Sustainability

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

The use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full natural recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use

Question 2

What is sustainable development?

Answer 2

Development that meets the needs of people now without compromising the needs of future generations

Question 3

What is the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment?

Answer 3

The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, funded by the UN and started in 2001, is a research programme that focuses on how ecosystems have changed and predicts future changes

Question 4

What did the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment find in 2005?

Answer 4

• 60% of the world ecosystems have been degraded
• Over 25% of all fish stocks are over-harvested
• Since 1980, 35% of mangroves had been destroyed
• 20% of all corals had been lost in 20 years and another 20% degraded

Question 5

What were the recommendations of the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment?

Answer 5

• Remove subsidies to agriculture, fisheries + energy sources that harm the environment
• Protect more areas from development, esp. in oceans
• Encourage landowners to improve carbon storage + generation of fresh water

Question 6

Why don’t we change?

Answer 6

Inertia

Tragedy of the Commons

Question 7

What is inertia?

Answer 7

When changing what we do seems too difficult

Question 8

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

Answer 8

• Individuals act in their own self interest to harvest a resource but destroy the long term future of that resource so there is none for everyone
• Each individual benefits from taking the resource in the short term so continue to do so

Question 9

Give an example of the Tragedy of the Commons

Answer 9

Hunting an endangered species may result in extinction, but if your family are starving and it is the only food source, you will probably hunt to eat it

Question 10

What is natural capital?

Answer 10

Natural capital is a term used for natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services

e.g. A forest (natural capital) provides timber (natural income)

Question 11

What is natural income?

Answer 11

Natural income is yield obtained from natural resources

e.g. A shoal of fish (natural capital) provides food (natural income)

Question 12

What do Environmental Impact Assessments do?

Answer 12

EIAs incorporate baseline studies before a development project is undertaken. They assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of the project, predicting and evaluating possible impacts and suggesting mitigating strategies for the project.

Question 13

What do EIAs provide decision makers with?

Answer 13

EIAs provide decision makes with info in order to consider the environmental impact of a project. There is not necessarily a requirement to implement an EIAs proposals and many socio-economic factors may influence the decision made.

Question 14

Name 5 criticisms of EIAs

Answer 14

• Lack of a standard practise
• Lack of training for practitioners
• Lack of a clear definition of system boundaries
• Lack of inclusion of indirect impacts
• May be subjective and subject to governmental priorities

Question 15

What is an ecological footprint?

Answer 15

An ecological footprint is the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population

Question 16

Why is an Ecological Footprint that is greater than the land available to the population an indicator of unsustainability?

Answer 16

The population exceeds the carrying capacity of the area