EVS
environmental value system: how an individual or group perceives and evaluates environmental issues. This will be influenced by cultural, religious, economic and socio-political contexts
Minata
1956
release of toxic products in water (contamination of fishes and dvlp of illnesses) : threats of industrialization
Bhopal
1984
explosion that released tons of a toxic product (thousands of victims): danger of factories
Chernobyl
1986
nuclear accident that released radioactive clouds over europe
UN Rio Earth Summit
UN conference focusing on sustainable development, we must change our behaviors and attitudes, adoption of Agenda 21
Environmental manager
believes everyone has an ethical duty to protect the earth and promote human intervention to maintain the state of natural systems
Technocentric
technology-centered, believes we can solve environmental issues by using technology, focus on economic growth
Ecocentric
earth-centered, live sustainably, preserve ecological integrity
Anthropocentric
people-centered, nature here to benefit humans, regulations to manage sustainably
Green politics
political ideology to decrease deforestation and preserve the rainforest's biodiversity
System
a set of interacting parts forming a complex whole
Open system
inputs/outputs of matter and energy (ex: forest)
Closed system
inputs/outputs of energy across its boundary (ex: cave)
Isolated system
exchange neither matter nor energy with its environment
Model + examples
a simplified version of a real complex thing/to help us understand
Example: physical (solar system), software (evolution), mathematical equations
Gaia Hypothesis
According to James Lovelock, the earth is a complex and interacting system that can reduce the impact of changes brought by humans through negative feedback mechanisms
1st law of thermodynamics
energy cannot be created/destroyed, only converted
2nd law of thermodynamics
the entropy is always increasing/there is always some loss
Entropy
the measure of the amount of disorder in a system/it always increases because energy conversions are never fully efficient
Equilibrium
balance between inputs and outputs in a system
Steady-state equilibrium
a characteristic of open systems where there are continuous inputs and outputs of energy and matter
Static equilibrium
another kind of equilibrium with no change over time
Stable (equilibrium)
the system tends to return to the same equilibrium after a disturbance
Unstable (equilibrium)
the system tends to return to a new equilibrium after a disturbance
Resilience
the ability of a system to go back to its initial state after a disturbance
Negative feedback loop
a system returns to its original state/stabilizes as it reduces change
Positive feedback loop
changes a system to a new state/destabilizes as they increase change
Sustainability
the exploitation of resources at such a rate which allows for their natural replenishment and the recovery of the ecosystem affected by their use
Ecological overshoot
the maximum level of sustainable resource exploitation. When we overshoot this limit, we cannot go back, or it takes a lot of time and effort
Ecological footprint
a model for measuring per capita land needed to provide all the resources for a person's lifestyle and to dispose of their wastes. (hectare)
Primary pollutant + example
a pollutant that is directly put into the air by human activity
Example: carbon monoxide /nitric oxide
Secondary pollutant + example
substance created by the reaction between 2 primary pollutants or a primary pollutant and water vapor
Example: Ammonium/Ozone
3 main ways pollutions can be changed
changing the human activity that produces it
regulating or preventing the release of the pollutant
working to clean up or restore damaged ecosystems
Acute effect
short-term effect
Chronic effect
an effect that results from long-term exposure to a pollutant.
Emergent properties
Holistic approach
taking all aspects into consideration (ex: watch)
Natural capital
natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services
Natural income
the portion of natural capital that is produces as "interest"