ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE – SUSTAINABILITY AND ECOCITIZENSHIP

Let’s pick one of these resources, the FISHERIES: How did people view the fisheries

resource in the past? It was believed that fish was an

UNLIMITED resource that could be EXPLOITED (i.e., take as much as you want).

What HAPPENED historically to change the view? 1.Fish stocks depleted with

overfishing 2.Advancements in Fishing

Technology (ex: fishfinders, dragnets, big trawlers)

3.Scientific research led to greater understanding

What FACTORS do people consider when managing the fisheries industry TODAY? Social Factors – culture, politics, values,

laws Economic Factors – industry, jobs,

tourism Environmental Factors – nature, beauty,

biology

What is SUSTAINABILITY?

DEFINITION: It means living WITHIN the EARTH’s

LIMITS. It means meeting the needs of the

PRESENT without compromising the ability of the FUTURE to meet their needs.

Also known as: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAINABILITY . . .

Sustainability is a 3-tiered approach to resource management:

SOCIAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

ECONOMICAL

SUSTAINABILITY DIAGRAM

Blue Man Group – Earth to America

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM-mfEMssy8

TIER 1–ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY Ecosystems can sustain themselves if they do NOT

go beyond CARRYING CAPACITY and they are not negatively impacted by LIMITING FACTORS.

CARRYING CAPACITY The MAXIMUM number of individuals of

a species that can survive in a particular area over time.

A TYPICAL CARRYING CAPACITY GRAPH

LIMITING FACTOR A key factor or component that

LIMITS the size of a population. 4 categories:

Availability of RAW MATERIALS Example: nutrients, water, air

Availability of ENERGY Example: food, heat, light

Removal of WASTE/DETRITUS Example: decomposition

Interactions between ORGANISMS Example: predation,

competition, disease

A CASE STUDY – MOOSE ON THE ISLAND OF NEWFOUNDLAND Here in insular NL, we have a

moose PROBLEM! Their population is growing exponentially, which means it is not yet reaching its carrying capacity.

Are there any environmental effects we need to consider? Overbrowsing by moose

destroys forest habitat More human-moose incidents Starvation and disease

among the moose population Predator populations (ex:

coyote, bear) could possibly increase.

TIER 2–ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY A belief in the idea that ECONOMIC

GROWTH and ENVIRONMENTAL WELL BEING are common goals.

The idea that, in order to be economically prosperous, we CANNOT exploit our environmental resources.

A CASE STUDY – CARIBOU POPULATIONS IN NL

Caribou populations in NL are on the decline. A possible measure to protect herd numbers is to decrease the number of hunting licenses given out each year. Are they are any ECONOMIC EFFECTS of such a decision? Explain.

A CASE STUDY . . . ANSWER:

Many businesses may experience a loss of profits, including: Government revenues, outfitting companies,

ATV dealers, hotels, restaurants, hunting stores, tourist shops and butchers.

Individuals who normally hunt for their meat supply will have to buy meat from grocery stores.

TIER 3–SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY A SOCIALLY SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY is one

that is: Just, equitable, inclusive,

democratic, and provides a DECENT QUALITY OF LIFE for current and future generations.

Being socially sustainable takes into account politics, culture, and people-centred issues.

It ensures that basic conditions for a high quality human life are met, including: Food, shelter, clothing, health

care, education, employment, financial needs, human rights, crime prevention

A CASE STUDY – NL DEMOGRAPHICS Is there a trend in NL demographics

that will affect our social decisions made in this province? Yes. By 2021, NL will have the

HIGHEST PROPORTION of SENIORS in the COUNTRY.

As a result, decisions relating to environmental issues will reflect the needs and wants of an AGING population.

HOMEWORK!!! LINKAGES VIEW of SUSTAINABILITY

SYSTEMS VIEW of SUSTAINABILITY

Economy

SocietyEnvironment

HOMEWORK!!! What is the major difference between the linkages

view and the systems view? The environment has the same portion as society and economy in

the linkages view. In the systems view, the environment has the largest piece, so it

is considered more important in the decision-making process. Some say that the practice of sustainability is a

PARADOX ( a statement that contradicts itself) Why? Our society values both the environment and economic growth. It

is often difficult, if not impossible, to balance these goals. “It has been said that a person who is worrying

about his next meal is not going to listen to a lecture about protecting the environment.” How does this statement relate to global sustainable development? Most of the world’s wealth is in the hands of a small portion of the

global population. It is difficult for the poorer countries to rally for environmental change when they feel powerless due to economic and social chaos.

HOMEWORK!!! Read the case study on p. 31 of your book. Using the information on the table on p. 31, draw a graph of :

NUMBER OF MOOSE versus YEARYEAR NUMBER OF

MOOSE1905 61915 10001925 21001935 40001945 100001955 220001965 500001975 750001985 900001995 1060002005 120000

1905 1915 1925 1935 1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015 20250

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

Moose Population Growth in Insular Newfoundland

Moose Population Growth in Insular Newfoundland

Year

Num

ber o

f Moo

se

MOOSE POPULATION ACTIVITY As a class, read p. 31-32 in text. Split into groups of 4. Each group gets 4

markers and 1 poster. Come up and take a piece of paper that has

YOUR TOPIC on it. Write YOUR QUESTION in the middle box on

your poster. When I say “GO!”, each person fills in ¼ of

the poster with either PICTURES or WORDS related to your topic. Try to come up as many ideas as you can, and do not worry about being “right!”

When I say “STOP!”, spend a few minutes looking at everyone else’s ideas, and pick a group member to bring up your poster and present your overall findings to the class.

Fill in the chart in your handout using descriptive words or diagrams, using information from the in-class moose population

activity.

MOOSE POPULATIO

NS IN NL

MOOSE POPULATION GROWTH IN NL

FACTORS WHICH MAY NATURALLY LIMIT THE MOOSE POPULATION IN NL IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS

WH

O IS IN

VOLVED

? (STAKEH

OLD

ERS)

OPTIO

NS FO

R CON

TROLLIN

G M

OO

SE POPU

LATION

S

Fill in the chart in your handout using descriptive words or diagrams, using information from the in-class moose population

activity.

MOOSE POPULATIO

NS IN NL

MOOSE POPULATION GROWTH IN NL

FACTORS WHICH MAY NATURALLY LIMIT THE MOOSE POPULATION IN NL IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS

WH

O IS IN

VOLVED

? (STAKEH

OLD

ERS)

OPTIO

NS FO

R CON

TROLLIN

G M

OO

SE POPU

LATION

S

Reintroduce Predators (wolves/bears)Increase length of hunting seasonIncrease number of licensesAlways allow hunting 7 days a week Allow hunting in parksDecrease fee for license or FAC courseBuild deer fences/corridorsPlant less desirable treesRelocationSterilization

Moose have changed our landscape (ex: stunted trees)Moose have opened up a popular hunting opportunity in our province.Moose populations have been growing EXPONENTIALLY.

Disease from overcrowdingStarvation from overbrowsingPredatorsLoss of habitatGlobal WarmingNatural disasters

GovernmentHuntersButchersHunting Supply StoresATV dealersRestaurant ownersHotels/Motels/CabinsOutfitting CompaniesTouristsNature-loversPhotographersHikersNative People

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NL The economic and social status of

Newfoundland and Labrador is dependent on our natural resources in our environment.

There are 4 LEVELS of RESPONSIBILITY associated with environmental issues:

INDIVIDUAL

COMMUNITY

INDUSTRY

GOVERNMENT

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ACT PURPOSE:

This act is developed to ensure that NL resources are available for BOTH the present AND the future.

Specifically, it ensures renewable and non-renewable natural resources are managed to MAXIMIZE BENEFITS for our people while PROTECTING and CONSERVING THE ENVIRONMENT.

Message from the Premier - p. 41

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ACT... This act will coordinate efforts at all

government levels and have 3 main results for our province: PROTECT OUR FUTURE

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP

ENHANCE OUR ROLE & RESPONSIBILITY as GLOBAL CITIZENS

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY As an example of sustainable development in action,

let’s brainstorm a list of activities for each of the FOUR LEVELS of sustainability.

Our issue in question will be waste management of our garbage.

How can EACH LEVEL work to ultimately REDUCE WASTE?

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY…IMPACT RESPONSIBILITIES

GARBAGE

INDIVIDUAL

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

COMMUNITY

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

IMPACT RESPONSIBILITIES

GARBAGE

INDIVIDUAL•Practice the 4 Rs – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, RECOVER

• Ex: reduce packaging, reuse water bottles and containers, recycle products, compost, recover junk items and make into something new and useful!

•Properly dispose of HHW – HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE

• Ex: paint, cleaners, automotive products, spent fuel, aerosol containers, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, fertilizers

•Make sustainable decisions by thinking about social, environmental, and economic factors.COMMUNITY•Have an adequate and sustainable LANDFILL site •i.e., separates/reduces garbage, no dangerous run-off•Have programs to deal with TOXIC WASTE in a sustainable manner. Ex: HHW days, E-waste days

•Offer curbside recycling and other incentives to encourage citizens to reduce their waste.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY…IMPACT RESPONSIBILITIES

GARBAGE

INDUSTRY

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

GOVERNMENT

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

•_______________________________________________________

IMPACT RESPONSIBILITIES

GARBAGE

INDUSTRY•Follow all laws and mandates for dealing with solid, liquid, and gas wastes.

• Ex: scrubbers for affluent, treatments for effluent

•Practice 4 Rs in the manufacturing of products.•Use all BY-PRODUCTS to reduce waste .

• Ex: Use waste heat to heat facility• Ex: CBPPL gives used up rolls away to

community groups to use for posters.GOVERNMENT•Lead by example. Be a model of what “BEST PRACTICES” should look like.•Develop, implement, enforce strict and clear policies that are related to waste management.

• Ex: NL government has a goal to reduce landfill waste to 50% by 2010.

•Offer incentives to citizens to encourage waste reduction.

• Ex: MMSB composting bins incentive, recycling refunds, tax deductions

3 REASONS WHY WE SHOULD PROTECT THE FUTURE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT OF NL

1. It is the FOUNDATION for our NL ECONOMY, with rich resources such _______________________________________ generating billions of dollars annually.

2. It draws thousands of VISITORS here every year, a great source of revenue.

3. It is an essential part of our unique Newfoundland heritage and culture.

ECOCITIZENSHIP What is an ECOCITIZEN?

Ecocitizenship is taking an active role in bettering the environment.

An ecocitizen is an individual who is EMPOWERED and INVOLVED in environmental decision making.

It involves active participation by the public in terms of environmental concerns.

In involves putting environmental knowledge into everyday practice.

3 WAYS our GOVERNMENT encourages the PUBLIC to BECOME “eco” Friendly!

1. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION By Federal and Provincial Law, all citizens

of Canada have the right to be involved in decisions relating to the environment.

This involvement takes place through activities such” PUBLIC MEETINGS CONSULTATIONS PETITIONS

Example: p. 44

3 WAYS . . . 2. INFORMATION SHARING

Federal Level – ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT

Provincial Level – ACCESS to INFORMATION AND P

ROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT These Acts allow the public to

request information on ANY subject, other than “classified”, from the government.

Governments also provide information on their websites such as: Scientific data, weather

forecasts, environmental assessments and laws, media releases

3 WAYS . . . 3. WHISTLE-BLOWER

LEGISLATION This is the type of legislation

that protects EMPLOYEES from dismissal/reprimanding if the individual reports an EMPLOYER who is not operating according to environmental standards.

Example: ILLEGAL DUMPING BY A

COMPANY AIR POLLUTION WATER POLLUTION

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN NL – Ecocitizenship in Practice

MMSB Stands for MULTI-MATERIAL

STEWARDSHIP BOARD The MMSB is responsible for keeping NL

“healthy, clean, and green.” Specifically, the MMSB:

Develops, implements, and manages waste diversion programs in NL

Some MMSB programs include: Household Hazardous Waste days,

beverage recycling, tire/oil recycling, public education

3 or 4 Rs ASSIGNMENT

Details in Handout