The Great Acceleration Flashcards
Define Neoliberalism
A political approach that favours free-market, capitalism, deregulation, and reduction in government spending
What is meant by the Great Acceleration?
Post WWII spike in human activities is linked to changes in earth’s systems. Was a time of great socioecological change
What inequities does the Great Acceleration rest upon?
-Geographical
-Temporal
-Gender
-Race
-Economic
What is a sacrifice zone?
Places that count a little bit less than other places. They can be poisoned, drained, eroded, and destroyed for the supposed greater good of economic progress
Apolitical explanations for lack of action
Human nature: humans are greedy, lazy, selfish
Ignorance: people lack knowledge
Population growth: too many babies
Poverty: people can’t afford to be “environmental”
Technology: lacking or too expensive
Consumption: buy the wrong things, buy too much
Two characteristics of “apolitical ecologies”
- Individual shortcomings (ignorant people)
- Species shortcomings (all humans are selfish)
What is IPAT
environmental Impact (I) is the product of three factors: population (P), affluence (A) and technology (T)
What food- related elements to ‘the great acceleration’ are there?
1) Increased consumption of animal products
2) Industrialization of agriculture: monoculture farming, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the consolidation of food and distribution systems
3) Globalization of food systems: increased trade in food commodities, the expansion of agribusiness and the concentration of power in the hands of a few large corporations
4) Food waste
- Compare and contrast political and apolitical explanations for why the great acceleration is difficult to halt.
1) Political power imbalances: difficult to enact policies that would slow down or reverse the environmental degradation caused by the GA. Powerful actors often resist regulation and instead promote policies that favour their own interests over the common good
2) International cooperation: difficult to address through national policies alone, differences in priorities and values between nations
Apolitical explanations for why the GA is difficult to halt
1) Technological lock-in: use of certain technologies and infrastructure in the production and distribution of goods and services can create a path-dependent lock-in effects that makes it difficult to switch to more sustainable alternatives (fossil fuel infrastructure, and transportation systems have been developed over years making it difficult to switch to renewable energy and low-carbon transportation
2) Cultural and societal norms: cultural norms and behaviours/choices can be difficult to change, particularly in the face of powerful advertising and marketing campaigns by the food/fashion industries that promote unsustainable lifestyles
Political explanations focus on power imbalances and challenges of international cooperation, while apolitical explanations focus of technological lock-in and cultural/societal norms.
Both types of explanations highlight the need for systemic changes that address the root causes of environmental degradation caused by the GA.
Referring to the Guardian article, describe Monbiot’s critiques of neoliberalism.
Neoliberalism prioritizes the interests of corporations and the wealthy over the needs of the general public, resulting in economic inequality, environmental degradation and a lack of accountability.
1) Privatization: decreased accessibility and affordability for the general public
2) Deregulation: allowed corporations to prioritize their own interests over those of the public because of the reduction of government oversight and regulation
3) Free Market fundamentalism: the approach of the free market being able to operate without any government intervention ignored the reality of power imbalances between corporations and individual’s like pollution and economic instability
4) Austerity measures: disproportionately affects marginalized communities and exacerbate economic inequality. Decreased public services and increased poverty
