What is Reconciliation Ecology?
Designing and managing human-altered spaces (cities, farms, parks) to support biodiversity where humans live and work; promotes coexistence instead of separation.
What are examples of Reconciliation Ecology?
Wildlife corridors, urban green roofs, pollinator gardens, and mixed-use parks blending recreation with restoration.
Why is Reconciliation Ecology important?
Accepts that humans are part of nature; encourages sustainable design and everyday coexistence.
What is the concept of “Shifting Baselines”?
Each generation sees degraded nature as “normal,” forgetting past abundance.
What is “Generational Amnesia”?
Loss of memory about past environmental richness; people can’t miss what they never knew.
Why do “Shifting Baselines” and “Generational Amnesia” matter?
They explain why society becomes complacent as environmental conditions decline.
Who are the “Cornucopians”?
Julian Simon and Esther Boserup; they believe human ingenuity can overcome environmental limits.
What did Julian Simon argue?
People are the ultimate resource; more population = more innovation.
What did Esther Boserup argue?
Population pressure drives technological and agricultural innovation.
What was “The Bet” about?
Simon vs. Ehrlich; tested whether resource prices would rise (Ehrlich) or fall (Simon) as population grew.
What did “The Bet” reveal about scarcity?
Scarcity depends on behavior, technology, and markets; higher prices drive innovation and efficiency.
What is the Market Response Model?
When a resource becomes scarce, its price rises → people conserve, substitute, and innovate.
What is the Basic Premise of Market Environmentalism?
Markets can solve environmental problems if true costs are included in prices (“polluter pays”).
What are Critiques of Market Environmentalism?
Unequal access, not everything can be priced, markets ignore ethics, short-term focus, corruption.
What are the 4 Market-Based Mechanisms?
- Green Taxes, 2. Cap-and-Trade, 3. Banking (offsets), 4. Green Consumption.
How do Green (Carbon) Taxes work?
Charge polluters to make pollution costly and encourage cleaner choices.
What is Cap-and-Trade?
Limit emissions; companies buy/sell permits, rewarding those who pollute less.
What is Banking (Offsets)?
Developers offset damage by restoring or preserving habitats elsewhere.
What is Green Consumption?
Consumers influence sustainability by buying eco-friendly products.
What is Greenwashing?
False marketing that presents companies or products as eco-friendly.
Give examples of Greenwashing.
“Clean coal,” “eco” plastic bottles, airlines claiming carbon neutrality with bad offsets.
What did Wendell Berry say about “Limitlessness” and “Throw-Away” Culture?
Criticized belief in endless growth; said it fuels waste and moral decline; urged respect for limits and responsibility.
What is “The Commons” (David Bollier)?
Shared resources managed collectively for the benefit of all; emphasizes cooperation and stewardship (moral care for creation)
Give examples of Commons.
Air, oceans, fisheries, forests, public parks, community gardens, open-source software.
