Vikings, Conservation Ethic, and Indigenous Knowledge

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture regarding the Vikings, conservation ethics, and the role of indigenous knowledge in environmental management.

What challenges did the Vikings face in adapting their farming practices?

They struggled with changing climate and soil erosion due to pasture mismanagement.

What is a necessary condition for social learning regarding environmental resources?

The ability to receive and interpret signals from the environment correctly.

What is a conservation ethic?

A belief system or worldview that guides practice towards sustainable resource management.

What example illustrates the failure to develop a conservation ethic?

The people of the Torres Straits had an abundance of fish and did not recognize the need for conservation.

What factor has influenced the acceptance of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The urgency of the rapid spread of the virus.

What historical example showcases a failure to adapt to environmental change?

The population of Easter Island deforested the island and destroyed its biota without learning from the experience.

What key concept is crucial for a sustainable local economy in resource-based societies?

Adaptability.

How has Western environmental knowledge impacted resource depletion?

It has contributed to depletion due to a utilitarian worldview that treats nature as infinite.

What is the significance of recognizing local alternatives to top-down management?

It involves the participation of local populations in resource management.

What controversy surrounds intellectual property rights in the context of traditional knowledge?

The debate over patenting traditional agricultural varieties and the implications for indigenous knowledge.

What example is provided regarding the neem tree in India?

It's been used for centuries by traditional practitioners but faced patenting controversy from multinational companies.

What is the goan samoj in India?

A village-level collective asserting local rights to traditional knowledge.

What was the 1995 policy in the NWT regarding traditional knowledge?

It recognized that aboriginal traditional knowledge is essential in environmental assessments.

What criticism was directed towards traditional knowledge by its skeptics?

They argued it threatens rational environmental assessment because of its spiritual components.

What argument has been made about indigenous knowledge and Western science?

Indigenous knowledge can coexist with Western science but is often misunderstood and categorized as either 'myth' or 'data'.

What unique path is suggested for indigenous groups in relation to their traditional knowledge?

They can retain significant elements of their traditional ways while integrating new practices for social and economic evolution.