ENR 2500 Midterm Exam With Verified
Solution
What are the multiple ways that people defined and depict sustainability? What are the
differences between these definitions and depictions? - ANSWER Environmental
Standpoint:
-can be depicted as the overlap between economy/profit, society/equity/people, and
environment/ecology/planet in a venn diagram
- could be defined as maintaining the stocks of a resource base, environmental quality,
ecosystem function/services
-when use is equal to/less than regeneration
Economic Standpoint:
-can be defined as the ability to sustain profits/production over long term, without
degrading environmental/cultural foundation for that growth
Social Standpoint:
-the need for equitable access to all, no extreme wealth gaps, removal of discrimination,
etc.
Why should we care about sustainability? - ANSWER We are a species in the process of
rapidly degrading our own life support system
Do we need a single definition of "sustainability"? What are the arguments for and
against? - ANSWER Yes: since sustainability has evolved from its original meaning and
often becomes an aid to greenwashing, a comprehensive definition is needed so that
there is no gray area
No: putting a single definition on the term would limit its ability to evolve and be dynamic
What are some of the key questions we should ask ourselves when discussing what
sustainability means? - ANSWER What is to be sustained and what is to be developed?
For what? The various systems, components, and outputs need to be considered
For whom? Is it anthropocentric/biocentric, etc.
For how long?
At what cost?
,Who gets to decide?
What are the foundational concepts, or pillars, for sustainability and why are they
important (e.g. time, tradeoffs, systems thinking, efficiency vs reduction, individual vs
structural change, collective action/social dilemmas, etc,). What are some examples
that illustrate these concepts in relation to sustainability? *You should know how to
recognize all of the pillars presented by Jeremy and Brent - and recognize examples of
them in multiple contexts - ANSWER Hope- the need to envision a future world that is
sustainable
Time- time must be used in an efficient way
Tradeoffs- the things we receive in return for implementing sustainable practices
Collective Action and Social Dilemmas- social dilemma is private interests at odds with
collective interests, collective action problems mean that we all want positive outcomes
but that requires collective efforts
Governance- the institutions/structures that determine who makes decisions and how
Type of Change- focus on efficiency/technology or curtailment/behavioral change
Scale of Change- change in individual behaviors/decisions or
policies/infrastructure/culture, etc.
Systems Thinking- attacking a sustainability issue from the root
Resilience- engineering resilience is how fast displaced variables can return to
equilibrium, relies on recovery/constancy. Ecological/ecosystem resilience is the
capacity of a system to absorb shocks and maintain function, relies on persistence and
robustness
How does energy flow through an ecosystem? Where does it start and what happens to
energy as it moves through the system? - ANSWER Sun--primary
producers--herbivores--predators--detritovores. Energy gets lost throughout the
system.
How does thinking about energy flow help us understand the differences between
"natural" (largely undisturbed) ecosystems and human dominated ecosystems? -
ANSWER Human dominated ecosystems remove systems of renewal, but it might be
less stable and resilient
What is the difference between stocks and flows and how does this relate to
biogeochemical cycles and sustainability? - ANSWER Stocks: quantity that accumulates
over time
Flow: resources moving throughout and continually depleting
What are the key differences between a "natural" prairie and an industrial farm -
, ANSWER Industrial agriculture might have supplementary energy inputs, removal of
organic matter/nutrients, and reduced biodiversity and ecosystem complexity
How are human activities affecting important biogeochemical cycles? - ANSWER
Disrupting energy flows, simplifying ecosystems, depleting stocks and/or limiting flows
What are the multiple ways that poverty has been defined and measured? - ANSWER
GDP, human development index, genuine progress indicator, gross national happiness
index
What are the various ways that "development" has been defined? What is the history of
the concept of "development"? - ANSWER Development is multi-dimensional, structural
change. Created in the 1940s but has colonialism and neo-imperialism
Why is it important to try to reduce poverty? - ANSWER High levels of poverty = negative
impacts. Poverty will slow down forward movements in sustainability and it affects
everyone.
What are the important components of a "community"? - ANSWER human capital, social
capital, cultural capital, political capital, built capital, financial capital, natural capital
- communities often defined by location or interests, linked to sustainability through
collective action, etc.
What are the differences in how "community" has been defined and measured -
ANSWER Communities can be location or interest based, and their condition can be
measured through the various forms of capital it contains
community capitals:
human, natural, social, cultural, political, built, finnancial
What is the difference between "development" and "economic growth" - ANSWER
Development: based on structural change, multi-dimensional. Culmination of change in
social, environmental, economic, etc. aspects.
Economic growth: would just indicate an increase or improvement in the market for
goods/services rather than a structural change
Why might some people claim that population growth is not as pressing a problem for
sustainability as overconsumption? - ANSWER Growth is expected to level out in coming
years, but we will soon be spread very thin with planetary resources to sustain the
population we will grow to, at the rate that we are consuming currently.
What strategies have been successful at reducing population growth? (See Kates article
on population and consumption). - ANSWER - making contraceptives/reproductive
health services more accessible to women
- improving secondary education opportunities for women
Solution
What are the multiple ways that people defined and depict sustainability? What are the
differences between these definitions and depictions? - ANSWER Environmental
Standpoint:
-can be depicted as the overlap between economy/profit, society/equity/people, and
environment/ecology/planet in a venn diagram
- could be defined as maintaining the stocks of a resource base, environmental quality,
ecosystem function/services
-when use is equal to/less than regeneration
Economic Standpoint:
-can be defined as the ability to sustain profits/production over long term, without
degrading environmental/cultural foundation for that growth
Social Standpoint:
-the need for equitable access to all, no extreme wealth gaps, removal of discrimination,
etc.
Why should we care about sustainability? - ANSWER We are a species in the process of
rapidly degrading our own life support system
Do we need a single definition of "sustainability"? What are the arguments for and
against? - ANSWER Yes: since sustainability has evolved from its original meaning and
often becomes an aid to greenwashing, a comprehensive definition is needed so that
there is no gray area
No: putting a single definition on the term would limit its ability to evolve and be dynamic
What are some of the key questions we should ask ourselves when discussing what
sustainability means? - ANSWER What is to be sustained and what is to be developed?
For what? The various systems, components, and outputs need to be considered
For whom? Is it anthropocentric/biocentric, etc.
For how long?
At what cost?
,Who gets to decide?
What are the foundational concepts, or pillars, for sustainability and why are they
important (e.g. time, tradeoffs, systems thinking, efficiency vs reduction, individual vs
structural change, collective action/social dilemmas, etc,). What are some examples
that illustrate these concepts in relation to sustainability? *You should know how to
recognize all of the pillars presented by Jeremy and Brent - and recognize examples of
them in multiple contexts - ANSWER Hope- the need to envision a future world that is
sustainable
Time- time must be used in an efficient way
Tradeoffs- the things we receive in return for implementing sustainable practices
Collective Action and Social Dilemmas- social dilemma is private interests at odds with
collective interests, collective action problems mean that we all want positive outcomes
but that requires collective efforts
Governance- the institutions/structures that determine who makes decisions and how
Type of Change- focus on efficiency/technology or curtailment/behavioral change
Scale of Change- change in individual behaviors/decisions or
policies/infrastructure/culture, etc.
Systems Thinking- attacking a sustainability issue from the root
Resilience- engineering resilience is how fast displaced variables can return to
equilibrium, relies on recovery/constancy. Ecological/ecosystem resilience is the
capacity of a system to absorb shocks and maintain function, relies on persistence and
robustness
How does energy flow through an ecosystem? Where does it start and what happens to
energy as it moves through the system? - ANSWER Sun--primary
producers--herbivores--predators--detritovores. Energy gets lost throughout the
system.
How does thinking about energy flow help us understand the differences between
"natural" (largely undisturbed) ecosystems and human dominated ecosystems? -
ANSWER Human dominated ecosystems remove systems of renewal, but it might be
less stable and resilient
What is the difference between stocks and flows and how does this relate to
biogeochemical cycles and sustainability? - ANSWER Stocks: quantity that accumulates
over time
Flow: resources moving throughout and continually depleting
What are the key differences between a "natural" prairie and an industrial farm -
, ANSWER Industrial agriculture might have supplementary energy inputs, removal of
organic matter/nutrients, and reduced biodiversity and ecosystem complexity
How are human activities affecting important biogeochemical cycles? - ANSWER
Disrupting energy flows, simplifying ecosystems, depleting stocks and/or limiting flows
What are the multiple ways that poverty has been defined and measured? - ANSWER
GDP, human development index, genuine progress indicator, gross national happiness
index
What are the various ways that "development" has been defined? What is the history of
the concept of "development"? - ANSWER Development is multi-dimensional, structural
change. Created in the 1940s but has colonialism and neo-imperialism
Why is it important to try to reduce poverty? - ANSWER High levels of poverty = negative
impacts. Poverty will slow down forward movements in sustainability and it affects
everyone.
What are the important components of a "community"? - ANSWER human capital, social
capital, cultural capital, political capital, built capital, financial capital, natural capital
- communities often defined by location or interests, linked to sustainability through
collective action, etc.
What are the differences in how "community" has been defined and measured -
ANSWER Communities can be location or interest based, and their condition can be
measured through the various forms of capital it contains
community capitals:
human, natural, social, cultural, political, built, finnancial
What is the difference between "development" and "economic growth" - ANSWER
Development: based on structural change, multi-dimensional. Culmination of change in
social, environmental, economic, etc. aspects.
Economic growth: would just indicate an increase or improvement in the market for
goods/services rather than a structural change
Why might some people claim that population growth is not as pressing a problem for
sustainability as overconsumption? - ANSWER Growth is expected to level out in coming
years, but we will soon be spread very thin with planetary resources to sustain the
population we will grow to, at the rate that we are consuming currently.
What strategies have been successful at reducing population growth? (See Kates article
on population and consumption). - ANSWER - making contraceptives/reproductive
health services more accessible to women
- improving secondary education opportunities for women
