Geog 211 final
According to the David Suzuki Foundation, what is the monetary value per resident that ecological services in Metro Vancouver provide each year?
$2000
How much does bottled water cost per 1000 L?
$527
The report suggests that while protected areas have been successful in reducing habitat loss, currently less than _________% of the world's terrestrial and inland waters are portected.
- 15
Which of the following is currently the largest contributor to land use change?
- Agricultural expansion
According to the Geo-6 report, an average of around 70% of water withdrawals worldwide are for:
- Agriculture
Which of the following ecosystems is classified as collapsed ?
- Aral Sea
Compare Brazil with India in terms of ecological footprint per person, biocapacity per person, and biocapacity reserve/deficit . Which of the following is true:
- As of 2014, Brazil had a biocapacity reserve despite having an ecological footprint per person that was almost three times larger than India's
Which of the following statements best represents a replacement value approach to valuing ecosystem services?
- Comparing the cost of building a water purification plant with protecting a watershed in order to provide a population with clean drinking water
Which progress trap did the Mayan civilization fall into that resulted in a rapid decline of their agricultural productivity?
- Deforestation resulting in soil erosion and a loss of nutrients
Which of the following regions has the highest threat intensity from terrestrial invasive alien species?
- Eastern United States
Sea otters are an important component of the ecology of BC's West Coast. Without them, sea urchin populations would grow dramatically and kelp forests would be overgrazed and become barren. Which of Commoner's Ecological Laws is this a good example of?
- First law
The contamination of drinking water from mercury in old batteries is an example of which of Commoner's Ecological Laws?
- First law (this was wrong) - Second law - Third law - Fourth law
Which of the following was not identified as a problem associated with increased dam construction:
- Flooding due to dam failures
In the chapter by McGrew, the author argues that globalization is putting more power in the hands of which of the following?
- Global Elites
What term describes the transformation of the world to a shared social space?
- Globalization
Be able to summarize the global environmental impacts of early European exploration and colonialism.
- Growing population pressure on poor resources (limited amount of cultivatable land) - deforestation 90% to 20% forest cover. Marshlands drained. Discovery' of the new world sparked trade and movement around the globe of plant and animal species. Alter environment through emphasis on select species, reduction in plant and animal variety as foreign species take over ecological niches.
According to Dunning, which of the following is NOT a main determinant of happiness?
- Household income
In Commoner's view, what is the central paradox of human-environment relations?
- Humans participate in the environmental system yet society is designed to exploit the environmental system to produce wealth.
Geographic Imagination
- Humans relate not to some real physical or social environment, but to their sensation and perception of that environment. - Varies depending on our level of knowledge of the world unknown places subject to largest deviations. - Shaped by social and cultural considerations juxtaposed against our own interests and valuesEdward Said and Orientalism. - Decisions and behavior are based on imagined geographies, and not solely (or at all) on 'real' geographiesdistortions = problems.
In which of the following regions has the human footprint increased the most (ie caused further degradation)?
- India
Which of the following countries had the highest O3 concentrations according to the 2016 data:
- India
The primary source of phosphorous loading to lakes and rivers around the world is
- Inorganic Fertilizer
What term describes the increased interdependence between distinct nations?
- Internationalization
The author argues that in the face of globalization and global politics, State Sovereignty:
- Is changing and transforming
Which of the following best describes how higher temperatures and higher CO2 levels affect grains:
- Leads to lower protein content and reduced micronutrients
The Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by 105 countries, has a mandatory requirement that all parties:
- Prodcue a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans
What term describes the growth of integration between adjacent nations?
- Regionalization
Which of the following is not currently a direct pressure on biodiversity and ecosystems?
- Rising sea levels
Which progress trap did the Ur III dynasty in Mesopotamia fall into that resulted in a rapid decline of their agricultural productivity?
- Salinization from excessive irrigation
Now select the United States and determine its ecological remainder. Based on this, which of the following statements is true about the US and Canada?
- Similar ecological footprints, but Canada has a much higher biocapacity.
What is the world's largest storage reservoir of nitrogen?
- The atmosphere
In Opschoor's opinion, what do Costanza et al. intend to capture in their valuation of global ecosystem services?
- The effect of changing ecological services will have on humans
In Wright's view, the perfection of hunting led to what?
- The end of hunting as a way of life
Twitchell uses the story of Professor Frank's Porsche to illustrate that the a strong motivator in buying and consuming new products is:
- The pressure to own similar things as your neighbours
According to Costanza et al.'s view of our current valuation of ecosystem services, how do GNP and ecosystem services compare?
- They are separate and there is no direct connection
The author argues that globalization is a process that breaks down:
- Time and Space
What is the term in macroeconomics that describes the relatives difference between the low cost of products needed for survival and the high cost of luxury items?
- Value paradox
Vala, a Metro Vancouver Parks Planner, suggests that one of the things we can do to help maintain biodiversity and build ecosystem resilience is to:
- We can create ecological corridors that connect large green spaces as a way to protect biodiversity and build ecosystem resilience
What is the largest source of particulate matter in the atmosphere globally, on an annual basis?
- Windblown sand and dust
what characteristics make water so special?
- heat engine -solvent Biosphere, ecosystems and services = shapes continents, moderates and regulates global climate and allows for organism to survive
2 forces at work on nation-states
1) Centripetal forces = Centripetal forces are cultural, economic, social or other forces that help to bind a state together. The existence of a strong and unified nation within a given territory is a type of centripetal force - a strong sense of nationalism among a country's population will help hold the state together. 2) Centrifugal forces = Centrifugal forces pull states apart and can eventually lead to their disintegration. If a state is not bound by a shared sense of nationalism and is made up of many different groups whose primary allegiance is to particular sub nations within the state, then this can work to tear the state apart.
Barry Commoners 4 laws of Ecology
1) everything is connected to everything else -ecosystems are complex and interconnected 2) everything must go somewhere - in nature there is no final waste, matter and energy are preserved, and the waste produced in one ecological process is recycled in another. 3) nature knows best - any major man-made change in a natural system is likely to be detrimental to that system 4) nothing comes from nothing - exploitation of nature always carries an ecological cost.
The advent of agriculture altered human society in many ways. Be able to summarize how the advent of agriculture (domestication of animals and plants). 4 ways that this transformed human societies
1) population growth (more people= more food) 2) increasingly complex political and economic organization (gives rise to elite and trade classes, and cultural economies) 3) trade and transport (-Specialization gives rise to systems of bartering and increased trading of goods and services, Domestic animals provide transportation over longer distances) 4) deteriorating health and the rise of endemic disease (Human -> animal interaction gives rise to new disease, Societies slowly develop herd immunities to the diseases, Urbanization -> greater spread of disease)
What were the twin imperatives or key goals of colonial administrations?
1. "Effective occupation": Had to demonstrate that it exercised military control over a territory. 2. Economic self-sufficiency: European governments insisted that military commitments be kept small, and that territories pay for their own administration. Consolidating hegemony and generating revenue these were the twin imperatives of all colonial administrations. Colonial administrations were seeking to organize political rule and wealth extraction over vast territories at minimal risk and cost to imperial treasuries.
two categories of cultural transformation
1. Changes that evolve within the society itself (evolutionism) 2. Changes that are triggered by contact with other societies and which can be voluntary or involuntary (diffusionism)
According to Jared Diamond and Ronald Wright, what was the driving forces behind the collapse of most early civilizations?
1. Deforestation and habitat destruction 2. Soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses) 3. Water management problems 4. Overhunting 5. Overfishing 6. Effects of introduced species on native species 7. Population growth 8. Increased per-capita impact of people 9. Military conquest Historical Conclusion: The almost unavoidable result of civilization is environmental degradation which brings about civilizational collapse • Wright argues that examples abound throughout history of societies falling into what he terms "progress traps" linked to technological advancement and institutional momentum. Eg. Hunting technologies, Agricultural technologies.
Discuss what is measured using the HDI and outline the overall trend in the HDI since 1980.
1. Health - Life expectancy at birth 2. Education - expected years schooling for school-age children and average years of schooling in the adult population 3. Income - measured by Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (PPP US$) It is a standard means of measuring well-being. It is the measurement used to determine and classify countries according to these key indicators of societal "progress". It is also used to measure the impact of economic policies on quality of life.
What are the implications/impacts of climate change likely to be on the biosphere?
1. Introduction of new species: o Increased range of pests or diseases o The Pine beetle epidemic and other pest and disease outbreaks o Reintroduction of malaria? Fraser Valley in 1850s. 2. Destruction of habitat - Heating oceans increases acidity and badly affecting coral reefs 3. Species migration o Changes in thermally driven migration patterns of key species o Changes in the timing of plant life and reproductive patterns in other plants and animals. o Southern edge of the North Pacific sockeye salmon range
link between population and power
1. Larger nations will gain greater political power 2. Populous nations may deny the US access to needed strategic resources or materials 3. Growing populations will include large youthful populations which may challenge global power structures 4. Growing population may threaten US investors in those countries
what are the three drivers of consumption?
1. Need 2. Culture and Society 3. Political Economy
four outcomes or lasting impacts of colonialism
1. Same as the first wave of colonialism (ecological changes, new species) 2. Arbitrary division of lands into political territories (Africa) 3. European political, administrative, economic and legal institutions 4. Infrastructure Development
2 approaches used for creating or solidifying political territories into stable nation-states
1. We can alter the people to fit the space. We can find ways of transforming the population within the existing boundaries of a state in order to create a single nation. - Populations can be altered to create a nation within a given state in two key ways: a) By using a range of methods to assimilate groups and forge a national identity b) Get rid of (exclude, exterminate, remove) non-conformers or non-members of a given nation. 2. We can alter the space to fit the people. We can adjust the boundaries of the state to encompass all the people belonging to a given nation. - Exclude, exterminate, or remove those who are not members of that nation.
4 atmospheric issues
1. air pollution 2. climate change 3. ozone depletion 4. sustainability
What are four key factors affecting fertility
1. biological 2. cultural 3. gender equality 4. political
what three things determine population growth rates ?
1. birth rate 2. death rate 3. migration
five factors that shape why people live in some places rather than others.
1. climate 2. topography and soils 3. economic factors 4. cultural factors 5. political factors
What are the five roadblocks common to almost all atmospheric agreements discussed in class?
1. lack of political will 2. slow international response 3. rapidly changing science 4. conflict with setting goals/targets 5.non-legally binding agreements
What are the global impacts of air pollution?
1. mortality 2. economic
What are five important functions of the atmosphere?
1. protect 2. planetary temperature/energy balance 3. planetary energy distribution 4. planetary percipitiation patterns/ surface currents 5. biochemical and geomorphological processes
What are some of the indicators that tell us that economic globalization is occurring?
1. trade 2. foreign direct investment 3. the amount of interactions between nations and areas
According to the report, 96% of drinking water in developed countries was piped on premise to the consumer. What percentage was piped on premise in the case of least developed countries?
12%
What was Canada's approximate ecological remainder (biocapacity minus ecological footprint) in 2011?
7.3
Functional Region
A functional region is an area organized to function politically, socially, and economically as a single unit. Functional regions are centered on a focal point that connects other areas by various systems, such as transportation, communication, or economic activities.
What are the causes and implications of global dimming?
A reduction in solar energy • Associated with volcanic activity and human emission of aerosols. • Reflecting incoming solar radiation, turning clouds into reflectors, less sun reaches the ground. • 22% less sunlight in Israel, similar findings in in Bavarian Alps.
What are the four characteristics of persistent organic pollutants used in agriculture that make them problematic environmentally.
Aldrin, an insecticide used in soils to kill termites, grasshoppers, Western corn rootworm, and others, is also known to kill birds, fish, and humans. Humans are primarily exposed to aldrin through dairy products and animal meats Chlordane, an insecticide used to control termites and on a range of agricultural crops, is known to be lethal in various species of birds, including mallard ducks, bobwhite quail, and pink shrimp; it is a chemical that remains in the soil with a reported half-life of one year. Chlordane has been postulated to affect the human immune system and is classified as a possible human carcinogen. Chlordane air pollution is believed the primary route of humane exposure. Dieldrin, a pesticide used to control termites, textile pests, insect-borne diseases and insects living in agricultural soils. In soil and insects, aldrin can be oxidized, resulting in rapid conversion to dieldrin. Dieldrin's half-life is approximately five years. Dieldrin is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic animals, particularly frogs, whose embryos can develop spinal deformities after exposure to low levels. Dieldrin has been linked to Parkinson's disease, breast cancer, and classified as immunotoxic, neurotoxic, with endocrine disrupting capacity. Dieldrin residues have been found in air, water, soil, fish, birds, and mammals. Human exposure to dieldrin primarily derives from food. Endrin, an insecticide sprayed on the leaves of crops, and used to control rodents. Animals can metabolize endrin, so fatty tissue accumulation is not an issue, however the chemical has a long half-life in soil for up to 12 years. Endrin is highly toxic to aquatic animals and humans as a neurotoxin. Human exposure results primarily through food.
Define democracy
All citizens (eligible) have an equal say in the creation of laws that govern behaviour in society.
What is aragonite and why is this important?
Aragonite is an important element in the shells and tests of many marine invertebrates. These animals can secrete the mineral from waters that would ordinarily yield only calcite; they do so by physiological mechanisms that are not fully understood. as CO2 is absorbed into oceans, less carbonate ions available for shell-producing species and they die off
difference between arithmetic and physiological density?
Arithmetic Density = number of people per unit of area. Arithmetic density does not tell you a lot about a country's ability to sustain a given population or give you an accurate picture of where its people are found. Physiological Density = density of population per unit of cropland. Do either of these measurements necessarily tell us anything useful about a country's true carrying capacity or standard of living? - No because: o The amount of land people need to sustain themselves is not as important than the productivity of that land o Croplands can be manipulated to produce more by fertilization and irrigation o No countries are fully dependent upon their own agriculture, given the expansion of trade and the inception of a global market o It is not enough to know the population density, we also have to look at how and why populations are distributed across territories/space.
What is one of the chief causes of increased concentrations of arsenic in ground water?
Arsenic also can be released into groundwater as a result of human activities, such as mining, and from its various uses in industry, in animal feed, as a wood preservative, and as a pesticide. In drinking-watersupplies, arsenic poses a problem because it is toxic at low levels and is a known carcinogen.
What key development in Mesopotamian society allowed for increased food production and massive population growth?
Centralized government
Which countries produce the most plastic waste overall?
China produced the largest quantity of plastic
Do you think that globalization has resulted in greater cultural diversity or cultural homogenization?
Cultural homogenization is an aspect of cultural globalization, listed as one of its main characteristics, and refers to the reduction in cultural diversity through the popularization and diffusion of a wide array of cultural symbols—not only physical objects but customs, ideas and values. 2. The loss of cultural diversity is equated by some to the loss of biodiversityWith the loss of languages, we lose all the often novel and different ways of thinking that are specific to a given language
In his TED lecture, Hans Rosling uses Ikea boxes to describe changing global population dynamics. According to Hans Rosling, are we seeing a global demographic transition and why or why not?
Demographic transition is a model that changes in a country's population. It states that the population will eventually stop growing when the country transitions from high birth rates and high death rates to low birth rates and death rates, stabilizing the population. Explaining population growth requires simplification, but not oversimplification. In this TED video, Hans Rosling explains why ending poverty - over the coming decades - is crucial to stop population growth. Only by raising the living standards of the poorest, in an environmentally-friendly way, will population growth stop at 9 billion people in 2050. Gap between the west and the developing world - Economic growth in the west The people in the developing world are continuously suffering and these people usually have high populations - Believes when they get out of poverty then they will see less population Western world = high child survival small family Developing countries = large families and poor child survival As times change we see that families in the western world have higher child survival and small families but still high poverty He states that we need to improve child survival = stop population growth
What is the difference between domestic economic policy and foreign economic policy in a globalizing world?
Domestic policy are administrative decisions that are directly related to all issues and activity within a nation's borders. It differs from foreign policy, which refers to the ways a government advances its interests in world politics.
Economic globalization has transformed different countries in very different ways. What do we mean by a "Dual Economy"? What do we mean by the term "Export Processing Zones"? What are "Offshore Financial Centres"?
Dual Economies: Export vs Domestic • Global economy seeking access to cheap labour and resources - export oriented. Global economy not as interested in domestic markets as there is limited spending power. A dual economy is the existence of two separate economic sectors within one country, divided by different levels of development, technology, and different patterns of demand Export Processing Zones (EPZs) • Developing countries participate in the global economy through TNC dominated global production networks. • In order to encourage foreign investment, developing countries offer a range of incentives to foreign companies Type of free trade zone (FTZ), set up generally in developing countries by their governments to promote industrial and commercial exports. In addition to providing the benefits of a FTZ, these zones offer other incentives such as exemptions from certain taxes and business regulations. Also called development economic zone or special economic zone. Offshore Financial Centres defined as a country or jurisdiction that provides financial services to nonresidents on a scale that is incommensurate with the size and the financing of its domestic economy
What is meant by the phrase "economic systems are also cultural systems"?
Economic systems need to be learned: Ways of doing business, predict and trust transactions, differing importance and value placed on resources
Define relative delinking
Environmental Impact growing at a rate slower than Economic Growth environmental impact = Possible adverse effects caused by a development, industrial, or infrastructural project or by the release of a substance in the environment.
Define absolute delinking
Environmental impact stagnant or declining in the face of Economic Growth
What is eutrophication? What causes it and why is it a problem?
Eutrophication = associated primarily with run-off from nitrogenous fertilizers associated with agriculture. Nitrates are necessary nutrients for algae and phytoplankton growth. Discharge of nitrates to surface water bodies greatly accelerates the natural process of eutrophication, causing algal blooms which ultimately lead to depleted oxygen levels and generally poor water quality. Eutrophication contributes to fish kills, loss of riparian habitat, death of beneficial aquatic insects, and taste and odor problems. Eutrophication also increases the treatment costs of surface water for municipal consumption.
Formal Region
Examples of formal regions include Canada, the Islamic world, rice fields and the Rocky Mountains. Formal regions are typically used to determine and outline government, cultural and economic areas. In order to be considered a formal region, an area must have a specific characteristic common throughout the whole place. These are defined by government or other structures.
What are the key drivers of forest loss? Where are the rates of forest loss the greatest? Why?
Forest loss is being driven by various factors, including commodity production, forestry, agriculture, wildfire, and urbanization. Nigeria has the world's highest deforestation rate of primary forests. It has lost more than half of its primary forest in the last five years. Causes cited are logging, subsistence agriculture, and the collection of fuel wood. Almost 90% of West Africa's rainforest has been destroyed. Massive deforestation threatens food security in some African countries. One factor contributing to the continent's high rates of deforestation is the dependence of 90% of its population on wood as fuel for heating and cooking
What are global governance complexes?
Global governance or world governance is a movement towards political cooperation among transnational actors, aimed at negotiating responses to problems that affect more than one state or region. Evolving global governance complex states, international institutions, transnational networks and agencies (both public and private) Functions (variable effectiveness) to promote, regulate, or intervene in the global affairs of humanity. Last 50 years, dramatic expansion of scope and impact of these complexessignificantly politicized Power is often exercised at a distance from where the impacts of these decisions are felt.
What are the five key drivers of biodiversity loss? What human activity has the biggest impact on biodiversity?
Habitat Loss and Fragmentation Over-exploitation for Commercialization Invasive Species Pollution Global Climate Change The burning of fossil fuels in industry and by vehicles releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Why is surface ozone a problem?
High concentrations of ozone near ground level can be harmful to people, animals, crops, and other materials. Ozone can irritate your respiratory system. Many factors impact ground-level ozone development, including temperature, wind speed and direction, time of day, and driving patterns. Due to its dependence on weather conditions, ozone is typically a summertime pollutant and a chief component of summertime smog.
What are the key patterns of biodiversity change since the 1970s?
Human demands for food, fiber and energy play a key role in driving many of the tipping points especially through conversion of natural and semi-natural ecosystems to farming and the overexploitation of marine resources. While global biodiversity assessments have emphasized the significance of these drivers, the potential importance of thresholds, amplifying feedbacks and time-lag effects leading to tipping-points has been underestimated. For example, previous global biodiversity assessments have not fully accounted for the extremely rapid disappearance of the Arctic polar ice cap, nor the possible widespread dieback of the Amazon forest. The number of animals living on the Earth has plunged by half since 1970.
In most cases, has the debt burden increased or decreased since 1980s, and why might this be a problem?
Increased? -technology they pose a direct threat to growth prospects and create pressures on the international financial system.
Within the global economy, some things flow more freely across borders than others. Compare and contrast how money, goods, and labour differ in terms of their mobility in a global economy.
Money • Information technologies and round the clock integrated funds, stock, and currency markets. Goods • Production processes, distribution, and the management of both of these are truly global intra-firm trade versus inter-firm trade Labour • Labour is globally divided a small but growing segment of professionals can act globally • Firms are mobile and able to go where labour skills, costs, social control suits them. People are not mobile or not yet.
What is meant by the phrase "language is a foundation of culture"?
One of the foundation of Culture 1. Languages actually shape the way we think 2. Languages systems are the result of our cultural history and relationship with the environment. 3. Language is intimately tied up with all other aspects of a given group or society's culture - it is one of the foundations around and through which other culture systems and traits are built.
Anthropogenic ocean noise is an underappreciated and growing issue of concern. Why is ocean a problem and what are the impacts?
Over the last century, increases in human activity within our ocean have led to increasing levels of noise. This increasing amount of noise from human sources is a rising concern for the health and well-being of marine organisms and ecosystems Many marine organisms rely on their ability to hear for their survival. Sound is the most efficient means of communication underwater and is the primary way that many marine species gather and understand information about their environment. Many aquatic animals use sound to find prey, locate mates and offspring, avoid predators, guide their navigation and locate habitat, and listen and communicate with each other. Over the last century, human activities such as shipping, recreational boating, and energy exploration have increased along our coasts, offshore, and deep ocean environments. Noise from these activities travel long distances underwater, leading to increases and changes in ocean noise levels. Rising noise levels can negatively impact ocean animals and ecosystems. These higher noise levels can reduce the ability of animals to communicate with potential mates, other group members, their offspring, or feeding partners. Noise can also reduce an ocean animal's ability to hear environmental cues that are vital for survival, including those key to avoiding predators, finding food, and navigating to preferred habitats.
what is Pax-Britannica?
Period of relative peace between the Great Powers during which the British Empire became the global hegemonic power and adopted the role of a "global policeman".
define anocracy
Political power is concentrated among an elite group or class within society (who often compete for this power)
Define autocracy
Political power is concentrated in one person, subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control.
What was the Scramble for Africa and why was it important?
Process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers during the New Imperialism period, between 1881 and World War I in 1914. the African continent was officially politically divided up and the lands distributed to European imperial powers. No African nations/people were consulted during any of the processes.
There are times when delinking appears to be occurring but is in truth not really happening due to "spatial relocation" and "jevon's paradox". Explain.
Spatial relocation is when technologies in one are may stimulate movement of activities in one area •Jevons's paradox is when improved resource efficiency creates a greater resource demand because there will be a decrease cost of the resource - cancels out one another cause since it is cheaper and better we use more of it •It seems like we are doing better in developed countries but really we just moved it to developing countries - spatial relocation
What are the impacts of growing consumption?
Systemic Instability = High personal and national debt which creates financial instability. 1. labor 2. labor demand
How does Twitchell suggest that luxury becomes necessity in his article entitled "A (Mild) Defense of Luxury"? Explain.
The agency was trying to convince its client, Volvo, that the agency could reposition an upscale version of the sensible Swedish car as a luxury product. Ford had recently bought Vol- vo and was trying to brand it as a luxury automobile, to move it from entrée to dessert. What I found interesting was that the agency people nev- er seemed to question their ability to transform this pumper nickel of a car into a brioche, to make it a luxury object, an object of yearning, a badge of arrival. Once production is tied to machines, advertis- ing is not only possible — it's necessary. If your machine is just like mine, then what they produce will be essentially identical, interchangeable items. Whatever else advertis- ing "does," one thing is certain: It adds meaning to objects, by branding things, by telling a story. luxury via language codes As so many luxuries become necessities, and the differ- ences between top-of-the-line luxury items and many mid- range objects almost cease to be observable, the concept of luxury is being drained of meaning
In his article entitled "A (Mild) Defense of Luxury", Twitchell argues that luxury is "communicable". Explain.
The desire for particular objects is not only part of creating a lifestyle, it is contagious, like the flu. The conclusion: Individuals are social animals who interact with and are influenced by the flock, the tribe, the in-crowd. So, too, in consuming the new luxury, you buy the trend, not the object. And how do you know the trend? You check what the other ants are doing. Such shared knowledge is the basis of culture. It is now also clear why poverty is so debilitating. Not only do the poor miss out on creature comforts, but they also miss out on community meanings. If goods are what carry meaning in this world, then the poor are doubly disenfranchised: They don't have stuff, and they don't have the meanings or affiliations that stuff carries.
What are the key reasons discussed in class why water resources are difficult to manage?
The field of water resources management will have to continue to adapt to the current and future issues facing the allocation of water. With the growing uncertainties of global climate change and the long term impacts of management actions,the decision-making will be even more difficult. It is likely that ongoing climate change will lead to situations that have not been encountered. As a result, alternative management strategies are sought for in order to avoid setbacks in the allocation of water resources.
What do we mean by "thick globalization"?
Thick globalization = demonstrates the set of constraints and opportunities that confront governments, conditioning their freedom of action or autonomy, most especially in the economic realm." Institutions and organisations can be divided into three different sectors according to the incentive mechanism (or logic) that is used to ensure the compliance and cooperation of individuals in group life and determine the norms of behaviour that govern social interactions.
How does economic globalization lead to cultural diffusion?
Trade, economics, and culture are intertwined, with economic exchange being one of the most important forms of cultural diffusion. The introduction of trade breaks down cultural isolation and triggers cultural diffusion, as well as expands economic possibilities. Once a region's economy becomes oriented towards trade and markets, the region becomes economically dependent upon other regions - interdependence. Trading also requires communication - and therefore the need to speak a common language. We often refer to this as the "language of commerce" within a given region.
In the reading by Twitchell and in the reading by Durning, the authors both discuss the relationship between consumption and happiness. Compare and contrast their arguments.
Twitchell = - high-end consumption will not make you happier, only less anxious - Nu- merous studies show that as society grows richer over time, the average level of happiness — as measured by the percentage of people who rate themselves "happy" or "very happy" in na- tional surveys — doesn't budg - quality of life may even decline as high-end consumption increases. - Average happiness rose from the 1940s to the late 1950s, then gradually sank again up to the early 1970s, even as personal income grew sharply. - Even when you move away from material consumption as an index, contradictions remain. Indicators from quality-of-life - Wants" became "necessities" because, ironically, the pushing and shoving of other consumers was lowering the price. Your consumption of luxury has made life easier for me. Durning = - Greater material consumption has not brought abut greater happiness - If human desires are in fact infinitely expandable, consumption is ultimately incapable of providing fulfillment--a logical consequence ignored by economic theory. Indeed, social scientists have found striking evidence that high-consumption societies, just as high-living individuals, consume ever more without achieving satisfaction. The allure of the consumer society is powerful, even irresistible, but it is shallow nonetheless. - A landmark study in 1974 revealed that Nigerians, Filipinos, Panamanians, Yugoslavians, Japanese, Israelis, and West Germans all ranked themselves near the middle on a happiness scale. Confounding any attempt to correlate material prosperity with happiness, low-income Cubans and affluent Americans both reported themselves considerably happier than the norm, and citizens of India and the Dominican Republic, less so. As psychologist Michael Argyle writes, "There is very little difference in the levels of reported happiness found in rich and very poor countries." - Any relationship that does exist between income and happiness is relative rather than absolute. The happiness that people derive from consumption is based on whether they consume more than their neighbours and more than they did in the past. - The Upper classes in any society are more satisfied with their lives than the lower classes are, but they are no more satisfied than the upper classes of much poorer countries--nor than the upper classes were in the less affluent past. Consumption is thus a treadmill, with everyone judging their status by who is ahead and who is behind. - Luxuries become necessities between generations as well. People measure their current material comforts against the benchmark set in their own childhood. So each generation needs more than the previous did to be satisfied. Over a few generations, this process can redefine prosperity as poverty. - The relationships between consumption and satisfaction are thus subtle, involving comparisons over time and with social norms. Yet studies on happiness indicate a far less subtle fact as well. The main determinants of happiness in life are not related to consumption at all--prominent among them are satisfaction with family life, especially marriage, followed by satisfaction with work, leisure to develop talents, and friendships Similiarties + difference = - Is consumption a treadmill going nowhere? Perhaps. But at least the treadmill gets more comfortable and more people have more access (Twitchell) - Consumption is thus a treadmill, with everyone judging their status by who is ahead and who is behind. (Durning) Both are stating that consumption is a "treadmill" but Twitchell is saying that this treadmill in a sense is going nowhere but becomes more comfortable when more people have access to it. Durning also states that consumption is a treadmill but in a different sense of using consumption to compare and contrast yourself to others as well as yourself. He uses the argument that people measure their current material comforts against the benchmark that they set out in their childhood and therefore use it as a comparison method.
Radiative forcing or climate forcing is the difference between insolation absorbed by the Earth and energy radiated back to space. The influences that cause changes to the Earth's climate system altering Earth's radiative equilibrium, forcing temperatures to rise or fall, are called climate forcings
What do we mean by "radiative forcings"?
What gives rise to "political distortions"?
What might lead to political distortions in such a system? 1. Lack of institutional thickness in some areas of governance 2. Strong horizontal integration of institutions across the three sectors: • for example: private industry funding government and NGO sectors 3. Strong institutional presence representing a limited demographic of the global population - all representing wealthy or elite interests.
What do we mean when we say water scarcity is a relative concept? What is the difference between "physical scarcity" and "social scarcity" of water?
Where social, economic, and political structures limit access to water even though water exists to meet the needs of people (this is how to define relative concept) Relative concept = can occur at any level of supply or demand Physical Scarcity • Changes in supply patterns • Stemming from depleted reserves, depleted quality, climate patterns or climate change • Associated with arid regions Social Scarcity • Water scarcity is often a social construct • Result of affluence, expectations and customary behavior
Scale
Why is Scale important? Phenomena may behave or operate very differently at different scales of analysis (ex. HIV virus). Processes occuring at one scale will influence processes occuring at other scales (ex. Trade Agreements, peasant revolts)
What is the difference between a global economy and regional/world economy?
World economies are where capital accumulation moves throughout the region/world (Wallerstein). Global economy has the capacity to work as a unit, in real time, on a planetary scale.
What is the cause of acidification and why is this an issue of concern?
as CO2 is absorbed into oceans, less carbonate ions available for shell-producing species and they die off
What are the recent trends in CO2 emissions?
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by more than 40% over the period 1990-2014, driven by large increases in Asia and counteracted by small declines in North America and Europe.
Progress Trap
condition human societies experience when, in pursuing progress through human ingenuity, they inadvertently introduce problems they do not have the resources or political will to solve, for fear of short-term losses in status, stability or quality of life. - Wright argues that examples abound throughout history of societies falling into what he terms "progress traps" linked to technological advancement and institutional momentum. Eg. Hunting technologies, Agricultural technologies.
What is the largest single source of particulate matter globally?
dust
What sector is the largest producer?
electricity and fuel production sector is the largest anthropogenic emitting sector of CO2 electricity generation contributed around 70 per cent of CO2
10 countries account for 67% of global forests, what are the implications of this for forest management?
forests are much easier environments to address than many other environments in the "global commons" - need to keep track of where these forests are, how much national economies are relying on them
Are bottled water manufacturers legally bound to test for trace contaminants?
no
Collapse of Summerian village
population continued to grow and so did the intensity of agricultural production growing army, the need to fuel the demands of the wealthy classes and their gods. land began to deteriorate: the concentration of salts in the land due to over-irrigation, evaporation, and poor drainage led to the degradation of the land until it was no longer arable. Siltation due to deforestation clogged irrigation systems Farmers changed crops (barley) to adapt, then moved to more marginal lands, then abandon lands altogether and relocate.
what are push and pull factors?
push = reasons that people leave an area pull = forces of attractions with particular features that draw in migrants
Complete delinking
resource use declines and economic growth stagnates or slightly decreases while societal well-being increases
colonies of settlement vs colonies of attraction
settlement = encouraged by colonial powers in countries which had temperate climates. Local land rights were extinguished, fertile lands were offered to prospective settlers, and Africans were displaced to marginal agricultural lands. attraction = Also known as "dependencies". Colonies which were never settled by Europeans, often due to their inhospitable climates and endemic disease such as malaria. tended to be governed by a small core of colonial administrators whose sole job was to extract as much agricultural or mineral wealth from the country as possible.
According to the video, which type of water consistently wins taste tests?
tap
Be able to explain agricultural societies' expansionary drive (law of diminishing returns and degradation) and military advantage (four advantages discussed)
the expansionary drive of agricultural societies (Population pressure resulting in expansionist tendencies, Increasing population but finite resource base (the law of diminishing returns- Finite means not infinite; there is an endpoint after which the resource will be depleted. Oil is a finite resource) used to refer to a point at which the level of profits or benefits gained is less than the amount of money or energy invested. Environmental degradation due to early agricultural practices - arable land degraded or destroyed - Results in both: o New innovation for more effective and efficient ways of exploiting existing and deteriorating resources (new agricultural techniques) 3.The Military of Agricultural Societies (these are the 4 key advantages) - population growth - political organization - transport (domestication of the horse) - disease
Define "water footprint" and "virtual water". What do these have to do with water scarcity?
waterfootprint = the amount of fresh water utilized in the production or supply of the goods and services used by a particular person or group. virtual water = Virtual water trade refers to the hidden flow of water if food or other commodities are traded from one place to another.
Boundary Permeability
way of describing the phenomenon that happens when a person experiences emotions from one place in another because of a connection to a mobile device.
Explain why the Environmental Kuznet's Curve does not apply to biodiversity.
we expect biodiversity to decrease and then level off with increasing income but since economic forces should fuel the drive for environmental improvement but biodiversity cannot be replenished at the same time
What led to the establishment of the trans-atlantic slave trade?
wealth in new world was mainly agricultural european disease = wiped out native population and therefore there was a lack of labor that was needed for exploiting agricultural wealth slave trade arose to meet the demand for labour in North America
Which of the following groups of species has declined the most since 2000 on the Red LIst Index of species survival?
• Amphibians
According to McGrew, which principle sector of social activity has been most affected by globalization?
• Economic •
System of National Accounts
• Economic data from national accounts reflects a measure of the market economy and form the basis of empirical analysis of a country's economic growth and development. • This is an inclusive list of what we see to be the important factors contributing to economic health and growth of a nation.
Which of the following countries has the highest number of deaths per one hundred thousand people due to ambient PM2,5 pollution?
• Egypt (i think this is right) • China (this was wrong) • Turkey • United States • Brazil
Which of the following regions has the least intact terrestrial biodiversity?
• Europe (this is wrong) • Western Canada • India • Indonesia • Australia
What invention does Wright think had the most significant consequences for people in the Neolithic Revolution and is the one technology that we cannot live without?
• Farming (maybe?) • Perfection of hunting • Control of fire • Use of stone tools (this answer was wrong) • The wheel • Ironworking • Civilization • iPhone 6S
How is climate change going to affect freshwater availability?
• Glaciers provide 80% of freshwater supplied to downstream populations and ecosystems in semi-arid tropic regions of Latin America
Judging from the reading, what position would the author disagree with most strongly?
• Globalization is a limited phenomenon only effecting some parts of society (maybe this?) • Globalization is beneficial (this was wrong) • Globalization is accelerating and is hard to slow • Globalization will cause World War III
Which of the following best defines the term "manufactured demand" as explained in the video.
• Industries manufacturing products like bottled water in order to meet a demand by the public, even though it is not good for the environment (this was wrong) • The manufacturing of a new product in the hopes that a demand for that product will manifest itself • Industries create a demand that didn't previously exist for a product, in order to sell it to the public (maybe this?)
Why does tap water contain chlorine?
• It is a natural chemical that can't be removed from the water • It is added to reduce the health risk of micro-organisms (this might be right) • It is added to reduce the amount of sediment in the water • It is a by-product of the storage and transportation of tap water (this was wrong)
Which of the following is NOT one of the integrated goals that ecological economics is built on?
• Resource depletion
Which of Joseph Taiter's three causes of civilization collapse describes the Sumerian irrigation failure?
• Runaway train • Dinosaur • House of cards • Pyramid scheme • Rebellion of the tools (this was wrong) Tainter argues that sustainability or collapse of societies follow from the success or failure of problem-solving institutions[3] and that societies collapse when their investments in social complexity and their "energy subsidies" reach a point of diminishing marginal returns. He recognizes collapse when a society involuntarily sheds a significant portion of its complexity.
Which progress trap did the Hohokam of Southern Arizona fall into that resulted in a rapid decline of their agricultural productivity?
• Salinization from excessive irrigation (this was wrong) • Overgrazing from domesticated animals • Deforestation resulting in soil erosion and a loss of nutrients • Increased vulnerability to extreme climate events resulting from a reduced mobility of human settlements
How have global migration patterns changed since the 1800s and early to mid 1900s. Compare and contrast the key age demographics of developed and developing nations today and briefly explain how these can help to account for changing global migration patterns. What are "guest workers" and how do they fit into this dynamic?
• Temporary work migration • "Guest workers" • Way for countries to control migration in such a way as to meet domestic labour shortages while withholding the right for migrants to enjoy the benefits of citizenship and remain in the country
Which of the key tenants of the Westphalia Constitution says that the state has the right to govern within their own borders?
• Territoriality • Sovereignty (maybe this?) • Autonomy • Self-governance • Self-determination (this was wrong)
With globalization, which of these Westphalian tenants is transitioning to become a shared exercise of public power and authority shared between local, national, regional and global authorities?
• Territoriality (this was wrong) • Sovereignty • Autonomy • Self-governance • Self-determination (maybe this?)
What do we mean when we say that climate change is a "super wicked problem"?
• Time available to solve the problem is running out. • There is no central authority to impose a solution. • Those in the best position to solve the problem are also causing it
What is Missing in the "System of National Accounts"?
• We include some indicators(private assets that directly contribute to economic production) in our measure of the economy and not others (everything else). • Indicators are,on the whole,rather arbitrary • Based on historical standardized practice (what is agreed to have market value) • Not necessarily any relation to empirical reality (a measure of all the elements that are required to support, ie feed into, economic production). • Do not reflect the real economic costs associated with the provision of society's material needs or desires.
The economic costs of invasive species globally is estimated to amount to many ________________ of dollars.
• billions
According to the report, which of the following categories have the most species that are critically endangered?
• sharks and Rays • Cacti • Mammals (maybe this?) • Cycads • Amphibians (this is wrong)
What is Jevon's Paradox? explain.
•Jevons's paradox is when improved resource efficiency creates a greater resource demand because there will be a decrease cost of the resource - cancels out one another cause since it is cheaper and better we use more of it Jevon looked at increase in coal use after the invention of the steam engine 1) Better technology = Increase in efficiency 2) Increase in efficiency = decrease in cost 3) Decrease in cost = increase in use/reliance 4) Increase in use = increase in consumption Efficiency gains leads to greater consumption.
