Socio-Ecological Systems
What is the difference between a positive and negative feedback loop?
Socio-Ecological Systems
Values/Ethics
Sustainability
Miscellaneous
Island County
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Socio-Ecological Systems for 100
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What is the difference between a positive and negative feedback loop?
A positive feedback leads to more of the same human action. System may spin out of control.
A negative feedback leads to less or the same amount of human action. System is regulated.
Define intrinsic value.
Something with intrinsic value has value simply by virtue of existence, not because of what it can do or provide.
How does the New Environmental Paradigm differ from the Environmental Justice Paradigm.
New environmental: good on inter-generational equity, but limited on intra-generational equity because largely white, educated, middle class - unlikely to focus on present injustice. "Green agenda" around biodiversity, ecological services, env. protection.
Environmental justice paradigm: largely people of color, low-income; "brown agenda" of poverty alleviation & health impacts of polluted environment.
What was White's main argument in "Are you an environmentalist or do you work for a living?"
He critiques the typical view in western environmentalism that environmental work is destructive.
What islands comprise Island County?
Whidbey & Camano Islands
Give an example of a time lag from the National Geographic articles.
Drought as a result of poor farming practices in Australia.
Explain empirical vs. normative claims.
Empirical claims are facts.
Normative claims as opinions.
How does Wackernagel define sustainability?
Ecological overshoot: Living beyond the regenerative capacity of the biosphere
name 2 women environmental leaders, and describe the contributions of each one
draw from 1) Heroines on essay 4 list; 2) figures introduced on February 12 or other lectures; 3) course authors; 4) your life experience
Name four social groups in Island County's history.
Skagit, Snohomish, Kikialos & Clallam ("Salish") groups; bull team loggers, donkey engine loggers, tourists, early farmers; market farmers, Chinese immigrants, stump farmers, back-to-land advocates, hunters
Define resilience.
"the capacity to retain similar structures and functioning after disturbances" (Liu et al, 2007)
Compare ethics of care with utilitarianism.
Ethics of care refers to caring for dependent and vulnerable populations. The idea is taken from indigenous beliefs.
Utilitarianism is creating the most good for the most amount of people.
Explain Benson & Craig's argument.
"It is time to move past the concept of sustainability" because our world is too complex and uncertain. Instead, we should focus on resilience.
Bonus Question!
What type of dog does Dr. Myers have?
Malamute-husky mix
How did the Salish sustain the forest and prairies?
Fire! Controlled burns fostered healthier soil and more plant growth.
What are two SES principles present in the clam gardens case study? Explain.
Spatial/temporal heterogeneity, negative feedback loop, etc.
Which author argued that Black people are excluded from outdoor spaces?
Carolyn Finney
What are the tenets of just sustainability?
- prioritizing justice and equity, without downplaying environment as our life support system
- recognizing disproportionate impacts of pollution and inequitable access to natural resources
- listening to the voices of those who often go unheard
What is a tragedy of the commons, and what does it apply to?
A resource-use system with many self-interested actors who collectively over exploit the resource. Applies to both extractive and waste-sink resources-- eg, a water body that receives pollution.
How did technological advancements impact logging?
Bull-team logging was harder and less destructive, so it was relatively sustainable.
When donkey engines were developed, it allowed loggers to log much faster, leaving slash everywhere and destroying forests past their ability to regenerate.
How do subsistence patterns affect culture?
Agriculture tends to lead to more structured, hierarchical societies.
Foraging tends to lead to more flexible, nomadic and/or egalitarian societies.
Explain Bullard's research about environmental justice.
People of color in Houston are far more likely than white people to live near landfills and other environmentally toxic sites.
Define distributive and procedural justice.
Distributive: Was the distribution fair?
Procedural: Was the process fair?
How do social and cultural groups influence individual perceptions of environmental issues? (Hint: What did Kahan say?)
People don't want to alienate themselves from their close social communities, but communities in the US polarized around science communication. Especially if one's opinion on a remote environmental issue has no bearing on real choices, it is more "rational" to agree, letting cultural affiliations dictate one's environmental beliefs. Kahan calls this "cultural cognition."
Describe an SES related to Island County and provide an example.
Many options!