Sustainability Flashcards
(34 cards)
1
Q
Define sustainability
A
Ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level; Avoidance of depletion of natural recourses in order to maintain an ecological balance.
Is viewed as a target goal of human equilibrium.
2
Q
Sustainable development
A
Holistic approach and temporal processes that lead us to end point of sustainability.
3
Q
How do buisnesses promote sustainability?
A
- Cutting emissions.
- Lower energy usage.
- Sourcing products from fair trade organisations.
- Ensure physical waste is properly disposed.
- Reduce carbon footprint.
4
Q
Sustainable patterns of living
A
A lifestyle that attempts to reduce society’s use of Earth natural recourses and personal recourses. Attempt to reduce carbon footprint.
5
Q
Individual stratergies for to support sustainable use of recources
A
- Solar panels
- Boomerang bags
- Recycling bins
- Solar passive housing
- Grey water systems
- Buying electrical appliances with 5-star energy ratings
- Bamboo toothbrushes
6
Q
Community stratergies to to support sustainable use of recources
A
- Wind turbine
- Windmills
- Watermills
- Geothermal turbine
- Council recycling
- Community gardens
- Ban on plastic shopping bags
- Public transport
- Waste collection
- Environmental services and infrastructure
7
Q
Draw the 5 capitals model
A
8
Q
Describe the 5 capitals model
A
- 5 types of sustainable capital from which we derive goods and services we need to improve life quality.
- Allows organisations to develop a vision of what sustainability looks like for its own operations, products and services, which can be developed by considering what an organisation needs to do in order to maximise level of each capital.
- Considers impact of its actives on each capital in an integrated way to avoid trade-offs.
9
Q
Natural capital
A
- Source renewable energy where possible.
- Limit use of finite resources, including water usage, in operation of initiative.
- Be respectful of natural environment, including animal habitats, and do not overuse resources.
10
Q
Human capital
A
- Engagement of individuals with skill set required to perform tasks.
- Encourage participation of individuals to involve themselves in program to build skills and knowledge.
- Create opportunities for like-minded people to engage in satisfying work.
11
Q
Social capital
A
- Educate community on importance of supporting initiatives.
- Treat volunteers and employers ethically and fairly.
- Respect and comply with laws that apply in place where initiative is occurring.
- Communicate effectively and encourage active engagement and participation.
12
Q
Manufactured capital
A
- Maintain equipment for enhanced performance over time.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle where possible.
- Ensure waste is kept to a minimum.
- Use spaces that are multi-purpose.
- Use resources as efficiently as possible.
13
Q
Financial capital
A
- Ensure any wealth created is distributed back into organisation or in a fair and equitable manner.
- Source grants and donations where possible to lower overall cost of initiative to general public.
- Take advantage of rebates.
14
Q
Application of capital model on sustainable development to a childcare centre
A
Natural:
- Clearing of natural environment to make way to build childcare centers.
- Using cleared trees to make a nature playground.
- Re- location of natural fauna.
Social capital:
- Community involvement in planning/consultation.
- Employing local community members.
- Volunteers
- Families involved in childcare centers (Christmas concert, Mother’s Day).
- Education of childcare workers.
Human capital:
- Minimum wage of employees.
- Fair treatment/working conditions of employees and children.
Manufactured capital:
- Tools used to build center.
- Tools used to maintain center over time.
- Sustainable materials/methods.
Financial capital:
- Government subsidies (childcare rebates).
- Solar panels and water tanks – reduce financial capital in future.
15
Q
Tripple bottom line
A
- Companies commit to focus on social + environmental concerns as they do profit.
- Instead of 1 bottom line, three: profit, people, planet.
Gauges a corporation’s commitment, to social and environmental responsibility. - Responsibility of companies - impact on environment over time.
- Created by John Elkington 1994.
- Companies used to measure bottom line (economic factors). Now companies measure triple bottom line (social, economic, environmental).
16
Q
Profit/Economic
A
Traditional measure of corporate profit.
17
Q
People/social
A
How socially responsible an organisation has been throughout operations.
18
Q
Planet/environmental
A
- Measures how environmentally responsible a firm has been.
- Global support
- E.g. Mars requires cocoa farmers to be fair trade.
19
Q
Viable
A
(Environment/Economic)
Economically profitable with minimal impact on environment.
20
Q
Equitable
A
(Social/Economic)
Economically profitable but within reach of families, fair wages for staff.
21
Q
Bearable
A
(Environment/Social)
Fulfil sustainable criteria while providing for needs of people in community.
22
Q
Draw the tripple bottom line
A
23
Q
Triple bottom line applied to developers of a day care centre
A
Social
- Equal opportunity for staff.
- Good staff working hours.
- Easily accessible by families.
- Flexible hours for families.
- Safe working environment.
- Further learning/education opportunities for staff.
- Layout of centre encourages interaction of children.
Economic
- Ensure centre can run at a profit.
- Reporting to government.
- Planning for growth.
- Regular collection of fees.
Environmental
- Ensure centre fits in with surrounding bushland.
- Solar powered.
- Pollution prevention.
- Safe and stimulating environment for children.
24
Q
National global issues and trends
Deforestation
A
- Affects greenhouse gases in atmosphere.
- When trees are felled, they release carbon they are storing into atmosphere.
- Trees play a critical role in absorbing greenhouse gases that fuel global warming.
- Fewer forests, larger amounts of greenhouse gas entering atmosphere and increasing speed and severity of global warming.
- Forests provide habitats for over 80% of plants and animals that live on land.
- 4 - 6,000 rainforest species go extinct each year.
25
_National global issues and trends_
Plastic
* Plastic straws are most common item found on beaches all over world.
* Bags and straws manufactured from polypropylene, a by-product of petroleum which requires a large amount of energy and natural resources to extract and refine.
* Bags and plastic straws used for only a few minutes, negative impact lasts lifetimes.
* Plastic straws cannot be recycled. Travel down conveyor belt at local recycling facility, small items fall through cracks.
* Bags and straws sit in landfill for years or pollute oceans and waterways, harming marine life.
* In ocean, plastic does not biodegrade. Breaks down into smaller pieces over hundreds of years.
* 8 million tonnes of plastic pollute oceans every year.
* Sustainable options include reusable bags, [glass straws](http://www.biome.com.au/449-glass-straw) or [metal straws](http://www.biome.com.au/807-stainless-steel-straws).
* Paper straws are often coated in a wax, which prevents biodegradability.
26
Ethical, Technological, Sustainable features
of a Product
**Product: Solar panels**
**Ethical**
* How long it will take to get money back?
* People who have a financially stable income or elderly people on a pension can’t afford initial layout of costs.
* Save on power bills, electricity and water bills - power from solar panels during day rather than electricity grid.
* People don’t have to live near power plants or in industrialised areas.
* Using solar panels is an ethical practice – reducing CO2 emissions.
* Companies installing a dependable and durable solar power system that is going to last and be worth costs.
**Technological**
* Convert sunlight into electrical energy through photovoltaic (PV) panels or mirrors that concentrate **solar** radiation.
* Energy can be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage.
**Sustainability**
* Provides consumers with money saving alternatives (sometimes costs more in beginning).
* Solar electricity is one way to power home that benefits environment.
* No direct greenhouse gas emissions, electricity are made from sunlight rather than burning fossil fuels.
* Solar power is a 100% clean, renewable energy source.
* It reduces reliance on oil, coal and natural gas for electricity production. Fossil fuels produce harmful emissions, affect quality of air, water and soil and global warming.
* Solar energy produces no pollution. Sun's abundant power offers an unlimited source of energy that does not strip landscape or harm ozone layer.
* Don't use water to generate electricity.
27
Ethical, Technological, Sustainable features of a Service
**Service: Childcare centre**
**Ethical**
* Consumers paying for services they use through rates.
* Access to all regardless of race, religion, age.
* Access and facilities for disabled children.
* Government rebates to give discount to families so all can afford childcare.
* Smith Family provide money for Indigenous children to attend.
* Children learn about different cultures, customs etc through activities – Christmas, Easter, NAIDOC, Harmony Day. Employment of educators form all races, religions, disabled.
* All equipment provided meets legal requirements.
* Hats and sunscreen for outside play.
**Technological**
* iPads and ID for parents to check children in and out of care.
* PIN pads at gates to only allow access to parents with code.
* SeeSaw (and other similar Apps) used by educators to send photos of children to parents during day.
* NBN gives access to email, payment, newsletters, link to government website for childcare rebates).
**Sustainability**
* Recycled materials for box construction.
* Drawing, nature-playgrounds using recycled timber and other materials.
* Building containing solar panels, water saving taps, dual-flush toilets, water tanks, recycling bins, kitchen gardens, sustainable school grants.
28
Ethical, Technological, Sustainable features of a System
**Systems: Containers for change**
**Ethical**
* They give students in year 11 and 12 work experience, educating them about customer services and business, so in future they can get a job (creates more opportunity for them to get a job).
* All people are given opportunity work and given money from their recycling.
* Donate containers – quote another groups ID to donate money to them from your containers.
* Funds to community groups to raise money.
* Redeem retail cash vouchers so discount on grocery bill.
**Technological**
* Cost effectiveness of technology.
* Machinery like conveyer belts which sorts/organises plastic.
* Reverse vending machines – count containers by scanning bar codes.
* Electronic funds transfer – when initially sighing up, give bank details which can be used as a Scheme ID so refund can go straight into bank.
**Sustainability**
* Focus on reducing container litter, increasing recycling efforts and helping communities by encouraging social enterprise and creating jobs.
* Once you’ve returned your containers, refund point operators sort them into material types before a logistics provider transports them to be processed.
* Containers are prepared for recycling at processing facility before accredited recyclers purchase processed materials which they transform into new containers and products.
* Encourages people to practice sustainable living. If people see containers on floor, are more likely to pick them up if they are worth something.
29
Define Human recource
Less tangible, originate internally, constitute personal characteristics or attributes. More tangible-productive purpose.
30
Define Non human recources
Easily identified & essential for achievement of most goals. Include everything possessed by a person & community to which they belong.
31
Examples of human recources
**Knowledge**
Can be constantly built up, utilised in every sphere of activities.
**Attitudes**
* Opinions and feelings which can stimulate or retard a particular action.
* Positive attitude helps one to fulfil aim of life.
**Energy**
* Ability to do work.
32
Examples of non human recourses
**Time**
* Available in equal amount to everyone and most perishable.
**Money**
* Most important resource in each and every family.
* Has purchasing power. Can be exchanged for goods and services.
* Money is not available equally to all families and is limited.
**Community facilities**
* Utilisation of resources often helps to provide a family with services and goods at a reasonable cost.
* Hospitals, public, libraries, schools, parks.
33
Define self management skills
Self-management skills are those characteristics that help an employee to feel and be more productive in the workplace.
34
List and describe self management skills
**Setting goals**
* Achievement in sustainable project can be measurable and evaluated through setting goals.
* A person could make a goal for how they could use resources more sustainably such as reduce water usage through timed showers, recycle more electronics correctly, upcycle clothes so that less go into landfill.
* Makes changes which could minimise carbon footprint and achieve sustainable practices in daily life.
**Reflect/evaluating progress**
* Using regular intervals to evaluate progress to determine time and resource use.
* A person could reflect upon current lifestyle behaviours towards sustainability and audit where changes could take place to use resources more sustainably.
* Reflection should be ongoing and lead to positive changes to reduce a person’s environmental impact.
**Time management**
* Could be used to keep track of goal achievement or establish time limits for achieving certain aspects of projects/goals.
* Use time management to set aside time each week to participate in working towards more sustainable living patterns such as water and weed to ensure garden grows and flourishes.
