Unit 4: Outcome 1 Flashcards
Sustainable development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainability
The ongoing capacity of earth to maintain all life
Sustainability pillars
Economic development, social development and environmental protection
Sustainability pillars
Economic development definition
Refers to the promotion of standards of living and market productivity of a country.
Sustainability pillars
Economic development
Many countries have focused on resource extraction for their own economic gains.
With consumption and population increasing the demand for products continues to increase.
Sustainability pillars
Social development definition
Refers to the social wellbeing of all people with ability to meet all basic needs for survival
Sustainability pillars
Social development
The gap between the poor and the rich is increasing, meaning we are living in a world of inequality.
A major focus of sustainability is social equalisation, where all humans have access to basic needs, education and high quality of life
Sustainability pillars
Environmental protection
Our social and economic development relies on resources from the environment.
Technology allows us to monitor the health of the environment and our impacts.
Governments are seeing the benefits of a greener way of living
Critiques of sustainability
Contradiction and costs
Critiques of sustainability
Contradictions
- to be sustainable, any development must have no lasting impact on the environment
- to develop as a country, the environments resources have to be utilised
Critiques of sustainability
Costs
- adopting sustainable practices is expensive
- installing water tanks and solar panels seems like a good idea however, the associated costs may be too expensive for many households
Indicators of healthy outdoor environments
Water quality and adequacy Air quality and adequacy Soil quality and adequacy Pests and introduced species Levels of biodiversity
Quality and adequacy of water
Water is essential to healthy outdoor environments. Humans rely on water to fulfil our most basic needs
Quality and adequacy of water
Characteristics
Taste, odour, appearance
Temperature
And pH levels
Soil quality and adequacy
Soil enables plant growth, resists erosion, store water, retains nutrients and is an environmental buffer in the landscape. Soil also supplies nutrients, water and oxygen to plants.
It is destroyed through deforestation
Pests and introduced species
A pest is an animal or plant that interferes with human land use.
Native animals have been forced to compete for food and shelter with these species, which has led to the extinction of some native species
SOE
State of environment
What is a SOE report?
Describes the state of the environment for a city, region or country.
These reports then become the tools used to assess and monitor changes in the environment and enable us to plan for effective environmental management.
Why are SOE reports useful?
They are one of the most valuable means of informing policy makers, the public and other interested parties on the status of the natural resource and the sustainability of their use
Atmosphere 2016 report
Positives
Air quality is generally good in our urban areas.
Since 2011, Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions per person has decreased
Atmosphere 2016 report
Negatives
Australian average temperatures have increased by 1 degree since 1910.
Health impacts from air pollutants are now occurring at lower concentrations, meaning, that we are getting sicker due to pollution
Atmosphere 2016 report
Effectiveness of management
Climate
There has been major development in international cooperation to address the global issue of climate change by singing the Paris agreement.
The Paris agreement
This agreement aims to put a hold on the increase of global average temperatures
Atmosphere 2016 report
Effectiveness of management
Air quality
Australia has had national standards and goals for ambient air quality for 20 years
Biodiversity 2016 report
Positives
Improvements in technology is likely to improve out understanding of Australian species
Land clearing rate stabilises in all states and territories (except Queensland)
Biodiversity 2016 report
Negatives
Australias biodiversity is continuing to decline, and new approaches are needed to prevent accelerating decline in many species.
The list of nationally threatened species has increased.
Biodiversity 2016 report
Effectiveness of management
A key policy initiative for threatened species management has been the development of the threatened species strategies.
Threatened species strategies
Aim is to bring a national focus to conservation efforts and help to address the growing number of native flora and fauna.
