IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL: Foundations of Environmental Systems and Societies

A set of flashcards based on key concepts from the IB Environmental Systems and Societies lecture focusing on environmental value systems, significant events, and principles of sustainability.

Environmental Value System (EVS)

A worldview or paradigm that shapes how individuals or groups perceive and evaluate environmental issues based on cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political contexts.

Ecocentrism

An ecocentric viewpoint that integrates social, spiritual, and environmental dimensions, placing ecology and nature at the center of humanity.

Anthropocentrism

An anthropocentric viewpoint arguing that humans must sustainably manage the global system, viewing the environment primarily as a resource for human use.

Technocentrism

A viewpoint asserting that technological advancements can provide solutions to environmental problems, believing that technology can replace nature when necessary.

Deep Ecology

An extreme ecocentric belief that nature holds more value than humanity and argues against the use of natural resources for human purposes.

Environmental Managers

Individuals or governing bodies that advocate for stewardship of the Earth and work within existing social and political structures to create environmental change.

Cornucopian

An extreme technocentric belief that sees the world as having infinite resources, viewing environmental issues as solvable by new technologies.

Silent Spring

A book by Rachel Carson published in 1962 that raised awareness about the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment, sparking the modern environmental movement.

An Inconvenient Truth

A documentary by Al Gore raising awareness about climate change and its human-induced causes, promoting action as a moral imperative.

Ecological Footprint (EF)

The area of land and water required to sustainably provide resources consumed by a population; indicates sustainability if the EF is less than the available area.

Chernobyl Disaster

A catastrophic nuclear accident in 1986 in Ukraine that resulted in massive radiation exposure and extensive long-term health impacts.

Sustainability

The use and management of resources that allows for natural replenishment and recovery of ecosystems affected by their use.

Natural Capital

Natural resources that can generate sustainable natural income of goods and services, including renewable, replenishable, and non-renewable types.

Types of Systems

Categories of systems based on their interactions with surrounding environments: open (matter and energy exchange), closed (energy exchange only), and isolated (no exchange).

Feedback Loop

A system mechanism where information that initiates a reaction leads to further information input, which can be positive (destabilizing) or negative (stabilizing).

Resilience

The ability of a system to return to its original state after a disturbance, indicating how well it can withstand environmental changes.

Pollution

The addition of substances or agents to an environment by human activity at a rate that exceeds the environment’s capacity to render them harmless.