Chapter 1 Flashcards
(42 cards)
what can influence environmental movements
- historical events
- literature
- media
- major environmental events
- international agreements
-technological developments
what is an EVS
a worldview or paradigm that shapes the way an individual, or
group of people, perceives and evaluates environmental issues
what can influence an EVS
- culture
- religion
- economic context
- sociopolitical context
in what way is an EVS a system
EVS might be considered as a system in the sense that it may be
influenced by education, experience, culture and media (inputs), and involves
a set of interrelated premises, values and arguments that can generate
consistent decisions and evaluations (outputs).
what are the main EVSs
- ecocentric
- anthropocentric
- technocentric
what does an ecocentric view entail
it integrates social, spiritual and environmental
dimensions into a holistic ideal. It puts ecology and nature as central to
humanity and emphasizes a less materialistic approach to life with greater
self-sufficiency of societies. An ecocentric viewpoint prioritizes biorights,
emphasizes the importance of education and encourages self-restraint in
human behaviour.
what does an anthropocentric viewpoint entail
it argues that humans must sustainably manage
the global system. This might be through the use of taxes, environmental
regulation and legislation. Debate would be encouraged to reach a
consensual, pragmatic approach to solving environmental problems.
what does a technocentric viewpoint entail
it argues that technological developments can
provide solutions to environmental problems. This is a consequence of a largely
optimistic view of the role humans can play in improving the lot of humanity.
Scientific research is encouraged in order to form policies and to understand
how systems can be controlled, manipulated or changed to solve resource
depletion. A pro-growth agenda is deemed necessary for society’s improvement
what is a society
an arbitrary group of individuals who share some common
characteristics, such as geographical location, cultural background, historical
time frame, religious perspective, value system and so on
what are some possible historical influences on EVSs and environmental movements (name at least 3)
- James Lovelock’s development of the Gaia hypothesis
- Minamata disaster
Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (1962) - Davis Guggenheim’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth (2006)”
- Chernobyl disaster of 1986
- Fukushima Daiihi
nuclear disaster of 2011 - whaling
- Bhopal disaster of 1984
- Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010
- Chipko movement
- Rio Earth Summit 2012 (Rio+20)
- Earth Day
- Green Revolution
- Copenhagen Accord
- recent or local events of student interest.
what is a system approach
a way of visualizing a complex set of interactions which may be ecological or societal.
what is a system
an assemblage of parts, working together, forming a functional whole.
what is a system comprised of
- flows
- storages
what are flows in a system
processes that may be either:
- transfers (a change in location)
- transformations (a change in the chemical nature, a change in state or a change in energy).
what are the types of systems
- open system (exchanges both energy and matter across its boundary)
- closed system (exchanges only energy across its boundary)
- isolated system (a hypothetical concept in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged across the boundary)
what is the biosphere
the part of the Earth inhabited by organisms that extends from the upper parts of the atmosphere to deep within the Earth’s crust.
! Be able to produce a systems diagram of carbon cycling, food production, soil systems !
not a question, a tip
what is the first law of thermodynamics
principle of conservation of energy,
which states that energy in an isolated system can be transformed but cannot
be created or destroyed.
what is the second law of thermodynamics
the entropy of a system increases over time. Entropy is a measure of the amount of disorder in a system. An increase in entropy arising from energy transformations reduces the energy available to do work.
what is equilibrium
A state of balance among the components of a system.
what are positive and negative feedback loops
- positive feedback loops (destabilizing) will tend to amplify changes and drive
the system towards a tipping point where a new equilibrium is adopted - Negative feedback loops (stabilizing) occur when the output of a process inhibits or reverses the operation of the same process in such a way as to reduce change—it counteracts deviation.
! Emphasis should be placed on the relationships between resilience, stability,
equilibria and diversity. !
not a question, a tip
what is stable equilibrium
the condition of a system in which there is a tendency for it to return to the previous equilibrium following disturbance.
what is steady-state equilibrium
the condition of an open system in which there are no changes over the longer term, but in which there may be oscillations in the very short term.
