hass exam
sustainability
definition: meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
my definition: the act of preserving and keeping things in the present to last for future generations
→ consistency
→ lasts for long time
→ promotes responsible management of resources
→ balance between development and conservation
what affects / boosts sustainability?
→ eating animal products
affects our water usage
affects our own food that we have to use to feed animals in farm instead of them eating naturally
affects the use of land that’s being used for animal farms
→ locally grown
boosts local economy
less traveling to transport goods ( uses fuel → green house gases gets produced → pollutes our atmosphere → drives climate change)
→ house size per person
social sustainability
energy usage
affects the land space we use
→ electricity (sources)
green house gases produced
renewable energy
coal
→ transport
uses fuel
uses up our energy sources
causes pollution
3 aspects of sustainability
protection of the environment
maintaining the economic development to satisfy the needs of people
to ensure social development with people is not effected so they can have healthy and productive lives
world views
ego-centric: the belief that you are the most important being on Earth and that everything should exist to support your lifestyle
anthropocentric: the belief that humans are the most important beings on Earth, that they are in charge, and that nature exists to support their lifestyle
eco-centric: the belief that we should minimise our impact to preserve Earth's biodiversity, recognising that we are not more important than any other creature
bio-centric: the belief that we have a responsibility to use Earth's resources sustainably, acknowledging that while other creatures may benefit humans, they have an inherent right to exist
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve by 2030:
No Poverty
Zero Hunger
Good Health and Well-being
Quality Education
Gender Equality
Clean Water and Sanitation
Affordable and Clean Energy
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Reduced Inequalities
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production
Climate Action
Life Below Water
Life on Land
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Partnerships for the Goals
sustainable development
triple bottom line is the the three factors to create sustainable development:
environmental
Does it cause air pollution, water pollution, or soil erosion?
How many resources does the activity consume?
Is biodiversity protected?
How is waste managed from this activity?
Does the activity produce excessive waste?
Are resources used at a sustainable rate that allows for renewal?
social
Does it enhance people's quality of life?
Are economic benefits distributed fairly, or do some people profit at others' expense?
Is decision-making inclusive and democratic?
Does it support community economic development?
What are its impacts on local cultures?
economic
What are the overall economic impacts and outcomes of this activity?
Does the economic benefit of this activity unfairly favor certain groups over others?
marking key to explain environmental issues
ISSUE : 2 MARKS identifies issue, and its significance
CAUSE : 2 MARKS explains the cause
IMPACT : 3 MARKS describes at LEAST two environmental impacts with clear explanation
STAKEHOLDERS : 2 identifies key stakeholders and their perspective
SOLUTION : 2 discusses two possible solutions with reasonings
STRUCTURE : 1 well organised with correct subheadings + clear explanations
wellbeing
definition: the ability of people to access the things they need in order to live, happy, healthy and contained lives
my definition: the accessibility people have to things they need to live a happy, healthy life
→ when people have what they want to keep them satiated and happy
human wellbeing: people’s quality of life
3 factors to wellbeing
wealth— our access to basic necessities
generated through producing and selling things to earn money
enough wealth = more access to a variety of goods and services
health
factors that affect healthclean air
clean water
secure supply of nutritious food
ability to treat and control spread diseases
care for the vulnerable—babies and elderly
provide emergency services
education
being able to read and write = greater access to opportunities and jobs → higher wages and improved standards of living
Human Development Index (HDI)
HDI = summary measure for assessing average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development
measures the wellbeing of countries
a decent standard of living (wealth)
a long and healthy life (health)
and knowledge (education)
→ defines if a country is developed, still developing or underdeveloped
HDI measures (social indicators)
life expectancy at birth
expected years of schooling
mean years of schooling
gross national income (GNI)
measurement from 0.0 to 1.0, the closer to 1.0 the better
developed vs developing countries
developed country:
industrialised country
well developed economy
relatively high standard of living
able to support the needs of its citizens
developing country:
a non industrialised country
relatively fragile economy
low standard of living
not always able to support the needs of its citizens
development:
humans ability to live their life how they want
the outcome of economic growth
non-government organisation
→ an organisation seperate form the government to provide services to those in need:
→ humanitarian aid
→ social aid
→ economic issues
SECTORS
public sectors: owned and run by the government
private sectors: businesses aim to make a profit
TYPES OF ECONOMIES
market: private sectors— supply and demand decided by the business and consumers little government control
command: most decisions made by the business and the government makes the rest having certain regulations mixed market: owned by the government
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
free labour markets: systems where wages and employment are determined by supply and demand
gini coefficient: a scale to define how equal income distribution is in a country, a number given from 0-1 (0-100 in some cases) the closest to 1 the more unequal income distribution is
lorenz curve: visual indicator for measuring income inequalityin a popoulation
reason to different distribution:
income inequality: the unequal distribution of income among individuals in a population
factors
workforce participation:
low amount of working = inequality of income higher
less women working = less income for a large percent of population
access to education
lower level education = inequality higher
higher education = higher skill = higher wages
government policies on redistribution
proportional taxes
vertical equity - people who make more should pay more
horizontal equity - people who are in the same circumstance / make the same amount should pay the same amount
TAX
progressive tax (vertical equity): people should be treated differently based on their capacity and needs: people who make more should pay more
horizontal equity: people in the same circumstance should be treated the same: people who make the same pay the same
government redistribution to reduce inequality + why
proportional taxes gives more an equal distribution as it allows those with a higher income assist those with a lower income
GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT
local
foot paths
rubbish collection
roads
libraries
state
public hospitals
housing
public transport
education
federal
medicare
centrelink
immigration
regulations
health and safety regulation
advertisement
MACROECONOMIC GOALS
gdp ECONOMIC GROWTH
the growth of goods and services produced
the value of final good/services in a given year
measure: Goods + services = Quantity x Price
goals: 3-4%
current 1.3
4 contributors to GDP
Consumer goods and services
Business goods and services
Government goods and services
Net exports
effects of too high: higher inflation
effects of too low: higher unemployment
how does government increase
increase government spending = more jobs = more money
lowers taxes = more money to spend = more demand
how does government decrease
decrease government spending = jobs cut = less money
increases taxes = less money = less demand
inflation PRICE OF SUSTAINABILITY
the average rate that prices are rising
goals: 2-3%
current: 2.4
CPI - consumer price index
measure the changes in prices in the average household
measured : expenditure / expenditure base year x 100
causes of inflation
Demand-Pull Inflation – When demand for goods and services is high, prices increase because businesses struggle to keep up with demand.
Cost-Push Inflation – When production costs (wages, raw materials, transport) rise, businesses pass the costs onto consumers.
effects of too high inflation:
high cost of living
people afford less
savings lose value
effects of too low inflation
higher unemployment
slow economic growth
unemployment
goals: 4-5%
current 4.1
considered in unemployment rate: those who are willing able to work
effects of high unemployment
lower consumer spending
business struggle
government spending increasing
effects on low unemployment
labour shortages
increase in wages
general inflation
types of unemployment:
cyclical unemployment: caused by economic down turns,
structural unemployment: skills not matching available jobs
frictional/temporary unemployment: when people move between jobs
seasonal unemployment: only working for certain times a year
decrease employment:
government decrease spending to lessen jobs
increase taxes so businesses pay more and they have to stop hiring workers
increase employment:
increase government spending to create more jobs
lower taxes so businesses pay less tax to hire more workers
POLICIES
fiscal policy: the governments usage of spending and taxation to influence the economy
monetary policy: when the RBA changes interest rates to influence spending and saving
adjusting the money supply and interest rates to influence economic activity and inflation
Interest rates influence:
savings
borrowing