Systems Thinking
What does the Iceberg Model help us identify beyond events?
Patterns, underlying structures, and mental models.
What do we call the shift from government to a broader mix of actors working together?
Governance.
What does MLP stand for?
Multi-Level Perspective.
Name one strategic priority of HRM.
Prosperity, community, environment, mobility, etc.
What does “the global is local and the local is global” refer to?
Local issues reflect global systems and vice versa.
When a system’s behaviour arises from interactions rather than individual parts, what concept is this?
Emergence.
Name a non-state actor in sustainability governance.
NGOs, businesses, citizen groups, etc.
In the MLP, what do we call small-scale innovations that challenge the regime?
Niches.
Which local food infrastructure project did we study that supports resilience?
Halifax Food Hub.
Name one governance tool that encourages public participation.
Public consultations, participatory budgeting, etc.
A reinforcing loop does what over time?
It amplifies change (snowball effect).
What term describes authority divided across multiple levels?
Multi-level governance.
Name one emotion that can motivate climate action.
Hope, awe, love, curiosity, etc.
What framework did we use to assess Halifax’s sustainability performance?
The City Portrait (Doughnut Economics).
What emotion did we discuss that can limit climate action?
Eco-anxiety, fear, overwhelm.
What is a “leverage point” in systems thinking?
A place in a system where a small shift can lead to large changes.
When responsibilities are spread across actors, making accountability unclear, what is this called?
Fragmentation.
According to Strategic Niche Management, what three things do niches need?
Expectations, networks, learning.
Name one governance challenge Halifax faces.
Housing, food insecurity, climate adaptation, etc.
What is a wicked problem?
A complex problem with no single clear solution.
Which element of the Iceberg Model is hardest to see but most powerful?
Mental models.
Give one example from the course of how power influences sustainability outcomes.
Any well-reasoned answer accepted.
What is “regime resistance”?
Dominant systems protecting the status quo and slowing change.
Name one non-government actor shaping sustainability in Halifax.
FMNS, ecology action, local business, citizen groups
If you had to intervene in one leverage point in Halifax's system, which would you choose and why?
Open-ended answer, award points for reasoning.