ESS 1.1-1.3

subtopics 1.1, 1.2, 1.3

the Significant historical influences on the development of the environmental movement

literature, the media, major environmental disasters, international agreements and technological developments.

EVS definition

a system that shapes the way people perceive and evaluates environmental issues, influenced by cultural, religious, economic and socio-political contexts.

Ecocentrism

puts ecology and nature as central to humanity and emphasizes a less materialistic approach to life (discourages technology). Ecocentrism values the importance of education and encourages self-restraint in human behaviour.

Anthropocentrism

argues that humans must sustainably manage the global system

Technocentrism

technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems

extremists of the different value systems:

Deep ecologist

Environmental managers

cornucopian

intrinsic value

value independent of any benefit to humans/sentimental value

Systems Approach

any collection of components that work together to perform a function

emergent properties

the whole system can do things properties cant

Storages and flows of systems

Systems have inputs and outputs

Systems have storages, flows, processes and feedback

Flow is the movement between systems

Energy transfer

Movement of energy from one location to another (e.g. electricity from a wall plug to a charger to a battery), same type of energy just moved (kinetic energy from foot to kin energy in ball)

Energy transformation

energy changes from one form to another (e.g. hydroelectric dam , kinetic energy to electrical energy)

open system

exchanges both energy and matter across its boundary (e.g. ecosystem)

closed system

exchanges only energy across its boundary. (only exsist experimentally)

isolated system

hypothetical concept in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged across the boundary.

system diagram

box with arrows of flows/storages

models

how flows, storages, and linkages within systems using a diagrammatic approach

first law of thermodynamics

energy is neither created or destroyed, but may be converted from one form to another

second law of thermodynamics

the entropy of a system increases over time, reducing the energy available to do work (Less energy after each energetic transformation)

rule of thumb

WE LOSE 90% EACH LEVEL OF TRANSFORMATION. 10% GOES TO NEXT LEVEL/TRANSFERED

Euqilibrium

state of balance in an ecosystem : steady state, static

Steady state equillibrium

Maintains a stable system due to constant flow of inputs and outputs

Ecosystem (stable) needs inputs and outputs to function

Static equillibrium:

Doesn't apply to any natural sytstem , there are no inputs and outputs so no change oocurs

Unstable equilibriums

a system that If faces a disturbance will not return to the original equillibrium and establish a new one

negative feedback loops

Negative feedback loops bring back to normal / systems response to go back to original state

Put in equillibrium/ stabilising

positive feedback loops

amplify changes and drive the system toward a tipping point where a new equilibrium is adopted. constant change/increasing

tipping point

the point at which a fundamental shift in the behavior of a system occurs

resilience of a system

The ability of a system to avoid tipping points and maintain stability.

can be affected by: Diversity and the size of storages within systems (humans can reduce this e.g. oversuing land)