Exam 2 - 4

Limits to Growth Argument

A theory suggesting that infinite economic growth is not sustainable due to finite natural resources, yet it has flaws as it neglects economic causal chains.

Three Types of Poverty

1. Subjective Poverty - people’s perception;

2. Relative Poverty - increasing function of average standard of living;

3. Absolute Poverty - fixed standard of living.

Headcount Formula for Poverty Measurement

H = q/N, where q is the number of people below the poverty line and N is the total population.

Advantages of Headcount Measurement

It is easily understood.

Disadvantages of Headcount Measurement

It is insensitive to the distribution of income among the poor.

COVID-19 Effects on Global Poverty

It heightened the risk of infection and threatened incomes, exacerbating poverty.

Three Dimensions of Environmental Justice

1. Distribution

2. Participation

3. Recognition.

Principles of Distribution in Environmental Justice

Equality, ability to pay, polluter pays, steward receives.

Principles of Participation in Environmental Justice

Direct stakeholder participation, representative stakeholder, majority voting, deliberation.

Principles of Recognition in Environmental Justice

Acknowledgment of specificity and universality, definition of limits, mutual hierarchy for stakeholders.

Impacts of Food Production

Biodiversity loss, eutrophication, climate change.

Requirements for Food Security

Access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Difference Between Gender Equality and Gender Equity

Equality refers to sameness of outcomes, while equity emphasizes fairness and justice in opportunities.

SDGs Linked to Educating Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

Goals that illustrate how girls' education leads to better economics, reduced poverty, and improved family planning. SDG1, SDG4, SDG5, SDG8, SDG10

Gender Relevance to Biodiversity Conservation

Men and women use natural resources differently, and their cooperation in management benefits both people and nature.

Exposome

The totality of environmental exposures throughout an individual’s lifespan.

Components of Risk

Risk is made up of Hazard multiplied by Exposure.

Three Fire Triangles

The essential elements that need to be present for a fire to occur: heat, fuel, and oxygen.

Decline of Savanna Fires since 1998

Yes, 25% fewer savanna fires due to socio-economic changes and increased agricultural land.

Forest Fires Trend

forest fires are getting bigger and more intense

Impact of Arctic-Boreal Fires on Climate Change

Releases carbon stored in melting permafrost, accelerating climate change.

Zombie Fires

Fires that remain smouldering underground over winter and can reignite.

Locations of Cyclones

Cyclones occur in the Indian Ocean.

Locations of Typhoons

Typhoons occur in the Western Pacific.

Flood Risk Formula Addition

Risk = Hazard + Exposure + Vulnerability.

Norm During La Nina

La Nina is the norm, characterized by cooler temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.
El nino is warmer, causing more precipitation in the Americas, more dry conditions in Australia, more mild winters in US. This flips for La Nina

Changes During ENSO Events

• El Niño: Trade winds weaken → warm water moves east → changes in global weather.

• La Niña: Trade winds strengthen → cool water dominates the east → opposite weather changes.

• Neutral: Trade winds and ocean temperatures are balanced → normal conditions.

These shifts are irregular, occurring every 2 to 7 years, and the ENSO cycle can last from a few months to a couple of years, depending on the strength of the conditions.

Species Population Decline

No, not every species is declining in population.

Species Retained in the EU Since 1900

40% of species present in the EU since 1900 are still extant.

Importance of Apex Predators in Ecosystems

They play a critical role in maintaining the structure of ecological communities.

Common Misconceptions about Biodiversity Loss

1. Questioning the point of having many species; 2. Prioritizing economic problems; 3. Belief that new species will replace extinct ones.

Most Active IPCC Working Group

Working Group II.

Prospects for Limiting Warming to 1.5 Degrees

Assess the current trajectory toward emissions reduction and its implications for climate goals.

Fairness Principles for Emission Reduction

Consider equity and justice in distributing responsibility for reducing emissions.

Carbon Lock-In Cycle

A feedback loop where reliance on carbon-intensive energy sources prevents shifts towards renewable energy.

Breaking the Carbon Lock-In Cycle

Strategies include holding producers accountable and government intervention in reducing fossil fuel subsidies.

EKC conclusions

-        EKC holds for some environmental impacts, but not all.

-        Even if an EKC exists, the turning point may be too far away.

-        Even if an EKC exists, there is no automatic relationship – primarily depends on regulation.

squared poverty gap  

Advantage: sensitive to differences in both depth and severity of poverty. It captures the gap  of how poor people are. People that are very poor will cover a lot more weight than people  who are just under the poverty line. 

- Disadvantage: difficult to interpret. 

 I = P x A x T 

- Impact: in physical units 

- Population: capita 

- Affluence: GDP/capita 

- Technology: impact/GDP. Or waste/resource intensity, which is the amount of resource or  waste per production unit.  

IPAT criticism

P, A and T are not exogenous and I may affect these as well. The variables are treated separately, but in reality, they all influence each other since there are a lot of interrelations (e.g A increases so lower birth rates so lower p). 

Examples for multi-level governance in the water system:

1. International: transboundary water resource management 

2. National: water policy development 

3. Local: community-based management