Waste and Consumption
Where does Municipal Solid Waste come from?
Households and businesses
What is greenwashing?
What is when a company or organization portrays itself as more environmentally friendly than it actually is?
What is the three-day effect?
The effect is the mental benefits observed after spending three days or more in nature
What is urban penalty and its interconnection to environmental impacts?
The rise in human health problems associated with the urban livings
What are checks and balances?
A system that ensures a part or branch of government has the means to exert some influence over the activities of other branches.
How can you compare municipal solid waste rates to recycling/composting rates over time?
MSW has increased its generation over time, even while recycling & composting have increased as well. More population = more trash
What are planetary boundaries?
The limit of human activities before destabilizing the earth’s natural ecosystem.
What is one health approach?
Connection between people, animals, and plants in our shared environment
What is the Bright Lights Syndrome?
When people want to move to cities because they believe they will have a better life compared to living in a rural area; more opportunities, and better education are associated with cities
Why might China have an easier time implementing environmental policy than the United States?
Because China has an authoritarian and unitary form of government, it can implement mandates and strict environmental regulations or policy without needing public approval/congressional approval.
Is recycling a water bottle considered upstream or downstream?
Downstream
What is the 3 P’s of the Triple Bottom Line?
People, Planet, Profit
What are some examples of health benefits that a 15 min walk in nature can bring?
Reduced blood pressure, decrease in cortisol, reduced heart rate, and improved brain activity
How is the global urban transition affecting population distribution and employment patterns?
More people are moving from rural areas to cities, where they live close together and work in non-farming jobs.
What kind of government does China have?What kind of government does the USA have?
China - Authoritarian
USA - Democratic
What is a life cycle assessment?
Life cycle assessment is the process of accounting for the environmental impacts of making, distributing, using, and disposing of a product.
What are the 3 pillars of sustainability?
Environmental, Social, & Economic
What is solastalgia?
Longing for some time or place you can’t go back to without ever leaving home
What are mixed-used areas?
mix of housing,
shops, restaurants, grocery stores,
offices, and public amenities are
all within a half-mile of public
transportation
What are the 5 P’s (i.e. incentives) that governments use to influence decision making?
Prescriptive regulation, payments, penalties, property rights, persuasion
What does NIMBY stand for and why are they an issue?
Not in my backyard, they are hypocritical in wanting change but only if it doesn’t affect them, slowing down critical change
What is the key difference between the purpose of a nonprofit organization and a for profit business?
While for-profit businesses have the purpose of earning revenue, nonprofit organizations have the purpose of providing a social benefit.
Name the 5 existential factors for the climate generation
1-acknowledge
2-reframe
3-rewrite the story
4-connect
5-take action
What is suburban sprawl, and how does it differ from urbanization?
Suburban sprawl is when urban populations spread away from city centers into areas with low population density. It is less dense and more resource-intensive than urbanization.
What is the Montreal Protocol?
A very successful international agreement, which was responsible for the dramatic reductions in the global emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).