1
Q
The study of how social studies and ecosystems interact with one another
A
Environmental sociology
2
Q
A subgroup of sociology
A
Environmental sociology
3
Q
Has sociology considered the environmental in it studies in the past?
A
No
The founding fathers of sociology were not concerned with the relationship between ecosystems and social systems
They only recently started being considered
4
Q
What are the 2 reasons why environmental sociology rose to prominence?
A
- When sociology got established as a legitimate filed
- when the worsening environment created urgency
5
Q
In western tradition, nature and society tend to be though of as a separate domains
They developed as separate fields: sociology didn’t consider nature in its field because it would’ve undermined it
A
nature-society dichotomy
6
Q
How did the growing attention to the environment coincide with the rise of environmental sociology?
A
Environmental crisis, passing of environmental laws, and rise of environmental organizations
all coincided with the rise of environmental sociology that was establish by the ASA (American sociological association) in 1976
7
Q
The sociological worldview where human society is the center of the natural world and are of more moral value compared to other organisms
Human control + use the environment without regard to the limits of natural resources that can be used for social growth
A
Human exceptionalism paradigm (HEP)
8
Q
Contrast to the HEP
Assume that the human species is a part of an interdependent species in the global ecosystem & cannot stand above ecological laws
A
new ecological paradigm (NEP)
9
Q
In what ways is environmental sociology a sub disciple of sociology?
A
it encompasses a lot of sociology’s sub disciplines
Ex. overlaps with economic political, cultural, racial/class/gender sociology etc
10
Q
when studying large amounts of data, what type of data is it?
A
quantitative, nomothetic, positivist
11
Q
generalized; non-specific
A
nomothetic
12
Q
assuming there’s 1 truth that needs to be found
All natural sciences are ______
A
positivist
13
Q
when studying small amounts of data, what type of data is it?
A
qualitative, idiographic, constructivist
14
Q
specific
A
idiographic
15
Q
assuming to be subjective with no single truth
All social sciences are ____
A
Constructivist
16
Q
What are the 2 important points in history when considering sociology?
A
the enlightenment and the industrial revolution
17
Q
How did the enlightenment change the way people think?
A
before people relied on superstition, religion and less credible sources to understand the world
After people relied more on credible data collected through the scientific method
18
Q
What happened in the Industrial Revolution that’s important to environmental sociology?
A
The relationship between society and the environment shifted
mass production, specialties in work, jobs, etc
19
Q
What did Marx believe about the Industrial Revolution?
A
It created an irreversible metabolic rift between society and nature
Disrupted the natural cycle of humans getting resources from he earth and then the earth getting those resources back
20
Q
What did Rachel Carsons book silent spring do?
A
Brought awareness to pesticides used with question in the chemical industry
People started worrying about being exposed to man-made toxins in the environment
21
Q
Why did sociology not consider the impact of environment in its field at first?
A
sociology was developed much later that the credible, legitimate field of biology
it wanted to establish itself as a legit field, and adding biology into the field would’ve undermined sociology
22
Q
who is the founding father of environmental sociology?
A
Riley Dunlap
23
Q
social structures and individual agency (that society restricts to some extent, like a bubble)
A
social systems
24
Q
what kinds of levels of social systems are there?
A
macro-level, meso-level, and micro-level social systems
25
systems that are:
a) exhaustive and consider all levels (e.g. polity, economy, culture, etc.)
b) institutions, which are non-exhaustive (e.g. religion, education, criminal justice system, etc.)
macro-level social systems
26
include social categories which are things that can be checked off when taking a survey (e.g. race, gender, age, class, etc.)
meso-level social systems
27
include things like interpersonal interactions, language, conversations, symbols, etc.
micro-level social systems
28
what is the most salient social category that is most predictive of environmental/social outcomes in environmental sociology?
race
consistently correlated with environmental impacts more than other social categories
29
natural & built environment
ecosystems
30
an index of society's impact on the environment based on resource withdrawal + pollution
the way environmental sociology gets its data
unequal across the world, which shows how society's impact on the environment varies a lot
ecological footprint
31
what are the 2 categories of the ecological footprint?
1. resource extraction
2. pollution
32
the taking of resources out of the natural environment (e.g. clearing forests, fishing, etc.)
resource extraction
33
the putting back of resources into the natural environment that weren't originally there (e.g. carbon emissions)
pollution
34
set of concepts/ideas and proposed relationships among them
has built in biases and can't capture everything about the world
theory
35
believes that the economic growth needs of capitalism can coexist with ecological principles
believes that corporations can restructure their commodity chains with eco-friendly tech to be more sustainable and create biomimicry
governments can incorporate both ecological and economic values to push companies to be more sustainable via financial incentives (e.g. tax break)
Ecological modernization theory
36
commodity chains mimicking ecological processes
a hope of ecological modernization theory that corporations can strive to reform their commodity chains to do ______
biomimicry
37
production made in a closed-loop system that limits resource extraction and pollution
done via: 1) using reusable materials 2) using organic materials that can safely degrade or be consumed by other lifeforms
cradle-to-cradle design
38
what are the two assumptions ecological modernization theory use to hope that economic/political systems can environmentally reformed
1) market structures are flexible enough to be reformed to be sustainable
2) governments can incorporate both ecological and economic values to push markets to be more sustainable
(can abandon their reliance on lawsuits/fines to incentivize companies and use financial incentives instead)
39
power relationships between labor, environment, and the government produce environmental destruction as a normal byproduct of capitalism
there's little hope of change without reform of capitalism and the power relationships between corporations, people, and the state
treadmill of production (TOP) theory
40
a product design process where products are crafted to have artificially short life span to ensure someone buys that product again in the future
e.g. Apple products make their products' batteries virtually inaccessible without an Apple professional so you're forced to either get a new product or pay a lot for services
planned obsolescence
41
economic structures in capitalism naturally drive ecological degradation that threaten the reproduction of capitalism (aka capitalism is doomed)
normal functioning capitalism relied on constant economic crisis, and the way businesses avoid internalizing environmental costs of production will cost them hella in the long term
also capitalism caused a metabolic rift
ecological marxism
42
Marx said that capitalism's continual drive for an endless accumulation of wealth created a metabolic rift between human and nonhuman nature
instead of circular processes (extraction > production > distribution > consumption > reuse), capitalism relies on linear processes (... > waste instead of reuse)
metabolic rift (ecological marxism)
43
focuses on how power relationships between countries/nations structure international trade in a way that favors certain countries over others
system as a whole is the focus
economic and ecological exchange of capitalism globally is unequal across countries
World systems theory
44
what are the 3 types of states/countries according to world systems theory?
core, semi-preiphery, periphery
45
________ countries: the ones that dictate everything and have hella wealth (US, Western Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand)
core
46
__________ countries: the ones that handle distribution/transformation processes and send stuff out and get medium wealth (China, South Korea, Mexico, India, Russia, etc.)
semi-periphery
47
_________ countries: extraction zones that get a small amount of wealth (Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, etc.)
- focus on the needs of core countries, so they are poor themselves and have exacerbated ecological destruction
periphery
48
according to world systems theory, what happens when economic regulations are put in place?
companies export their production to countries with less regulations/wages
they therefore offset negative ecological consequences onto semi-periphery/periphery countries
49
rich countries are transitioning from industrial to risk societies
people are no longer anxious about getting goods but avoiding "bads" (overly concerned about avoiding manufactured crises like microplastics/toxins, think crunchy moms)
governments concerned about how to redistribute risks across the population
risk society theory
50
how does risk society theory describe the change from class to individual struggle pertaining to environmental crises?
everyone is out for themselves in terms of avoiding manufactured risks
this keeps people from mobilizing to do something about the production of risks
51
explores how socioenvironmental relations are shapes by capitalism and patriarchy
talks about how structural inequities affect women disproportionately* and keeps them from doing what they need to do (e.g. can't hydrate family or wash clothes due to contaminated water, toxins leading to birth defects, etc.)
*risks are unequally distributed among society
ecofeminism
52
the justification of women going into environmentalist work only because they are trying to protect their children from environmental destruction
yet another way men undermine women's work!!!
using this to undermine environmental activist movements involving women
activist mothering (ecofeminism)
53
what is the most optimistic environmental sociology theory?
ecological modernization theory
54
is linking theory to data important?
yes
Myers argues that linking theory to data is very important in chapter 2 of our textbook
55
as a country's per capita ("richness") increases, environmental degradation first increases, peaks, and then decreases
Kuznets curve
56
how does ecological modernization theory explain the Kuznets curve?
it states that the curve results from:
- the development of ecologically-friendly technology
- state support for reduction of environmental impact (e.g. financial incentives)
57
what are the critiques to ecological modernization theory's explanation of the Kuznets curve?
planned obsolescence & the Netherlands Fallacy
58
states that Kuznets curve looks very different if it's internal to one country than external and between countries
if considering environmental impact between countries, we see that environmental impact rises and plateaus instead of decreases
this is due to countries outsourcing environmentally degrading processes to other countries
shows the importance of thinking globally
Netherlands Fallacy (Kuznets curve)
59
a documentary that showed the environmentally and socially destructive mining practices Goldcorp does in the Marlin Mine in Guatemala
locals protest against the practices that destroy their community environmentally (persuading them to sell their land) and socially (dividing the community to either protect their way of life or join Goldcorp for a job)
shows the huge power Northern companies hold over Southern countries
Gold fever (2013 documentary)
60
a theory of government where politics in democracy is determined by various groups competing for access to state resources & government influence
groups share power with the state and check the asserted power by any one group
pluralism
61
is the US pluralist?
not as much as we hope
62
how does the treadmill of production theory view capitalist nation-states?
TOP believes that capitalism forces political institutions to interact in a way that destroys the environment while creating wealth and power for a few
deeply ecologically (high pollution, resource extraction) and socially (reducing labor costs, economic inequality, lack of support for unions) destructive
63
how had globalization in the 1960s-1990s impacted US economy?
before the 1960s, there was economic prosperity in the US and the government was investing in public goods and workers
with globalization, corporations felt pressured to increase productivity and profits so they downsizes jobs, cut wages, and outsourced
led to job crises and increased rates of toxin use
64
the pollution of minority communities + their exclusion from leadership decisions
includes:
- deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste facilities
- authorization of releasing poisons/pollutants into minority communities
- systematic exclusion of POC from leadership roles and decisions regarding the environment
environmental racism
65
the ability for a nation's people to govern themselves
sovereignty
66
do nation-states allow sovereignty?
no; they don't allow people to govern themselves
states flourish by dominating weaker nations, nature, etc.
power comes from the exploitation of ecosystems and others
67
an aspects of the nation state (and the US)
where a foreign country or way of life penetrates, transforms, and defines a colonized society
imperialism
68
an American foreign policy that prohibits Europe from colonizing the US
however, it allows the US to colonize and exploit other places of the world
example of polity
Monroe doctrine
69
the idea that America has racial and cultural superiority over others and that justifies the US exploring and exploiting its territory
might be linked to how the US continues to exploit the global South today
manifest destiny
70
how have US federal policies exploited Native Americans, according to the textbook?
policies like the Monroe Doctrine and the Dawes Act justified pillaging of native lands and broke up tribal reservations into individual allotments for Native Americans for the purpose of assimilation
now Native Americans have the worst health and mental health statistics
71
1887 law that broke up tribal reservations into individual land allotments for Native Americans
purpose was to assimilate
Dawes Act
72
a distinct type of colonialism that functions through the replacement of indigenous populations with an invasive settler society that, over time, develops a distinctive identity and sovereignty
settler colonialism
73
what are the 4 issues pertaining to US social and environmental degradation that was discussed in the textbook?
imperialism (US as an imperialist country instead of pluralist)
settler colonialism
ecological violence
environmental racism
74
the rules set by the state governance that decides resource allocation (who gets what)
e.g. Monroe Doctrine
polity
75
the transformation of raw materials into goods and services
economy
76
the normative understandings and expectations for behavior
applies to the state governance and people in a society too
e.g. Manifest Destiny
culture
77
how does the state contribute to environmental disruption?
it's not just a couple of corrupt leaders causing environmental disruption
there are systematic, built-in causes of environmental disruption in how a state is organized and functions; state policies and environmental regulation are not the main contributors to the population's environmental impact
78
what does David Pellow, the author of chapter 3 "The State and Policy", argue?
in order to analyze how and why contemporary US policies affect meso groups (race, class, gender, etc.) differently, we must consider the way nation-states have been constructed over time
analyzing the historical, cultural, legal, and economic evolutions of nation states
79
theory that explores how imperial powers (e.g. core states) can exert influence in less powerful places (semi-periphery/periphery states)
core countries can extract resources from less powerful states and get wealthier from them
ecological unequal exchange
80
any instance where damage is done to the environment
e.g. North Dakota pipeline
ecological violence
81
systematically built into the structure of society leading to discrimination against minorities
reason why environmental racism exists
e.g. redlining, racially restrictive covenants
institutionalized racism
82
what are the key takeaways of our lecture on labor productivity?
technologies developed to increase labor productivity (but also tend to increase environmental impacts of production)
production tends to have larger environmental impacts on the global South and workers
83
which commodities/industries reduce worker time and increase labor productivity?
most, not just agriculture like discussed in chapter 4
84
what do production costs include?
raw materials, transformation, and distribution processes
labor is needed to move the transformation and distribution processes along
85
environmental impacts that are outside the corporation and always there
corporations leave the public to handle _________
ecological externalities
86
how do corporations handle environmental degradation and pollution their processes cause?
they handle some of it, but leave the public to handle ecological externalities
87
what are the results of production?
-quantity of goods
- quality of goods
- environmental impacts
88
how do companies increase profitability?
decreasing labor costs
89
what kinds of ways are there of decreasing labor costs?
requiring more work per workers (or reduce # of workers through downsizing)
- introducing new technologies
- paying workers less (doesn't go over well; usually seen as wages staying the same and the cost of living increasing)
- reducing corporation's responsibilities (which require time/money)
- subsidizing corporations (government financial support; corporations pay less to do the same amount of production)
90
financial support given from governments to corporations
a way corporations can decrease labor costs
subsidies
91
who does increased productivity tend to benefit?
investors/managers
92
the use of what coincides with the production of new technology?
the use of fossil fuels replaced workers' labor as new technology is produced
93
what is new technology composed of?
chemical/synthetic technology
fossil fuel use
94
how do production costs and environmental impacts get affected by the development of new technologies?
production costs decrease
environmental impacts increase, due to chemical, synthetic, and fossil fuel use
95
where people's work is a large portion of the production
labor intensive production processes
96
uses technology and the number of people doing work decreases
more work done here than in labor intensive production (increased productivity)
capital intensive production processes
97
how does technology use in capital intensive production affect workers and managers?
managers are willing to spend more money on new technology due to the increased productivity it brings
debt from this new tech increases burden on investors and managers, and they bank on increase productivity/more sales to pay off this debt
workers benefit the least
98
how does the state impact labor productivity?
1. passing protections for workers (wage/environment protections)
2. passing requirements for corporations (responsibility for pollution)
99
where is the profitability of production the highest, according to world systems theory?
in core states, since they outsource their production and displace costs onto the environment and paying people shittily
100
do labor unions always fight for environmental protection?
not always, since their focus is protecting workers, not the environment
and environmental protection tends to lower wages and cut jobs, so labor unions are not motivated to support it
101
how can unions play an important role in environmental protection?
they can shape how workers perceive environmental issues (not threats to jobs)
102
what is the theory of labor productivity v. the reality?
theory: more labor productivity leads to solving social problems
reality: it allows companies to save by not contributing money to social and environmental programs
103
companies that can't increase productivity die out in capitalism while those who can live
economic Darwinism
104
how does increased productivity benefit investors/managers?
it leads to profitability through increased: profit margins and profit ratios
105
(revenue-cost), as companies don't lower their prices as much as they cut workers' wages
profit margins
106
(total revenue-total cost), as companies sell more products than their competitors through lower prices
profit ratios
107
what are the 2 major paths that investors/managers can attempt to increase productivity, according to Gould and Schnaiberg in chapter 4?
changing production technologies
2. relocating and outsourcing
108
what was the case of corn mentioned in chapter 4, labor productivity and the environment?
a new technology developed to irrigate cornfields, large corporations started buying out less productive farmers' land, leading to the elimination of rural communities and forcing them to be displaced
due to this technology, there are also environmental impacts (chemical waste in runoff, increased fossil fuel useage)
109
what were the problems with corn production as discussed in chapter 4 labor productivity and the environment?
- the amount of energy going into corn production is more than the value of the corn produced
- as uses for corn were found in cornfeed for animals, animals started being huddled together and not grazing openly, which led to chemical usage in corn to reduce risk of disease so now our corn is just chemically polluted
110
corporations ________ their production processes to places within the nation where workers are cheaper and don't have to be paid as much (and where environmental regulations aren't as strict)
relocation (corporations)
111
moving production to a different place internationally for cheaper workers + less environmental regulation
usually from northern, industrial economies to developing southern ones
most common US pattern (many US companies do this)
outsourcing
112
does environmental protection lead to job loss?
it threatens a few industries (in the metal, chemical, paper, and wood/coal industries)
however, there are more jobs lost from natural disasters
113
proposed legislation that funds industries and projects that reduce greenhouse has emissions to generate jobs
Green New Deal
114
how are classes divided to fight against environmental protection?
assigning the middle class as environmental protectors and working class as blue-collar rural workers
this divide is made to keep people apart from protesting together
115
set of rules on how conflict can occur between workers and managers
different across countries; some give no rights to unions, some give level playing field (in US, unions have some rights but few protections)
labor relations systems
116
how have labor unions existed in the US throughout time?
in the 1960s, unions worked well to manage wealth distribution from ww2
since the 1970s recession, unions declined as corporations saw to protect profits
today US's labor unions are the weakest of all developed countries
117
what were the 3 revolutions of social change in history?
agricultural, scientific (enlightenment), and industrial revolutions
118
logic that knowledge originates from what we experience through our 5 senses (data collection/analysis)
borrowed from natural sciences
grounds rationalism in our real world
empiricism
119
logic where the truth is deduced from logical conclusions
based on the idea that our senses can't be trusted in case this is all a simulation or some shit
borrowed from mathematics
teaches us to be skeptical
rationalism
120
is science exempt from bias and influence by social institutions?
HELL no
scientists are not objective and they are biased
funding from state/government determines what gets researched (state interests affect science)
also news reporting affects what is being reported or not
121
how is skepticism a double edged sword?
skepticism is healthy and important in science
however, it's also a tool used by the elite to promote their interests (e.g. Big Oil companies promoting climate change skepticism)
122
does science tell us what is right and wrong?
no
science does not answer questions of ethics or morals
123
anything that we make
a series of entanglement with social institutions and ecosystems
people reorganize nature and social relations to produce ______
Technology
124
is technological production linear and fixed by nature?
nope, technology development is not limited by nature
it's socially constructed: we decide what technology is created and change nature to fit so
125
what kind of technology does the state want developed?
mainly stuff that will increase military strength and therefore economic development
military interests dictate technology development
e.g. CFCs (chemicals destructive to the ozone layer) were able to be phased out not cause of environmental concerns but because a company, DuPonte, developed a synthetic alternative
126
a synthetic chemical used in WW2 as a mosquito repellent so soldiers wouldn't get sick
was widely promoted as a simple pest solution and encouraged citizens to use it
Silent Spring was published, and it criticized DDT as being linked to birth problems and cancer
DDT was phased out by WHO due to these concerns but later allowed it's use only for mosquito control
DDT (from lecture)
127
the philosophy of knowledge underlying science, which informed its theories and methods
includes empiricism and rationalism
logic of science
128
the actual practice of science, including the institutions that support it, research centers, and scientists themselves
shows how social institutions impact science
establishment of science
129
how and why are scientific institutions linked to power structures, according to the textbook?
cause scientific institutions were formed during a time (right after the Renaissance) where they served the elite and were aimed at developing war technology
feudalism (class structures) transitioned into capitalism and industrialism, keeping those class structures
130
what are the 3 key lessons from chapter 6, the nature of science and the science of nature?
1. environmental sociologists take a realist stance to environmental degradation (acknowledging that environmental concern came from changes in the environment NOT changes in our culture/values)
2. env. sociologists acknowledge that social perceptions of the environment is affected by political, social, and economic institutions (those in power manipulate us)
3. env. sociologists recognize that science allowed us to understand the natural world and how humans affect the biosphere
131
how is technology connected to social institutions and nature?
the structure of technology determines the social context it was made in (e.g. classrooms have chairs facing forward to a podium, indicating power structure)
also technology is made from elements of the earth so duh it comes from nature
132
what are the 3 eras of modern technology development as discussed by the textbook?
eotechnic, paleotechnic, neotechnic
133
wood primary material, moving wind/water primary energy source
eotechnic
134
iron primary material, coal primary energy source
paleotechnic
135
steel primary material, electricity main energy source
neotechnic
136
transformation from hunting/gathering to growing desired crops from seeds and settling
modifying ecosystem to meet human needs instead of modifying human behavior (gathering/hunting) to meet ecosystem needs
led to labor surplus and distribution of it among people + complex system of organizing people (armies, etc.)
the agricultural revolution
137
emergence of a new class (working class) and formation of industrial cities
enormous inputs on nonrenewable energy sources (fossil fuels + coals) and large scale production of goods
natural ecosystems transformed into resources for production (results in environmental withdrawal and pollution)
use time for products became shorter (planned obsolescence)
the industrial revolution
138
rose from industrial revolution
people are disconnected from nature and there are a lot of environmental hazards
society thought to no longer depend on nature
modern industrial society
139
seeks to explain natural phenomena
forms the knowledge base for scientists/engineers to build upon
basic science
140
knowledge base of basic science is built upon by state decision-makers
certain paths are prioritized by the state over others (e.g. military strength)
applied science
141
the main governing organization of the trading system globally
governed by unelected bureaucrats, so there's no public input
WTO (World trade organization)
142
huge powerful companies that have a lot of control in the WTO to freely move capital, goods, and services
they undermine local state governments and regulations to maintain their big power
transnational corporations (TNCs)
143
allows free flow of goods from America, Canada, and Mexico
gives TNCs profoundly special rights and power
Chapter 11 of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
144
how did TNCs come to power in the US?
at first, corporations were made to serve public interests and governments had the right to shut them down if they violated those interests (states had more power over corporations)
however, after privatization and a 1886 ruling that defined corporations as natural persons in the US, they gained all the rights that people have under the Bill of Rights including the right to privacy so no one can investigate their crimes
145
through advertising, they generate needs/desires to encourage consumption and influence social/cultural/economic life
penetrate😳 every single country and fire/hire workers at will, contributing to job insecurity
their goal is to be liberated from social/environmental accountability and generate profits/subsidies
are vertically integrated
defining characteristics of TNCS
146
how has the media transformed over time?
it used to be local/national public media that served public interests
however, it's been deregulated by Reagan which biased and restricted diverse media. it has transformed into private global media, serving private interests of corporations that fund it
147
what is the irony of TNCs and the public?
TNCs are depended on public money from the government via subsidies
however, they are not accountable to public interests or protecting social/environmental concerns
148
process of reducing government/public control and increasing private, corporate control
increases profit margins
privatization
149
what are the 3 core elements of global media corporate ideology?
1. markets allocate resources efficiently and they should organize all economic and human life, which is an idea of neoliberalism (governments do things inefficiently)
2. freedom is defined by no business state regulations
3. economic freedom leads to political freedom
150
process of increased control over the entire process of a product, from the raw materials to distribution
allows for monopolies and negatively impacts society
defining characteristic of TNC
Vertical integration
151
how is the media pressured to follow corporate agendas?
when the media violates this agenda, they experience extreme pressure to get back in line
e.g. after Silent Spring was published, the agriculture industry doubled its budget to trash the book
152
when did TNCs and corporations in the US were first recognized as legal persons?
in the 1886 court case ruling Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, where corporations gained rights under the 14th amendment's equal protection clause
their legal "personhood" was reaffirmed in the 2010 Citizens United supreme court ruling
153
political ideology that believes in markets having freedom from government interference
neoliberalism
154
what idea do corporate advertisements show?
in order to be happy we should consume things
this idea is widespread in media and can eb seen through things like targeted marketing, product placement, etc.
155
creating a movement controlled by a large organization or group designed to look like a citizen-founded, grassroots campaign
e.g. Alliance for Food and Farming: promote idea of using pesticides to support farmers and the development of food, but the founder is a chemical pesticide producing corporation
astroturfing
156
who gets more welfare from the government: individuals or corporations?
corporations
157
one person serving on multiple boards of different corporations (for us, we're focusing on the people who serve in the federal government and on boards of large corporations)
leads to corporate interests having influence in the government and these people reporting government interests back to the corporation
interlocking directorates
158
one big corporation owning hella smaller companies by buying them out and merging them together
good for: free trade + labor productivity
bad for: democracy, since concentrated ownership in media leads to biased information being presented in media
conglomerates
159
why is concentrated ownership in media bad, according to Campbell?
why is concentrated ownership in media bad, according to Campbell?
- the US government subsidies corporations
- global media corporations present biased information due to being owned by one large entity
- officials who set policies in international organizations are not elected and withhold information from the public
160
what are the 2 types of energy sources?
finite and renewable
161
do renewable energy resources have no impact on the environment?
no, they do
even though the consumption of renewable energy sources have less environmental impacts that finite sources, their production and technological life cycle is so short and costly that it outweights those positive consumption effects
e.g. solar panels have a short lifetime (30 years) and are costly to produce, even if consuming solar energy is better than fossil fuels
162
when a large economy sets regulations, it therefore impacts the standards of mass production of a certain product since the company wants to reach that large economy
this therefore means the other economies the company sells their product to benefits from those environmental regulations, even if those regulations are not set in their economy
e.g. ______ set strict rules on vehicle emissions -> impacted mass production of vehicles to meet ___ rules -> all vehicles produced now fit those regulations
California effect
163
what is the only reasonable path forward in terms of energy, according to Bell?
finding ways to use less energy and decrease overall energy consumption
renewable energy sources are great, but they won't sustain us forever
164
what is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, according to Bell?
energy production
165
how are we overconsuming and overusing energy?
we are currently using more energy than there are people on Earth (population grew 7x since pre industrial revolution, but energy consumption grew 30x)
166
which countries/sectors consume the most amount of energy?
China is the #1 user of energy in the world
the industrial, transportation, and commercial/service sectors (like hospitals and shopping malls) consume the largest amount of energy
167
how does coal (production/consumption) negatively contribute to the environment, accoridng to Bell?
coal has more CO2 in it that other fossil fuels and also releases methane
extraction of coal via mountaintop removal (MTR) mining to get thin seams + burning of coal -> release of dust with neurotoxins, affecting workers' and nearby communities' health
168
blowing mountain ranges apart to unearth thin seams of coal for extraction
contributes to negative health outcomes for nearby communities
mountaintop removal (MTR) mining
169
what energy source is used the most in the US?
natural gas (surpassed coal)
170
what are the negative impacts of fracking?
a lot of toxins are used in fracking fluids that have health effects on like everything in the body
even though natural gas releases less CO2, fracking releases a lot of methane
171
what are the negative impacts of nuclear energu?
even though it doesn't emit CO2, it releases a lot of radioactive toxins and the construction of nuclear plants emits CO2
ion gotta say why radiation exposure is bad for people
172
what are the negative impacts of solar energy?
solar panels work harder to capture sun's energy and their lifespan is really short
the production of solar panels emits more greenhouse gases worse than CO2 and uses toxic materials from the Global South
173
what are the negative impacts of hydroelectricity energy?
big dams fragment habits, displace salmon and affects diets of local populations
there's also a loss of water quality
174
what are the negative impacts of wind energy?
the technology needed to create wind turbines is heavily reliant on fossil fuels and is not renewable
175
according to York, what is the best method of changing how we use energy?
actively suppressing fossil fuels and curbing the supply of them
176
how does gender impact environmental health?
there are unequal gender expectations in household management that places the burden of deciding to buy well-made not-toxic products for the house on women
societal roles place a heavier burden of protection/exposure to harmful chemicals on women
177
how does the region you live in impact environmental health?
heatwaves are unequally distributed across the US (some states are more at risk for heat environmental issues)
178
when the efficiency of using energy increases, the overall consumption of energy increases even more
due to the cost of using a resource decreasing when its efficiency increases
e.g. a person with a hybrid vehicle drives and uses the car more than a person with a gas-powered car
Jevons Paradox (energy boomerang effect)
179
what is the dominant epidemiological paradigm, and what is the issue with it?
the biomedical model
this model fails to consider environmental factors that affect health, such as living close to toxic facilities
180
treating sickness and health int erms of biology, genetics, and lifestyle
the biomedical model
181
what is the chemical safety model that the US uses?
proof of harm model
the EPA says a chemical is safe until there is convincing evidence that it's harmful; companies don't have to pass any regulations to put products on the market
it's up to the consumers to prove something is harmful and to avoid harms that come with products
influenced by neoliberal ideology (free market > gov reg)
182
what is the chemical safety model that the EU uses?
precautionary principle
producers have to prove that their product and chemicals found in it is not harmful before it's put on the market
prioritizes human health over free market
183
how does coal mining negatively affect workers, according to the documentary "Coal's Deadly Dust"?
the process of extraction of coal in thin seams requires cutting more rock, which releases silica dust in the air that workers breathe
silica dust is so much more harmful than other coal dust and contributes to mroe severe health problems, like black lung disease
184
what are the health trends that were seen with coal workers in the documentary "Coal's Deadly Dust"?
black lung disease is on the rise recently, as younger workers (30s-40s) are getting more severe cases of this disease not previously seen (1 in 5 could have it)
in the 1970s, NIOSH (a company dedicated to monitoring black lung) passed a law to reduce black lung which dropped cases
however, cases started rising with this new extraction process and silica dust inhalation (results in a U shaped trend of black lung disease cases over time)
185
Bio 202
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