Environmental Perspectives, Systems, and Sustainability Frameworks

perspective

how a particular situation is viewed and understood by an individual

factors

Social norms, Your scientific understanding, Laws, Religion/culture, Economic conditions, Local and global events, Lived experiences, And more!

argument

a statement/statements made to support a personally held perspective or to counter a different one

values

qualities/principles that people feel have worth and importance in life; may be individual or held by a group

worldviews

the lenses shared by groups of people through which they perceive, make sense of, and act within their environment

environmental value system (EVS)

a model that shows the inputs affecting our perspectives and the outputs resulting from our perspectives

inputs of EVS

cultural background, religion, lived experiences through local/global events

outputs of EVS

differences made in lifestyle choices, activism, stances on certain policy decisions

technocentrism

nature is a model, but can be replaced when needed; society; human health and well-being are central to decision-making; technology can keep pace and provide solutions to environmental problems

anthropocentrism

views humankind as being the central, most important element of existence; nature is a resource for humans to use as needed

ecocentrism

puts ecology and nature as central to humanity and emphasizes a less materialistic approach to life, with greater self-sufficiency of societies

influences on perspectives

government, NGO campaigns, social and demographic change

example of influence

the implementation of a law mandating the use of seat belts

example of NGO campaign

WWF's campaigns to save the orangutans

activist

Greta Thunberg: A Swedish environmental activist who challenges world leaders to act now to mitigate climate change.

author

Rachel Carson: Wrote Silent Spring in 1962, about the devastating ecological harm of pesticides like DDT, making complex information accessible to a wide audience and sparking a shift in environmental awareness.

international agreement

The Paris Agreement: A legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted in 2015, to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels.

media

An Inconvenient Truth: A book + movie by Al Gore that addresses climate change and its impacts.

environmental disaster

Bhopal disaster: An environmental disaster in Bhopal, India, where a Union Carbide pesticide plant released 40 tons of MIC gas, killing 3,000 and exposing half a million.

technological development

Tesla: The popularization of car brands like Tesla made sustainable technology more accessible to individuals to use on a daily basis.

scientific discovery

Ozone hole discovery: The discovery of the ozone hole, and the following actions taken by international bodies to phase out CFCs, successfully led to the treatment of the global issue and demonstrated that scientific discovery could lead to decisive global action and policy changes.

Systems

A set of interrelated parts working together to make a functioning whole.

Reductionism

A method that is good for learning how parts work, isolating parts and determining the precise mechanisms for how they operate.

biosphere

the part of the Earth where living organisms (life) exist

anthroposphere

encompasses the total human presence

atmosphere

the layer of air surrounding the Earth's surface

hydrosphere

water

cryosphere

frozen water

geosphere

rocks and soil

inputs

import material and energy

outputs

export material and energy across the system boundary

flows

flows and pathways within the system along which the energy and materials pass - can be transfers or transformations

transfers

involve a change in the location of energy or matter

transformations

the matter or energy changes state

stores

storage areas within the system where energy and material can be stored for various lengths of time before being released back into the flows

energy

light, heat, motion, chemical

open system

exchanges matter and energy with its environment

closed system

exchanges energy but not matter with its environment (rare in nature)

stable equilibrium

the condition of a system in which there is a tendency for it to return to the previous equilibrium following a disturbance

steady state equilibrium

the condition of an open system in which flows are still occurring, but inputs are constantly balanced with outputs

unstable equilibrium

the system returns to a new equilibrium after a disturbance

feedback loop

when information starts a reaction that may input more information, which may start another reaction

negative feedback loops

occur when the output (end product) of a process inhibits or reverses the operation of the same process in such a way as to reduce change

homeostasis

self-regulation, explains stability in systems

ex: predator-prey interaction, sweating and shivering, cloud feedback

positive feedback loops

occur when a disturbance leads to an amplification of that disturbance, destabilizing the system and driving it away from its equilibrium

tipping point

the minimum change in a system that destabilizes it and shifts the regime to a new equilibrium or stable state

albedo

a measure of how much a surface reflects; the more reflective, the higher the albedo

the gaia hypothesis

an argument that the Earth and its biological systems act as a single entity which has self-regulating negative feedback loops to keep conditions on Earth within a range favorable to life

tipping point

the minimum amount of change that will cause destabilization within a system

result in a regime shift between alternative stable states

keystone species

species that have a large influence on an ecosystem relative to their population size

resilience

the capacity of a system to resist, recover from, or adapt effectively to disturbance

emergent properties

properties of the system but not of individual parts of the system

sustainability

a measure of the extent to which human practices allow for the long-term viability of a system.

natural income

the yield or harvest from natural resources.

natural capital

the stock of natural resources on Earth (rocks, soil, water, air, all living things).

Renewable natural capital

can be generated or replaced as fast as it is being used; like the ozone layer or groundwater.

Non-renewable natural capital

either irreplaceable or can only be replaced over geological timescales (e.g. fossil fuels, soil, water in aquifers and minerals).

environmental sustainability

the use and management of natural resources that allows replacement of the resources, and the recovery and regeneration of ecosystems.

social sustainability

focuses on creating the structures and systems that support human well-being, including health, education, equity, community and culture such as belief systems and language.

economic sustainability

focuses on creating the economic structures and systems to support production and consumption of goods and services that will support human needs into the future.

gross domestic product (GDP)

the total value of goods and services produced within a country over a period of time (but no info about natural systems!).

Green GDP

measures environmental costs and subtracts these from GDP, accounting the cost of economy on the environment.

Sustainable development

meets needs of today without compromising the future.

Three E's

environment, economics, equity.

Economic progress

creating a strong economy that provides jobs and opportunities for everyone.

Social progress

ensuring everyone has access to basic necessities like food, water, shelter, etc.

Environmental progress

protecting the natural world and ensuring we have clean air, water, and land for future generations.

Strong sustainability

prioritizes the protection, maintenance, and enhancement of natural resources to ensure long-term environmental balance.

Earth Overshoot Day

The estimated date each year when all the natural income for the year has been used.

Environmental justice

The right of all people to live in a pollution-free environment and have equitable access to natural resources.

Ecological footprint (EF)

Area of land/water needed to deal with the needs of the population, matching rate of consumption + assimilating waste.

Carrying capacity

The max number of individuals of a species the environment can sustainably support.

Biocapacity

The capacity of a given biologically productive area to generate an ongoing supply of renewable resources and to absorb its resulting wastes.

Sustainability indicators

Anything you can use to describe or measure the environment.

Carbon footprint

The amount of greenhouse gases produced (scope 1, 2, and 3)

Scope 1 Emissions

Emissions generated directly in the company's own facilities.

Scope 2 Emissions

Indirect emissions from purchased energy, e.g. electricity and district heating.

Scope 3 Emissions

Indirect upstream and downstream emissions, e.g. from business travel and purchased materials.

Water footprint

Measures water use

UN sustainable development goals/SDGs

a set of social and environmental goals and targets to guide action on sustainability and environmental justice

uses of SDGs

a collective agenda with common ground

universal goals for all countries

a galvanizing agenda

limits of SDGs

top-down and bureaucratic (hard to track and ground progress is small)

ignoring local contexts

lack of reliable data

these are not binding goals, no penalties or rewards

Planetary boundaries

describes the nine processes and systems that have regulated the stability and resilience of the earth system in the Holocene epoch

uses of planetary boundaries

identifies science-based limits to human disturbance of Earth systems

focuses on more than just climate change (which dominates discussion)

alerts the public and policymakers to the urgent need for action

limits of planetary boundaries model

Focuses only on ecological systems and does not consider the human dimension necessary to take action for environmental justice

is a work in progress; assessments of boundaries are changing as new data becomes available

the focus on global boundaries may not be a useful guide for local and country-level action

Doughnut economics

a framework for creating a regenerative and distributive economy that meets the needs of all people within the means of the planet

- includes a social foundation and an ecological ceiling

Regenerative design

a principle in which products or services contribute to systems that renew or replenish themselves

Distributive design

about designing activities to share value from the start, instead of redistributing it afterwards

uses of doughnut economics model

supports the concept of environmental justice

has reached popular awareness

is being used at different scales

limits of doughnut economics model

is a work in progress

will not work as long as individuals are focused on their comparative wealth and income levels

does not propose specific policies

Circular economy

based on 3 principles: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature

uses of circular economy

Regeneration of natural systems

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

Improvement of local food networks and supporting local communities

limits of circular economy

Lack of environmental awareness by consumers and companies

Lack of regulations enforcing recycling of products

Some waste not recyclable and technical limitations

Currently more costly than single use

Technical cycle

most efficient to maintain and reuse entire products

Biological cycle

food by-products which are biodegradable can be composted or anaerobically digested to capture and use nutrients

Citizen science

when the public plays a role in monitoring Earth systems and whether resources are being used sustainably