Sustainability & Systems Thinking
Which of the three pillars of sustainability focuses on fairness and who benefits?
Equity
Which system provides oxygen and regulates global temperature?
The oceanic system
What is the purpose of permeable pavement?
To let water soak into the ground and reduce flooding.
What is the core question of environmental justice?
Who is most impacted and why?
What major river flows through Newark?
The Passaic River.
Why is overconsumption considered a sustainability issue?
It increases waste, pollution, and resource depletion beyond what the planet can support.
Why is biodiversity important for ecosystem resilience?
More species = stronger ability to recover from stress or change.
Which GI feature helps filter pollutants before they reach waterways?
Raingardens & Bioswales.
Why do some neighborhoods experience more pollution than others?
Historic policies, zoning, and inequitable planning decisions.
What environmental issue is worsened by impervious surfaces?
Flooding.
What does “systems thinking” help us understand?
How different parts of the environment, community, and human behavior connect and affect each other.
How does polluted freshwater impact both human and ecological health?
Unsafe drinking water + harm to fish, plants, and wildlife.
Why do EJ communities often need more green infrastructure?
They face higher exposure to heat, flooding, and pollution due to historic disinvestment.
Give one example of how community advocacy can influence environmental policy.
Residents pushing for cleaner trucks, tree planting, or stormwater improvements.
Why does Newark have higher asthma rates than many NJ cities?
High truck traffic + industrial pollution.
A neighborhood with low tree canopy, high heat, and poor air quality is experiencing what sustainability challenge?
Urban heat island effect
What happens to the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned?
Greenhouse gases increase, trapping heat and altering climate patterns.
How does tree canopy reduce energy use in cities?
Shade cools buildings → less AC needed → lower energy demand.
How does climate change worsen existing EJ issues?
Heat, flooding, and pollution hit vulnerable communities hardest.
Name one Newark sustainability initiative.
Tree planting, rain gardens, recycling expansion, cooling centers.
Explain how food waste connects to climate change using systems thinking.
Food waste → methane emissions in landfills → greenhouse gases → warming climate.
Explain how soil degradation can affect food security.
Poor soil → lower crop yields → less food availability.
Explain how green roofs support both climate mitigation and adaptation.
They reduce heat (adaptation) and lower energy use/emissions (mitigation).
Explain how government, community, and industry share responsibility in EJ solutions.
Government sets policy, industry reduces harm, community voices guide decisions.
Explain how green infrastructure can reduce combined sewer overflow events.
It absorbs stormwater before it overwhelms the sewer system.