ESS End of Term

• worldview or paradigm
• shapes the way an individual or group perceive and evaluate environmental issues
• shaped and influenced by inputs (education, culture, media...)
• outputs (perspectives, decisions, actions)
• three types

• group of individuals
• common characeristics

• different types (class, democratic..)
• flows of information, ideas, people

technocentric, anthropocentric, ecocentric

• technology is the solution
• pro-growth agenda
• optimistic view
• encouraged scientific research
• nature is controlled, manipulated, changed
• cornucopian

• sustainable management
• taxes, regulations, legislation, agreements
• encouraged debate

• holistic ideal
• nature is central to humanity
• less materialistic approach
• greater self-sufficiency
• biorights
• importance of education
• self-restraint
• deep ecologist

• intrinsic value of nature
• ecological laws dictate human morality
• biorights

inherent worth irrespective of economic considerations

an assemblage of parts and the relationships between them which constitute an entity or whole

visualization of a complex set of interactions

• systems are divided into parts
• each part studied separately
• ignores the way a system functions as a whole

system studied as a while

part of earth inhabited by organisms

ecosystems with similar climate (tundra, rainforest)

where matter/energy is stored

• inputs and outputs of energy and matter
• transfers and transformations

change in location

change in chemical nature, state or energy

• both matter and energy are exchanged
• organic
• interact with environment

• energy but not matter
• not naturally on Earth
• exist experimentally

• neither energy nor matter exchange
• do not exist naturally
• the universe

• simplified description
• shows structure or workings of an object, system or concept
• generate future predictions
• loss of accuracy

• simplified concepts
• predictions in case of changes to inputs, outputs or storages
• quick - if inputs change, outputs can be examined without waiting long
• easier to understand (public)

• complex concepts - inaccurate variables
• different effects using the same data
• loss in accuracy (assumptions, oversimplification)
• any model is only as good as the data used
• predictions get more uncertain further into the future
• different interpretations

• forms: kinetic, light, heat, chemical, electrical, potential
• changes, can’t be created or destroyed
• laws of thermodynamics

• conservation of energy
• energy can’t be created or destroyed
• changes form
• total energy is constant
• some energy is lost as heat (inefficient transfer)
• reduced available energy

• energy goes from a concentrated form into a dispersed form
• availability of energy for work decreases
• increase of entropy (disorder)

• measure of the amount of disorder in a system
• in an isolated system it increases spontaneously

• energy goes from producer to consumer
• matter cycles back
• heat is lost

• no sudden changes and limited fluctuations
• system returns to original state following disturbance

• constant inputs and outputs
• overall stability
• no changes in long-term
• oscillations in short-term
• system returns to steady state after disturbance

i.e. death of a canopy tree - new tree eventually grows

• no outputs or inputs
• no change in system over time
• no natural systems are in this state

system returns to original equilibrium after disturbance

system forms new equilibrium following disturbance

• allows systems to self-regulate
• output influences input

• BAD (destabilizing)
• a change in the state of a system leads to an increased change
• increased output feeds back into the system - results in self-sustained change
• moves system from equilibrium to instability

i.e. melting of polar ice caps

• GOOD
• counteracts change from equilibrium, contributes to stability
• method of control
• regulates itself

i.e. warmer body - sweat - colder body

• critical threshold
• small change has a drastic effect and causes a disproportionately large response in the system
• minimum amount of change that will destabilize system, causing it to reach a new equilibrium/stable state
• positive feedback
• no globally adopted definition
• difficult to determine causes, conditions
• difficult to see in the moment
• models for predicting
• i.e. climate change

• tendency to avoid tipping points
• humans affect it by altering diversity and storages

• affects resilience
• high diversity - system is less likely to reach a tp

• use and management of resources that allows full natural regeneration and full recovery of ecosystems affected by extraction and use
• ensuring future generations can continue to use resource

• natural resources
• provide sustainable natural income of goods and services

timber, oil, crops

water replenishment, pollination, climate regulation

• self-replenishing
• supplied or replaced as it is used
• emissions and waste are recycled in a sustainable way
• timber, hydropower, wind power

• use of resource always depletes the stock
• fossil fuels, minerals, nuclear power, fossil water

• the yield obtained from natural resources
• max sustainable yield = how much you can harvest sustainably
• annual growth of forest

• meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• first mentioned in 1987 in Our Common Future

• ecological footprint
• environmental impact assessment (EIA)
• millennium ecosystem assessment (MA)
• global environmental outlook (GEO)

• hypothetical area of land and water required by society to fulfill all of their resource needs and assimilate all wastes
• model for monitoring environmental impact and comparison
• unti: gha (global hectares)
• per capita: total of country/population
• ecological deficits and reserves
• biocapacity creditors and debtors
• LEDC vs MEDC footprints

crop is not used for local population but for profit

• process of evaluating likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development
• takes into account interrelated socioeconomic, cultural and human health impacts (beneficial and adverse)
• people involved: stateholders
• stages:
• baseline study - define scope (boundaries of system), establish assessment criteria (environmental indicators)
• assessment - possible impacts
• recommendations- proposals for mitigation of impact, summary for public, yes/no
• monitoring - during and after development
• environmental indicators
• +: full picture, best practice example and standards established, sustainability, favors cost/benefit, establishes limits, designs mitigation strategies
• -: subjective, uncertain (tipping points, system boundaries), indicators could oversimplify, lack of standard practices, direct vs indirect impacts

• measures used to illustrate complex phenomena in a simple way
• trends, progress over time

• global assessment
• human impact on the environment
• UN secretary Kofi Annan
• key findings: living beyond our means

• addition of a substance or an agent to an environment by human activity at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered harmless by the environment and has a negative/detrimental effect on the organisms within it
• deliberate or accidental
• local/regional or global
• acute or chronic
• substance: oil spill, chemicals,ddt, plastics
• energy: radioactivity, light, sound, heat
• biological agents: alien species, invasive species
• point-source vs non point-source

• release of pollutant from a single, clearly identifiable source
• factory chimney

• release of pollutants from many widespread origins
• pesticide run-off

• primary: active on emission
• secondary: from primary
• can undergo physical or chemical changes (acid rain)
• organic or inorganic
• persistent vs viodegradable

capable of being broken down by natural biological processes

• cannot be broken down by living organisms and so are passed along food chains
• POPs
• mercury, ddt

• three levels
• preventing environmental impacts
• limiting extent of environmental impacts
• restoring systems impacted

• sustainable - use and management that allows for full natural replacement of the resource
• unsustainable

• solar
• hydroelectric power
• wind
• geothermal (seismic zones, for households)
• biomass (waste to energy, timber)
• oceanic power (tidal and wave)

• nuclear
• fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
• hybrids (tarsands, shalegas)

• human abilities to exploit materials or sources of energy changes over time
• their value as resources changes
• ability to exploit is limited by technology, economics, value systems

• measures that can be taken
• individual and infrastructural level

• shorter showers
• turning lights off
• recycling
• turning tap off
• public transport
• refrain from using a/c or heaters
• meatless monday
• energy efficient appliances
• buying locally produced products - reduced mileage
• education
• campaigns

• tax outputs of industries
• use efficient energy sources
• city planning - separate lanes for carpooling, for public transport, bike lanes, driving restrictions
• electric cars
• subsidize energy efficient industry
• led street lights
• turning off billboard lights