Sustainability Part One 1.4 Flashcards
Natural capital
Term used for natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods/services.
Timber (good) and keeps land from eroding (service)
Natural income
Yield obtained from natural resources/natural capital
Sustainable development
Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
3 aspects of sustainable development
- Environmental, no negative impact on environment.
- Social, everyone should have right to same civilization level.
- Economic, economically viable
Sustainable yield
Increase in natural capital that can be deployed each year without depletion, use of resource relies one not using it at a faster rate than what is produced
What are some assumptions of sustainable yield models?
Data can tell the real size and growth rate of an organism.
That population has an even growth structure.
Harvesting affects all groups in population evenly.
No natural fluctuations affect the population.
Orange Roughy example
Overfished until it was 20% of its original population size. Fishing quotas introduces.
Ecological overshoot
When we use more resources each year than what is being produced.
Sustainability indicators
Ecological, social and economic indices can be used to measure sustainability of a region.
Can be measure globally or locally.
Complex to provide a proper pic of sustainability.
What is the MEA
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
Investigate how ecosystems have changed last decades and predict future changes.
What are some finding of the MEA?
Human actions are depleting Earth’s natural capital so that its ability to sustain future generations ant be assured. Can be reversed if changes in policies and practices are taken.
Sustainability
Living within the means of nature on the sustainable income generated by natural capital.
Long term harvest/pollution rates should not exceed rates of capital renewal.
