Exam 2 - 4
EKCs have been used as an argument that economic growth + increased environmental quality go hand in hand. Why is this not the case?
What is the ‘Limits to Growth’ argument? Why is it flawed?
It ignores the economics causal chain
Guest Lecture 1
What are the 3 lines of poverty?
Subjective poverty → people’s perception
Relative poverty → increasing function of avg standard of living Absolute → fixed standard of living (1.25$ → 1.90$
What is the formula used to measure poverty?
Headcount: H = q/N
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the headcount?
✅ easily understood
É insensitive to distribution
How did COVID affect global poverty? poverty heightened risk of infection + economic crisis threatened incomes
Guest Lecture 2
What are the 3 distinguishing dimensions of environmental justice?
1. Distribution
2. Participation
3. Recognition
What are potential principles regarding the 1st dimension?
equality ability to pay polluter pays steward recieves
What are potential principles regarding the 2nd dimension?
direct stakeholder participation representative stakeholder majority voting deliberation
What are potential principles regarding the 3rd dimension?
acknowledgement of specificity + universality define limits mutual of hierarchy
Guest Lecture 3
What impacts does food production cause?
biodiversity loss eutrophication climate change
What do we need for food security?
What do we need for sustainability?
quarter impacts per ton
What is a more sustainable and healthier diet?
Guest Lecture 4
What is the difference between gender equality and gender equity?
What SDGs are linked to educating girls in sub-Saharan Africa?
When girls have an education:
better economics → less poverty
pass on education to children → more education less children & family planning → climate change
Why is gender relevant to biodiversity conservation?
men + women use natural resources differently → when they manage local these resources together, people + nature benefit
Guest Lecture 5
What is an exposome?
All exposures over time across the whole lifespan of an individual from in utero to death.
What is risk made up of?
Risk = Hazard * Exposure
Guest Lecture 6
What are the 3 fire triangles?
Has there been a decline of savanna fires since 1998? why?
Yes (25% fewer) → socio-economic changes + more land is being used for agriculture
Has there been a decline of forest fires?
No → there is an increase
Why are arctic-boreal fires accelerating climate change? The carbon stored is released from melting permafrost What are zombie fires?
Guest Lecture 7
Where do cyclones happen? Indian Ocean
Where do typhoons happen?
Western Pacific
What is the difference between typhoon and a hurricane?
No difference → just location ⇒ Hurricane in Americas
What is added to the formula for risk in the case of floods? Risk = Hazard Exposure Vulnerability What is the norm: La Nina or El Nino?
La Nina
What happens during La Nina?
colder + equatorial band of the pacific ocean
What happens during an ENSO event?
the pressure over the eastern and western Pacific flip-flops
Guest Lecture 8
Is every species on earth declining in population?
How many species from 1900 are in the EU still?
40%
Why is it important to have an apex predator in an ecosystem?
What are the 3 common misconceptions about biodiversity loss?
1. what is the point of having so many species anyway?
2. economic problems are more important!
3. new species will replace the extinct ones!
Guest Lecture 9
Which working group has the most action in the IPCC?
working group II
Are we on track to limit warming to 1.5? why?
What fairness principles can be applied to emission reduction?
Guest Lecture 10
What is the carbon lock-in cycle?
How can we break this cycle?
1. blame producers
a. big oil companies are not spending much on renewables
2. the role of governments
a. fossil fuel subsidies → tax exemption
b. advertising