Sustainable development Flashcards
What is over consumption?
This is when resources are used in excess and at a higher rate of production.
What is carrying capacity?
Carrying capacity is the maximum population size of species that an ecosystem can support indefinitely.
What is sustainable development?
Sustainable development is when the needs of the current generations are met without compromising the needs of the future generations?
What are the three things we need for sustainable development to work/happen?
- Economic: to do with money and jobs.
- Environmental: to do with the planet and nature.
- Social: to do with people.
How did sustainable development come about?
Sustainable development came about in the 1900’s when people realised that the way they were living caused species to become extinct, global warming and climate change. So then in 1992 a sustainable development programme was introduced in Rio de Janero.
What did the club of Rome do?
They released a book called “limits to growth” which said that we would all eventually die of starvation because of the way we use our resources.
What did Thomas Malthus believe?
Thomas Malthus beloved that if human population was allowed to increase, then the population would out grow the rate of food production. It would eventually reach a limit and cause a population crash, due to famine or disease.
What did Esther Boserup believe?
Esther Boserup believed that people have the resources of technology and knowledge to increase food supplies. She suggested that population growth helps develop agriculture.
What is resource consumption?
Resource consumption is the many different ways and rates that humans consume the products of the natural world. Some resources which are used are finite (oil) and some are infinite.
What are the impacts of resource consumption?
- Landfills: which lead to toxic chemicals and shortage of space.
- Global warming: damage to crops and animals.
- Usage of land for buildings: habitat destruction and shortage of crops.
- Cutting down trees: deforestation and lower oxygen levels.
- Unsustainable materials: extinction of materials.
Which city has successfully managed to live and run sustainably?
Curitiba, Brazil.
How has Curitiba achieved sustainable living?
They have reduced car use, opened natural parks, planted trees and have achieved good recycling plans. Their system of the BRT has been very successful, over 1.4m people use it each day and no one lives further than 400 metres away from the bus stop.
How has Curitiba met the 3 pillars of sustainability?
Economic: they have $600 million to spend each year.
Social: 99% of the residents are happy with where they live.
Environmental: each person has 52 metres squared of green space and they recycle 70% of their waste.
What is fair trade?
Fair trade is the trade between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries in which fair prices are paid to the producers.
