Introduction to Sustainability
Course Revision Checklist
The Three Pillars of Sustainability
Environmental: depletion of natural resources / air quality / water quality / emissions and pollution / biodiversity / etc.
Social: human rights / health /education / equality / poverty / justice / animal rights / etc.
Economic: cost / profits / jobs / income / budget / etc.
1. Ecological Concepts
Ecosystems and Food Chains
• ecosystem – definition
• habitat
• biotic and abiotic factors
• levels of biological organization – organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
• photosynthesis
• food chains – ecological roles: producers, consumers, decomposers
• diet – carnivore, herbivore, omnivore
• biodiversity
• ecosystem services (freshwater / clean air/food and raw materials etc.
• carrying capacity
The Carbon Cycle
• photosynthesis (C02 + H2O sugars + 02)
• respiration (02 + sugars H2O + C02)
• fossil fuels
• deforestation
The Water Cycle (Hydrological Cycle)
• evaporation / condensation / freezing / melting / precipitation
• liquid /gas / solid
• formation/discharge of clouds
2. UAE Ecosystems
Desert
• challenges of desert life
• examples of plants and animals
• threats (plastic pollution / unregulated tourism)
• endangered species (vulnerable / endangered / extinct)
• example of a desert food chain
Mangroves
• habitat and adaptations
• examples of wildlife and possible food chains
• importance – ecosystem services
• threats (coastal development / pollution)
Coral Reefs
• importance (biodiversity hot spot, commercial fish, tourism, protection of coastal areas, etc.)
• threats (warming oceans: coral bleaching / more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: ocean acidification/anchor damage/overfishing)
• wildlife (hawksbill turtles)
Seagrass Meadows
• importance (carbon sink/productivity)
• wildlife (dugong)
3. Human Impact on the Environment
Climate Change
• greenhouse gases and global warming
• carbon dioxide emissions
• methane emissions (meat and dairy production/landfills/ etc.)
• consequences (results) of climate change (warming oceans / sea level rise / melting ice caps and glaciers / loss of biodiversity / extreme weather / etc.)
Ecological Footprint
• ecological footprint and carbon footprint – definition
• reasons why the UAE has a high ecological footprint
• ways to reduce your ecological footprint
4. Sustainability Issues
Energy
• non-renewable energy / fossil fuels
• types of renewable energy (solar, wind, tidal, hydropower, geothermal, biomass)
• advantages and disadvantages of each
• nuclear energy (non-renewable) – advantages and disadvantages
Water
• water issues in the UAE: the depletion of groundwater / low natural water availability/high per capita consumption / hyper-arid zone
• desalination issues (negative effects)
• subsidies
• solutions and improvements: treated water / solar powered desalination / rain enhancement / efficient irrigation / new food technologies e.g. hydroponic agriculture / etc.
Food
• factory farms: benefits: mass production / low cost – issues: cruelty against animals / pollution and emissions / impacts on human health
• agriculture: irrigation / synthetic pesticides / artificial fertilizers / GM crops
• seafood: overconsumption / exceeding the sustainable limit / etc.
• palm oil industry: deforestation and loss of biodiversity (e.g. orangutan)
Waste and Pollution
• problems of plastic waste (non-biodegradable / toxic substances)
• sources of waste (single-use / over-packaging)
• dealing with the waste (landfills / incineration / recycling / source reduction / composting)
• ways to reduce plastic waste
• e-waste (problems/solutions: take –back policy - modular design, etc.)
• composting: producing natural fertilizers out of biodegradable waste
5. Linear vs. Circular Economy
Definitions
• Why linear systems are not sustainable?
• The five stages of the materials economy
• Impacts of each stage on the three pillars of sustainability
• Materials economy strategies: externalizing the true cost of production / planned obsolescence / perceived obsolescence / advertisement
• Solutions: fair trade / closed-loop production / green chemistry / sustainable forestry / etc.
Circular Economy
Case studies and related vocab: e.g. disassembled / compostable / biodegradable / recyclable / reusable / etc.
The Egan Wheel
A set of criteria to evaluate the sustainability of communities/examples.
Course Revision Checklist
The Three Pillars of Sustainability
Environmental: depletion of natural resources / air quality / water quality / emissions and pollution / biodiversity / etc.
Social: human rights / health /education / equality / poverty / justice / animal rights / etc.
Economic: cost / profits / jobs / income / budget / etc.
1. Ecological Concepts
Ecosystems and Food Chains
• ecosystem – definition
• habitat
• biotic and abiotic factors
• levels of biological organization – organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
• photosynthesis
• food chains – ecological roles: producers, consumers, decomposers
• diet – carnivore, herbivore, omnivore
• biodiversity
• ecosystem services (freshwater / clean air/food and raw materials etc.
• carrying capacity
The Carbon Cycle
• photosynthesis (C02 + H2O sugars + 02)
• respiration (02 + sugars H2O + C02)
• fossil fuels
• deforestation
The Water Cycle (Hydrological Cycle)
• evaporation / condensation / freezing / melting / precipitation
• liquid /gas / solid
• formation/discharge of clouds
2. UAE Ecosystems
Desert
• challenges of desert life
• examples of plants and animals
• threats (plastic pollution / unregulated tourism)
• endangered species (vulnerable / endangered / extinct)
• example of a desert food chain
Mangroves
• habitat and adaptations
• examples of wildlife and possible food chains
• importance – ecosystem services
• threats (coastal development / pollution)
Coral Reefs
• importance (biodiversity hot spot, commercial fish, tourism, protection of coastal areas, etc.)
• threats (warming oceans: coral bleaching / more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: ocean acidification/anchor damage/overfishing)
• wildlife (hawksbill turtles)
Seagrass Meadows
• importance (carbon sink/productivity)
• wildlife (dugong)
3. Human Impact on the Environment
Climate Change
• greenhouse gases and global warming
• carbon dioxide emissions
• methane emissions (meat and dairy production/landfills/ etc.)
• consequences (results) of climate change (warming oceans / sea level rise / melting ice caps and glaciers / loss of biodiversity / extreme weather / etc.)
Ecological Footprint
• ecological footprint and carbon footprint – definition
• reasons why the UAE has a high ecological footprint
• ways to reduce your ecological footprint
4. Sustainability Issues
Energy
• non-renewable energy / fossil fuels
• types of renewable energy (solar, wind, tidal, hydropower, geothermal, biomass)
• advantages and disadvantages of each
• nuclear energy (non-renewable) – advantages and disadvantages
Water
• water issues in the UAE: the depletion of groundwater / low natural water availability/high per capita consumption / hyper-arid zone
• desalination issues (negative effects)
• subsidies
• solutions and improvements: treated water / solar powered desalination / rain enhancement / efficient irrigation / new food technologies e.g. hydroponic agriculture / etc.
Food
• factory farms: benefits: mass production / low cost – issues: cruelty against animals / pollution and emissions / impacts on human health
• agriculture: irrigation / synthetic pesticides / artificial fertilizers / GM crops
• seafood: overconsumption / exceeding the sustainable limit / etc.
• palm oil industry: deforestation and loss of biodiversity (e.g. orangutan)
Waste and Pollution
• problems of plastic waste (non-biodegradable / toxic substances)
• sources of waste (single-use / over-packaging)
• dealing with the waste (landfills / incineration / recycling / source reduction / composting)
• ways to reduce plastic waste
• e-waste (problems/solutions: take –back policy - modular design, etc.)
• composting: producing natural fertilizers out of biodegradable waste
5. Linear vs. Circular Economy
Definitions
• Why linear systems are not sustainable?
• The five stages of the materials economy
• Impacts of each stage on the three pillars of sustainability
• Materials economy strategies: externalizing the true cost of production / planned obsolescence / perceived obsolescence / advertisement
• Solutions: fair trade / closed-loop production / green chemistry / sustainable forestry / etc.
Circular Economy
Case studies and related vocab: e.g. disassembled / compostable / biodegradable / recyclable / reusable / etc.
The Egan Wheel
A set of criteria to evaluate the sustainability of communities/examples.
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