
wizard: technological advancement, tech can expand natures limits
prophet: apocalyptic environmentalism, cut back, are exceeding limits
3
Q
What is the definition of sustainability?
A
meeting the needs of present without compromising ability of future gens to meet their own needs
- places limits of nature at core of all activity, allow nature to regenerate
4
Q
Is definition of sustainability (development) sufficient?
A
- does not define what need, how many future generations, what to preserve
- vague description, unable to set true goal
5
Q
What is the comparison between mallows hierarchy of needs and the Seneca First Nation diagram of human needs?
A
- both represent the goal of reaching happiness
- maslow’s hierarchy has a pyramid with set goals that all humans value
- First Nation represents the interdependent of human needs, NOT hierarchal, some humans may forego certain things for others
- overall difference is that maslow thinks its set steps, while Terry cross’ diagram shows the need for all aspects of health to achieve happiness, and may look different for individuals
6
Q
What factors determine birth rate? Why might birth rate decrease in developed nations?
A
Factors: health care, culture, religion, women’s rights, conflicts, disease education, standard of living
May decrease as better access to health care, education, rights, less work etc.. are more accessible
7
Q
Why is it problematic to discuss population growth and reducing it?
A
- incites xenophobia and racism
- the ‘other’ should reduce their population, individuals value their own people more
- solution is to limit other populations, not one’s own
8
Q
What are the two ways to promote impacts of population growth without mentioning it?
A
- support education/empowerment of women
- prevent income inequality
9
Q
What are the 3 graphs which represent global warming?
A
1) Global averages surface air temperature (increasing)
2) global sea level (increasing)
- earth heats, ice melts and water expands = rising sea level
3) arctic sea ice extent (decreases)
- warming = loss of ice = absorption of solar
10
Q
What are the anthropogenic climate change impacts (human)?
A
1) anthropogenic carbon emissions
2) atmospheric contraptions = ocean acidification
3) energy imbalance
4) climate change (climate sensitivity)
5) impacts
6) economic analysis
11
Q
If all emissions were eliminate today, what would occur with climate change?
A
the planet would still warm, takes time for ocean and sinks to reabsorb CO2.
- stopping emissions TODAY would limit warming to 1.5 degrees
- the CO2 we’ve emitted in 100 years takes 100 million years to store
12
Q
What is a climate energy balance and why are we in an imbalance?
A
balance: incoming radiation = outgoing radiation
- Climate system is perturbed by adding CO2 to atmosphere, reduces outgoing terrestrial radiation (imbalance, more energy in atmosphere, warming)
13
Q
What are the factors which determine globally averaged surface temperature?
A
1) amount of incoming solar radiation constant
2) albedo of the earth
3) greenhouse factor
4) hydrological cycle
5) air sea interactions
14
Q
Is the greenhouse effect a good thing? Why is it detrimental today?
A
Greenhouse effect is good, keeps Earths stable temperature when greenhouse gases exist in trace amounts
- humans accelerate greenhouse gases and warming, leads to energy imbalance
15
Q
Where does most excess energy that is not emitted from the atmosphere go?
A
(90% )Most goes into the ocean, increasing ocean acidification and expanding water
16
Q
What are the fossil fuels from most CO2 emitted in order?
A
Coal, oil, gas
17
Q
What are the consequences of ocean acidification?
A
20% harder for organisms to form shells
18
Q
Why is warming temperature a problem?
A
impacts every other earth system
19
Q
What are the natural climate system feedbacks (which are impacted by warming)?
A
water vapour feedback, cloud feedback, ice albedo-temperature feedback, methane temperature feedback
20
Q
Why are emissions and concentration different things?
A
Increased CO2 (emissions) increases concentration of other system leading to an energy imbalance = warming
21
Q
How can running a global climate model develop policies?
A
- choose boundary conditions, run simulation of ocean and atmosphere, analyze data (it simulates a century)
22
Q
what are some impacts of climate change according to glen lesings?
A
health, arctic sea loss, sea level, reef systems
23
Q
What are some mitigation strategies?
A
replace fossil fuel with renewable energy and nuclear, replace coal with gas, carbon capture, removal of CO2 from atmosphere, solar management , carbon tax for renewable energy
24
Q
What does the material self?
A
-we think/express ourselves through material possessions, possessions are apart of our identities
- emotional weight, key to self-representation, communication, identity
25
What is consumer culture?
- lifestyle hyper-focused on spending money to buy material goods
- good citizen is one who consumes
- homo economicus: rational person acting out of economic interests
26
What aspects do proponents of economic growth neglect?
Biophysical (nature, limitations, pollution) and social (ethical, injustice, crime, disparity)
27
Why has traditional economic analysis failed us?
- considers only a part of the means to an end spectrum
- considers only production and output, ignores natural world, limits, ethics, etc,
28
What is the holocene planet?
The best state for our planet, planetary boundaries are in red zone, exceeding limits that will get them out of Holocene state
29
What is the relationship between social thresholds and planetary boundaries?
As a nation achieves more social thresholds it exceeds more planetary boundaries
30
What is the best solution to consumerism?
A circular economy
31
What are the stages of consumer capitalism?
1) carbon copy society
2) mass consumption society
3) hyper consumption
4) shop til you drop society
32
What is a better solution to GDP?
GPI or SPI
- social progress index has 3 components: basic human needs, well being, opportunity
33
What is growth state economics?
-ignores physical constraints, no limits, tech will solves anything, adapt, hyper consumerism
- wizard approach
34
What is steady state economics?
-abides by natural constraints, resource limitations, tech is controlled tool, localize,
- prophet approach
35
What is the easten paradox?
- rich countries tend to be happier but people don't get happier
- adaptation to changes or comparison with peers
- keeping up with the joneses
- life satisfaction rises with average income, as income increases so do internal norms for happiness
36
What is conspicuous consumption?
Consumption primarily for intent of status, must be better than others
37
What is the hedonic treadmill?
Metaphor for human tendency to pursue one pleasure after another
- internal norms to evaluate happiness can increase
- constantly revert to baseline happiness
38
What is the cycle of debt? Why does Canada take out debt?
Ideal: Take on debt, pay interest, pay debt back
Problem: take out more debt to pay back old debt
- Canada takes out debt to cover period between when money runs out and new tax money comes in. During debt period Canada hopes GDP grows.
39
Why is it safer to have a bond rather than a stock?
A bond owner, or creditor, loan money to the company and is the first to be paid.
40
Why is the Canadian household debt so high?
1) 2008 financial crisis: interest rates lower, take on more debt
2) covid 19: 2021 inflation leads to rapid increase in household debt
41
Why is Canadian work productivity a potential reason for poor economy?
Canada has 42.5 percent of Ireland, 72 percent of USA (competition for jobs)
42
What are some reasons for lower productivity?
- weak government and private sector investment
- oligopoly of banks
- poor use of immigration
43
What is the difference between Canadian and American banks? Why might this reduce productivity?
There are only 5-6 Canadian banks which can design products and offer only those.
- interest rates in Canada are fixed for 10 years. Canadians cannot predict how inflation will change.
- government will bail out banks immediately, but cannot 'come after' them
44
What are the primary goals of the IPCAs in Canada?
- decolonize conservation. Respect indigenous forms of conservation through living and using land whilst protecting it
- encouraging the communication and planning through indigenous people
- people have connection with their land, goals to protect diversity, sustainable use land, and share fairly and equitably the benefits.
45
Why was a paradigm shift with respect to the IPCAs necessary?
- positive social/cultural outcomes, careful to do this without another form of colonization, allowing indigenous peoples to lead
- initial protected areas policy built on western paradigm of conservation separating people and nature. The shift away from involved decolonizing conservation, changing the model
46
What is out society's paradigm with respect to the natural world?
- we are separate from the natural world, it is for our use
- hierarchal: place ourselves above natural world
47
What is anthropocentrism?
- humans are central, superior to nature, it is for our use to exploit, embedded In many western religions and philosophies
48
What is the cornucopian view of nature?
- wizard perspective
- nature is bountiful and for our to take from, human ingenuity is the ultimate resource, each is infinitely resourceful, only limits are human creativity, no carrying capacity
49
What is biocentrism?
- natural world has intrinsic value, questions if humans are superior to other creatures, humans are one species among many
50
What is deep ecology view of Nature?
- prophet view
- humans and non human life has value alone, humans have no right to reduce richness / diversity but for vital needs, decrease in population needed
51
what does the term 'all my relations' mean? What is the main idea of this?
- indigenous perspective that every living creature is connected
- goal is to show cultures are different,
52
What makes up a culture?
- knowledge, belief, values, assumptions, perspective that people learn through membership of a group
- does not determine behaviour, but determines how someone understands identity
53
What is ethnocentrism? How was is expressed in the Angry Inuk documentary?
- the belief that one's own culture is superior, the standard to which all else should be judged
- In angry inuk, seal hunting is condemned and called barbaric by Canadians. They are being ignorant and ignoring cultural humility, only observing it through their western perspective.
- In reality, traditional practice, using their resources
54
What is the hierarchy of skills and values?
Cultural awareness: being conscious of others, learn about values unlike our own
Cultural sensitivity: insight into one's own culture, awareness of emotions attached to culture and how it may be perceived
Cultural competence: builds on sensitivity, maintain humility, neutrals discrimination
Cultural safety: determine by clients
Cultural humility: Recognize your privilege, develop critical consciousness of values, unearned advantages
55
What is an internally displaced person?
- one forced to move within their country
- remain in country because hope conflict is resolved, do not have means, stuck
- NOT protected by international law
56
What is the primary cause of IDPs?
majority is due to weather related disasters
57
What is sudden vs slow onset disaster and displacement?
sudden: Earthquake, storms, volcanoes
- sudden disruption, people rendered homeless, minorities vulnerable
Slow: Drought, rising sea level,
- significant/increasing distress, food insecurity + loss of land and livelihoods, agricultural, poor, indigenous most affected
58
What is the tripe impact of climate events in terms of disaster displacement?
- tears people from homes, compound their crisis while in exile, destroys homeland
59
What are some examples of the compounding effect?
earthquake in turkey and syria, drought In short of Africa, tropical storm in Lydia, save flooding in Sudan and Horn of Africa
60
Where are the majority of refugees and asylum seeker accepted as levels increase?
75% in middle and low income nations. Major emission nations do not take many.
61
How might national wealth impact climate refugees response to disaster?
- In US (rich) citizens can fly away to other parts of nation
- In poorer nations, do not have this access, may be unwelcome in other nations, given fewer rights as immigrants
62
What are the 3 forms of human mobility? What are they in response to?
Migration, displacement, planned relocation
- all strategies of adaptation to climate change
63
Why might migration be an affective adaptation to climate change? What may be some challenges?
- migration diversifies livelihoods, coping with environmental changes before degradation is life threatening
-Challenges: puts strains on fragile ecosystems, infrastructures, and social services in moved to areas. Also have to learn new skills, climate change may impact it in a way immigrants cannot handle, economy may be bad already, current challenges adopted by immigrants, may lead to tension between groups.
64
What are the guiding principles on internal displacement?
people shouldn't be forced to leave, option to return or establish elsewhere, decision should be made voluntarily by informed IDPs
65
What are some changes which should be made in terms of climate refugees?
International law must be midfield to provide legal status to environmental refugees
- no mention of climate refugee in Paris agreement
- should countries with more emissions take more refugees?
66
Why is there a need for international solidarity when it comes to climate refugees?
- climate change amplifies conflict between people, increases disparity
- international studnets scapegoated
- should accept more refugees: decreasing population, low productivity, stagnant workforce
67
Why may climate change be viewed as a threat multiplier?
- climate change sows seeds for conflict, makes displacment worse
- conflict <-(migration) --> Climate change
- exacerbate each others
68
Why might Canada's arctic be an example of a threat multiplier?
- ice melting opens new resources, competition between nation increases
- ice melting, ocean acidification, loss of permafrost = result of climate change
69
What are the stages of climate change as a threat multiplier as seen in the Syrian Drought?
1) amplifying Syrian drought impacts
- increased agricultural production quotas, irrigation, quota, duel subsidies: unsustainable water use = loss of crop/herd = 1.5 million Syrians displaced
2) igniting the tinderbox: Arab springs uprising, protestors killed, civil war begins, 500,000 killed in war so far
3)Syrian refugee crisis: syria has population of 18 million, 13 million need aid, 6 million IDP, 5 million fled as refugees
70
What are the conclusions from climate change as a threat multiplier?
- serious threat to national and international security
- must adopt sustainable practice in agriculture
- build resilience in all our activities to survive impacts
71
What is the trend of food production today?
global production of crops and animals are on the rise
72
What are the 3 main challenges of feeding the world?
1) Eliminate world hunger and malnutrition
2) match food supply to changing demand for food from rich/large population
3) increase food production sustainably
73
What is the yield gap?
The difference between realized productivity and potential
74
what is sustainable intensification?
a response to close yield gap,
- increase short term crop yields without damaging long term productivity
- reducing negative externalities: greenhouse gas, waste, pest management
75
Why is agriculture significant to the workforce?
- worlds largest employer;oyer
provides livelihood for 40% of world
76
What is subsistence farming?
- practice of small scale agriculture for direct consumption oby indvudals, families, small communities
77
What is the green revolution?
- periods since the 50s of increased agriculture from modern techniques
ie: pesticides, herbicides, fossil fuel, irrigation, modified grain
78
Where does the majority of water go? What are the problems with this?
- 70% of all human water use is used for irrigation
- negative effects: algal bloom (deoxygenates water, toxic, block sunlight), soil, salinization
79
How has the Canadian food guide changed and why is it more environmentally friendly?
- old food guide focused on a lot of dairy and meat. Incites wasteful foods which require a lot of energy.
- the new guide is majority plant based, less dairy, less meat
- represents positive shift, revision done in response to increased food prices and climate change
80
What is the double pyramid of health and sustainability?
- food guides altered to promote more sustainable foods, looks at overlaps between human health and
sustainability
- climate change canada and food health Canada should be equal partners in developing these revisions
81
How does Brazil's food chart promote sustainable consumption?
Brazil offers 10 suggestions on eating well, educates public on link between food choice and sustainability issues.
- has cultural connections, environmental and social harm that can be avoided by being a conscious consumer
82
What are the forms of malnutrition?
- many nations see persistent hinger and over consumption of wrong types of food
- urbanization + processed foods + sedentary lifestyle = overweight/ obesity
83
What are the links between obesity and hunger and a nation's wealth?
- world produces 17% more food per person than 30 ago
- a billion people go to bed hungry
- in canada 30% obese, 35% overweight,
- more affluent nations = more meat consumption
84
Why are domesticated animals inefficient?
humans use 20% of earth's land as pastures. 30% used to feed
- produce waste, methane, deforestation, disease. ethics
85
What are the best ways to 'feed a hungry world' ?
- to meet future needs we must ensure equitable food distribution by fighting poverty, corruption and negative global markets, problems in shipping, storing food
- increase production, hold down consumption
- beef is inefficient, wasteful, ruminants contributes to half of global greenhouse has emissions
86
What are some strategies to shift consumption?
evolve social norms, minimize disruption, maximize awareness, sell compelling benefits
87
What are the links between food and health?
- Columbo says food and health are linked
- both physical and mental health
- studies connection gut health to brain chemistry
88
What is food security?
- all people at all times share physical social and economic access to food
89
What are some threats to food security?
- we need more protein
- demand increases with population (cultural/social norms and wealth make it such that meat is in demand)
- double animal protein, more land and freshwater
90
What are the goals for a food system?
- food supply must be healthy, safe, affordable, accessible, consistent, sustainable
91
what is the link between blue foods and food security ?
- farmed aquatic food have lower emissions and impacts than other livestock
- salmon and trout have low freshwater use
- blue foods = sustainable (good for health and environment)
92
Why is food production emissions considered a necessary evil?
- we require food, therefore the emissions are necessary even though they are bad
93
What are some nutritional benefits of seafood?
- fish is healthiest food, high in protein, high and low fat, rich in vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA)
94
What is DHA? How are DHA and EPA produced?
- abundant fatty acid in brain, necessary for developing brains
- DHA and EPA are produced only be aquatic plants,
95
What is the relationship between DHA and temperature?
- DHA acts as antifreeze, warmer temps = less DHA produced
96
Describe the experiment on the impact of climate change on fish and its results
- two diets: high DHA and low DHA at 12 and 16 degrees
- climate change fish grew more
- Conclusion: salmon able to make a bit more DHA when needed in freshwater global warming may help (a LITTLE)
97
Describe the experiment on which fish are the best options and the results
- analyzed 6 different fish, farmed and wild
- wild sockeye and wild chinook are nutrient dense, high mercury, limits to catch
- farmed Atlantic best option for low cost, nutritional vale, availability, low mercury
98
What is the cause of some misconceptions on Wild and farmed salmon?
- lack of nutritional info
- traceability/labelling is evolving, provide public with info, provide info of future labelling
99
Why might Canadians choose to use immigrants as a scapegoat for economic issues?
High immigration and low 'output' (limited change in economy) incites negative feelings towards immigrants
- blames housing crisis and lower paying jobs on the fact that there are more immigrants
100
What, in considering sustainable technology for the future, is the most important aspect of earth systems which must be saved?
- the ocean
- promoting ocean health is a primary factor because blue foods are the next step in producing enough food sustainably and is a major carbon sink
- to feed the growing population and meet demands for protein
- current protein harvesting (cattle, livestock) is not sustainable - uses a lot of land for herds and feed, emissions, waste, more energy in than out, etc.
101
What are the reasons of concern for DHA levels?
- global warming may result in a 58% decrease of available DHA (2.5 degrees increase - well within range)
102
Please explain the difference between growth state vs. anthropocentrism vs. the cornucopian view of nature
growth state: no limitations, tech solves anything, ignores physical constraints
anthropocentrism: humans are above nature, it is for our use
Cornucopian view of nature: bountiful, for us to use, no carrying capacity, only limit is human creativity,
103
Whose definition of sustainability is problematic?
Brundtland's definition
104
What are the 3 forms of malnutrition?
- overeating, undereating, wrong kinds of eating
105
Is there a significant difference between farmed and wild fish?
Not much of a difference between farmed or wild, differences found in the types of fish (wild sockeye and chinook, farmed Atlantic are best)
106
What is the root cause of food insecurity?
Inequality
107
How much of CO2 is absorbed by the ocean?
~30 %
108
What are the 3 gaps related to food inequality which must be closed by 2050?
Food Gap: 50% more crop calories by 2050 , food gap must be closed by 56% by 2050
Land Gap: need additional agricultural land twice the size of India, avoiding further agricultural consumption
Greenhouse Gap: need to reduce agricultural emissions by 70%
109
What are some effective ways to reduce agricultural emissions?
Eat less meat, shift diet, waste less food
110
Where does the majority of CO2 emissions come from?
- 88% comes from the burning of fossil fuels, 12% comes from deforestation
111
What are the 4 E's?
Economy, energy, emissions, environment
112
113
What are the 3 gaps that need to be closed by 2050?
-Food gap: 50% more crop calories than in 2012
(close food gap of 56%)
- land gap: need additional agricultural land nearly twice the size of India
Greenhouse gap: need to reduce agriculture emissions by 70%
- agricultural emissions likely to be 70% of total emissions for all sectors by 2050
114
Why is bioenergy a false hope?
- the world's entire biomass was used only 20% of energy needs would be met in 2050
115
What is the best diet shift for the planet?
Reducing meat consumption!
116
What is soil degradation?
- soil degraded from overgrazing, deforestation, agricultural activity (salinization, over fertilization, runoff)
- social consequences (trickle up effect)
117
How can we reduce food demand?
- shift diets, reduce food demand
- crickets!
- amount of additional food needed to feed the world in 2050 could be cut by HALF!
118
119
How many planetary boundaries have we not surpassed? Which ones are remaining?
3 boundaries remaining: ocean acidification, atmospheric aerosol loading and ozone depletion.
120
What are huge causes of food waste on farms?
Bumper crop surpluses - drop in prices, nowhere to store, transportation is swamped - harvest dies
121
What are the 3 gaps that must close by 2050?
food gap: 50% more crop calories than in 2010
Land gap: need additional agricultural land nearly twice the size of India
Greenhouse gas gap: need to reduce agricultural emissions by 70%
- by 2050 agricultural emissions likely to be 70% total allowable emissions for all sectors
122
Why is bioenergy a false hope?
- if the world's entire harvest of crops / biomass were used it would only provide 20% of energy needed by 2050
123
What is soil degradation ?
- soil degraded from overgrazing, deforestation, agricultural activity (salinization , overfertilisation, runoff)
- social consequences have a trickle up effect
124
How can we reduce food demand?
Shift diets, reduce consumption
- we have enough goof
- amount of additional food needed to feed the world in 2050 could be halved!
- crickets!
125
Why does the current definition of climate refugee fall short?
Does not recognize them as a legal refugee
- a limiting term, better definition is climate immigrants
126
why is climate change viewed as a threat multiplier?
climate change effects interact with and have the potential to exacerbate pre-existing threats and other drivers of instability to contribute to security risks.
127
which of the 3 graphs presented in Glen Lesins lecture shows best effects of climate change?
- the mean global sea level
128
What are some impacts of the sea level rising?
- tides, sea level rise, storms, weather events
129
What is the hydrological cycle?
One of the main factors that determines global surface temperature
- energy used to evaporate surface water
- cooler in forest because energy is evaporating moisture , desert all energy is put towards heat
130
what is the relationship between energy and the earth's heat content?
as energy increases so does heat
131
are positive feedbacks or negative feedbacks ideal for our current situation?
- negative feedback: IDEALLY, systems would remove energy as we add it to keep us in balance
- positive feedback systems are adding to the problem, exacerbate one another
132
Why might feedbacks be difficult to quantify?
- it's difficult to tell what it exacerbating what. Warming may be from albedo affect but can also be an impact of methane temperature.
133
What is the carbon budget?
- indicates how much time we have left, how much more carbon we can emit before it's too late
134
What are the 3 main factors of economic growth?
factors of production labour, capital, productivity
135
What is the solution to consumerism?
Circular economy!!
136
What are the two theories of the easterlin paradox?
1. adaptation to changes
2. comparison to peers (keeping up with the joneses_
- eastern says that richer countries tend to be happier but don't get happier, eventually happiness plateaus (at around 70,000) - due to comparison, raised standards, conspicuous consumption)
137
The internal displacement monitoring centre says that the amount of people displaced is 41% higher in 2022 than in the last 10 years. Why might this be?
- weather related disasters are increasing
138
Describe the difference between climate change a as threat multiplier and a cascading effect
Threat multiplier: has to do with national security when it sows seed for conflict.
- climate change causes displacement and conflict which also causes displacement
-ex: Syrian drought amplifies political conflict = civil war
Cascading effect has more to do with earth systems. Every system is related, so if earth heats sea levels rise, ice melts, coral dies, etc.
139
What is the difference between Canadian workers now and 20 years ago?
Less productivity due to lack of government investment in technology and growth incentives : no preparation for the work force, cannot compete with america
140
Describe 'cartels' role in Canadian productivity
- ex: monopoly of banks can price fix, design products and sell them, fix interest rates
- entire economy of cartels: fixed prices ie: airlines, pipelines, banks, grocery stores,
- result: lack of innovation in the business sector
141
what is the order of business sectors in Canada
banking, mining, oil
142
How long can interest rates be locked in Canada? the rest of the world?
5 years in Canada
30 years
143
What are the primary reasons for low productivity in Canada?
1) Lack of government investment in government and private sector (tech and growth incentives)
2) lack of innovation in business sector : 'economy of cartels' = less innovation
144
What is the best month to record arctic sea ice extent? What is this not taking into account?
September
- doesn't account for ice thickness
145
