Sustainability Concepts Overview

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

Describe how clear cutting affects the sustainability of a forest ecosystem. Consider factors such as biodiversity, soil health, and water quality.

Clear cutting can negatively impact forest ecosystem sustainability. Removing all trees disrupts biodiversity by eliminating habitats for various species. Soil erosion increases due to lack of root systems, which also affects water quality as sediment washes into waterways. The uniform growth of new trees reduces the diversity of the forest, making it more vulnerable to disease and pests.

Explain how shelterwood cutting promotes sustainability compared to clear cutting.

Shelterwood cutting promotes sustainability by maintaining some mature trees, which provide shade, shelter, and seeds for regeneration. This helps ensure the forest's biodiversity and resilience to disturbances. The gradual transition of the forest also mitigates soil erosion and maintains water quality compared to the abrupt change in clear cutting.

How does selective cutting contribute to the long-term sustainability of a forest?

Selective cutting focuses on harvesting only mature trees, leaving younger ones to grow. This maintains the overall tree diversity and structure of the forest, promoting its health and resilience over time. By leaving some trees, it also reduces the risk of soil erosion, protects habitats, and ensures a continuous timber supply.

Discuss the role of government in ensuring sustainable forestry practices in Canada.

The government plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable forestry practices in Canada. It sets regulations and standards for harvesting, reforestation, and watershed protection. They also manage public forests and work with private landowners to ensure responsible forestry practices. By balancing economic benefits with environmental concerns, they aim to preserve the long-term health and value of Canadian forests. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the economic and ecological implications of classifying a forest as 'non-commercial.'

Classifying a forest as non-commercial means it is unlikely to be harvested due to poor profit projections. This can be beneficial ecologically as it protects sensitive ecosystems and reduces the pressure on commercial forests, preserving biodiversity and carbon sequestration. However, it can also have economic implications, as it limits timber availability and potentially restricts local economies that depend on forestry. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the "Tragedy of the Commons" concept relates to unsustainable environmental practices.

The "Tragedy of the Commons" describes the overuse and depletion of shared resources due to individual self-interest, neglecting the long-term consequences. This applies to unsustainable practices like overfishing, deforestation, and pollution because individuals prioritize immediate gains, leading to resource depletion and harm to the environment. Signup and view all the answers

Briefly define the term "ecological footprint" and explain its significance in assessing sustainability.

An ecological footprint measures human impact on the Earth by quantifying the amount of land and resources required to support a person's lifestyle. It reflects the sustainability of our resource use, highlighting the disparity between our consumption and the Earth's capacity to regenerate. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the term "carrying capacity" and how does it relate to sustainable development?

Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population size that an environment can sustainably support without causing environmental degradation. Sustainable development aims to operate within the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, ensuring that resource use and waste generation are manageable, allowing future generations to meet their needs. Signup and view all the answers

How does the growth of the global middle class contribute to the issue of waste production?

As the global middle class expands, there's an increase in disposable income and consumerism, leading to greater demand for goods and services. This translates into increased waste production, as people purchase more products, often with shorter lifespans. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the principles of a "circular economy" and its potential to reduce waste and promote sustainability.

A circular economy emphasizes reusing, repairing, and recycling materials and products to minimize waste and resource depletion. It promotes a closed-loop system where resources remain in use for as long as possible, reducing the environmental impact and fostering sustainable practices. Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to "rethink" our consumption patterns and consider their impact on people, the planet, and future generations?

Rethinking our consumption patterns challenges conventional norms and encourages us to be mindful of the consequences of our choices on the environment and society. It emphasizes making responsible decisions that consider the long-term impact on people, the planet, and future generations. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the relationship between the "3 R's" (reduce, reuse, recycle) and consumerism.

The "3 R's" promote a conscious approach to consumption, focusing on minimizing waste generation. Consumerism, on the other hand, encourages excessive consumption, often resulting in a high volume of disposable goods and waste. These contrasting values highlight the need to balance consumption with responsible resource management. Signup and view all the answers

Provide an example of how the "Tragedy of the Commons" might apply to the issue of air pollution.

The "Tragedy of the Commons" can be observed in air pollution as individuals and industries prioritize economic gain over environmental concerns. For example, factories might release harmful pollutants into the atmosphere to minimize production costs without factoring in the long-term consequences of air quality degradation, ultimately affecting everyone's health. Signup and view all the answers

How does reducing waste contribute to environmental sustainability?

Reducing waste saves resources, money, and reduces pollution, thereby benefiting the environment. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of reusing items in the context of sustainability?

Reusing items conserves resources, extends the product life cycle, saves money, and reduces pollution. Signup and view all the answers

Why is recycling an important practice for reducing landfill space?

Recycling saves raw materials, reduces pollution, and minimizes the amount of waste sent to landfills. Signup and view all the answers

What were the consequences of the factory disasters in Bangladesh for the fashion industry?

The disasters highlighted the economic and environmental disregard in the fast fashion industry, harming workers and leading to criticism of ethical practices. Signup and view all the answers

How does the fast fashion industry exemplify the conflict between consumerism and ethical production?

Fast fashion prioritizes trendy, cheap clothing over ethical labor practices and quality, resulting in environmental harm and worker exploitation. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sustainability

Tragedy of the Commons: the overuse of shared resources, leading to their destruction (forests, atmosphere, fisheries, rivers, land). Individuals prioritize their own self-interest, ignoring environmental and economic consequences. Examples include ocean gyres and atmospheric pollution.
Ecological Footprint: a measurement of human impact on Earth, calculated in global hectares (land area needed to sustain one person). This represents the cost of sustaining human activity.
Carrying Capacity: the maximum number of individuals a given environment can support without harming it.
Sustainable Development: aims to meet present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their needs.
Waste Production: household waste composition varies by culture. High-income countries produce more than lower income countries, leading to more waste in landfills.
Waste Issue: Increasing global middle class, consumerism, and finite resources lead to greater waste. This creates environmental and human hazards (pollution and toxic chemicals).
Consumerism: Encourages people to buy and consume numerous items, often at the expense of item longevity and repair. This contrasts with the concept of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Waste Solution

Rethink: change our choices and innovations to think about societal, environmental, and planetary impact.
Reduce: decrease waste to conserve resources and money and reduce pollution.
Reuse: change habits to use products repeatedly, repairing, or repurposing them rather than discarding them.
Recycling: Separating and reprocessing materials to conserve resources and reduce pollution. Compostable materials decompose into soil that can be reused.
Waste Management includes actions such as sorting and storing waste for further use and recycling

Fashion Industry

Fast Fashion: garments produced quickly and unsustainably, often discarded quickly with a short life cycle, relying on cheaper products and mass production

Physical Geography

Plate Tectonics: Earth's layers (Lithosphere - solid crust; Asthenosphere - semi-solid; Mantle; Outer core - liquid iron; Inner core - solid). Tectonic plates move through different forces including internal heat flow and conduction (transfer of heat across the material).
Continental Drift(1912 Alfred Wegener): The theory that all continents were once joined together and have moved over time. Evidence of this is the shape of continents that appear to fit together.
Continental Crust: is thicker than oceanic crust (less dense)
Oceanic Crust: thinner layer (more dense).
Internal heat flow: results convection currents, and transfer of heat by contact (conduction). Convection currents move as heat from Earth’s processes rises and falls, resulting in pressure and temperature differences in the mantle.

Rock Cycle

Key Terms: Magma and Lava; weathering and erosion (sediments); compaction, and cementation(form rock); Magma (underground lava (aboveground), different types of rock (Igneous - from the cooling of magma, metamorphic - from heat and pressure on existing rock, sedimentary - from sediment).

Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic Rock

Igneous rocks occur from the cooling of magma in Earth's interior or at its surface. Different regions of Canada have different types of rock.
Sedimentary rocks originate from the weathering and erosion of other rocks (small sediments).
Metamorphic rocks are created when existing rock type is altered by heat and pressure.

Volcanoes

Volcanoes are openings in Earth's crust where magma erupts. Magma (molten rock beneath the earth's surface) turns into lava when it reaches the earth's surface.
Various types of eruptions (explosive or effusive), and different types of volcanoes (shield, composite, cinder cone).

Earthquakes

About Earthquakes: Series of seismic vibrations or shock waves. Focus: point where plates release tension. Epicentre: point on Earth's surface above the focus. Fault: fracture in the Earth where movement has occurred.
Wave Types: Primary(P-Waves) and Secondary (S-Waves) causing vertical and horizontal ground movement.
Earthquakes/Plate Boundaries: Occur at plate boundaries, larger earthquakes at subduction zones and smaller quakes at rifting areas.
Hazards: seismic waves (shaking), landslides, liquefaction (saturated soil loss), and tsunami (large water waves).
Magnitude: earthquake strength is measured using Richter Scale and Moment Magnitude Scales (0-10).

Canada's Physical Geography (Landforms and Vegetation)

Canada has various landforms (Shield, Lowlands, Interior Plains, Highlands, Cordillera) and different vegetation regions (Boreal Forest, Taiga, other types of forest, grassland, and tundra). These regions are determined by factors like climate, soil, geology.

Forestry in Canada

Forests in Canada are a renewable resource that provide economic, social, and environmental benefits.
The value of forests relies on their use, and management for long-term sustainability.
There are differing types of cut methods employed to manage trees (clear cutting, shelterwood, selective).
Forestry issues include factors such as various insects, and wildfire dangers. Sustainable forestry practices aim to mitigate negative impacts.

Mining in Canada

Mining is a significant contributor to Canada's economy, producing valuable minerals and metals. Types of mines include underground and open-pit. Underground requires vertical shafts and horizontal shafts; open pit involves removing overburden and using explosives to extract the raw material.
Extracting ore, processing for extraction and further refinement produces materials that can be used for manufactured products.
Mining can also negatively impact the environment via land damage and habitat loss.

Canadian Agriculture

Types of farming (intensive, extensive); factors influence farming methods including cost and value, land quality, market proximity, and competition (supply and demand.)
Canada’s agriculture depends on its natural resources (land, soils, water etc. as well as human-made structures such as buildings and equipment.
Important agriculture areas include Annapolis Valley, Niagara Fruit Belt, and Okanogan County.

Human Geography

Population density (number of people per km2).
Factors shaping population distribution include physical factors (landforms, climate, water, soil, vegetation) and human factors (economics, politics, history, culture, and communication.)
Demography is the study of population dynamics and its changes: Birth rate (number of births per 1000 per year), Death rate (number of deaths per 1000 per year), Natural Increase/Decrease Rate.
Replacement level is the number of children needed for a couple to have to replace themselves and others. Approximately 2.1 children per couple.
Migration: factors include push (war, disasters) against pull (persecution). Obstacles include costs, border restrictions, and leaving families. Different types of migration (Economic, Family, and Refugee).

Climate

Earth’s atmosphere absorbs energy from the sun, distributes that energy globally, and acts as a protective shield. Weather is the atmospheric condition for a short period of time. Climate describes atmospheric conditions for a span of 30 or more years. Factors affecting climate are Latitude, Ocean currents, Wind, Elevation, Relief, Near water.

Resources and Industries

Resources: naturally occurring materials used to benefit human life. Different types of Industries include Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary, and Quinary.
Primary: Takes raw materials from the environment.
Secondary: manufactures materials
Tertiary: Provides services to support primary and secondary industries (services).
Quaternary and Quinary: specialized knowledge based services.
Industries vary by location based on resources. These are essential to the global economy and Canada’s economy.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore essential concepts of sustainability through this quiz. Test your knowledge on the Tragedy of the Commons, Ecological Footprint, Carrying Capacity, and Sustainable Development. Understand the impact of waste production and the importance of maintaining a balance for future generations.