ES 110 (Midterm Chp 1)

Name five pressing environmental issues highlighted in the lecture.

Climate change; plastic pollution; water shortages; habitat destruction; air pollution.

How are major environmental issues connected?

They are interconnected through cause-and-effect relationships.

How does sustainability go beyond environmentalism?

It integrates social, economic, and environmental issues.

What was the significance of Our Common Future (1987)?

It introduced sustainable development and linked equity, economy, and environment.

Who led the World Commission on Environment and Development?

Gro Harlem Brundtland.

What is sustainable development?

Integrating social equity, economic growth, and environmental protection.

What are the three pillars of sustainability?

Social; environmental; economic.

What does social sustainability focus on?

Equity; well-being; rights; education; healthcare; decent work.

What is environmental sustainability?

Protecting ecosystems while meeting present needs.

What is economic sustainability?

Long-term economic well-being balanced with equity and efficiency.

What are embedded systems?

Economy within society within the environment.

Define a system (Meadows 2008).

Interconnected elements forming a whole.

What is systems thinking?

Understanding wholes and relationships, not isolated parts.

List key characteristics of systems.

Interconnected; multi-scale; causal; emergent.

Why cannot systems be understood by parts alone?

Interactions create emergent properties.

What is natural capital?

Earth’s stock of natural assets providing ecosystem services.

How is natural capital like a savings account?

Use interest sustainably; depleting principal risks collapse.

What is carrying capacity?

Maximum population an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely.

What is ecological overshoot?

When demand exceeds regenerative capacity.

What is Earth Overshoot Day?

Date when annual resource use exceeds Earth’s regeneration.

What does an earlier Overshoot Day indicate?

Increasing ecological pressure.

What is the ecological footprint?

Land area needed to support resource use and waste.

What are Social-Ecological Systems (SES)?

Linked human–nature systems with feedbacks.

Define resilience.

Ability to absorb disturbance and maintain function.

What increases resilience?

Diversity; redundancy; modularity; connectivity.

What are planetary boundaries?

Nine critical Earth system limits.

What is a tipping point?

Small change causing large, irreversible shift.

What is the Anthropocene?

Unofficial epoch defined by human impact.

What is the Great Acceleration?

Rapid socio-economic and Earth system growth since 1750.

What are wicked problems?

Complex; interconnected; evolving challenges.

What two drivers underlie sustainability challenges?

1. Economic growth

2. population growth.

Why study environmental history?

To understand institutions; values; and future pathways.

What are institutions?

Rules and norms shaping behavior.

What is an anthropocentric worldview?

Human-centered view of nature’s value.

How do Indigenous worldviews differ?

They emphasize interconnectedness and respect for all beings.

What is preservationism (John Muir)?

Protecting nature for its intrinsic value.

What were Gifford Pinchot’s three principles?

Benefit present people; avoid waste; benefit all.

What shift occurred from conservation to ecology?

From resource use to ecosystem relationships and complexity.

How did Silent Spring (1962) impact environmentalism?

Exposed pesticide harms and sparked modern movement.

What is environmental racism?

Unequal exposure of racialized communities to hazards.

What is intrinsic value?

Value existing in itself.

What is instrumental value?

Value based on human benefit.

What was significant about the 1972 UN Stockholm Conference?

First global summit; created UNEP.

What was the purpose of the 1992 Earth Summit?

Advance global sustainable development and adopt Agenda 21.

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

17 global goals (2015–2030) for people; planet; prosperity.

What does 2025 SDG progress show?

Many targets are too slow or regressing.

How do worldviews shape policy?

Values influence institutions and decisions.

How did the northern cod collapse show overshoot?

Overharvesting exceeded regenerative limits.

Why is systems thinking useful for sustainability?

It reveals connections and feedbacks.

Why must sustainability operate at multiple scales?

Challenges span local to global levels.

How do embedded systems challenge economic thinking?

The economy depends on society and environment.