Sustainability Flashcards
What are some materials used in the linear human systems?
Fossil fuels and mineral resources
What is the Circular Economy?
An analysis of human activities and an assessment of how using the principles of natural systems would create more sustainable lifestyles.
What are the principles of the Circular Economy?
Cycling of materials, energy derived from renewable resources, human activities should support ecosystems, diverse systems are more resistant to change, connected systems, design of products for extended use, design of products for end of life reuse, separation of technological and biological materials, optimum production rather than maximum productions and technologies to design new products and improve system effectiveness
What is meant by optimum production over maximum production?
Natural systems often over-produce so that the surplus supports processes upon which the whole system relies, for example, plant products which support pollinators, seed dispersal agents and soil microbes including decomposers and mycorrhizal fungi, this can be contrasted with agroecosystems which aim for maximum harvest yields
What are some land uses?
Urban development, agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and mineral exploitation
How can some of these land uses be planned to incorporate biodiversity?
Gardens, parks and public green spaces in urban development, agri-environmental schemes, mixed-species plantations and indigenous species, reduced bycatch methods and site restoration after mining
How can mineral resources by managed to increase sustainability?
Increasing reserves by exploiting low-grade ores, extending product lifespans, no planned obsolescence, replaceable parts and reduce unnecessary use
What are the 6Rs for waste management?
Repair, reuse, repurpose, refurbish, recycle and redesign
How can pollution be controlled to increase sustainability?
A move from post-production treatment to non-release e.g. industrial synergy (wastes become resources), better designs, change from internal combustion engines to fuel cells, change from flue-gas desulfurisation to fuel desulfurisation
How can food production be made more sustainable?
Natural processes for nutrient supply, pest control and soil maintenance
What EU initiatives have supported the conservation of biodiversity?
Better protection for ecosystems, development of green infrastructure, better management of fish stocks and more sustainable agriculture/ forestry
What EU initiatives have supported waste management and pollution control?
Better control of urban waste water, minimal use of landfill, more recycling of electronic appliances, reduction of food waste/packaging and increased use of composted materials
What EU initiatives have supported energy use?
More use of biofuels and other renewables in transport, improved energy efficiency of fridges and freezers, increased use of waste for energy generation and increased use of renewables
What EU initiatives have supported the design of manufactured appliances?
Improved design for repairs/reuse/recycle, reduced use of toxic materials, easier battery replacement, reduced use of toxics in vehicles and vehicle manufacture using recycled/recyclable materials
What is biocapacity?
A measure of the biological productivity of an area
What is a biodiversity buffer?
Land that is set aside for other species and wildlife communities
What is an ecological footprint?
The area of Earths surface that is needed to provide the resources that are used by the human population and to deal with the wastes produced
What is a global hectare?
A hectare of land with a biocapacity average for the whole planet
What is Earth overshoot day?
The day in the year that earth has resources available for that year have been fully exploited and any point onwards resources are being depleted and carbon dioxide is accumulating
Case study: Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya
360km^2, 1980 new management style, chose Boran cattle as they are hardy and make us of available food and disease resistant, dipped regularly in insecticides to kill ticks, kept in small fenced areas (bomas) overnight to reduce predator loss, electric fences to stop poaching, biological corridors, elephants lead to water, ecotourism, community links (jobs and funding)
Case study: Eigg, UK
Small island, 31km^2, 100 population, own electricity grid (fully renewable), 3 HEP stations, PV system, 4 wind turbines, wood biomass for heating, diesel and petrol vehicles, Hen Harriers, Golden Eagles and White Tailed Eagles all nest here, woodlands with indigenous trees, recyclable collected and shipped off island and food and garden waste used for agriculture
Case study: The Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America
High biodiversity rainforest, current exploitation aims to raise money to help pay for the management, buffer zones near rivers, small trees aren’t felled, restricted use of machinery, track routes, ecotourisms projects
Case study: Kalundborg eco-industrial park, Denmark
Industrial symbiosis project where companies in the are are organised in a way that mimics the natural cyclical processes, moving wastes and raw materials between industry. Heat waste can be used for domestic heating, SO2 can used for building plaster manufacture and ash can be used for road building and cement manufacture
Case study: Large scale renewable energy electricity grids
Distribution of energy overcomes geographical constraints and intermittency, large DC grids projects have been proposed to harness renewable energy
