Sustainable Development

Anthropogenic impacts: Land-Use Change

The area of intensive cultivation has sharply increased since the early 1700s

→ technological development directly leads to the agricultural revolution

Name four examples of how tech development impacts agriculture

1. Animal and human power replaced with new machinery tools

2. yield increase by using crop rotation and crop cross breading processes

3. utilization of fertilisers

4. large scale commercial farms became more common

Anthropogenic impacts: industrial revolution - first phase: 1750-1850

Europe + N America. Iron and textile industries along with dev of water wheel and steam engine. Reskilling of workforce

Anthropogenic impacts: industrial revolution - second phase 1870-1914

growth of pre-existing industries and expansion of new ones like steel, oil, electricity. Electric power to create mass production, also tech advances like telephone and light bulb. Transportation tools like marine vessel and air plane. Globalisation

Anthropogenic impacts: industrial revolution - third phase: 1947-now

digital revolution. globalisation accelerates. tech advancement decreases cost for production and increases global production. Plastics, pesticides, consumption of fossil fuels

Implications of anthropogenic impacts on resources

consume at a faster rate, depletion of natural resources occurs

Implications of anthropogenic impacts on environment

burning of fossil fuels, exhaust fumes from vechiles and factories, e

Green growth

the idea that economic growth can be oriented towards environmental problems, simultaneously addressing economic needs and climate change.

focuses on jobs and economic opportunities but doesn’t really consider the losers

Just transitions

believes that we must pursue a transition that is fair and equitable for everyone. is somewhat compatible with green growth, if the costs and benefits of renewables are spread evenly

4 types of just transitions

1. Distributional

2. Procedural

3. Restorative

4. Recognitional

Distributional Justice:

A Just Transition distributes fairly the cost and benefits of actions to protect all life from climate chaos (workers, communities, places etc )

Procedural Justice:

A Just Transition ensures inclusive and equitable decision-making process guiding the transition… It entails implementation of new forms of governance which have inclusion, agency, and accountability as central

Restorative Justice

A Just Transition addresses historical damages against individuals, communities, and the environment, and health with a particular focus on rectifying or ameliorating the situations of colonised, harmed or disenfranchised communities and at-risk environments

Recognitional Justice:

A Just Transition addresses issues such as misrecognition, lack of respect, non-recognition, devaluation, and cultural domination

FOUNDATIONAL ECONOMY

the basic, non-traded, services and products that keep residents “safe, sound, and civilised’’. It is those things which directly impact people’s quality of lives. Providing the core services society needs

SACRIFICE ZONES

places that, to their extractors, somehow don’t count and therefore can be poisoned, drained or otherwise destroyed for the purpose of greater economic progress

GREEN SACRIFICE ZONES

those that will be environmentally destroyed to ‘progress’ the green transition… green colonialism

LAND GRABBING

the large-scale acquisition of land through buying or leasing of large pieces of land by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals

Green grabbing

the acquisition of land for projects purported to meet the needs of net-zero transitions and sustainability

ENERGY DEMOCRACY

a movement for shifting the control of energy resources away from corporate monopolies and into the hands of communities and people

Limitations of green growth

• Land availability

• struggling to keep up with production

• we cannot keep up with consumption demands

• requires more extraction of resources

• resources which are finite

• uneven geographies of ecological damage

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

an economic system designed with the intention that maximum use is extracted from resources and minimum waste is generated for disposal

3R’S: Reduce

involves using less resources to manufacture something

3R’s: Reuse

means giving a new life to the product once it has satisfied its original purpose

3R’s: Recycle

recovering materials from waste and reintroducing them in the production process

Issues with 3R’s

fails to capture the diversity of strategies available in the circular economy

fails to consider the hierarchical importance of the R’s – the lower the number the greater the circularity

10R’s: R0-R2

the most important because they prevent resource usage and fundamentally restructure the supply chain. They are also the hardest to do for consumers and manufacturers

10R’s: R3-R7

varying degree of importance depending on product – not all 10 will be applicable to every product. These are the next most important

10R’s: R8-9

the least important because they are the last resort

R0: REFUSE

Refusing to buy/make unnecessary or excessively harmful products

R1: RETHINK

Rethink the design of products to make them more circular and use-intensive, e.g. durable, modular, easy to repair, and recycle

R2 REDUCE

Increase the efficiency of raw material usage and reduce the environmental impact during production – make more with less

R3: REUSE

When a different consumer reuses a discarded ‘waste’ product that is still in good condition and can fulfil its original function

R4: REPAIR

Repair damaged products instead of replacing them, prolonging their useful life

R5 REFURBISH

Update old/obsolete products internally with new components, or externally with new fabric, casing, paint etc

R6: REMANUFACTURE

Integrating still-good components from used products into new products

R7: REPURPOSE

Incorporating discarded components or products into a completely different product or process for a unique benefit or alternative purpose

R8: RECYCLE

Recovering materials from waste to reintroduce them into the production cycle

R9: RECOVERY

Recover energy from non-recyclable waste

Disadvantages of circular economy

Consumer mindset and cultural barriers

Political willpower

Firm willpower

Technological limitations

Infrastructure limitations

DEGROWTH

Net zero requires a planned downscaling of energy and resource use in over-consuming economies to fit within planetary boundaries, while developing economies achieve ‘stable’ growth

TECHNO-OPTIMISTS (GREEN GROWTH)

Sees human ingenuity and technological innovation are the primary solutions to climate change… we do not need to change our lifestyles or economic model

‘JUST’ TRANSITIONS

plans need to be made for both new jobs/industries and for the jobs/industries lost. The solution lies in community-owned energy, reduced consumption, and local self-sufficiency

THE CLEAN-TECH REVOLUTION

Part of the sixth long wave of innovation technological paradigms that shape the economy. Involves a process of creative destruction

CREATIVE DESTRUCTION

This is a core feature of capitalism – that it reinvents itself to continue surviving. In the constant pursuit of more profit, a process of creative destruction replaces older, less profitable resources, products, and processes with new, more profitable, ones

CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE (CCS)?

Techno-optimist. Would facilitate a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario that enables fossil fuel producers and users to continue. They do have some use cases in facilitating transitions, and some niche cases in areas like cement production where CO2 is impossible to avoid. Important considerations for ‘just’ elements of transitions because technologies like CCS may enable high-emitters to continue profiting from lobbying governments and damaging the climate

INDUSTRY LOBBYING

Net-zero transitions are contested… They are open to political capture through industry lobbying Some of the wealthiest and most powerful companies globally are some of the biggest emitters

China and Wind

China has had wind turbine manufacturing as part of its 5 year industrial strategy plans since the 90s… long before it has become profitable… Enabling China to become the world leader in wind turbine manufacturing

NET ZERO?

Net zero means cutting carbon/greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a small amount of residual emissions that can be removed from the atmosphere, leaving net zero total emissions

Implementation gap

Need to make sure that all the promises, plans, pledges, and policies are actually implemented

Ambition gap

Need to make new promises, plans, pledges, and policies that actually enable us to reach net zero

potential (interconnected) tipping points: Boreal permafrost melt

massive release of stored GHG

potential (interconnected) tipping points: greenland ice sheet melt

7m sea level rise

potential (interconnected) tipping points: west antarctic ice sheet melt

3m sea level rise

potential (interconnected) tipping points: labrador-Irminger Seas Convection

Extreme weather in Europe

potential (interconnected) tipping points: Amazon forest dieback

massive carbon store released

Challenges to net zero

Cost/ Economic damage /Different exposures /Technological capabilities/ Political/public acceptance

NET ZERO IN THE UK

The UK was the first major economy to create a legally binding target to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Stoke and loss of identity/ rise of reform

Politics

refers to the social conflict that develops when groups that differ in values and goals seek to influence public policy

governance

refers to a constitutional mechanism established to provide a legal, orderly way to resolve political conflicts

policy

A set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by different groups of people.

Voluntary policy

Voluntary actions and agreements via negotiation

market based actions policy

Taxes and subsidies to affect commercial activities (e.g., prices and spending)

regulations and laws policy

Achieving government's objectives through the use of regulations, laws. Eg completely banning harmful production or activities with fines or other sanctions for failing to follow the regulation

Carbon Tax as a policy

Able to adjust tax from time to time to control the speed of phasing out fossil fuel. Revenue can be devoted to transforming to clean energy

Formula for Policy: BAU Approach:

The city continues to import food but introduces minor efficiency improvements in transportation and storage to reduce costs and emissions.

Formula for Policy: Dramatic Change Approach

The city invests heavily in urban agriculture, transforming vacant lots, rooftops, and underutilized spaces into urban farms and community gardens to promote local, sustainable food production.

Formula for Policy: Technology-Focused Solution

Introduce vertical farming and hydroponic systems to maximize local food production using limited space and water

Lifestyle-Focused Solution

Launch a city-wide campaign encouraging citizens to grow their own food, reduce food waste, and adopt plant-based diets to reduce environmental impact

Sustainable agriculture

farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs

Permaculture

a design process and ideology based on whole-systems thinking informed by design principles found in nature

4 layers of function in permaculture

Edibles / medicinals / fiber plants / insectaries

Biodynamic farms

aspire to generate their own fertility through composting, integrating animals, cover cropping, and crop rotation.

Health benefits of biodynamic farming

Better Quality Soil leads to Better Quality Food. Reduced or Non-existent Exposure to Toxic Chemicals. Therapeutic

Economic benefits of biodynamic farming

There is no cost goes into expensive chemicals. The practice is very labor intensive which results inan increasedprice for theconsumer.

Disadvantages of biodynamic farming

Small scale. Labor Intensive. Against the Mainstream

Biodynamic Farm v.s. Permaculture Farm -

Biodynamic Farm Biodynamic farms treat soil, livestock, and crops as one system from start to finish. These farms don’t allow any chemicals and pesticides and any commercial farming practices.

Permaculture Farm These farms utilize all the space they possibly can. When designing these farms, farmers take the capabilities and capacities of wildlife factors and human-based agricultural factors into account.

Hydroponics

the technique of growing plants without soil (in air or water)

Advantages of hydroponics

You can grow anywhere.

Heavy work is reduced– Labor for tilling the soil, cultivation fumigation watering and other traditional practices can be reduced and sometimes eliminated.

Water is conserved– a well designed, properly run hydroponic system uses less water than gardening. This is an important advantage in areas with poor quality or limited water supplies.

Less space– Hydroponic systems come in a variety of designs including vertical stacking systems that take up a small amount of space

Disadvantages of hydroponics

Initial cost is high– This may limit the farm to growing crops which either have a fast turnover or give high return.

Skill and knowledge are needed to operate properly trained plantsman must direct the growing operation.

Availability of plant varieties are not always ideal most available plant varieties have been developed for growth in soil in the open environment. Suitable plant species are limited.

Aquaponics

integrates a hydroponic environment with aquaculture, the process of cultivating fish

Advantages of aquaponics

Plants use nutrients from fish waste to produce a marketable product.

Hydroponic plants act as biofilter.

Integrated systems reuse nutrients and conserve water (up to 98% less water than conventional farming).

Disadvantages of aquaponics

Requires knowledge of fish and plant husbandry. Requires system maintenance. High initial capital costs for system construction

Vertical farming

cultivating plant life within a skyscraper greenhouse.

food accounts for what proportion of solid waste in HK

1/3

what % of waste comes from households in HK

68%

Ecosystem

all of the organisms living together in their physical environment with biotic and abiotic factors.

Biotic components of an ecosystem

The living organisms (or) living members in an ecosystem

Consumers in Ecosystem

primary, secondary, tertiary

Abiotic (non-living) components of an ecosystem

Physical components: Include the energy, climate, and living space that the biological community needs. Chemical Components: They are the sources of essential nutrients

Primary function of all ecosystems

is manufacture of starch

Secondary function of all ecosystems

distribution energy in the form of food to all consumers.

Tertiary Function of ecosystem

All living systems died at a particular stage. These dead systems are decomposed to initiate third function of ecosystems namely “cycling”.

Energy loss in food chains

At each and every level, nearly 90% of the potential energy gets lost as heat.

3 types of biodiversity

species, genetic, ecosystem

Extinction

describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals. We have experienced 6 Major Extinctions

Causes Of Biodiversity Loss: Habitat Alteration

Changes in land use or land cover have impacts on ecosystems

Causes Of Biodiversity Loss: Invasive Species-

Species that enter new ecosystems and multiply, harming native species and their habitats, are often accidentally or deliberately introduced by humans.

Causes Of Biodiversity Loss: pollution

Any matter or energy released into the environment that causes undesirable impacts on the health and well-being of humans or other organisms.

Causes Of Biodiversity Loss: overharvesting / overuse

Overexploitation, refers to harvesting a resource to the point of diminishing returns