ENV221 Midterm

What is intersectional environmentalism?

version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet

Why is intersectional environmentalism significant?

it identifies the ways in which injustices happening to marginalized communities and the earth are interconnected. It brings injustices done to the most vulnerable communities, and the earth, to the forefront and does not minimize or silence social inequality.

Intersectional environmentalism advocates for justice for people and the planet.

What are planetary boundaries?

“safe operating space for humanity”, a framework that identifies 9 environmental limits to stay within.

Why are planetary boundaries significant?

highlights security risks from human-caused pressures on critical global processes that regulate the Earth’s stability and resilience.

What is adaptation?

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, in order to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities.

In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.

Why is adaptation significant?

coping with and managing the impacts of climate change to reduce vulnerability & strengthen resilience (considering current realities & plausible risks in the short-term).

What is mitigation?

A human intervention to reduce emissions or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases.

Why is mitigation significant?

reducing long-term risks by limiting warming.

What is a tipping point?

a critical point at which small changes can suddenly trigger large, often irreversible shifts in Earth’s environment.

Why is tipping point significant?

Once a tipping point is crossed, self-reinforcing (postitive feedback) processes drive the system further away from its previous state, increasing the magnitude and extent of change.

What is Anthropocene?

Human-dominated geological epoch of present.

Why is the Anthropocene significant?

Marks a period in Earth’s history when human activity has become the dominant force shaping the planet’s physical, chemical, and biological systems — changes that are measurable, global in scale, and potentially permanent.

What is the Doctrine of Discovery?

authorized Christian European empires to claim, colonize, and exploit lands inhabited by non-Christians

Why is the Doctrine of Discovery significant?

formed the foundational justification for global colonization, Indigenous dispossession, and modern property and Aboriginal law.

Legal & moral justification for colonization.

What is the Enclosure of the Commons (Shiva)?

The transformation of land from public to private ownership, usually triggered by the greed and power of the privateers.

Why is the Enclosure of the Commons (Shiva) significant?

Essential for the market economy to become the dominant economy.

What is Doughnut Economics?

Meeting everyone’s needs while staying within Earth’s ecological limits.

Why is Doughnut Economics significant?

So all people can lead lives of dignity, opportunity, and community, to live within a balance between people and the planet.

What is Green Growth?

Same old system that believes in need to grow GDP, but in more “environmentally friendly”.

Why is Green Growth significant?

Can lead to a REBOUND EFFECT where environmental gains (i.e., more efficiency or waste reductions) can drive higher overall demand, cancelling out the environmental gains.​

Under continued GDP prioritization, externalities like environmental harm and war are still not captured.​

What is Green Colonialism?

Environmental protection or renewable energy initiatives at the expense of, or without consultation of, an Indigenous/ local/ rural community.

Why is Green Colonialism significant?

Developed countries, corporations, or global institutions justify land grabs, resource extraction, or restrictive conservation policies as necessary for climate action. These actions often displace Indigenous or local communities, restrict access to land, or exploit labor and resources in the Global South.

What are Sacrifice Zones?

Green energy projects that are at the expense of, or without consultation of, an Indigenous/ local/ rural community.

Why are Sacrifice Zones significant?

Expose deep inequities in how environmental harms are distributed, revealing systemic patterns of pollution, economic exploitation, and political power imbalance that affect vulnerable communities.

What is the International Court of Justice Climate Advisory Opinion?

27 law students from University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu began campaigning on the issue of climate change & its impacts on human rights to the ICJ.

Why is the International Court of Justice Climate Advisory Opinion significant?

Affirmed that states have legal obligations under international law to protect the climate system and prevent significant environmental harm.​ Articulated how climate change may “significantly impair the enjoyment of certain human rights”​

What is a Just Transition?

A vision-led, unifying, and place-based set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Why is a Just Transition significant?

If the process of transition is not just, the outcome will never be. Just Transition describes both where we are going and how we get there.

What is Net Zero?

A state where the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere are balanced by an equivalent amount removed, effectively halting the net increase of emissions.

Why is Net Zero significant?

It is the central global target for limiting dangerous climate change, protecting ecosystems, and ensuring human safety by balancing greenhouse gas emissions with removals to prevent further warming.

What is the Paris Agreement?

Unites nearly all nations in a legally binding effort to limit global warming, promote climate resilience, and drive sustainable economic transformation.

Why is the Paris Agreement significant?

Represents a blueprint for a sustainable future, combining ambition, transparency, and solidarity. Its success depends on nations enhancing their commitments, fostering innovation, and supporting vulnerable populations, ultimately aiming to safeguard the planet for current and future generations.

What is Neoliberalism?

A policy model that encompasses both politics and economics and seeks to transfer the control of economic factors from the public sector to the private sector.

Why is Neoliberalism significant?

• Markets and private actors are more efficient and effective than governments.

• Limit government intervention / regulation (‘deregulation’)

• Transfer public services to private ownership (‘privatization’)

• Encourage individual responsibility & competition

• Influenced increased state reliance on markets.

What is Free, Prior & Informed Consent?

The right of Indigenous Peoples to give or withhold consent to projects or activities affecting their lands, territories, and resources, ensuring participation without coercion, sufficiently in advance, and with full information.

Why is Free, Prior & Informed Consent significant?

Free: No coercion, intimidation, or manipulation.

Prior: Consent sought well before project approval or start, respecting Indigenous timelines.

Informed: Communities receive full, accessible information about the project’s nature, impacts, risks, duration, and personnel.

Consent: A collective decision made through customary Indigenous decision‑making processes.

What is Information Deficit Model?

For [normative goal frames] to be dominant, you first need to be aware that a particular behaviour is damaging.

Why is Information Deficit Model significant?

Just giving people information about the damaging effects is not necessarily going to change their behaviour... people also need to know what they should do. Without that knowledge, other goal frames are likely to become dominant.

What is ABT Framework?

A storytelling and communication tool that uses the sequence "And, But, Therefore" to create compelling narratives by establishing context, introducing conflict, and providing resolution.

Why is ABT Framework significant?

Provides a simple, universal narrative structure that transforms how ideas are communicated, making them clearer, more engaging, and more persuasive.