1.4 Sustainability

Question 1

Sustainability definition

Answer 1

The management of the exploitation of resources that allows for replacement of the resources and full recovery of the ecosystems that may be affected by extraction.

Question 2

Natural Capital definition

Answer 2

is natural resources that produce sustainable natural income of goods and services

Question 3

Natural income definition

Answer 3

is the yield from natural capital.

Question 4

What are non-renewable resources?

Answer 4

Irreplaceable exept over gological timescales. Ex coal (takes millions of years to form)

Question 5

What are renewable resources?

Answer 5

Can be replaced as fast as they are used. Ex crops

Question 6

Goods definition - with examples

Answer 6

Marketable commodities that can be exploited by humans, like forests, fisheries, fertile soil and mineral deposits.

Question 7

Services definition - with examples

Answer 7

Natural processes that provide benefits for humans such as water replenishment, clean air and protection against erosion.

Question 8

Explain the link between natural capital, natural income and sustainability.

Answer 8

There is a strong relationship between natural capital, natural income and sustainability. Natural capital is the amount of natural resources in a particular environment and if it is managed sustainably it will continue to generate natural income in the future. But if exploitation is greater than the natural income and natural capital is reduced then a positive feedback cycle will ensue which is unsustainable.

Question 9

Define ecological footprint

Answer 9

The amount of land and water that is required to support a human population at a given standard of living – providing all the resources and assimilating all the waste.

Question 10

What are two units that are used for an EF

Answer 10

1. The number of planets that would be required to supply the humanity’s needs.
2. As a global hectare per person (Gha/pers).

Question 11

What were the Millenium Ecosystem Assesment objectives? (Hint: They are 2)

Answer 11

1. Establish strategies to achieve sustainable use of ecosystems
2. Asses links between ecosystem change and human wellbeing

Question 12

What 3 problems did the report from the MA identify?

Answer 12

1. 60% of the ecosystems studied were being used un-sustainably.
2. Changes were becoming so extensive that ecosystems were reaching tipping points and the consequences were hard to predict.
3. Ecosystem degradation was impacting the poorer countries more.

Question 13

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems (Supporting)

Answer 13

These are needed for other ecosystems to function and provide the other services such as food supply etc. - EX. Nutrient cycling, photosynthesis and soil formation.

Question 14

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems (Provisioning)

Answer 14

This gives actual products that can be extracted. - EX. Food, water, minerals, timber, genetic resources, medicine and energy.

Question 15

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems (Regulating)

Answer 15

Regulation of ecosystem processes and the benefits. - EX. Clean air and water, pollination, waste disposal, erosion and flood control, carbon sequestration and climate regulation disease and pest control.

Question 16

The benefits people obtain from ecosystems (Cultural)

Answer 16

These are the non-material benefits that we obtain from ecosystems. - EX. Building knowledge, creativity, recreation and cultural symbols.

Question 17

What is an Environmental impact assesment?

Answer 17

The process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made

Question 18

The aim of the Environmental Impact Assesment:

Answer 18

• Identify any impacts (good or bad) that may result from the project.
• Improve the decision making process that allows or blocks the project.
• Lessen any potential impact.

Question 19

What are the steps of the EIA: (explain a bit each)

Answer 19

1. Scoping
2. Baseline Study
3. Predicting and Assessing Effects
4. Mitigation
5. The Environmental Statement

Question 20

Criticism of the EIA:

Answer 20

• There is no requirement for the environment to take a high priority, just for the decision-makers to justify their decisions based on the environmental studies and public opinion.
• There is no standardisation between countries. In some countries the EIA may be very thorough and beneficial whilst in other countries it may be just a mechanical exercise
• It can be difficult to define the extent of the impacts. How detailed should the assessment be of the areas that extra traffic passes though? How far afield should you check the impact on ground water or climate?

Question 21

CASE STUDY: EIA for the Jindal thermal power plant proposal, in India.

State the proposal and some facts provided by the EIA (mention 2)

Answer 21

Proposal: Set up two 150 MW thermal power plants to provide power for its steel plant.

Baseline study (Some facts provided by the EIA):

• The project requires 22.7 hectares of land
• 57% of the land is agricultural
• There are 94 inhabited villages and 85,000 people within the area.
• The project will require 7.46 million cubic meters (MCM) of water from groundwater
• The thermal power station will be powered by local supplies of coal

Question 22

CASE STUDY: EIA for the Jindal thermal power plant proposal, in India.

Impact on water consumption

Answer 22

What the EIA said
The proposed project will consume 7.46 MCM of water, which will reduce to 6.84 MCM through re-circulation and reuse.

Reality
Alternative reports put total water requirements much higher and that means 3.23 MCM will be needed from ground water.

Question 23

CASE STUDY: EIA for the Jindal thermal power plant proposal, in India.

Impact on local air quality (Mention mercury emitions, CO2 emissions and particulate emissions)

Answer 23

Mercury emissions:
No mention of mercury emissions in the EIA.

Carbon dioxide emissions:
CO2 emissions have also been ignored - other tests said that Thermal power stations contribute 11% of the total emissions

Particulate emissions:
EIA said 511 tonnes/year - however other tests said this is likely to be much higher

Question 24

CASE STUDY: EIA for the Jindal thermal power plant proposal, in India.

Impact on local biodiversity

Answer 24

Foxes, bandars spotted deer, rhesus macaque, bear and leopard are listed as living in the core and buffer zone

Question 25

CASE STUDY: EIA for the Jindal thermal power plant proposal, in India. - CONCLUSION

Answer 25

This case study highlights some of the benefits of the EIA.

They identify some of the impacts and give suggested mitigation measures but it can also ignore some aspects that may be inconvenient!