Sustainability (A2) (Complete) Flashcards
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; why does sustainability refer to?
-The ability to have a lifestyle that can be maintained indefinitely
-On a global scale it relates to the overall impacts of the entire human population
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; what definition of sustainability was produced by the Brundtland Commission in 1987?
“Sustainable development meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; what are the different approaches to sustainable lifestyles?
-Some are founded in the moral belief that it’s the right thing to do
-Other approaches are based on ‘enlightened self-interest’; protecting the environment causes fewer difficulties than not doing so
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; which two main factors does the overall environmental impact depend on?
-The total population
-The individual impacts of each person
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; what are examples of sustainable activities that can become unsustainable with a big population?
-Slash + burn agriculture
-Fishing
-The discharge of some pollutants eg sewage
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; how has affluence increased in society and what impact does this have on the environment?
-As global human population has grown, so has the average per capita impact which is closely related to affluence
-W/ increasing affluence, access to energy has become easier which has made many new activities possible, many of which have greatly increased environmental impacts due to the scale of activities & production of toxic wastes that couldn’t be decontaminated by natural processes
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; why is unsustainable exploitation carried out?
-Development of new activities has rarely been restricted by an awareness that the environmental impact is unsustainable
-This may be because the new opportunity is overwhelmingly attractive, due to a lack of knowledge understanding the impacts or because impacts occur elsewhere/much later
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; what are the attitudes to sustainable exploitation?
-Attitude of a society to the sustainable exploitation of environmental resources is often linked to location of resources + where & when the problems occur
-Many sedentary, rural communities have a cultural belief that resources should be exploited sustainably & that level of exploitation should be limited to satisfying needs
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; how can over-exploitation be observed and what are the impacts of it?
-The problems caused by over-exploitation become obvious quickly as supplies of resources dwindle
-Urban populations are usually supported by resources brought in from other areas
-If resources are depleted in one area then exploitation just moves to another area w/ problem being evident to urban consumers
-This has occurred w/ resources like supplies of timber, energy, metal minerals & fish
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; what do sustainable lifestyles involve?
A holistic overview of the ecological support systems of Earth & an understanding of how human activities can be developed to operate by the same principles
Principles of sustainable lifestyles; what can sustainable lifestyles involve and what is necessary for them?
-Many people are prepared to reduce their environmental impact by lifestyle changes like recycling more, conserving energy/switching to renewable energy
-Some of the lifestyle changes can be enacted by individuals but others need the cooperation & decision-making of groups of people/complete societies, or international cooperation + agreement so that changed lifestyles are genuinely sustainable, not just doing a little less damage
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems; how have natural systems developed?
Over long time periods, based on physical resources, renewable energy & natural processes that combine to provide long-term conditions that provide relatively stable conditions suitable to sustain abundant, diverse life
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; what are the negative feedback mechanisms in natural processes which resist change?
-Climate regulation; increased temperatures causing increased cloud cover + a higher albedo & increased carbon dioxide levels leading to greater photosynthesis + carbon sequestration
-Hydrological cycle; increased evaporation leading to increased precipitation
-Population regulation; homeostatic population regulation caused by density-dependent factors
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; what are the negative feedback mechanisms in human activity which resist change?
-Natural negative feedback mechanisms that’d curtail a human activity are often ignored
-Human response may be to find new ways of maintaining the activity
-Agricultural systems often cause soil degradation, reduced water availability & loss of natural pest predators
-Negative feedback mechanisms would reduce crop yields
-The human response may be to use fertilisers, irrigation & pesticides which further reduce natural systems that’d support food production
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; what are the positive feedback mechanisms in natural processes which increase change?
Throughout the time that humans evolved, climatic conditions on Earth have been dominated by negative feedback mechanisms, producing relatively stable conditions
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; what are the positive feedback mechanisms in human activities which increase change?
Global Climate Change; increased temps may increase following features involved in positive feedback mechanisms-
-Melting of permafrost
-Forest & peat fires
-Ocean acidification
-Formation of cirrus clouds
-Decline of albedo
-Soil decomposition rates
-Methane hydrate releases
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; what are equilibrium tipping points in natural processes which lead to new equilibria + example?
-Natural systems regulated by negative feedback mechanisms rarely reach tipping points as the response to changes re-establishes the previous state of equilibrium
-Large scale unusual events can cause changes that reach tipping points as they overwhelm the ability of negative feedback mechanisms to re-create equilibrium eg possible release of methane hydrate at the end of the Permian era that caused climate change + a mass extinction
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; what are equilibrium tipping points in human activity which lead to new equilibria?
-Global Climate Change; an increase in the rate of natural processes may become self-sustaining due to human activities, eg forest fires, methane hydrate releases & permafrost melting
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; what are high diversity natural systems more likely to be resistant to change?
-Tropical rainforests
-Coral reefs
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- dynamic equilibria; why do human activities often produce less diverse systems?
Many agroecosystems focus on the production of a limited range of food species w/ little attempt to maintain other species that help maintain ecological stability & productivity eg. detritivores, pollinators, natural pest predators
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- energy; what kind of energy resources are natural systems driven by?
Low energy-density, renewable energy resources like solar power
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- energy; why are the natural processes driven by low energy-density resources/solar power?
-Hydrological cycle
-Carbon cycle
-Atmospheric circulation
-Nitrogen cycle
-Thermohaline circulation
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- energy; what different energy resources are human activities powered by?
-Human activities are usually powered by non-renewable energy resources
-Human activities based on renewable energy resources have low carbon footprints
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- energy; what are examples of low temperature natural processes?
-Production of carbohydrates by photosynthesis
-Enzymes reduce activation energy of reactions so high temps aren’t needed
-Decomposition
-Nitrogen fixation
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- energy; what are examples of human activities that use high temperatures?
-Many manufacturing processes
-Haber process
-Incineration of wastes
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- material cycles; what are material cycles?
-Natural processes often link together in sequences that create cycles, w/ waste products of one process being the raw materials for other processes
-Natural processes use a relatively small number of elements, which build into monomers
-These build to produce a wide range of polymers eg carbohydrates, proteins
-The re-use of abundant, simple raw materials in natural cycles results in sustainable systems
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- material cycles; how do fossil fuels lead to depletion?
-The reliance on non-renewable energy resources can’t be sustainable
-Inefficient use & their use when renewable resources are available accelerates depletion rates
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- material cycles; how do humans impact mineral resources?
-Often causes their dispersal after use/produces mixtures of materials difficult to separate
-This makes recovery & re-use of materials difficult so sustainable exploitation is reduced
-Natural waste products are either non-toxic/don’t build up to cause toxicity
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- material cycles; how do natural processes contribute to material cycles?
Molecules produced by natural processes = biodegradable, can be broken down to non-toxic products that are the raw materials for other natural processes
Principles of Earth’s ecological support systems- material cycles; how do human activities contribute to material cycles?
-Toxic metals are often used in consumer products, like electronic items
-These can’t easily be removed from end-of-life appliances
-Persistent toxins w/ low degradability may bioaccumulate & biomagnify, eg organochlorines, PCBs
The Circular Economy; what does the circular economy include?
An analysis of human activities & assessment of how using principles of natural systems would create more sustainable lifestyles
The Circular Economy- principles; why is the cycling of materials a principle of the circular economy?
-Biogeochemical cycles involve interconnected physical & biological processes where each process uses waste products of a previous process + produces wastes that are the raw materials for subsequent processes
-There’s no depletion of raw materials/build-up of wastes
The Circular Economy- principles; why is the energy derived from renewable sources a principle of the circular economy?
Almost all natural processes are driven by renewable energy resources, especially solar energy
The Circular Economy- principles; why is human activities supporting ecosystems a principle of the circular economy?
Since human survival relies on the services provided by natural ecosystem, it’s important that human activities don’t damage them
The Circular Economy- principles; why are diverse systems more resistant to change a principle of the circular economy?
Each component in a diverse ecosystem is likely to be relatively less important, so impact of a change is likely to be smaller
The Circular Economy- principles; why are connected systems a principle of the circular economy?
Natural systems are usually connected systems where the waste product of one process is the raw material for another
The Circular Economy- principles; why is the design of products for extended use a principle of the circular economy?
Making products that have long lives reduces opportunities for loss of materials at the end of products lives
The Circular Economy- principles; why is the design of products for end of life reuse a principle of the circular economy?
Reusing/recycling materials is often easier if items are designed so that materials can be identified, separated & re-used/recycled more easily
The Circular Economy- principles; why is the separation of technical & biological materials a principle of the circular economy?
Materials like metals & plastics require different reprocessing methods
The Circular Economy- principles; why is optimum production rather than maximum production a principle of the circular economy?
-Natural systems often over-produce so that surplus supports
composting processes upon which whole system relies, eg plant products which support pollinators, seed dispersal agents & soil microbes including decomposers + mycorrhizal fungi
-This can be contrasted w/ agroecosystems which aim for maximum harvested yields of crop
The Circular Economy- principles; why are technologies to design new products & improve system effectiveness a principle of the circular economy?
Improved designs can increase efficiency of energy use, reduce material use & enable dismantling for re-use
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles (land use); how does urban development support natural ecosystems?
Designs & management of gardens, parks, public green spaces + buildings can provide opportunities for wildlife to colonise
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles (land use); how does agriculture support natural ecosystems?
Agri-environmental schemes can optimise yields while benefiting wildlife
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles (land use); how does forestry support natural ecosystems?
Forestry management that incorporates mixed-species forests of indigenous trees often increases wildlife value
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles (land use); how does fishery management support natural ecosystems?
Improved fishing methods can exploit fish populations sustainably while reducing bycatch & environmental damage
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles (land use); how does mineral exploitation support natural ecosystems?
Mining always causes habitat damage, but good management can minimise impact & site restoration after mine closure can produce valuable land, including wildlife habitats
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles (land use); how does waste management support natural ecosystems?
-Pollutants are wastes for which a new use/good disposal method wasn’t found
-Good waste management reduces pollution, including pollution that harms wildlife
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles; how does water supply & management support natural ecosystems?
Good management of water catchments, aquifers & water conservation reduce impacts of water use on wildlife
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles; how can mineral resource management be made sustainable?
-Increasing reserves by exploiting low-grade ores using low temp processes
-Extending product lifespans through better designs
-No planned obsolescence
-Replaceable parts/no built-in batteries
-Good spare part supplies/technical support
-Reduced unnecessary use eg excessive packaging
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles; how can waste management be made sustainable?
-Repair
-Re-use
-Re-purpose
-Refurbish
-Recycle
-Re-design to make the above easier
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles; how can pollution control be made sustainable?
A move from post-production treatment to non-release by changes in technology for eg;
-Industrial synergy, so wastes become resources
-Better designs, so wastes can be separated
-Change from internal combustion engines to fuel cells
-Change from flue-gas desulfurisation to fuel desulfurisation/low-sulfur fuels
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles; how can energy supplies be made sustainable?
-Use of renewable energy resources & development of low temp manufacturing processes
-Development of other technologies that make use of renewable energy easier, including storage & methods that increase energy density
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles; how can food production be made sustainable?
Inclusion of natural processes in nutrient supply, pest control & soil maintenance
The Circular Economy- application to sustainable lifestyles; what are diverse systems?
As w/ diverse ecosystems, diverse technical systems are usually more stable e.g. societies that use a range of renewable energy resources rather than relying on one
The Circular Economy- initiatives to support it; why is it often difficult to implement the Circular Economy and how can it be made easier?
-Many govs would like to protect the environment, create more sustainable lifestyles & support the Circular Economy
-However, the cost of implementing such schemes may put companies at an economic disadvantage compared w/ companies in countries that don’t support such initiatives
-A more even approach can be achieved if groups of countries use a common approach, eg the UN/EU
-In a group of countries there may be better coordination & monitoring of activities than in an individual country where there’s no external regulatory structure
-Working as part of a group also enables countries protecting environment more effectively to support those countries that aren’t being as successful
The Circular Economy- EU initiatives to support it; EU what initiatives have been implemented for the conservation of biodiversity?
-Better protection for ecosystems; conservation of birds, habitats & marine environment
-Development of green infrastructure
-Better management of fish stocks
-More sustainable agriculture
-More sustainable forestry
-Better control of introduced species
The Circular Economy- EU initiatives to support it; EU what initiatives have been implemented for waste management and pollution control?
-Better control of urban waste water
-Minimal use of landfill
-More recycling of electrical & electronic appliances
-More recycling of used batteries
-More control of industrial emissions
-More use of composted materials as fertilisers
-Reduction of food waste
-Reduced use of packaging
-Increased recycling of packaging
The Circular Economy- EU initiatives to support it; EU what initiatives have been implemented for water?
-Better management of water resources; quantity & quality
-More reuse of water
The Circular Economy- EU initiatives to support it; EU what initiatives have been implemented for energy?
-More use of biofuels & other renewable fuels for transport
-Improved energy efficiency of refrigerators & freezers
-Increased use of wastes for energy generation
-Increased use of renewable energy resources
The Circular Economy- EU initiatives to support it; EU what initiatives have been implemented for the design of manufactured appliances?
-Improved design of products so they can be repaired to extend their useful lives
-Improved design of products so the materials can be reused/recycled
-Reduced use of toxic materials in electronic appliances
-More use of recycled materials in road & building construction
-Easier battery replacement
-Reduced use of toxic materials in vehicle manufacture
-Vehicle manufacture using recycled materials
-Vehicle manufacture using recyclable materials
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is The Global Footprint Network?
-Includes 70+ organisations, including national governments, research organisations & social benefit organisations
-It produces information on ecological footprints, biocapacity & related issues
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what does the WWF publish annually and what does this provide?
-Living Planet Report
-Provides a current assessment of changes in the impact of human activities on the planet & its ability to support life
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is biocapacity and what is it calculated for?
-A measure of the biological productivity of an area
-Could be the whole planet or selected smaller area eg a country
-It’s calculated for 5 different types of area; forests, marine + inland waters, cropland, grazing land & built-up areas
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; how is biocapacity affected by human management?
-Biocapacity is affected by human management methods like farming methods + the natural productivity
-Although it can be increased by good human management, it can also be reduced by habitat destruction/degradation
-The biocapacity that’s calculated for an area doesn’t assume that any land is reserved for the other species that could use the same area
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is a biodiversity buffer?
Land that’s set aside for other species & wildlife communities
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is an ecological footprint and what does it indicate?
-The area of the Earth’s surface that’s needed to provide the resources that are used by the human population & to deal w/ the wastes produced
-If the total footprint of the entire human population is less than the area of the planet, then population can be supported sustainably
-If it is larger, then the planet is being overexploited
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what can an ecological footprint be calculated for?
An individual, group of people or activity
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is a global hectare (gha) and why is it used?
-A global hectare refers to a hectare of land w/ a biocapacity that’s the average of the whole planet
-It’s important to be able to compare the ecological footprint of a person, group of people or activity w/ area needed to provide resources & services required to support it
-The biocapacities of different areas vary widely, so an average value is used
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is Earth Overshoot Day (prev Ecological Debt day) and when does it fall?
-Concept of overshoot is used to describe exploitation of the planet’s resources that occurs at a faster rate than replacement rate, so it’ll take more than a year for the Earth to recover from a year of human exploitation
-Another way of considering this is that a year’s worth of resources will be exhausted on Earth Overshoot Day
-After that date resources are being depleted & CO² will accumulate
-Earth Overshoot Day occurs earlier each year as human impacts increase. In 2016 was estimated to be August 8th
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is the carbon footprint and how is it expressed?
-The part of an ecological footprint that relates to emission of CO² & other greenhouse gases
-Usually expressed as a mass of CO² equivalent which allows other greenhouse gases to be included & allowance to be made for their differing strengths as greenhouse
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; how can the carbon footprint be applied?
A different levels eg the footprint of an individual, an organisation, a country/entire human population
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; how should the Carbon footprint be calculated?
-Should be comprehensive, including all direct & indirect releases of greenhouse gases. Eg estimates of CO² emissions caused by a car should include a complete lifecycle analysis
-This’ll include obvious emissions from fuel combustion, but also emissions released during manufacture of components to make car, items used in maintenance & its final disposal
-A wider analysis would include its ‘fair share’ of emissions in building & maintaining road infrastructure; roads, carparks, road signals & street lights
Biocapacity & ecological footprints; what is the Living Planet Index (LPI) and why is it calculated?
-Calculated by WWF as a measure of the state of planet’s ecosystems
-Compares 18,000+ populations of 3700+ species of vertebrates from terrestrial, freshwater & marine ecosystems
-Changes are compared w/ 1970 which was the first year of the study
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; what is Ol Pejeta and how has it changed over time to become a model for sustainable development?
-A large private game reserve covering 360km² in central Kenya
-For many years until 1980s area it was managed as a cattle ranch where large wildlife species weren’t tolerated
-Big herbivores were killed for being competitors & large predators were killed to prevent livestock predation
-In the 1980s new ownership & management style developed; to ranch catte + conserve wildlife
-This has become a model of pragmatic wildlife conservation alongside commercial livestock farming
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; what breed of cattle is selected and why?
Boran cattle; very hardy, make efficient use of the available food & are resistant to many diseases
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; how is tick control carried out and how is it beneficial?
-Cattle are dipped regularly in insecticide to kill ticks
-This reduces total tick population in reserve which improves health of wild herbivores that therefore have fewer parasitic ticks & fewer tick-related health problems
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; what are bomas and why are they used?
-Cattle are kept in small fenced areas (bomas) overnight to reduce predator losses, esp lion attacks
-They’re moved every two/three weeks
-Dung left by cattle increases soil nutrient levels which increases plant growth, including wide range of plants that may not otherwise have grown
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; why are electric fences used for wildlife management?
High voltage perimeter electric fences are in place to prevent poachers from getting in & large game animals from escaping
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; why are biological corridors used for wildlife management and how is this done?
-Although reserve is large, many animals need to roam over larger areas in search of food/water
-Biological corridors link Ol Pejeta to other conservation areas to allow animal movements
-Exits from Ol Pejeta are designed to allow all species to leave/enter freely, except rhinos. They’d be at risk of poaching if they left the well-protected reserve
-Strong wooden posts are sunk into the ground. They’re too tall for rhinos to walk over them & too close together for them to walk betw them
-Checking for animal tracks & using motion-sensitive cameras help to monitor movement of animals
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; how are elephants managed in the reserve and why are they important?
-Elephants live in family groups led by oldest females who have long memories of locations of good food & water supplies, esp in times of drought
-When there’s a drought, some elephants have knowledge to break through fences & lead herd to better areas
-Biological corridors allow elephants to move betw conservation areas w/out breaking fences so animals that repeatedly break fences are removed to other conservation areas if necessary
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; how are lions tracked for wildlife management and why?
-Radio collars are fitted on some lions in the 6 prides found in the reserve
-This helps in collecting data on their movements & interactions w/ other lions + their prey species
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; why have drones been used for wildlife management?
To monitor wildlife & search for poachers
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; why have endangered species been established here?
-As the reserve is well guarded & managed, populations of several endangered species have been established
-For some species, the animals have been brought in from other areas
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; how does ecotourism help the reserve?
Money paid by visitors to see wildlife helps fund conservation projects
Case studies of sustainable development- Ol Pejeta Game Reserve, Kenya; how have different community links helped the reserve?
-Community support; income from reserve is used to support a range of community projects; health, education, water supplies
-Employment; local people are employed in a wide variety of roles.
-Cattle; local farmers are helped w/ breeding programmes to improve quality of their cattle & increase incomes
Selected community sustainability projects; what are examples of small relatively self-contained communities that have developed more sustainable lifestyles?
-Eigg Scotland
-BedZED, London, UK
-Samso, Denmark
-Hockerton Housing Project, Telford, UK
-Gigha, Scotland
Selected community sustainability projects- Eigg, UK; what is Eigg and how has it become a model sustainability project?
-Small island off the west coast of Scotland, w/ an area of 31 km² & a resident population of about 100
-In 1996, the community set up the Isle of Eigg Trust w/ the Scottish Wildlife Trust to buy the island from existing landowner then manage island for the benefit of community, wildlife of island & wider environment
-Success of Eigg project has become a model of how to merge community & environmental priorities that has inspired + informed many other communities
Selected community sustainability projects- Eigg, UK; what is the island’s energy source?
-Isn’t connected to the national electricity grid
-Energy strategy emphasises renewable energy & phasing out of fossil fuels
Selected community sustainability projects- Eigg, UK; what is the island’s electricity grid/use like?
-Grid established in 2008 to distribute electricity generated by renewable sources, w/ diesel generators for back-up
-3 HEP generators provide electricity for island grid, largest having a capacity of 100kw. Some households have independent micro-hydro systems
-50kw solar PV system provides electricity for island grid. Some households have solar PV & photothermal systems
-4 wind turbines generate up to 24kw of electricity
-Wood biomass is used for heating in many properties
-Almost all vehicles use diesel/petrol, but some use electricity. Further developments w/ renewable energy & energy storage will make move away from fossil fuels easier
-Other projects include low-impact food production, beach litter collection & building insulation, like a straw bale home
Selected community sustainability projects- Eigg, UK; how have habitats been protected, created & managed on Eigg for wildlife management?
-Hen Harriers, Golden Eagles & White Tailed Eagles all nest on Eigg
-Areas w/ important wild plants have been fenced for protection from grazing animals
-Woodlands of indigenous trees have been planted eg Rowan, birch, goat willow
Selected community sustainability projects- Eigg, UK; how is waste and recycling managed on Eigg?
-Recyclable waste is collected & shipped off the island for recycling
-Garden & food waste is composted + used as a garden soil improver
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; what is the RBCMA and why is it important?
-A relatively undamaged rainforest, although species like Mahogany were selectively logged by the British up to the middle of the 20th century
-Is now managed by Belizian NGO ‘Programme for Belize’
-Biodiversity is high, w/ 200+ species of tree, 400 species of bird & 70 species of mammal
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; why is the reserve beneficial but also disadvantageous?
-Management is carried out to conserve wildlife, produce resources, sequester carbon & benefit local & national economy
-Range of economic activities have been developed/encouraged
-Local people are employed in forestry & ecotourism activities within reserve
-Ecotourist groups visit local restaurants, are fed w/ local produce & buy locally made souvenirs
-Establishment of rainforest reserve is good for wildlife but could threaten local communities that used to use area for fuelwood supplies, timber for housebuilding, farming clearings, hunting for food & collection of medicines + fibres
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) how are tree species selected for exploitation and how is this sustainable?
-Focus is on most economically valuable species like mahogany
-Trees for felling are only selected in areas where there’s other trees of same species upwind of clearing that’ll be created. Seeds from these trees will then recolonise clearing
-Each tree that’s felled is given a unique identification tag which allows timber to be tracked from its original location to its final retail destination eg a DIY superstore in UK. This is used to gain accreditation of sustainable exploitation from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
-Exploitation of other species is being developed eg zericote which is used for furniture, musical instruments & ornamental carvings
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) why are buffer zones near rivers used?
No mechanical/harvesting activities occur near rivers due to the ecological sensitivity of aquatic ecosystems
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) why aren’t small trees felled?
So that they can grow & be havested in the future when they’re larger
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) why may some large trees not be selected?
They’ll produce many seeds that’ll help to fill spaces left by felled trees
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) why is the use of some machinery restricted?
-Large machines can damage trunks & roots of trees that aren’t going to be felled
-Restricting use of machinery reduces this damage
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) why are track routes used?
-Tracks for vehicles are planned to avoid important trees & their roots
-These can include trees that are comparatively rare & trees that provide food for monkeys/birds
-Previously used tracks are re-used whenever possible
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) what is done with small branches and offcuts and why?
Smaller branches & offcuts that have low commercial value are given to local artisans like wood carvers/furniture makers
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) why are tree nurseries used?
-Tree seedlings are raised to increase numbers of trees that were over-exploited in the past/are ecologically important, eg fruit trees that provide food for monkeys
-Tree seedlings are also given to local communities
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; (forest exploitation) how is illegal logging controlled?
-Rangers patrol reserve to control illegal logging
-Illegally logged timber that’s confiscated is sold to pay for conservation activities
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; how have community projects helped the reserve?
-Wildlife conservation projects are unlikely to be successful if there are no benefits for the local community
-Programme for Belize has developed a variety of ecotourism projects so that local communities benefit from wildlite conservation
-PB is also a major employer of rangers, forestry workers & tourism employees
Selected community sustainability projects- Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area (RBCMA), Belize, Central America; why is the reserve important for carbon sequestration?
-An area of the forest is part of a research programme to monitor sequestration of carbon as part of an assessment of the role of rainforests in reducing global climate change
-Funding for the project has come from electricity companies, airlines & individuals, all of whom wish to minimise atmospheric CO² levels
Selected community sustainability projects- Kalundborg eco-industrial park, Denmark; what is this project and how is it sustainable?
-An industrial symbiosis project in Denmark where companies in the area are organised in a way that mimics natural cyclical processes
-Wherever possible, industries are located so that raw materials they need are wastes from other industries, while their wastes are needed as raw materials by other industries
Selected community sustainability projects- Kalundborg eco-industrial park, Denmark; what are examples of industrial wastes and their re-uses?
-Coal fired power station; heat waste is reused for domestic heating & fish farm, sulfur dioxide waste is reused for building plaster manufacture, ash waste is reused for road building & cement manufacture
-Fish farm; organic sludge waste is reused for agricultural fertiliser
-Biotechnology, medicine manufacture; yeast waste is reused for pig farms, fermentation sludge waste is reused for agricultural fertiliser
-Oil refinery; natural gas waste is reused to be burnt in coal fired power station
Selected community sustainability projects- Large scale renewable energy electricity grids; why is renewable energy not fully reliable?
Is often very abundant but use may be restricted by geographical & temporal availability
Selected community sustainability projects- Large scale renewable energy electricity grids; why are large-scale electricity grids important?
Make it possible to distribute electricity from areas of surplus to shortage
Selected community sustainability projects- Large scale renewable energy electricity grids; how do Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) grids differ in being beneficial?
-Alternating Current (AC) grids require every power station to be generating so that it’s synchronized to be in phase w/ all others. This can be difficult to coordinate w/ a scheme that involves a wide range of countries
-Direct Current (DC) grids don’t require the same degree of coordination
Selected community sustainability projects- Large scale renewable energy electricity grids; what are examples of large-scale DC grid projects proposed to harness renewable energy & distribute it to areas needed?
-Desertec; Countries of the EU, North Africa & Middle East
-Pan Asian Energy Infrastructure; countries of Eastern Asia
-Global Renewable Energy Grid Project; high energy use areas throughout the world
