EXAM 2 Flashcards
(82 cards)
1
Q
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
A
“A formalised systematic, and comprehensive process of evaluating the environmental impacts of a policy, plan or program and its alternatives”:
* Fully integrated biophysical, economic, social, political aspects
* Can be reactive…integrative response to a proposal, new technology
OR proactive…addresses a challenge within a current Environmental Assessment or issue
2
Q
What are some challenges of SEA?
A
Difficult to engage public in future issues when project does not yet exist
Financial constraints
Government unwilling to adjust or take responsibility
3
Q
Community-Based Assessment
A
Smaller approaches with a participatory Framework for dialogue:
Collective decision-making:
→Goals
→Sharing of knowledge
→Negotiation and compromise
→Problem solving
→Needs
→Research and discussion
Community planning becomes proactive and adaptive with regards to community goals
4
Q
What does the ability to extract oil depend on?
A
- The amount of resource available
- The capacity for technological improvements
- The cost of investing in those improvements
5
Q
Oil Reserve
A
crude oil that can be legally, technically and economically extracted
6
Q
Fossil Fuel Types
A
Crude Oil or Petroleum
Natural Gas
Coal
7
Q
What are the 3 steps of coal formation?
A
Stage 1. Starts with peat, organic matter
Stage 2 - Lignite. Organic matter is compressed, oxygen, hydrogen and water are pressed out
Stage 3 – Coal. Pressure and temperature over long time (100-300 million years creates coal
8
Q
Natural Gas Formation
A
Forms in petroleum and coal deposits: Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane
9
Q
What are the 3 features that a reservoir must have for oil to be extracted?
A
- Kerogen-rich rocks that are buried deeply (so pressure and heat can convert kerogen to liquid oil)
- Porous rock type to act as a reservoir (oil migrates and accumulates in porous rock)
- Cap rock formation to seal in oil (prevents it from migrating to the surface)
10
Q
Internationalisation
A
- Canada’s exports shaped by the economises of energy prices and demand of importing companies
- Energy-producing countries try to exert market power (e.g. OPEC)→highly effective
- Canada turning towards Asia Pacific→changing infrastructure, pipelines
11
Q
Financializaition
A
- Growing reliance on exports can result in severe volatility, unpredictability
- Also much more foreign ownership of Canadian energy companies→Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
12
Q
Name and describe the 3 kinds of agricultural land.
A
Arable Land:
>13,500,000 km2→crops that require annual replanting or fallow land or pasture used for crops within 5 years
Permanent Cropland:
~1,500,000 km2→crops including coffee, tea, fruit, do not require replanting each year
Permanent Pastures:
~33,500,000 km2→Used for grazing livestock
13
Q
Intensification of Production
A
To obtain more output from a given area of agricultural land→A key development strategy
14
Q
What are the BIG 5 issues in agriculture?
A
- Depletion of Resources
- Farmland Degradation
- Food Waste
- Demographics
- Political Issues
15
Q
Externality
A
These are often negative (can be positive) costs to society associated with other resources use (e.g. nutrient runoff)
16
Q
What are the 4 P’s of farmland functions?
A
- Place Functions: A place of residence
- Play Functions: Leisure, conservation
- Production Functions: Available resources
- Protection Functions: Conservation, heritage, educational
17
Q
Place Functions
A
Functions that depend on the location of the farmland resource and activities in relation to their relative location near urban areas
- Potential for residential and employment support
- Land reserve to manage/control urban growth
- Supports development of recreation and tourism
- Supports integration of marginalized populations (e.g. community farms)
18
Q
Play Functions
A
Leisure and Tourism
- Supports development of leisure activities
- Supports tourism development
- Conservation of national heritage sites
19
Q
Production Functions
A
Functions based on the resources that are available, e.g. Farmland as a resource
- Provides resources that are an important supply for urban and urban development
- Resources for agricultural development
20
Q
Protection Functions
A
Functions that include conservation and protection
- Protection of resources for production
- Protection of valued heritage/natural landscapes
- Protection of areas for scientific/educational study
21
Q
What are the complex elements or forces impacting agriculture in many developed nations?
A
- Socio-economic variety of farming systems→Different values and motivations
- Rapidly changing functions associated with farming
- Positive and negative externalities→identification with different farming socio- economic systems
- Conflicts, opportunities, and uncertainties
22
Q
Internal forces within the family
A
Finances, successors (e.g. parents and who gets what), training
23
Q
External forces
A
Influence of urbanization, community support/culture, technological changes, market accessibility, government programs, information gathering, climate change variability
24
Q
Socio-economic systems of farming
A
These can include many different types of farms, which add complexity into the system of agriculture in Canada
* Traditional family farms
* Capitalistic/productivist farms
* Organic farms
* Community agriculture/urban agriculture
25
functions of agriculture
Important functions of agriculture include:
* Food production
* Horticultural production
* Ecological services including water resources, conservation of landscapes and heritage areas, wildlife, others
* Tourism and leisure
26
Water Act
Conservation and management of water + the wise allocation and use of water
* Conservation of water while also recognizing need for economic growth
* Co-operation on water management in Alberta and across boundaries
27
Agricultural Operation Practices Act
Ensures growth of livestock industry to meet opportunities; environmental sustainability
28
Agricultural Societies Act
Allows agricultural societies to be established and dissolved
* Societies help to improve agriculture and quality of life via programs, services, and facilities
* Meets the social and experiential needs of the farming community
29
Agricultural Financial Services Act
Provided the establishment of the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, including functions and objectives.
* Provides financial services, insurance, and Opportunity bonds
30
Agricultural Pests Act
Minister can declare a bird/animal/insect/plant/disease a pest or nuisance→harm or is likely to destroy agricultural initiatives.
* Provides people with the ability to prevent this harm/destruction as well as the role of inspectors
31
What are "forests" in Canada?
* Forests have the potential to achieve...
* Tree crown cover > 25%
* Land cover area > 1 hectare
* Tree height > 5 m
* Maximum tree spacing = 20m
32
Forest Management
“the process of planning and implementing practices for stewardship and use of the forest aimed at fulfilling relevant ecological (including biological diversity), economic and social functions of the forest in a sustainable manner.”
33
What are the 6 steps of forest management in Canadian history? There is a 140 years of forest policy evolution. These include the general/predictable steps of forest management through time starting with the earliest development.
1. Full, unregulated exploitation
2. Fear of threatened or insecure forest resources
3. Exploitation of remote forests with no previous harvest – start at 1, 2
4. Application of simple regulation to control cutting
5. Recognition that simple procedures do not necessarily ensure timber supply
6. Application of ecologically-based forest resource management, conservation and some regeneration
34
What should a forest management plan include?
* Outline a strategic vision to protect multiple forest values
* Assess current state of the forest in the area of the plan
* Detail the desired future state of forest values
* Set out Management Objectives
* Describe harvesting, regeneration and other activities→All must be approved, Monitored
35
What are the main drivers of fire?
Weather: wind, air temperature, humidity
Topography: aspect, slope
Fuels: vegetation, structure, moisture
36
What are 5 ways to enhance fire understanding?
1. Train next generation of fire scientists
2. Innovate new technologies for mapping/monitoring fire fuels
3. Use 3D fire physics models applied to geospatial data
4. Enhance patchy land covers, forest replanting practices
5. Work with Indigenous communities
37
Open pit mines
* Very large equipment move massive amounts of earth/waste materials and ore
* Makes ore deposits economically viable ... economies of scale (removing massive amounts lowers unit costs)
38
Underground mines
* Movement of small amounts of material
* Higher per unit operating costs
* Higher grade ore is required for profit
39
Shadow effects
Impacts to various integrated systems (e.g. water, ecosystems, air, etc.) not directly observed
40
Tailing ponds
chemicals and other by-products of mining industry contained within ponds
41
What are the 4 socio-economic costs of mining?
a) Health and safety of miners
b) The inevitable closing of mines and the socio-economic impacts of mine closure on other industries in the community
c) Exploration and northern development
d) Impacts to First Nations communities, both positive and negative (e.g. significant hiring but also difficulty maintaining community traditions); changing of the physical environment
42
Resilience in the mining industry
“the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and still retain its basic function and structure”
43
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Industry takes voluntary measures to improve
social and environmental costs and benefits
44
Social Licence to Operate (SLO)
Earning community support for mining operations to ensure resilient communities
45
Wildlife management
Maintain wildlife populations at ‘acceptable’ levels
46
Wildlife conservation
Practice of protecting wildlife species and habitats
47
Conflicts between wildlife and humans occur for many reasons. Name 5 of these reasons.
Destroying property
* Elk feeding on hay bales, bears destroying beehives
Habituation
* Bears feeding on garbage or domestic refuse; are conditioned and removed
Encroaching on ‘human’ territory
* Coyotes, magpies, wolves, etc. close to cities and farms
Affecting ‘valuable’ species
* Wolves hunting deer or caribou
Nuisance
48
Competition
competition or rivalry between/among living things for resources, territory, mates, Etc.
49
Exploitation Competition
Indirect competition for resources thereby limiting the availability of these to other organisms
50
Interference Competition
interaction between competing species is direct (e.g. aggression)
51
Charismatic megafauna
large animal species with widespread popular appeal
52
Surrogate species
Focus on a single (or few) focal species that are representative of the conservation needs of the entire community
53
What are the 4 types of surrogate species?
Indicator species
Keystone species
Umbrella species
Flagship species
54
Indicator species
Species that function as surrogates for other forms of biodiversity (or other conservation measures)
* May be associated with particular ecoregion or habitat type
* Could be associated with particular ecosystem condition (e.g. drought stress, global warming, disease, etc.)
* Many species of stonefly require clear cold water
* Tubifex worms tolerant of oxygen-poor, tolerant of organic pollution
55
Keystone species
A species that has substantial impacts on other species
* Many top predators are both charismatic and keystone species
* Danger in focusing on large animals and forgetting REAL keystone species (like dung beetles)
Some examples
* Sea Otters determine entire structure of near-shore marine habitat by regulating sea urchin density; beavers regulate stream ecosystems by damming small streams to form ponds with shrubby banks
56
Umbrella species
Shares broad habitat range; protecting that species will protect other species
Can be a simple way to promote / envision conservation goals
Example:
* Northern Spotted Owls are sensitive to habitat change (temperate rain forests); protecting their habitat also protects a number of mollusc and salamander species
57
Flagship species
Symbols of conservation awareness
By raising the profile of one species, can raise awareness of system or region
Example:
* Elephants to promote conservation in Tanzania * Kermode ‘Spirit’ Bears in Great Bear Rainforest
58
Anthropocentrism
The belied that humans are the most important animals/force on the planet
59
How is animal welfare decided/carried out?
There is a triangular connection between science, ethics/care, and popular opinion/politics
60
How is animal welfare worked out for octopuses?
Intelligence and consciousness -> self awareness and subjective experiences
61
ethics
moral principles that govern a person's behaviour
62
Five freedoms for animals in captivity
Freedom from: hunger; thirst; discomfort, pain, and injury; fear and distress
Freedom to express normal behaviours
63
Key components in many cyclical processes
water cycle
carbon cycle
production of oxygen
64
Main 4 fish exported from Canada
1. Groundfish
* Hake, cod, turbot, haddock, redfish, etc.
2. Finfish
* Salmon, herring; pelagic and near-shore are higher in oil
3. Shellfish – Highest value for export
* Lobster, shrimp, crab, scallops
4. Aquaculture (fish and shellfish); species must thrive in captivity
65
Different types of fishers
1. Recreational Fishing
* Not fishing for profit; fishing for pleasure or competition
* Generally rod-and-reel, fly fishing; freshwater and marine
ecosystems
* The Complete Angler published 1653 (Izaak Walton, England)
2. Artisanal Fishing
* Small-scale, low-tech fisheries, by household or individuals, not companies; for consumption or sale
3. Commercial / Industrial Fishing
* Catch fish for commercial profit; large corporations and small family-owned businesses; rely heavily on few species
66
endocrine disruption
Changes sex, metabolism growth due to chemicals in products→Soaps and detergents.
67
nutrient enrichment =
oxygen depletion
68
precautionary principle
Shift emphasis from fish production to conservation
69
precautionary approach
More permissive→maximization of greatest good for fisheries = shift from government to regulatory bodies = conflict
70
fisheries now manage according to 3 priority areas:
1. Ecological sustainability
2. Economic goals
3. Social outcomes
71
MSY
Largest catch that can be taken from a species’ population (‘stock’) over an indefinite period; half of the carrying capacity
72
Goal
maintain the population size at the point of maximum growth rate
73
total allowable catch (TAC)
a tool used to determine the total amount of fish of a given species that can be caught over a period of time
74
parameters used to calculate MSY
* Population size
* number of reproductive
females
* Reproduction (birth) rate
* Growth rate of individuals
* Death rate
* Immigration / emigration
75
fisheries management
protection of fisheries resources such that sustainable use of the resource is possible
The integrated process of information gathering, analysis, planning, consultation, decision-making, allocation of resources and formulation and implementation, with enforcement as necessary, of regulations or rules which govern fisheries activities in order to ensure the continued productivity of the resources and the accomplishment of other fisheries objectives.
76
overfishing
overexploitation where fish stocks are reduced to below acceptable levels
77
growth overfishing
'average size’ fish→Too small for maximum yield
78
recruitment overfishing
spawning biomass is below sustainable levels (not enough adults to reproduce)
79
ecosystem overfishing
when some species are overfished = change in ecosystem
80
fishing down the food chain
As catch of larger valuable fish declines, shift to
smaller fish at lower trophic level, which would be better for ecosystems
81
fishing across the food chain
expansion of fisheries for profit
82
DFO
government of Canada department that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters
