Lecture 1: Introduction

Question 1

Environmental pressure - consequences

Answer 1

Change in rainfall patterns, frequency of extreme events impact jobs, lives and migration patterns.

Question 2

How is the economic system (capitalism) characterized?

Answer 2

• Most of the means of production are privately owned, which influences market powers.
• The production for markets, including ‘fictitious commodities’ as labour, land and money.
• Profit motive
• Price mechanism

Question 3

Club of Rome (1972)

Answer 3

A condition of ecological and economic stability that is sustainable far into the future and capable of satisfying the basic material needs of people

Question 4

Glodsmith (1972)

Answer 4

A stable society that could be sustained indefinitely while giving optimum satisfaction to its members

Question 5

Brundtland’s World Commission on Environment and Development (1987)

Answer 5

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 6

Why do we need sustainable development?

Answer 6

We are facing many different pressures from local to international scales and climate change. We cannot continue in the same way of producing and consuming

Question 7

Material footprint

Answer 7

how much we extract for us to be able to consume

Question 8

environmental pressure

Answer 8

the richer we get, the more we consume, the more pressure we put on the environment

Question 9

capitalism

Answer 9

profit oriented

• means of production mostly privately owned
• production for the market
• operation to make profit
• relies on international trade