Week 6: Ecological Distribution Conflicts as Forces for Sustainability Scheidel et al (2018) Flashcards
What is the main argument of the article by Scheidel et al 2018?
1: Ecological distribution conflicts can act as
catalysts for sustainability transitions.
1: What are ecological distribution conflicts?
2: Give an example
- Conflicts over unequal sharing of environmental benefits and burdens.
Example: Indigenous opposition to mining on sacred lands.
What influences social metabolism in modern societies?
- Dispossession (separating laborers from production means).
- Contamination (shifting environmental costs to communities)
Like this, capitalist society drives high material throughput
What is the difference between social metabolism and socio-metabolic configurations. Give an example for each
Social Metabolism: focuses on the physical and material flows of resources between society and nature.
Hunter-gatherer societies: Low material and energy use.
Industrial societies: High material and energy throughput, often unsustainable.
**Socio-Metabolic Configurations: ** include the governance and power structures influencing those flows.
*Waste management in Delhi: Physical flows of waste (quantities and composition) and who governs its collection, processing, and disposal.
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What are the characteristics of successful environmental justice movements?
- Strong community mobilization.
- Strategic alliances with NGOs and academics.
- Effective framing of issues (e.g., slogans like “Keep the oil in the soil”).
- Proactive timing—acting before irreversible damage.
How do conflicts lead to justice movements?
Grassroots resistance from affected communities. + help from sympathizing allies.
Mobilization often escalates when immediate livelihoods are threatened.
What is the “conflict spiral” in sustainability? Give an example
Sustainability measures can trigger new conflicts by altering socio-metabolic configurations.
Example: Windenergy causing land grabbing despite being renewable.
How can the conflict spiral be addressed? (according to Scheidel
1: Reduce overall material and energy use.
2: Design policies that account for ecological, social, and economic impacts.
Example: Community-driven renewable energy projects to avoid displacement.
What is an example of a successful environmental justice movement?
Prey Lang Forest (Cambodia):
Protected forests from illegal logging.
Achieved policy changes and received international recognition.
How does increased resource extraction drive conflicts?
- Disrupts existing resource use patterns.
- Displaces communities reliant on traditional methods.
Example: Mining replacing sustainable farming practices.
What is the role of grassroots alliances in justice movements?
- Unite affected communities with broader networks.
- Transcend “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) concerns to address systemic issues.
- Example: Transnational movements like Friends of the Earth.
How can sustainability transitions reshape socio-metabolic configurations?
1: Shift to renewable energy systems.
2: Reduce energy and material flows.
3: Avoid “green grabs” that displace communities for environmental ends.
What are some challenges of sustainability transitions?
> Risk of Jevons’ paradox: Increased efficiency leading to greater overall consumption.
Therefore, reduced energy and material is essential complementary to switching to renewable energies.
What role do environmental justice movements play in monitoring sustainability policies?
> Ensure new policies do not repeat past unsustainable patterns.
Example: Advocating decentralized, community-driven renewable energy projects.
What is the difference between inter-modal and intra-modal ecological conflicts?
Inter-modal Conflicts:
Definition: Conflicts between different types of sectors/users or ways resources are used.
Example: Local farmers opposing a mining company that seeks to convert agricultural land into an extraction site.
Key Idea: Typically involves incompatible resource use goals (e.g., subsistence farming vs. industrial extraction).
Intra-modal Conflicts:
Definition: Conflicts within the same type of sector/users or ways resources are used
Example: Farmers disputing access to irrigation water or common grazing land.
Key Idea: Focuses on equitable distribution of resources within the same user group.
