Embedded Files
1.1-1.3 Review
Systems and models https://youtu.be/yJX1Te0jey0
Models and emergence https://youtu.be/JrJJxn-gCdo
Topic 1 https://t.co/8OJoYkAEgu?amp=1
As a table engage with one of these three sources and discuss:
How could you summarise the message?
How was it relevant to your prior learning?
Give three examples of sentences that used keywords from 1.1-1.3
Is there anything in this source that your classmates would benefit from knowing?
Significant ideas
All systems can be viewed through the lens of sustainability.
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Environmental indicators and ecological footprints can be used to assess sustainability.
Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) play an important role in sustainable development
Concepts of Sustainability
Concepts of Sustainability
Sustainability is the use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use.
Natural capital is a term used for natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services.
Natural income is the yield obtained from natural resources.
Group Reading - InThinking
https://www.thinkib.net/ess/page/19494/14-sustainability
Use this to extend and improve your answers. Work in pairs.
Ecosystems may provide life-supporting services such as water replenishment, flood and erosion protection, and goods such as timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops.
Ecosystem Services
Make a FlipGrid video about an ecosystem service. You can get lots of ideas from the images below.
Cornell Notes
Read up to U5 here and make Cornell Notes. You may wish to look also at the additional resources at the end of the page. The following document provides a template for Cornell Notes.
Assessing Sustainability
Assessing Sustainability
Factors such as biodiversity, pollution, population or climate may be used quantitatively as environmental indicators of sustainability.
These factors can be applied on a range of scales, from local to global.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) gave a scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide using environmental indicators, as well as the scientific basis for action to conserve and use them sustainably.
Make a copy of this document.
Read through it and in yellow highlight the use of any of the following as indicators of sustainability
biodiversity
pollution
population
climate
In green highlight any other indicators of sustainability that are used.
Compare your efforts with those of a classmate.
Discuss: how does the use of indicators help add to our understanding of the sustainability of human behaviour?
MA Report Extract.pdfIPBES Summary.pdfMore recently, the IPBES conducted The Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. This provides updated evidence and insights on a number of similar themes to the MA. You may wish to look at the Summary for Policy Makers.
An ecological footprint (EF) is the area of land and water required to provide all resources and assimilate all the waste for a given population. If the EF is greater than the area of land and water available to that population, then it is not sustainable.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment
EIAs incorporate baseline studies before a development project is undertaken. They assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of the project, predicting and evaluating possible impacts and suggesting mitigation strategies for the project. They are usually followed by an audit and continued monitoring. Each country or region has different guidance on the use of EIAs.
EIAs provide decision-makers with information in order to consider the environmental impact of a project. There is not necessarily a requirement to implement an EIA’s proposals, and many socio-economic factors may influence the decisions made.
Criticisms of EIAs include: the lack of a standard practice or training for practitioners, the lack of a clear definition of system boundaries and the lack of inclusion of indirect impacts.
A translation of the syllabus:
An EIA is a report that considers the harm to the environment that a (building) development project might cause. An EIA should be followed up with monitoring.
You don't have to do one, and the situation in a country will affect what happens with them.
Some people say EIAs are too variable and that they only consider very local and immediate environmental impacts.
S: Do you need to do an EIA?
S: What exists? Special sites and unique habitats, important (keystone) species, rare (red-listed) species. Who will be (positively or negatively) impact?
M&I: How could the plans be changed to reduce their impact?
DM: Will the advice be followed?
I&M: Are the developers doing what they said they would?
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
What is sustainability?
We will read an article and watch some short clips. Be prepared to discuss each clip and create a short summary of each.
Update your keywords quizlet activity
Add words from 1.4 to your topic 1 quizlet. The words you need to define can be found on kognity and are listed below:
Natural Capita
Goods
Services
Natural Income
Sustainability
Ecological Footprint
Sustainability Indicators and Environmental Impact Assessment Case Studies
Over the break you will write two case studies these will be a maximum length of a page each. The case studies will be on:
The Millennium Ecosystems Assessment
An environmental impact assessment (using an example, you can find these using the search function on the website to the right or by general searches using key words on google)
Remember your case studies must provide the following:
Background information
Facts and figures
Reactions and impacts
Use kognity to support your understanding of both areas.
Please submit both case studies in one document in google classroom here.
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