sustainability exam 2

clean water act

"swimmable and fishable" waters, regulates and permits pollutants

limits of CWA

1. cannot address non-point source pollution 2. technology standards must be regularly updated 3. permits must be renewed

limits of CAA

1. difficult to regulate emissions from older vehicles including cars and diesel trucks 2. difficult to address climate change - who is responsible?

limits of federal environmental statutes

1. do not address nonpoint source pollution 2. don't go far enough - U.S. still contributing hugely to environmental degradation 3. still polluting much more than we are cleaning up

cons of local food

1. efficiency of agriculture is not evenly distributed 2. growing certain foods in certain areas may actually require more input (agrichemicals, etc.) 3. most emissions occur before the food leaves the farm

how would a climate scientist explain how a high-impact weather event is related to climate change?

1. no one weather event can be attributed to climate change, but it does increase the probability of such events 2. climate change has long-term impact of changing weather patterns

examples of climate injustice

1. poorest in developed countries will suffer more due to lack of resources (ex: air conditioning) 2. Maldives - have to buy a new island due to sea level rise, even though their impact is minimal 3. children and the elderly will be more heavily impacted

street trees

1. reduce heat and cooling costs 2. reduce urban heat island effect 3. filter air pollutants 4. intercept rainwater, preventing runoff 5. carbon sequestration 6. reduce habitat fragmentation

successes of federal environmental statutes

1. reducing point source pollution 2. changing overall attitudes and infrastructure example: Chesapeake - pollution has been reduced, is more heavily regulated, and water quality is improved since CWA

factors that drive behavior

1. societal values 2. economic incentives/disincentives 3. regulation 4. internal economic considerations such as reputation and customer desires

"can organic farming feed the world?"

1. that is the wrong question - food shortages caused by unequal distribution, fossil fuels are not sustainable 2. yes - produces the same or higher levels of crop yields 3. yes - through use of alternative methods such as crop rotation to minimize inputs of manure (requires lots of land to raise enough cows to produce enough manure)

pros of local food

1. transparency 2. helps local economy 3. fresher, more nutritious 4. limited climate impact

"are GMOs safe?"

1. we know they are not immediately toxic 2. do not yet know long-term health impacts 3. most of the research that has been done has ties to agrichemical industry 4. FDA has only approved them "generally", trusting in the manufacturer's guarantees that they are safe

executive order 13514

15 percent of existing federal buildings and leases meet Energy Efficiency Guiding Principles by 2015, and that annual progress be made toward 100 percent conformance of all federal buildings, with a goal of 100% of all new federal buildings achieving zero-net-energy by 2030.

"life cycle of food"

Analyzes unsustainable trends in food production: 1. Economics - low-wage labor, farms can no longer support farmers 2. Ecology - rate of groundwater withdrawl exceeds recharge rate 3. Social - 50% of farmworkers are illegal, obesity rates are rising

Rabinovtich "Curitiba"

City in Brazil that has utilized sustainable urban planning, establishing an expansive transit system, turning problems like urban waste into resources, and using creativity to find sustainable solutions. ex: homeless exchange trash for food and bus fare, bus system that operates as efficiently as subway

corporate social responsibility

Corporate initiative that goes beyond regulation to take responsibility for the company's effects on the environment and impact on social welfare.

"cuba's organic revolution"

Cuba lost access to agricultural imports due to soviet collapse and U.S. embargo - had to resort to organic, sustainable, urban system to feed population

"Technology, Food, Hunger"

Green revolution has actually contributed to food injustice: 1. displaced small farmers and raised cost of food in first world 2. growing food for export and animal feed has replaced subsistence agriculture in third world, contributing to hunger 3. highest ag. output is in first world, not in third world where it is needed most

LEED Certified Buildings

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is intended to provide building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

six criteria air pollutants

NOx, SO2, ozone, particulate matter, CO2, lead

clean water act mechanisms

TMDL, technology standards

social return on investment

The measure of an investment's ability to produce social value in a community or broader society. An attempt to monetize social value in order to help investors assess potential investments based on returns outside of traditional financial measures.

"urban ag and sustainable cities"

Why urban ag is a good investment: 1. Economics - low-income areas benefit from income and fresh food, cuts down on transport costs 2. Ecology - waste management and nutrient recycling, reduces impervious surfaces 3. Equity - reduces CO2 which improves urban health, raises awareness through community gardens

retroactive liability

a polluter can still be held liable for past pollution

environmental nuisances

air pollution, water pollution

public nuisance

an unreasonable interference with a right common to the general public; public health, safety, convenience

brownfields

are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations.

health impacts of SO2

breathing damage

smart growth

building urban, suburban, rural communities with housing and transportation choices near jobs, schools, and shops. creates healthy communities with strong local businesses and jobs that pay well and reinforce the foundations of the economy.

health impacts of lead

central nervous system damage

health impacts of VOCs

contributes to ozone, carcinogenic

Lerner "Song for the City"

emphasizes smart growth, dense development, public transit, and education as the keys to sustainable cities

Sustainable Sites Initiative

established performance benchmarks for sustainable land development and management, designed to preserve or restore a site's sustainability within the context of ecosystem services

CERCLA

established superfund to identify and clean up hazardous waste

limits of CERCLA

funding clean up efforts

strict liability

government does not have to prove negligence to establish liability

climate mitigation

is any action taken to permanently eliminate or reduce the long-term risk and hazards of climate change to human life, property.

health impacts of particulate matter

lung damage, bronchitis, early death

health impacts of nitrogen

lung damage, respiratory illness (contributes to ozone)

transportation oriented development

mixed-use residential and commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership. high-density development surrouding a transit center.

joint and several liability

no matter how much or little a company contributes to pollution, they can be held liable for 100% of that pollution

clean air act mechanisms

performance standards, market-based regulation, citizen suits

health impacts of CO2

reduces ability of blood to carry O2 to cells, dangerous for those with existing cardiovascular problems

climate adaptation

refers to the ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

regulate six criteria pollutants

Neuwirth "Shadow Cities"

squatter communities are the cities of the future, so we should work with the people living there to improve them and make them more sustainable rather than simply ignoring or destroying them

daylighting

the redirection of a stream into an above-ground channel with the goal of restoring a stream of water to a more natural riparian environment

balancing test

used to determine whether an activity rises to the level of public or private nuisance - cost/benefit analysis