Studied by 13 people
- Environmental value systems - Systems and models - Energy and equilibria - Humans and pollution
enviromental value system
Worldview or paradigm that shapes the way individuals or groups perceive and evaluate environmental issues
Influenced by cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political contexts
ecocentrism
views ecology and nature as central to humanity
emphasizes a less materialistic approach to life
prioritizes biorights, emphasizes the importance of education, and encourages self-restraint in human behavior
athropocentrism
argues that humans must sustainably manage the global system
through the use of taxes, environmental regulation, and legislation
debate to reach a consensual, pragmatic approach
technocentrism
argues that technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems
scientific research is encouraged
pro-growth agenda
systems approach
a way of visualizing a complex set of interactions which may be ecological or societal
system
an assemblage of parts and their relationship, forming a functioning entirity or whole
comprised of storages and flows
flows
movevement of matter and energy - either transfers or transformations (arrows)
transfer
matter or energy moves through a system without changing state or form (flow)
transformation
a change in state or form (flow)
open system
exchanges both energy and matter across its boundary (ECOSYSTEMS)
closed system
exchanges only energy across its boundary (only experimental)
isolated system
hypothetical concept in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged across the boundary
storages
where energy or matter is held (boxes)
first law of thermodynamics
the principle of conservation of energy - energy in an isolated system can be transformed but cannot be created or destroyed
second law of thermodynamics
the entropy of a system increases over time
(explains the inefficiency and decrease in available energy along a food chain)
entropy
a measure of the amount of disorder in a system
negative feedback loop
STABILIZING - occurs when the output of a process inhibits or reverses the operation of the same process in such a way as to reduce change - it counteracts deviation
positive feedback loop
DESTABILIZING - will tend to amplify changes and drive the system toward a tipping point where a new equilibrium is adopted
resiliance of a system
its tendency to avoid tipping points and maintain stability
(contributed to by diversity and the size of storages)
delay in feedback loop
make it difficult to predict tipping points and add to the complexity of modelling systems
affected by diversity and the size of storages within systems
sustainablility
the use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use
natural capital
natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services
natural income
the yield obtained from natural resources
ecosystems provide:
life-supporting services (water replenishment, flood, and erosion protection)
goods (timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops)
environmental indicators of sustainability
biodiversity, pollution, population or climate
enviromental impact assesment (EIA)
assess environmental, social and economic impacts of a project (provides decision-makers with info)
predicts and evaluates possible impacts
suggests mitigation strategies
before - baseline studies
after - an audit and continued monitoring
critisms of EIAs
lack of a standard practice or training for practitioners
lack of a clear definition of system boundaries
lack of inclusion of indirect impacts
not necessarily binding - can be ignored
ecological footprint
the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population
pollution
the addition of a substance or an agent to an environment through human activity, at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered harmless by the environment, and which has an appreciable effect on the organisms in the environment
non-point or point source
persistent or biodegradable
acute or chronic
pollutants
organic or inorganic substances, light, sound, or thermal energy, biological agents, or invasive species (i.e. from combustion of fossil fuels)
primary (active on emission)
secondary (arising from primary pollutants undergoing physical or chemical change).
DDT
insecticide and toxin
→ example of a conflict between the utility of a “pollutant” and its effect on the environment
intrinsic value
when an object or place has a worth irrespective of its economic value
biorights
all life has a right to exist
biosphere
the living part of the planet
ecosphere
the planetary ecosystem, including all the earth’s living organisms and their physical environment
litosphere
the rigit outer layer of the earth, about 75 km of the earth’s crust
example of a small system
bromeliad plant in the Amazon river
example of a medium system
a small lake in the Šumava forest
example of a large system
the earth
model
a simplified description designed to show the structure or workings of an object, system or concept
steady state equilibrium
the ability to return to a balance after a disturbance
static equilibrium
no inputs, outputs of energy or matter and no change over time (doesn’t occur in nature)
stable equilibrium
if a system returns to its original equilibrium after a disturbance
unstable equilibrium
system that does not return to the same equilibrium after a disturbance, but forms a new equilibrium
tipping point
a critical threshold when even a small change can have a dynamic effect on a system
resilience
the tendency to avoid tipping points and maintain stability through a steady state equilibrium
Note 
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