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Absolute Poverty
A condition where individuals do not have minimum income needed to meet requirements for one ore more basic living needs over an extended period. (Survival)
Relative Poverty
Lack minimum amount of income needed to maintain an average standard of living in a specific area. (Measurement)
Middle Class
Contentious concept to define, often characterized by a moderate income level, access to education, and a lifestyle that allows for some optional spending.
New Global Middle Class
A socio-economic group emerging in developing countries, characterized by increased income, consumption patterns similar to those in developed nations, and access to education and healthcare.
MIddle Class Discontent
Middle Class in HIC:
economic stagnation
rising costs
declining job security
leading to frustration and dissatisfaction with their economic situation and quality of life.
Facts:
Asia account for 88% of new growth NGMC
Consumption growing at 6-10% year on year
Ecological Footprint
The measure of the amount of natural resources consumed by an individual, community, or activity, in terms of the Earth's ability to regenerate those resources and absorb the waste generated.
Carrying Capacity
The maximum amount of people in a given area that can be supported sustainably by the available resources without degrading the environment.
Earth Overshoot
The date that humanity’s demand for resources exceeds Earth’s ability to regenerate that year.
Water Footprint
The total volume of water used to create goods and services whether its a single process (rice), a product (jeans), or a company. Indirectly (consumed products) or Directly (by individual drinking or using it)
Embedded water
The measurement of the water used to manufacture and transport a product to a consumer. Including water used in agriculture and other processes throughout its supply chain.
Nutrient transition
Due to growing 50% of the NGMC, there are more demand for better food, such as the transition from rice and grains to meat and diary. —> ultimately using more and more water
+ and - of Nuclear Energy
Positives
Safe and reliable
Longevity (can be used for a long time)
Efficient
Low carbon emissions = reduce climate change
Negatives
Nuclear waste is toxic
Non-renewable source
Cancer risk - radiation exposure
Cost is high
+ and - of Renewable Energy
Positives
Free of carbon emissions
Cheap
Different types of renewable energy (wind, sun, water, biomass)
Negatives
Intermittent (not happening regularly)
Ranging environmental and biodiversity issues
Places with the right physical conditions will work. (E.g. wind turbines won’t work in arid climates)
+ and - of Fossil Fuels
Advantages
Reliable: Fossil fuels are easy to store and transport, and can be used on demand.
Cheap: Fossil fuels are cost-effective.
High-energy: Fossil fuels produce a large amount of energy.
Well-mastered: The technology and use of fossil fuels is well-understood.
Disadvantages
Non-renewable: Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that took millions of years to form, and cannot be replaced once used.
Polluting: Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide when burned, which contributes to climate change and acid rain.
Dangerous: The process of extracting and burning fossil fuels can be dangerous, and accidents can have severe consequences.
Harming to health: The burning of fossil fuels releases particulate matter that can cause respiratory issues, and the harvesting of fossil fuels can cause fatal diseases.
Harming to wildlife: The process of extracting fossil fuels destroys wildlife habitats.
Water Security and types?
Sustainable, adequate quantities of acceptable clean water for the entire population.
Physical water security
The Supply of water is lower than the water demand
Arid areas have less water - overdevelopment or overuse
Environmental degradation and/or conflict
Economic water security
Water is avaliable but humans can not drink it
Weak/corrupt governments don’t fund infrastructure to support supply and demand of water, avoiding to build desalination
Middle class is growing — increasing demand for products
Dietary changes
Energy Security
Access to reliable, afforable energy and is essential to the function and secuirty of developed economies
Manufacturing a products takes alot of energy and water,
Food Security
All people are all time must have access to aufficient, safe, and nutritious food for a active and healthy life.
Avaliable food should be of appropriate quality
What are the different interactions between the Water-Energy-Food Nexus
They are interconnected so if one factor affects one category than the other two are affected
Water on Energy and Food
Irrigation
Meat
Industry
Multipurpose dam schemes
Fracking energy extraction
Energy on Water and Food
Food production needs energy as MC rise
Coal mining
Fracking extraction process — causes pollution
Open cast mining = buries streams and rivers
Desalination and + & -
A process that removes minerals (salt) from saline water for human consumption. “Rainfal independent” does not rely on cliamte
Disadvantages:
Removal is extremely energy intensive and costly
Disposal of ‘Brine’ (highly concentrated salty water) into sea as byproduct — environmentally concerned
Advantages:
Highly reliable
Best used in arid climates
Energy Pathways
These are flows of enery from producer to consumer, they can be in forms of gas/oil pipelines, power lines, and gas/oil tank sea routes
Political disagreements. cooperation between countries sharing is needed, or else no energy for the country
Physical energy pathways offers jobs
Environmentally impactful.
Waste Hierarchy
The waste hierarchy is a framework that ranks waste management options from best to worst for the environment
Prevention: The most environmentally desirable option, as waste that isn't created doesn't need to be reused, recycled, or disposed of
Reuse: Involves using a product multiple times, either in its original form or after reconditioning
Recycling: Involves using waste materials to manufacture other products
Recovery: Other recovery options are considered
Disposal: The last resort option, such as landfill
Designed Obsolescence
A product that is deliberately designed to fall apart so the consumer is influenced to purchase another, thus, increading demand
Electronic Waste
E-products that are not working, unwanted that generates E-waste
Dangerous waste imported to LICs for disassemblement (toxic)
Valuable non-renewable resources thrown away (gold, silver, copper, etc)
Environmental damage seeping into waters and soil = harmful for human life
Malthusianism
Enviromental limit to popuation growth exists, where the population with outstrip the food supply.
Believed that poverty is inevitable (unavoidable) — comes down to poor choices
Disadvantages
Outdated observations
Close observation between crop prices and marriage rates in rural England
Food prices were low and income fell, so did marriage
Agricultural science at infancy, productivity was small — no technology
Malthus lived in uncertain times — food led to the French Revolution
Neo-Malthusianism
Adopting the same mindset as Malthus, Neo-malthusists believes that overpopulation and overconsumption with increase resource depletion (not only food) and lead to ecological collapse.
Facts:
Food production will increase by 70% over the next 40 years
Global warming is going to negatively affect food production
The use of agricultural land and resources to grow biofuels
Anti-Malthusianism (Boserup theory)
Optimistic theory — The idea of the necessity for food would force societies into making impriovements to increase food production, to feed population.
“Innovation in response to population growth”
Technical Innovation (irrigation) and Agricultural Intensification (fertilizer and land use)
Linear Economy
Mine or grow raw materials —> Process materials into product —> waste is thrown away
This assumes constant supply of natural resources
Ecological Disadvantages
Pressures on resources: collection of materials, high water and energy consumption, tocis pollution
Pressure on ecosystem: can’t regenerate fast enough for the supply and demand costing clean water, soil and air
Raw material prices are increasing
Finite materials: using non-renewable materials and it is limited
Interdependence: More countries are connected, think about how UAE is supplying Oil in exchange for resources
Circular Economy
Limiting the consumption and waste of raw materials, and non-renewable sources of energy
Zero-waste: Production and products are redesigned so no waste is produced, all part of raw materials are put to use. Waste from one industry/process is used as raw materials in another. e.g. San Francisco diverts approximately 80% of its waste from landfills,
Take-Back: Apple’s initative to take back old products and reuse the raw materials in new products. reintroducing raw materisl into manufacturing cycle
Upcycling/recycling: reintroduced into same cycle at higher or same value (upcycling) or lower value (recycling)
Biological Cycle (Circular Economy)
Food and used biologically-based materials (cotton, wood, etc) waste are now designed to be bio-degraded and fed back into the system through composting or anaerobic digestion.
Technical Cycle
Recovering and resoring products, components and materials
Done through reusing, repairing or manufacturing
Recycling is last resort as it degrades the quality of raw material
Resource Stewardship
Ethical, responsible use and protection of the environment through human ingenuity or technological advancement
Stewardship: Long-term resource management with the needs of a wider community in mind, taking future generations into account
Conservation
What? Protection and management of resources to avoid degradation or damage
How? Achieved through reducing resource use, e.g. forest resources are protected against irresponsible use… deforesation
Preservation
Maintaining resouces in their present condition, untouched by humans… Ex. Natural habitat range has decrease by at least 30% of all species
Insect population dropped by 80% in 30 years
Note 
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