Component 1.6 - Sustainability And Decision Making

Question 1

Describe some examples of environmental monitoring

Answer 1

Air quality monitoring - concentration of air pollutants
Soil monitoring - soil structure, water-holding ability
Water quality monitoring - acid rain and greenhouse gases, indicator species for water quality, bacteria and viruses

Question 2

Why is environmental monitoring necessary?

Answer 2

It is needed for conservation

Predict effects of human activities and take into account and make a part of the overall planning

Question 3

What if a project is seen as being unsustainable?

Answer 3

• Activities planned could be replaced by others with less harmful consequences
• Counter measures could be prepared

Question 4

What does an EIA do?

Answer 4

• Description of site
• Alternatives
• Description of environment
• Mitigation - ways to avoid negative impacts

Question 5

What is a planetary boundary?

Answer 5

A threshold value for a global process that is affected by human activity and crossing these boundaries may cause abrupt or irreversible environmental change

Question 6

Has the climate change boundary been avoided or crossed?

Answer 6

Crossed

Question 7

Why are biofuels seen as more sustainable than fossil fuels?

Answer 7

Growing more crops for bio fuels removes the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by photosynthesis and the carbon dioxide is released when they are burnt.

Question 8

What are the environmental concerns of biofuel production?

Answer 8

1) ‘Food vs fuel debate’ - land used for food is now being used for fuel
2) Sustainable biofuel production relies on sustainable planting
3) Deforestation for growth leads to soil erosion and reduced biodiversity
4) Water availability reduces as biofuel crops require a large volume of water

Question 9

Has the biosphere integrity/biodiversity boundary been avoided or crossed?

Answer 9

Crossed

Question 10

How do humans impact biodiversity in different ecosystems?

Answer 10

• Herbaceous plants are growing in tundra where only mosses and lichens grew previously
• Acids, oil, plastics and sewage pollute waters (effects higher trophic levels)
• Coral reef bleaching because of hot, acidic waters
• Water loss by osmosis when coastal plains become flooded

Question 11

What are some ideas for dealing with the problems caused by crossing the biodiversity boundary?

Answer 11

• Biodiversity monitoring so prioritisation of species in gene banks can be made
• Public awareness by publicity to reduce human behaviour that has caused biodiversity loss

Question 12

Has the land-system/land use boundary been avoided or crossed?

Answer 12

Crossed

Question 13

What is the conflict over land use and food production in the land-system boundary?

What are the changes to farming practice that have effected the land-system boundary

Answer 13

• Biofuel crops vs peoples’ need to grow food
• Crops for export vs food production for local communities
• Deforestation due to the expansion of farming and raising livestock

Question 14

What is the biogeochemical flows boundary?

Has it been avoided or crossed?

Answer 14

It refers to the cycling of minerals through the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem and it has been crossed

Question 15

Why has the biogeochemical flows boundary been crossed?

What are the solutions?

Answer 15

Due to the use of agricultural fertilisers meaning that the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles are no longer self-sustaining and this causes eutrophication.

The goal has been to transfer nitrogen fixing genes to crop plants

Question 16

Has the stratospheric ozone boundary been avoided or crossed? And why?

Answer 16

It is the only planetary boundary that has been deliberately avoided by action following international agreements

Question 17

What was the problem with stratospheric ozone ?

Answer 17

CFCs release chlorine free radicals which break down ozone and there was a hole in the ozone layer so UV could get through

Question 18

Has the ocean acidification boundary been avoided or crossed?

Answer 18

Avoided

And is avoidable if we reduce use of fossil fuels

Question 19

Effects of ocean acidification

Answer 19

• Low PH can damage fishes gill structure and functioning

- Fish farms may have to consider changing species or relocating to more suitable waters

Question 20

Has the freshwater use boundary been avoided or crossed?

Answer 20

It is avoided and the boundary is probably avoidable

Question 21

Why is fresh water important?

Natural sources?

Answer 21

• Nearly all plants and mammals require fresh water to live

- It occurs naturally in glaciers, ice caps and sheets, lakes and rivers

Question 22

What are the three aspects to fresh water supply?

Answer 22

Timing, volume and quality

Question 23

Reasons for diminished supply of fresh water

Answer 23

• Changing landscapes e.g deforestation effects water cycle
• Agriculture
• Increased demand (population, use, warmer climates)
• Water pollution e.g eutrophication

Question 24

What is a method of getting fresh water

Answer 24

Desalination - removes minerals from salt water, producing fresh water

Question 25

What is the atmospheric aerosol loading boundary and what is its status?

Answer 25

• Particles put in the air by digging, quarrying and combustion of fuels (pollution by particulates)
• Boundary has not been quantified because aerosols are variable

Question 26

What is the novel entities/chemical pollution boundary and what is its status?

Answer 26

• it encompasses organic pollutants, radioactive materials, Nani materials etc
• Not possible to quantify the effects and the planetary boundary has not been identified

Question 27

Why can you not quantify the effects of the novel entities?

Answer 27

They may interact with each other and produce additional harmful effects, needs more research