Sachs Sustainable Development Ch 1
What is another term for the 'beneficence of nature'?
Environmental services
What is GWP, what is current GWP?
GWP is a sum called the gross world product. Current GWP is $90 trillion
What is meant by extreme poverty?
The world bank categorizes extreme poverty as living on less than $1.90 a day per person.
What are some characteristics of complex systems?
"Complex systems have many unexpected characteristics. They often respond in a nonlinear way to shocks or changes, meaning that even a modest change in the components of the system can cause a large, perhaps catastrophic change in the performance of the system." "Complex systems require a certain complexity of thinking as well. It is a mistake to believe that the world's sustainable development problems can be boiled down to one idea or one solution."
The normative side or 'ethical framework' of sustainable development envisions what four basic objectives for a good society
"In this normative (or ethical) sense, sustainable development calls for a world in which economic progress is widespread; extreme poverty is eliminated; social trust is encouraged through policies that strengthen the community; and the environment is protected from human- induced degradation. "
When the Brundtland Report was published and how did it define 'Sustainable Development'?
"Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (Brundtland 1987, 41)."
What is meant by the term Anthropocene?
"The Anthropocene is our current, unprecedented epoch of the Earth in which the Earth's physical change—climate, biodiversity, chemistry—is mainly driven by human activity"
A skilled Sustainable Development Practitioner needs to be _________.
"a complex-systems expert in the same way, acknowledging the complexity of the issues and looking to make a specific diagnosis of each specific case."
Name a few examples of how a model of sustainable development offers synergies versus trade-offs.
"an investment in pollution control may raise productivity of the workforce by cutting disease and absenteeism, especially of the poor who are living in the most polluted conditions. Pollution control thereby achieves three aims: high output, more fairness, and more sustainability. In these cases, sustainable development offers synergies rather than trade-offs in the pursuit of efficiency, equity, and sustainability" a tax on the rich that is used for the education and healthcare of the poorer generation
As an intellectual pursuit what does sustainable development try to 'make sense of'?
"sustainable development tries to make sense of the interactions of three complex systems: the world economy, the global society, and the Earth's physical environment. "
How many planetary boundaries are listed in Rockstrom's chart?
10 planetary boundaries
How many people in the world are categorized as living under extreme poverty?
698 million people, or about 9% of the global population
What was the global population at the time of publication in 2015 and what is our global population today?
At time of publication, population was 7.2 billion, today the global population is 8.05 billion people
What is meant by private sector?
Business
What does BAU stand for?
Business as Usual
How many people live in 'abject' poverty?
Approximately 1 billion people (abject= most extreme)
How does Sach's Define Sustainable Development, what does he mean when he says it is both an analytic theory and a 'normative' or ethical framework?
Defines sustainable development as a way of understanding the world and a method for solving global problems. When referring to sustainable development as an analytical field of study; "one that aims to explain and predict the complex and nonlinear interactions of human and natural systems" When referring to it as a normative outlook on the world: it recommends a set of goals to which the world should aspire: "In this normative (or ethical) sense, sustainable development calls for a world in which economic progress is widespread; extreme poverty is eliminated; social trust is encouraged through policies that strengthen the community; and the environment is protected from human-induced degradation."
What is per capita GDP?
GDP divided by the population (the size of the average slice per person)
What is GNP? How is this different than GDP?
GNP is gross national product GDP measures good and services produced within the country's geographical borders, by both US residents and the rest of the world GNP measures the goods & services produced by only US residents, both domestically and abroad, so GNP would be less than GDP
What is meant by public sector?
Government
What does GDP Measure?
Gross domestic product (per person) used to summarize a country's overall economic d evelopment Measures the market value of total production within a country in a given time period (usually a year)
Where and when was the phrase 'Sustainable Development' first introduced?
In an influential publication called "World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development (1980)
What is the essence of sustainable development?
Scientifically and morally based problem solving
What are three aspects of technology in relation to sustainable development?
Technological advances are the main driver of long-term global economic growth Technological advances have negative side effects, even when their direct effectsare enormously positive Technological advances, to some extent, under human guidance
What is Sachs's working definition of the normative objectives of Sustainable Development:
That a good society is not only an economically prosperous society but also one that is socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and well governed
What challenge was brought up and the 1972 UN Conference on the Environment and Human Development in Stockholm Sweden?
That a rapidly growing economy and population threatened to collide with the world's finite resources;" maintaining sustainability in the context of economic growth and development"
What is the current PPM of CO2 in the atmosphere?
The current PPM of CO2 in the atmosphere is 400 ppm, or 0.04%
What is the infant mortality rate, what was that rate in 1950? What is that rate today?
The number of deaths under one year per 1,000 births (The number of newborns that do not make it to their first birthday) Today it is 37/1,000 or 3.7%
Sachs describes the poor, people living just above the poverty line and individuals in the high-income world as having different wants and needs. What are these?
Those living just above the poverty line are looking for improved prosperity and a brighter future for their children. Those living in the high-income world are looking for technological advancements that will provide their family with even a higher level of wellbeing.
What is the Age of Economic Modern Growth?
Time period since the 1750's where there was positive economic growth, started in only a few places (Great Britain and U.S, then spread elsewhere) For most of history, output was low, just enough for people to survive
What does Sachs mean by 'Good Governance':
When both the public and private sector operate according to the rule of law, with accountability, transparency, responsiveness to the needs of stakeholders, and with the active engagement of the public on critical issues such as land use, pollution, and the fairness and honesty of political and business practices
What is Constant International Prices?
When statisticians use a common set of international prices to sum up production and consumption in each country so that GDP can be compared using the real volume of goods and services, not the difference merely due to market prices. the adjusted measure is called GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP), and ensures that $1 of GDP in every country has the same purchasing power
What does Sachs mean by 'Social Inclusion'?
term used to summarize the issues that sustainable development takes on, which includes "calling on society to aim for the end of extreme poverty; the reduction of glaring gaps of wealth and poverty; a high degree of social mobility, including good life chances for children born into poverty; the absence of discrimination including by gender, race, religion, or ethnicity; and the fostering of social trust, mutual support, moral values, and cohesion"
