Envs3991 Course Modulesu

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Course Development Team (2012)
Course Writer: Dr. Nancy Elliot
Course Reviewer: Dr. Myra Kandemiri
Instructional Designer: Michelle Harrison
Course Editor: Dr. Wayne Egers
Academic Director: Bryan Daly
Course Development team: Revision (2017)

Course Writer: Dr. Nancy Elliot, PhD
Course Reviewer: Dr. Percy Hebert
Instructional Designer: Dr. Michelle Harrison, MA, PhD
Editor: Carolyn Hawes, BA
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Table of Contents
Module 1: Key Concepts of Environmental Sustainability
Topic 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................M1-1
Topic 1: Key Concepts of Environmental Sustainability........................................M1-3
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: The Role of Social Science
in Environmental Studies and Natural Resource Management ...........................M1-5
Learning Activity 2 - Key Concepts, Online Discussions (Post 1) ........................M1-8
Topic 2: Key Concepts—Physical Science ..............................................................M1-11
Learning Activity 1 - Key Concepts Online Discussions (Post 2) .......................M1-12
Learning Activity 2 - Scale: Reading and Focus Questions .................................M1-13
Learning Activity 3 - Create a Systems Diagram:
Online Discussions (Post 3) ......................................................................................M1-14
Topic 3: Putting It All Together—Linking the Physical
and Social Sciences....................................................................................................M1-18
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: Guides for Interdisciplinary Practice ................M1-20
Learning Activity 2 - Adaptive Management:
Using Interdisciplinarity to Solve Environmental Problems...............................M1-22
Learning Activity 3 - Personal Values, Online Discussions (Post 4) ..................M1-24
Introduction to the Final Project ..............................................................................M1-27
Module 2: Sustainable Development, Sustainable Communities

Introduction ..................................................................................................................M2-1
Topic 4: Sustainable Development ............................................................................M2-2
Learning Activity 1 - What Makes a Good Sustainability Indicator?...................M2-4
Learning Activity 2 - Exploring CESI .......................................................................M2-8
Learning Activity 3 - Personal Sustainability,
Final Project: Stakeholders........................................................................................M2-11
Topic 5: Sustainable Communities ..........................................................................M2-12
Learning Activity 1 - Compare and Contrast: Sustainable Communities .........M2-13
Learning Activity 2 - Components of Sustainable Communities .......................M2-15
Learning Activity 3 - Characteristics of Successful
Sustainable Communities: Online Discussions (Post 6) .......................................M2-19
Learning Activity 4 - “Develop or Die”: Video Analysis .....................................M2-20
Final Project Component: Systems Diagram .........................................................M2-22
Assignment 1: Online Discussion Posts (15%).......................................................M2-22
Assignment 3: Essay (20%) .......................................................................................M2-22
Module 3: Global Sustainability—Population, Climate Change

Introduction ..................................................................................................................M3-1
Topic 6: Human Population and Resource Use.......................................................M3-1
Learning Activity 1 - Web Exploration: Interactive Population Growth .............M3-3
Learning Activity 2 - Readings: IPAT .......................................................................M3-6
Learning Activity 3 - Calculate Your Ecological Footprint:
Online Discussions (Post 7) ........................................................................................M3-7
Learning Activity 4 - The EF Concept as a Sustainability Indicator .....................M3-8
Learning Activity 5 - Video: TED Talk on Sustainable Future ............................M3-10
Assignment 3: Essay Due This Topic (20%) ...........................................................M3-12
Topic 7: Climate Change and Sustainability ..........................................................M3-13
Learning Activity 1 - Video and Animation:
Climate Change—How it Works .............................................................................M3-16
Learning Activity 2 - Reading: Scientific Uncertainty ..........................................M3-18
Learning Activity 3 - Video: Impacts of Climate Change ....................................M3-19
Learning Activity 4 - Equity and Climate Change:
Quiz..............................................................................................................................M3-23
Final Project Component: Meeting or Event ..........................................................M3-23
Module 4: Natural Resources—Water, Air, Energy, Biodiversity,

and Food and Agriculture
Introduction ..................................................................................................................M4-1
Topic 8: Water Sustainability .....................................................................................M4-1
Learning Activity 1 - Reading and Web Activity:
Water Quality and Availability .................................................................................M4-3
Learning Activity 2 - How Much Water Do You Use? ...........................................M4-6
Learning Activity 3 - Reading: Integrating
Local Knowledge with Scientific Research ..............................................................M4-9
Learning Activity 4 - Water Sustainability in a
Changing World and the Tragedy of the Commons:
Final Project Component: Impacts (Optional Online Posting) ............................M4-12
Topic 9: Air Pollution and Air Quality ...................................................................M4-13
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: Something in the Air ...........................................M4-15
Learning Activity 2 - In the Air Around You:
Online Discussions (Post 10) ....................................................................................M4-16
Learning Activity 3 - Video Analysis: Two Countries,
Related Problems .......................................................................................................M4-17
Final Project Component: Decision Making ..........................................................M4-20
Topic 10: Energy.........................................................................................................M4-21
Learning Activity 1 - Your Personal Energy Consumption.................................M4-23
Learning Activity 2 - Alberta’s Oil Sands—Consideration of
Two Views: Online Discussions (Post 11) ..............................................................M4-24
Learning Activity 3 - Reading: Energetic Limits to Economic Growth..............M4-27
Learning Activity 4 - Reading and Activity:
Renewable Energy and Your Region ......................................................................M4-37
Final Project Component: Solutions ........................................................................M4-38
Topic 11: Biodiversity ................................................................................................M4-39
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: What is Biodiversity? ..........................................M4-41
Learning Activity 2 - Reading: United Nations
Decade on Biodiversity 2011–2020 ..........................................................................M4-45
Learning Activity 3 - Biodiversity in Your Area:
Final Project Component: Outcomes ......................................................................M4-49
Topic 12: Food and Agriculture ...............................................................................M4-50
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: Breadbasket Contradictions ...............................M4-52
Learning Activity 2 - What the World Eats:
Learning Activity 3 - Reading: The Challenge of Feeding the World ................M4-54
Learning Activity 4 - Food (In)Security ..................................................................M4-55
Assignment 2: Online Discussions ..........................................................................M4-61
Final Project Component: Final Wrap-up ..............................................................M4-61
ENVS 3991: Environmental Studies: Sustainability M1-1
Module 1: Key Concepts of Environmental

Sustainability
Introduction
Welcome to ENVS 3991 Environmental Studies: Sustainability! This course offers in-depth
and participatory learning in social and ecological systems, primary components of the
concept of sustainability.
Many of us come from specific disciplinary backgrounds within which we specialize in
one or two areas of expertise. However, to successfully solve societal environmental
problems, we must consider not only the contributions of specialists, but also recognize
that the unique values and priorities of every one of us, and our impacts on ecological
systems, determine how decisions are made. This kind of shift from a single discipline
focus to a broader one requires multi-disciplinary or interdisciplinary approaches.
ENVS 3991 integrates social sciences and natural sciences through the study of real-world
environmental problems. In this first Module, which spans three topics, we look at key
concepts in the social sciences, and key concepts in the physical sciences. An
understanding of common terms and approaches will help us to communicate more
effectively and provide us with a series of “tools” that can be combined to solve problems.
The module ends examining how we can bring these tools together by exploring the links
between the physical and social sciences. This interdisciplinary approach provides a
foundation for our examination of sustainability and its application.
Before you proceed to the readings and activities of this topic make sure you have done
the following:
• Review your Open Learning Faculty Member’s welcome letter, the Course Guide,
the Suggested Study Schedule, and the Assignments. Reviewing each of these
now, will be helpful later in the course.
• Introduce yourself. In your introduction, articulate why you are interested in the
course and what you hope to learn.
After you are familiar with the course materials and the expectations for your work in the
course proceed with the activities for Topic 1. Refer to the Suggested Study Schedule for
suggested due dates. For this course, each Module is divided into major topics, and it is
recommended that you spend about one week per topic. Work through the learning
activities, which are designed to help you learn the concepts covered, and though they
aren’t for marks, they will help you complete your marked assignments, which include
online discussion postings, a major essay, a quiz, and a final project.
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M1-2 Module 1: Key Concepts of Environmental Sustainability
As noted in the Course Guide, you are strongly encouraged to write your responses to the
non-assessed activities in a notebook, or electronic file as a way to track your thoughts
about key concepts, synthesize your learning experience, and help you to formulate your
ideas for the written assignments. Additionally, some of the material covered in these
activities will be tested in the Quiz at the end of Topic 7.
Accessing Articles from the TRU Library

As you work through the course, you will find references that direct you to search
the TRU Library, to find articles online.
When you know the name of the exact article that you are looking for, use the TRU
Library catalogue to locate it. See the TRU Library “Following a citation trail,” guide
for step-by-step instructions about how to use a citation to locate articles in the TRU
Library catalogue. After you find the publication (i.e., journal, magazine, or
newspaper title) that you are looking for, complete the "Login to licensed databases."
To do this, you will need your student number and your library PIN number.
Generally, the full-text electronic versions of the articles are available from
the TRU Library as either HTML files or PDFs that you can either download
to your computer or read on-screen in your browser.
To open, download, or save a PDF document, use Acrobat Reader (Version
5.0 or higher), which is available free from Adobe Systems Inc.
If you encounter any problems with online access to these articles, please
advise your Open Learning Faculty Member.
Evaluating the Quality and Credibility of Resources You Use

Throughout this course, you will be asked to include sources in your work. For
example, you will use sources from other authors to support the arguments or points
of view that you develop for your assignments. It is very important that you assess
any sources you use for their quality and credibility. Not all information is equal;
some information can be biased and thus your arguments will lack credibility. You
are encouraged to develop the skill to assess the credibility of sources, particularly as
you will be graded, in part, on the quality of the sources that you include and how
you use them.
Generally, your best bet is to use material from peer-reviewed scholarly journals.
Academics and other subject matter experts review these publications to ensure that
the methods, analysis, and conclusion meet the standards of the academic discipline.
You can access the journals available through your TRU library account.
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The above method works well when you know which journal you are looking for
(after a while, you will learn which journals carry subject matter relevant to your
interests!). But until that happens, there are indexes, or lists of sources, available
through the online TRU library where you can search your subject matter.
Additionally, you can also use ‘Google Scholar’ which is a variation of the search
engine Google that indexes academic publications.
At some point though, you will want to use some material that has not been strictly
reviewed, for example, material on a website, popular magazine, newspaper, etc.
This material can provide valuable contextual information for your work, but must
be assessed for its quality and credibility before and as you read it. The library
provides a good guide to assist you in this process. In this guide, you are asked to
consider the Authority, Content and Timeliness of any resource you are using (web
or print). You are encouraged to become familiar with the process described so that
you use credible resources.
TRU Writing Centre

The Writing Centre can help you with feedback on your writing. You can request
help with any stage of the writing process, including: understanding assignment
requirements; tips on brainstorming and idea generation; feedback on organization,
sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation; resources for academic citations and
avoiding plagiarism; and strategies for effective revision. You may ask for help with
a specific writing problem or for general feedback.
Information about the help available, whether online or in person, can be found at
http://www.tru.ca/writingcentre/Open_Learning_Writing_Centre_Support.html.
Writing tips and hints can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TRUWriting
and at https://www.facebook.com/TRUWritingCentre.
Topic 1: Key Concepts of Environmental Sustainability

Introduction
You will begin this course by learning about how social science research
contributes to the management of natural resources and how citizens can become
engaged in the process. In addition you will explore and share about some key
sustainability concepts to build a foundation for your understanding of
sustainability management issues.
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Learning Outcomes
• Explain the key concepts of sustainability.
• Find and assess the validity and reliability of environmental information on
the Internet.
Learning Activity and Assessment Checklist
Activity Description Assessment
1. Introductory Introduce yourself. In No assessment

Discussion Post your introduction,
articulate why you are
interested in the course
and what you hope to
learn.
2. Review Course Read online letter, No assessment

course guide and
schedule, and
assignments.
3. Reading Paper: "Relevance of No assessment

social science to the
management of
natural resources in
British Columbia”
4. Key Concepts Research, write, and Assignment 1: Key

Discussions contribute one key Concepts Discussion
social science concept (Post 1)
and share in the online
discussions.
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Learning Activity 1 - Reading: The Role of Social

Science in Environmental Studies and Natural Resource
Management
Introduction
We begin our discussion of social science terms and concepts by reading Haider and
Morford’s article “Relevance of social science to the management of natural
resources in British Columbia,” in the BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management
(see the reference for this article at the end of this learning activity section).
Haider and Morford (2004) recognize that the integration of social science research
skills with physical research approaches is essential for the effective management of
natural resource management problems. They also assert that future trends will
increase the degree to which social and physical sciences work together. This paper
was written in 2004, and today (2016) we can see evidence of governments adopting
these principles as they hire generalists (“natural resource specialists”) and pursue
collaboration with the public at large to define and solve problems (see: “Citizen
Engagement” and Natural Resource Science). It is easy to find examples of projects
written from strictly a social science or a physical science point of view, but less easy
to find one where the methods are combined, or where experts work together
towards one goal. For one example of a project where social and physical scientists
work together, review the following essay by Nyhus, Westley, Lacy & Miller, 2002,
"A Role for Natural Resource Social Science in Biodiversity Risk Assessment".
Another example is described in “Evolution of Natural and Social Science
Interactions in Global Change Research Programs” (Mooney, Duraiappah, &
Larigauderie, 2013).
Reading and Focus Questions

Read Haider and Morford (2014) and as you are reading, consider the following
questions, and record your answers in a personal notebook that you will keep for
this course.
1. Haider and Morford (2004) list 10 ways that Social Science contributes to
natural resource management by considering the following question: What
does social science research do? In the table below, list these 10 contributions
(the first two have been completed for you).
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How Social Science Contributes to Natural

Role
Resource Management
1 Documents what exists.
Summarizes relationships over time or amongst

2
datasets.
10
2. What are ways that Social Science research can be distinguished from
Physical Science research?
3. What are examples of qualitative research and quantitative research methods
in the Social Sciences?
4. What are the roles of economics and governance in natural resource
management?
5. Of the 10 contributions, which do you think is the most valuable for solving
practical environmental problems? Why? From your perspective, which do
you think is the least relevant? Why?
6. If you had to make a “toolkit” of social science tools that you could use to
analyze environmental problems, what skills would it contain?
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Citizen Engagement and Natural Resource Management

Citizen engagement is an international movement to increase the involvement of
citizens in decision making. Its focus is to work collaboratively with direct
stakeholders as well as members of the general public. Whereas previously,
governments have done mostly “black box” decision making, citizen engagement
strives to involve citizens across a spectrum of being informed, to collaborating, to
empowerment. In part, this movement is driven by the increased ability of people to
communicate their views and opinions more rapidly than ever before (through
social media tools) and also by the inability of governments to do as much as they
have in the past because of fiscal pressures. Most importantly, citizen engagement
recognizes that citizens are knowledgeable with respect to what is needed to design
and implement good management practices.
Citizen engagement recognizes that professionally trained researchers and managers
are not the only people who bring meaningful knowledge and dialogue to managing
our collective resources. For example, on-the-ground mental health activists often
know more than academic researchers or government managers about opportunities
and challenges (e.g., housing, accessing services). Inclusion of their knowledge in the
decision-making process ensures that solutions are more rounded and inclusive.
The application of citizen engagement to natural resource management is evident in
Our Common Ground: The Future of Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources (2009), a
report that was prepared by the Nova Scotia Natural Resources Citizen Engagement
Committee. This report documents the outcome of a citizen engagement effort to
assess Nova Scotians’ values, concerns, and visions about the natural resources of
their province. This effort was Phase 1 of a three Phase project that resulted in a
Natural Resources Strategy for Nova Scotia (2011-2020).
By reading Our Common Ground, you can see what was accomplished and what is
envisioned for future planning. At the same time, a critical evaluation of such
processes is important for fully understanding the strengths and weaknesses of
individual projects. Citizen participants in Our Common Ground evaluated their
contributions and the outcome of this planning activity, on their own websites; by
using a search engine such as Google, you can read about their evaluations.
Finally, using the resources at the Natural Resource Strategy website, take a moment
to identify Phases 2 and 3 of the Strategy development process. How did these
Phases balance out the input from citizens?
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References
Haider, W., & Morford, S. (2004). Relevance of social science to the management of natural
resources in British Columbia. BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management, 4(1).
Retrieved Feb. 26, 2016 from
http://forrex.org/sites/default/files/publications/jem_archive/ISS21/vol4_no1_art7.pdf
Lukensmeyer, C. J., & Torres, L. H. (2006). Public deliberation: A manager’s guide to
citizen engagement. IBM Center for the Business of Government. Retrieved Feb. 26,
2016 from
http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/ostp/opengov_inbox/ibmpubdelib.pdf.
Natural Resource Citizen Engagement Committee. (2009). Our common ground: The
future of Nova Scotia’s natural resources. Halifax, N.S: Nova Scotia Natural Resources.
Retrieved Feb. 26, 2016 from http://gov.ns.ca/govt/vp/NaturalResourcesReport.pdf.
Sheedy, A. (2008). Handbook on citizen engagement: Beyond consultation. Ottawa,
Ontario: Canadian Policy and Research Network. Retrieved Feb. 26, 2016 from
http://www.cprn.org/documents/49583_EN.pdf.
Learning Activity 2 - Key Concepts, Online Discussions

(Post 1)
Introduction
In this activity, you will be introduced to some key terms and concepts that will help
to establish your familiarity with the application of social sciences to sustainable
resource management. You will select one term (your own or from the list at the end
of this activity) to add to the online discussions. Key terms will be applied in future
Topics, so you can become familiar with some now!
Your contributions to this assignment, (your first seven posts) are worth 15% of your
final grade. Make sure you review the requirements for this part of your assessment
in the “Assignments” section of your course.
Instructions
1. For this activity you will select one term to research, define, and then post to
the online discussions to help build a shared key term searchable space with
other course participants. You can choose your term from the list below, or
you can choose one on your own.
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Note
Your entry should be written in your own words.
o Biocentric, Ecocentric, Anthrocentric, Conflict

o Ecological footprint, Cost-Benefit Analysis
o Multiple Account Analysis, Stewardship
o Holistic Management, Deep Ecology, Precautionary Principle, Land Ethics
o Quality of Life Measurements, Impact Assessment
o Life Cycle Assessment, Alternative Dispute Resolution
o Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Consumer Surplus
o Gaia Hypothesis
o Sustainable Economic Development, Public Participation
Note
You will notice some highlighted words throughout the course. These are key
sustainability concepts that you will continue to build on as you move
through the modules
2. Before you choose your term to write about, read the following examples:
complexity, uncertainty, and wicked problems. Note the types of references that
were used, how they were cited, the depth and breadth of the definition of
the term, and the real-world example (not a generic example) provided:
Complexity
Review the course material in your Learning Management System.
Uncertainty
Wicked Problems
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When using web sources, be aware of who is making a posting and what
their credentials are (speaks to authority), the existence of any bias, and the
timeliness of the source (date posted, updated?). Together, these points are
captured in the acronym ACT, which stands for authority, content,
timeliness. Review the following information about using and evaluating
web sources:
Authority, Content, Timeliness (ACT):
TRU Library: Evaluating and Citing Sources
● What are some of the pitfalls related to relying on online research when the
ACT is not clear or unknown?
● What are some strategies for successful evaluation?
Additional Resources:
● Saint Mary’s University: Evaluating Internet Resources: Questions and
Strategies
● Purdue Online Writing Lab: Evaluating Sources
Now complete the short tutorial on evaluating resources. This will be helpful for you
when you begin to prepare your essay.
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Topic 2: Key Concepts—Physical Science

Introduction
In this topic, we continue to build our environmental sustainability base by looking
at key concepts related to the physical and biological sciences. This topic introduces
several key concepts: scale, systems and feedback mechanisms, and resiliency and
resistance. You will be asked to complete a reading; create a systems diagram (using
a video and researching additional information); and similar to Topic 1, research,
write, and contribute one key science concept to the online discussions.
Learning Outcomes
the Internet.
• Model human-environment systems and feedback mechanisms.
Learning Activity Description Assessment
1. Key Concepts Research, write, and Part of your Assignment

contribute one key 1: Online discussions
physical or biological (Post 2)
science concept.
2. Reading Paper: “Multi-scale Quiz

analysis and modelling of
natural resource
management options.”
3. Systems Create a systems diagram Part of your Assignment

Diagram showing ecosystem 1: Online discussions
elements, human (Post 3)
interaction, and feedback
loops.
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Key Concepts from the Physical and Biophysical Sciences

In this topic, you will be introduced to some key terms and concepts that will help
you to apply the understandings of the physical and biological sciences to
sustainable resource management. In Topics 3 and 4, we will look at the ways that
the social and physical sciences are bridged in relation to environmental and
sustainability issues.
Learning Activity 1 - Key Concepts Online Discussions

(Post 2)
Similar to Topic 1, identify one concept from the physical and biological sciences
that relate to environmental sustainability and natural resource management. Post
your definition to the online discussions to share with other students. Choose your
term from the following list or submit one of your own.
• Key Species Management, Stochasitc and Deterministic
• Keystone Species and Umbrella Species, Resiliency - Resistance
• Spatial and Temporal Scale Variation, Ecosystem Management
• Coarse vs Fine Filter, Fragmentation
• Edge Effect, Biomass, Deforestation, Desertification
• Renewable/Non-renewable Resources, Photochemical smog
• Adaptation, Carbon Cycle
• Conservation Biology, Connectivity, Abiotic/Biotic
• Alien and Invasive Species, Food Chain and Food Web, Pioneer Species
• Seral Stage
As in Topic 1, the following important terms are presented below as examples of
scale, feedback mechanisms, and resiliency and resistance.
Examples
Scale
Feedback Mechanisms
Resilience and Resistance
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Learning Activity 2 - Scale: Reading and Focus

Questions
Modeling is a process whereby a representation of a real system is built to help us
understand how the real system works. Models are frequently used in
environmental management to help us understand what components are present in
a system, how they interact, and what changes result if components are altered.
Different types of ecosystem models exist, including mental constructs, statistical
models, and simulation models, and by necessity, these models are simpler than
their real-world counterparts. Since models and predictions can influence
management and policy decisions, before applying modeling results, care needs to
be taken to ensure that the model parameters adequately match the real-world
problem. One of the most critical elements to look at is the scale at which a given
model is created. The process of “upscaling” or “downscaling” data for applicability
to different organizational levels must be assessed carefully to ensure validity.
“Upscaling” occurs when information and data sources are aggregated (put
together) to answer questions about a real-world feature larger than the one being
modeled. For example, questions about a given watershed can be answered if data
and models from its component streams systems are aggregated and analyzed
together. “Downscaling” occurs when the initial model is too coarse for using a
smaller scale. For example, Global Climate Models (GCMs) are created using data at
a resolution of (for example) 50 km2. In order to use the GCMs to answer questions
about local areas (under 50 km2) local data variables need to be entered into the
original model.

For this exercise, read the article “Multi-scale analysis and modelling of natural
resource management options,” by Ewert, Keulen, Ittersum, Giller, Leffelaar, and
Roetter (2006) that discusses modeling across scale (temporal and spatial) in relation
to differing levels of organization. After you read the article, answer the following
questions in your own personal notebook (this is not an online graded assessment
but the concepts may appear in the course quiz).
1. What is the primary difference regarding moving between different levels of
scale and different levels of organization?
2. What are different methods used for upscaling data to greater scales? What
determines what scale of study is appropriate?
3. Ewert et al. (2006) assert that to build effective modeling processes, it may be
useful to include stakeholders at key points in the model development. At
what point (for what role) do they advocate the inclusion of stakeholders?
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Reference
Ewert, F., Keulen, H. V., Ittersum, M. K. V., Giller, K., Leffelaar, P., & Roetter, R.
(2006). Multi-scale analysis and modelling of natural resource management options.
In A. Voinov, A. Jakeman, & A. Rizzoli (Eds.), iEMSs Third Biennial Meeting: Summit
on Environmental Modelling and Software (Session 9). International Environmental
Modelling and Software Society, Burlington, USA, Internet:
http://www.iemss.org/iemss2006/sessions/all.html. Retrieved March 1, 2016 from
http://www.iemss.org/iemss2006/papers/s9/128_Ewert_0.pdf.
Learning Activity 3 - Create a Systems Diagram: Online

Discussions (Post 3)
Introduction
To manage sustainably, we need to study the way humans interact with natural
systems. A systems diagram shows the basic functioning of a natural system, key
elements (e.g., positive and negative feedback mechanisms), and influences of direct
and indirect human activity.
In this activity, you will make a systems diagram that illustrates the key elements of
a British Columbia grassland system. All the secondary resources you will need are
linked below. To capture the essence of a system (see examples below), your
diagram does not have to be overly complex. To make a systems diagram, you first
identify what elements you need to map out. For example, you will want to show
the key organisms (animals, humans) and their relationships (food web, etc.). You
are encouraged to include feedback loops. To identify these elements you start by
researching your selected ecosystem, and writing down what the elements are that
you will map, making note of their relationships. Then you conceive of how to
visually represent this material in your systems map.
Additionally, it is very important that you include a Figure text that describes your
ecosystem, its relationships, what arrows or other elements might show, etc.
This learning activity will contribute to your Assignment 1: Online Discussions mark
To Make Your Systems Diagram

You are free to use any drawing program. For example, many easy-to-use drawing
tools are available in PowerPoint, and it is fairly straightforward to export your
drawing in a jpeg format.
Google Docs also provides some good drawing tools.
For further guidance, see the YouTube video Google Docs – Create a Drawing.
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https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y097HblKru0
Screen Capture Your Drawing

If you are having trouble exporting your drawing to an image format, you may want
to use a screen capture program to capture the section of your screen showing your
drawing. You can then save that file to an image.
For Windows: You can use the Snipping Tool that comes with Windows to capture
what you see on the screen.
For Mac: capture an area of the screen by using:
Resources
Grasslands
You can become familiar with the key components of British Columbia grasslands
by consulting the following resources. The first resource is a video, produced by BC
Parks, which includes descriptions of ecosystem components, as well as the human
and natural impacts that change the system. Feedback loops are implicit in these
ecosystem descriptions.
So, have a look at the YouTube video produced by BCParks: South Okanagan
Grasslands, The Great Ranger Experience.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/tZkd-dYbDGk
To read further about South Okanagan grasslands:
The BC Parks website provides information about the South Okanagan Grasslands
Protected Area
The Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia also provides information
pertinent to South Okanagan grasslands:
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Also, detailed information is available in the following publication:

Wikeem, B., & Wikeem, S. (2004). The Grasslands of British Columbia. The
Grasslands Conservation Council. 89–121. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
Examples of Systems Diagrams

The following examples demonstrate that systems diagrams vary widely in their
presentation. The key is that the message you are trying to convey is communicated
clearly. The examples below are also critiqued and suggestions for their
improvement are given, as a way to help you understand what makes a good
systems diagram.
Example 1: Beach Ecosystem
This diagram was produced by the University of Southern California, with the
support of the Sea Grant program.
This is a very simplified systems diagram showing the main components present in
a beach ecosystem: human activity, waves, marine plants and algae, and marine
animals. Although this diagram captures essential elements, it could be improved to
communicate more and show the linkages amongst the four main components. This
would likely involve the inclusion of some feedback loops. For example, the energy
from waves moves sand, which carries floating plants and some animals to the
beach. Human activities, from recreation to the construction of jetties, impacts the
other components. You can see that they have accommodated these other elements
by providing links to more information on the right hand side of the page.
Example 2: Hydrologic Cycle
This resource on the water cycle was produced by NASA.
This is a more elaborate systems diagram, in this case, illustrating the main
processes of the water cycle. Although your illustration does not have to be this
detailed, you can still include all the processes. This diagram could be improved by
more clearly delineating the feedback loops and showing one or two types of human
interaction.
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Example 3: Human Interaction with Wildlife Populations
Figure 1: See caption above.

Nyhus,P.J., Westley F.R, Lacy, RC and Miller P.S.(2002) Figure 1. In Society and Natural
Resources, 15(10) p.926.
This diagram is quite different from one that is drawn to actually look like the real-
world! This model attempts to show how human interaction at a very coarse scale
(e.g., through war, commodity prices) impacts wildlife populations. It also attempts
to capture spatial and temporal variances, since changes that occur in one place and
time may impact wildlife populations in other places and times. This diagram is
presented to show a completely different way of representing real-world elements.
In short, as long as your model communicates clearly what your messages are, you
can create it as you wish!
Resources
Nyhus, P. J., Westley, F. R., Lacy, R. C., & Miller, P. S. (2002). A role for natural
resource social science in biodiversity risk assessment. Society and Natural Resources,
15(10), 923–932.
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Topic 3: Putting It All Together—Linking the Physical

and Social Sciences
Introduction
Now that we have an introduction to understanding the key terms and concepts of
the social and physical sciences, it is time to put it all together. As we have seen, real-
world examples are complex—systems are dynamic; direct and indirect feedback
impacts outcomes; human involvement occurs over varying temporal, spatial, and
institutional scales; and differing values drive decision making.
Addressing real-world problems requires skills from many areas—biological and
physical science, economic theory, experience in interpreting regulations and law,
ethics, anthropology, management of people and resources, and so on. Two
approaches to integrating multiple and diverse skills are: 1) connecting specialists in
teams and 2) developing generalists, individuals who are adept and knowledgeable
in more than one area, although they may lack the in-depth knowledge of the
specialist. These approaches are not mutually exclusive; most frequently, both
specialists and generalists are needed to address real-world problems. Each
approach has its advantages and drawbacks.
Interdisciplinarity combines two or more disciplines to achieve a common goal.
Sustainability is interdisciplinary, since sustainability focuses on addressing
complex problems that require going beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries
(Kaufmann & Cleveland, 1995). In Topics 4 and 5 we will look at sustainable
development and sustainable communities. In this Topic, we look at methods of
integrating the social and physical sciences.
Learning Outcomes
• Explain how an interdisciplinary approach is necessary for effective
management through using concepts such as adaptive management and
carrying capacity.
• Identify your environmental values.
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1. Readings Guidelines for Quiz

interdisciplinary practice –
compare two articles.
2. Reading Adaptive management Quiz
3. Online Personal values activity Assignment 1: Online

Discussions Post Discussions (Post 4)
4. Final Project Introduction, select topic Final Project

component
Integrating Social and Physical Sciences

A pre-requisite to effectively address the many complexities of environmental
problems is the participation of people with different skills and knowledge. Klein
(2004) suggests that integration occurs on two axis—horizontal and vertical:
It is horizontal in the cooperation of disciplines at the same level
during multi-and interdisciplinary research, the involvement of
different stakeholders in a local planning process, and the
cooperation of administrative bodies. It is vertical in the
cooperation of disciplines at different levels when scientific
research is combined with best practices in a region, NGOs and
government agencies cooperate, and local communities interact
(p. 519).
To achieve the goals of horizontal or vertical collaboration, two approaches are
frequently put into practice: multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary.
Different Needs, Different Approaches

Youngblood (2007) defines multidisciplinarity as:
what happens when members of two or more disciplines
cooperate, using the tools and knowledge of their disciplines in
new ways to consider multifaceted problems that have at least
one tentacle in another area of study (p. 2).
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Further, she defines interdisciplinary work as:

what happens when researchers go beyond establishing a
common meeting place to developing new method and theory
crafted to transcend the disciplines in order to solve problems
(p. 2).
Other definitions suggest that multidisciplinary work allows people to work within
their own disciplines and contribute to finding a solution to a joint project, whereas
interdisciplinarity requires selecting tools to ask questions and find solutions
regardless of discipline:
[interdisciplinarity] creates its own theoretical, conceptual and
methodological identity. Consequently, the results of an
interdisciplinary study of a certain problem are more coherent,
and integrated (Besselaar & Heimeriks, 2001, p. 2).
How do you select the most appropriate approach? Interdisciplinarity may take
longer to design, develop, and implement than approaches that use pre-selected
methods (i.e. multidisciplinarity), and a number of other obstacles need to be
overcome (see readings below). However, interdisciplinarity can create many
rewards and benefits, including the formulation of solutions that are more
responsive to meeting the wide range of societal values, the development of new
models and ways of understanding, and a greater advance of knowledge made
possible through the development of new methods.
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: Guides for

Interdisciplinary Practice
Introduction
Strang (2009) presents the results of a workshop on identifying obstacles to
collaboration between the social and physical sciences. She opens her introduction
with this quote:
Anthropologist: ‘So, how are you integrating the social sciences
into your research programme?’
Regional Catchment Group Manager: ‘Well… er… we are talking
to a lot of people, so we figure we have got that covered’ (p. 2).
This experience reveals that more often than not physical scientists do not know
how to incorporate social science, and, as Strang goes on to emphasize, in other
instances, social scientists do not know how to incorporate physical science research.
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The workshop she summarizes captured barriers to fully understanding this

problem as well as potential solutions from a large group of social and physical
science academics and practitioners.
Let’s take a look at the barriers first. Some of the identified barriers to integrated
collaborative practice include:
• “Language barriers” amongst discipline specialists contribute to inabilities to
understand models and methods.
• An overall paradigm where “nature” and “culture” are treated separately
impedes abilities to consider the impacts of human interaction with the
environment.
• Differing time scales are used to collect research results.
• Disparity exists in the data collection and analysis methods of the social and
physical sciences.
• Different disciplinary approaches typically produce different types of output.
Heberlein (1998) also identifies barriers to interdisciplinary work, but he does so
more from the perspective of academia. He distinguishes the following five barriers:
• Many social sciences are generally less developed in terms of theory, data,
method, and tradition than some physical sciences.
• Social sciences have “lower status.”
• Interdisciplinary research in universities may be more difficult and therefore
receive fewer rewards than disciplinary research. Funding is often geared
towards disciplines.
• Interdisciplinary research lacks a disciplinary support structure. Issues of
power and control are a problem. Who leads?
Reading and Questions

To further explore these issues, and to consider possible solutions, read the
following articles:
Heberlein, T. A. (1998). Improving interdisciplinary research: Integrating the social
and natural sciences. Society and Natural Resources, 1, 5–16. Retrieved Feb. 26, 2016
from
Strang, V. (2009). Integrating the social and natural sciences in environmental
research: A discussion paper. Journal of Environment, Development and Sustainability,
11(1), 1–18. Available online through the TRU Library Journal Database.
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In your personal journal or notebook, answer the following questions:

1. What are some of the solutions that Strang and Heberlein propose to each of
the barriers discussed above?
2. What solutions do you think would be the easiest and which do you think
would be more difficult to implement? Why?
3. Can you propose your own solutions to overcoming these barriers?
Learning Activity 2 - Adaptive Management: Using

Interdisciplinarity to Solve Environmental Problems
Introduction
At the heart of interdisciplinarity is the concept that we work together to learn from
each other and our experiences, and to develop something new. Adaptive
management (ADM) is one approach to environmental management that captures
the essence of interdisciplinary experiences:
[Adaptive Management] should begin with a concerted effort to
integrate existing interdisciplinary experience and scientific
information into dynamic models that attempt to make
predictions about the impacts of alternative policies (Walters,
1997, n.p.).
ADM was developed in recognition of the uncertainty that exists within natural
systems, particularly as the result of human intervention (Holling, 1978; Lee, 1993).
ADM emphasizes “learning by doing” and resides on the principle that to
experiment and learn, we must be free to make mistakes.
Some of the key characteristics of adaptive management projects (Mitchell, 1997):
• Are explicit about their objectives and what they expect as outcomes so that
they can design methods and techniques to monitor and measure what
happens.
• Collect and assess information so that outcomes and impacts can be
compared with expectations.
• Take their new understanding and learn from it by correcting errors, and
changing both plans and actions (p. 136).
Lee (1993) examined ADM as an approach to develop an environmentally
sustainable economy. Sustainable development (SD) (Topic 4) emphasizes the
confluence of economics, environment, and social values to provide for the present
and the future. ADM includes mechanisms for long-term monitoring that can inform
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the development of effective SD management approaches. Further, ADM improves

our ability to address uncertainty, and this in turn supports our capacity to create a
more sustainable future.

Applied Environmental Decision Analysis, a research facility in Australia, has put
together a short description and case examples of ADM in an info sheet prepared by
Cindy Hauser titled “Adaptive Management: Live and Learn (and plan!)." Review
the information and consider the following situation (record your answers in the
notebook or journal you keep for this course):
In each of the four examples given, there are costs and benefits associated with using
ADM. “Costs” are incurred as managers learn about how systems operate. A
manager must weigh costs against benefits to ensure that learning is balanced with
sufficient real-world gains. In the following table, record the identified costs and
benefits mentioned in the article:
Example Number Costs to ADM Benefits to ADM
Short-term sacrifice of May provide higher

1 - Fisheries
catches profits
References
Lee, K.N. (1993). Compass and gyroscope. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Thom, R. M. (2000). Adaptive management of coastal ecosystem restoration projects.
Ecological Engineering, 15(3-4), 365–372.
Williams, B. K., Szaro, R. C., & Shapiro, C. D. (2009). Adaptive management: The U.S.
Department of the Interior technical guide. Washington, DC: Adaptive Management
Working Group, U.S. Department of the Interior.
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Learning Activity 3 - Personal Values, Online

Introduction
Values are the ideas and beliefs we hold about something. Earlier in this course, we
discussed how values are important in determining how resources are used.
Moreover, the ways we use resources determine whether we manage them
sustainably.
Knowledge about other people’s values provides insight as to how they will behave.
This learning activity is designed to guide you in identifying and reflecting on your
values pertaining to resource use.
This is important because when you work with groups of other people, in
interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary teams, you need to have an idea not only of
their values but also your own. This Learning Activity is designed to assist you in
thinking about some of your personal values around environmental issues. On some
of these issues, you may be willing to compromise, but others will be too important
for you to compromise on. This activity is part of Assignment 1: Online Discussions.
Posting Instructions
1. Consider your values and use the table below to:
o Identify a few (5–7) environmental issues you are concerned about.
o For each, identify your reasons for concern.
o Use this information to consider what this says about your personal
values.
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ISSUE Why Are you Personal Value Related to

Concerned? Concern
Lack of curbside I am worried that Value is ‘preservation’: I

recycling increase in garbage believe that we should
amounts will lead to minimize our impact where
more landfills possible and in particular
preserve land for other more
valuable uses
2. Now consider the following questions and include the answers in your post.
o What do you think are the dominant societal values around these issues?
Why do you think this is the case (what is your evidence)?
o What is the difference between societal and personal values? Do you
think your personal values mesh with the dominant societal values? Why
or why not?
o Do you think your values have changed in the past five years? If so, what
influences are responsible for shifting your values?
If you need help to get started, refer to the following lists:
• List of Societal Values
• List of Personal Values
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Also, the following resources can help to provide ideas about the range of societal
values:
• Kennedy, E. H., Beckley, T. M., McFarlane, B. L., & Nadeau, S. (2009). Why
we don’t “walk the talk”: Understanding the environmental
values/behaviour gap in Canada. Human Ecology Review, 16(2), 151–160.
(Pages 153–155 discuss values and beliefs.) at
http://www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her162/kennedyetal.pdf.
• SRI Consulting–Business Intelligence and ecoAmerica. (2006). The American
Environmental Values Survey at
http://ecoamerica.typepad.com/blog/files/ecoAmerica_AEVS_Report.pdf.
• You Tube video Environmental Values.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/V3FmhR3kgVo
References
Besselaar, P., & Heimeriks, G. (2001). Disciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary:
Concepts and indicators. Paper presented at the 8th conference on
ScientometricsandInformetrics–ISSI2001 Sydney, Australia, July 16–20, 2001.
Retrieved Feb. 26, 2016 from http://heimeriks.net/2002issi.pdf.
Holling, C. S. (1978). Adaptive environmental assessment and management. Chichester:
Wiley.
Kaufmann, R. K., & Cleveland, C. J. (1995). Measuring sustainability: Needed – an
interdisciplinary approach to an interdisciplinary concept. Ecological Economics, 15,
109–112. Available online through the TRU Library Journal Database.
Klein, I. T. (2004). Prospects for transdisciplinarity. Futures, 36(4), 512–526. Available
online through the TRU Library Journal Database.
Lee, K. N. (1993). Compass and gyroscope. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Mitchell, B. (1997). Resource and environmental management. Essex, England: Addison
Wesley Longman Limited.
Walters, C. (1997). Challenges in adaptive management of riparian and coastal
ecosystems.
Conservation Ecology, 1(2), 1. Retrieved Feb. 26, 2016 from
http://www.consecol.org/vol1/iss2/art1/.
Youngblood, D. (2007). Interdisciplinary studies and the bridging disciplines: A
matter of process. Journal of Research Practice, 3(2), 1–8. Retrieved Feb. 26, 2016 from
http://jrp.icaap.org/index.php/jrp/article/view/104/101.
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Introduction to the Final Project

Overall Project Description
In your Final Project for this course, you will identify, examine, and analyze an
environmental sustainability issue in your local area or region. Each topic (beginning
with Topic 3) will present an exercise that will lead to the completion of this project.
The topic exercises will be unmarked until your submission of your final project, but
if you would like feedback on any portion check in with Open Learning Faculty
Member. Before you get started make sure you send your topic idea to your Open
Learning Faculty Member and they will give you approval and feedback.
For more information about your Final Project, go to the “Assignments Overview”
section of your course.
Identify a Project
You now need to identify a project. You already may be aware of a good project
topic. Your local or regional newspapers and radio and TV news will be good
sources for other ideas.
After you select your topic, describe it in a posting by answering these questions:
Why is this a sustainability issue? How long has this been an issue?
Summarize the main issues (environmental, social, political, economic) of your topic.
When you have completed your summary send it to your Open Learning Faculty
Member for feedback.
Note
In Topic 7, you will be asked to attend a local meeting or to collect data by
some other method that requires interaction with stakeholders. You may
want to proactively determine if any meetings are occurring over the next
few weeks that would be suitable to attend.
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Module 2: Sustainable Development, Sustainable

Communities
Introduction
Module 2 covers the topic of sustainability. The first topic we look at is ‘sustainable
development’, where we begin to examine the formation and implementation of
sustainability measures. In Topic 5 we move on to explore sustainable communities
and the characteristics that define these.
Sustainable development began to be globally known in 1987. The UN-sponsored
Brundtland Commission released its report Our Common Future, which addressed
the interdependence of global environmental, economic, and social issues:
“The goal of sustainable development is to create and maintain
thriving social, economic, and ecological systems that are
intimately linked: humanity depends on services of ecosystems
for its wealth and security” (Flint, 2010, p. 47).
The Brundtland Report acknowledged that economic growth will not cease to be a
goal but warns that it must be constrained by the planet’s ecological boundaries as
well as increase the social well-being of the world’s people. The report also
popularized the term sustainable development (SD).
The implementation of SD requires individuals and organizations to consider both
social and physical science components. Knowledge about the approaches and
methods that can be used to bridge the social and physical sciences greatly improves
our chances of success (Hembd & Silberstein, 2011; Quenal, Lourenço, & da Silva,
2011). Quenal et al. (2011) observed that sustainability may be “regarded as a step
toward consilience, an attempt to bring together scholars from different
backgrounds and disciplines in order to create an integrated thesis” (p. 258).
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M2-2 Module 2: Sustainable Development, Sustainable Communities
Topic 4: Sustainable Development

Sustainable development (SD) is defined by the Brundtland Commission (the World
Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in Our Common Future as
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987, p. 43).
A number of key concepts from Our Common Future (Inkpen, 2009; Mitchell, 1997;
WCED, 1987):
• The concept of needs focuses on the goals of reducing or eliminating
inequalities in the world. SD stresses the importance of improving the quality
of people’s lives.
• Society should meet its present needs but only in a manner that does not
impede future generations from meeting their needs.
• The Earth provides ecosystem services, but as the population increases, the
Earth’s ability to provide these services will decline unless we change the
way we consume resources.
• Economics, social, and environmental values and approaches are linked.
Economic growth has mostly relied on consuming resources to the point
where the Earth cannot restore itself. Our priorities need to shift towards
protecting the natural planet. As part of this move, sustainability must be
integrated into government policies and programs.
• Limiting our growth is not necessarily the outcome of sustainability.
Technological innovations may allow us to meet societal and economic
targets while still sustaining the global ecosystem.
You can read Our Common Future online.
To summarize some of the key concepts of sustainability, Igloo Animation created
the following short video Sustainability explained through animation.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/MCRpaqYiYHQ
Many other ideas abound as to what SD is. The definition evolves both as societal
values shift and as those responsible for implementing SD change (Inkpen, 2009).
The Brundtland Commission explicitly stated that no generic blueprint exists for
implementing SD (Mitchell, 1997). From the beginning, it was intended that SD be
defined by each country, region, or local area. As result, SD is not a fixed concept,
although it has become an “ongoing dialogue” in which “[t]he definition of
sustainable development depends on what you believe should be developed
(society, people or the economy) and the emphasis you place on the nature of
sustainability” (Inkpen, 2009, p. 380).
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Quental et al. (2011) identify four enduring principles:

• The stressing of biophysical limits that constrain the scale of the human
economy
• The focus on societal welfare and development
• The understanding that each system has its own minimum irreducible needs
to be viable
• The acknowledgment of system complexity
Although much is written about the tensions amongst economic development and
other values, Kates, Parris, & Leiserowitz (2005) assert that SD has allowed
economists along the liberal- conservative spectrum to support the concept of
“greening” the economy:
One of the successes of sustainable development has been its
ability to serve as a grand compromise between those who are
principally concerned with nature and environment, those who
value economic development, and those who are dedicated to
improving the human condition. At the core of the compromise
is the inseparability of environment and development (Kates et
al., 2005, p. 19; also in Inkpen, 2009)
Learning Outcomes
• Define sustainable development.
• Compare and contrast the different approaches to sustainable development.
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1. Reading Sustainability indicators Quiz
2. Web Activity and Sustainability—exploring Quiz

Questions and considering data
3. Reading Consider the context—base Quiz

year selection and trend
analysis
4. Online Journal Personal sustainability Assignment 1: Post

Assessment
Final Project Key stakeholders— Towards final project

identify, views and values submission
investigation
Learning Activity 1 - What Makes a Good Sustainability

Indicator?
Introduction
To implement SD, we need ways to measure how we are doing against a baseline of
economic, social, and environmental goals. Criteria and indicator frameworks are
the tools we use to measure SD. Baseline states are identified, and change is
measured over time. Criteria and indicators also create a way of assessing
accountability. Different levels of organizations can use indicator measurements to
illustrate how they contribute towards global sustainability or in cases where they
fall short, to identify obstacles and barriers.
Criteria communicate the goals and values that we want to achieve in our approach
to sustainable development. Criteria are higher-level than indicators and are
measured by sets of indicators.
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Indicators are:
practical, science-based tools that give governments, industry,
the public and others a consistent way to track national progress
over time and to identify where improvements can be made.
However, no single indicator alone is a sign of sustainability. For
a clear picture, the whole range of indicators must be considered
(Natural Resources Canada, 2011, p. 21).
Indicators are periodically measured over time, and assessing the change in
indicator data permits trend analysis that can inform us whether the things that we
value (as defined by criteria) are improving or declining.
For example, from The State of British Columbia’s Forests 2010, under the criteria
“Ecosystem Diversity,” the set of indicators is:
• Variability of the ecosystems of BC Types and ages of the forests of BC
• Degree to which the forests of BC have changed in the last half-century
Measurement of how much “old” forest remains in BC
In the above example, think about ‘Ecosystem Diversity’ as a higher-level goal – one
that we want to maintain or in cases where diversity is lost, regain. The indicators
are measurements that allow us to see how we are doing towards achieving that
goal. Indicators used to measure criteria are informed by research from both the
social and physical sciences.
Where do Criteria and Indicators come from?
Many criteria and indicators originate from international boards of government and
non-government stakeholders (frequently called roundtables). These international
criteria and indicators are typically modified for national, regional, and local
implementation. Documents reporting on criteria and indicators are published
regularly; to emphasize that they capture trend analysis, many are titled “The State
of…”; for example:
Natural Resources Canada. (2015). The state of Canada’s forests: Annual report 2015
. Ottawa, ONT: Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved Feb. 23, 2016, from
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/report/16496 .
Austin, M. A., Buffett, D. A., Nicolson, D. J., Scudder, G. G. E., & Stevens, V. (Eds.).
(2008). Taking nature’s pulse: The status of biodiversity in British Columbia .
Victoria, BC: Biodiversity BC. Retrieved Feb. 23, 2016 from
http://www.biodiversitybc.org/EN/main/downloads/tnp-introduction.html.
Ministry of Forests, Mines and Lands. (2010). The state of British Columbia’s forests
(3rd ed.). Victoria, BC: Forest Practices and Investment Branch, B.C. Ministry of
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Forests, Mines and Lands. Retrieved Feb. 23, 2016 from

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/sof/2010/SOF_2010_Web.pdf.
Following the 2010 State of British Columbia’s Forests report, the BC Government
has switched to reporting a broad set of environmental indicators in a web-based
format. These are ever expanding and are constantly updated, and can be reviewed
online.
Likewise, as we will see in the Topic 4, Learning Activity 4, the Federal Government
publishes its criteria and indicators in a web-based format—this supports continual
update of indicator measurements.
Instructions
1. The development of criteria and indicators involves a lot of science (both
social and physical!), collaboration, and discussion. After reading the
following resources (specified pages only for first three) and answering the
questions that follow, you will have a better idea about what makes a good
sustainability indicator:
o Gough, A. D., Innes, J. L., & Allen, S. D. (2008). Development of common
indicators of sustainable forest management. Ecological Indicators, 8(5),
425–430. Available online through TRU Library Journal Database.
o United Nations. (2007). Indicators of sustainable development: Guidelines
and methodologies (3rd ed.). New York, NY: United Nations. 29–32.
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/guidelines.pdf.
o Rametsteiner, E., Pu � lzl, H., Alkan-Olsson, J., & Frederiksen, P. (2011).
Sustainability indicator development—Science or political negotiation?
Ecological Indicators. 11(1): 61–70. (Read section 6: “Discussion and
conclusion” pp. 69–70) Available online through the TRU Library Journal
Database.
o Sustainable Measures. (n.d.). Indicators of Sustainability. Retrieved Feb.
23, 2016 from http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/indicators.
2. Complete the following activity that helps differentiate criteria and
indicators. From the list below, select either Criteria or Indicator. Remember,
Criteria are goals, reflecting values and Indicators are parameters that are
measured and tracked over time to evaluate if specific Criterion are being met
http://oledmedia.trubox.ca/wp-admin/admin-
ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=18
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3. Now answer the following questions in your personal notebook

o According to UN guidelines, what are the characteristics of a good
sustainability indicator?
o According to Rametsteiner et al. (2011) and Gough et al. (2008), what
characteristics have emerged as good sustainable indicators (what works,
what does not)?
o Compare and contrast these two lists. What indicators proposed by the
UN do not appear on the list based on the research of Rametsteiner and
Gough et al.? Why? Does this mean that these UN-proposed indicators
are not good sustainability indicators?
References
Flint, W. R. (2010). Seeking resiliency in the development of sustainable
communities. Research in Human Ecology, 17(1), 44–57.
Hembd, J., & Silberstein, J. (2011). Sustainable communities: Sustainability and
community development. In J. W. Robinson, & G. P. Green (Eds.), Introduction to
Community Development: Theory, Practice, and Service-Learning (pp. 261–277).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
Inkpen, R. (2009). Development: Sustainability and physical geography. In N. J.
Clifford, S. L. Holloway, S. P. Rice, & G. Valentine (Eds.), Key Concepts in Geography
(2nd ed.) (pp. 378–391). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
Kates, R. W., Parris, T. M., & Leiserowitz, A. A. (2005). What is sustainable
development? Goals, indicators, values and practice. Environment: Science and Policy
for Sustainable Development, 47(3), 8–21. Available online through the TRU Library
Journal Database.
Natural Resources Canada. (2011). The state of Canada’s forests. Ottawa: Natural
Resources Canada.
Quental, N., Lourenço, J. M., & Nunes da Silva, F. (2011). Sustainability:
Characteristics and scientific roots. Environment Development and Sustainability, 13(2),
257–276. Available online through TRU Journal Database.
United Nations. (2007). Indicators of sustainable development: Guidelines and
methodologies (3rd ed.). New York, NY: United Nations.
World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). (1987). Our common
future. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
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Learning Activity 2 - Exploring CESI

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Index
The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Index (CESI), tracks Canada's
performance on key environmental sustainability issues affecting human health and
the environment. In an effort to provide a “snap-shot” of Canada’s environmental
sustainability, the CESI centralizes data collected from many sources. By comparing
data across time, the CESI has some ability to report developing trends. It also
provides information on its sources and some detail about them, including the
methodologies used to collect and analyze the data, the year the data was collected,
update cycles, and data completeness. Here you can explore indicators related to air
quality, water quality, socio-economics, general environmental indicators, as well as
climate, wildlife and habitat indicators.
Note that CESI may “up-scale” to create its data; by combining provincial datasets
from different areas of the country, the CESI is able to make some general statements
about each indicator. The datasets that are combined may originate from different
methodologies, temporal periods, or completeness. By querying these details, we
can form conclusions about the accuracy of CESI conclusions and how we can best
use the data to answer questions about the health of the environment.
The indicators measured by CESI are categorized into three general areas:
• Air and Climate
• Water
• Nature
In forthcoming Topics, we will make use of the CESI, so let us become familiar with
it by carrying out a few investigations.
Introduction
Go to the CESI webpage, and click on “National, Terrestrial, Marine and Ecozones”
to see how well Canada is doing at conserving natural areas.
The indicator or assessment tool used to answer questions about the sustainability of
Canada’s natural areas, as reflected by protected areas is: “Trends in proportion of
area protected in Canada, 1990-2010.” As you examine the data, consider the
following:
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Consider the Context When you look at trend analysis, you should critically
examine why the trend starts at a certain date. In many cases, the answer has
to do with the year data began to be collected using methodology that made
it possible to address the indicator. In other words, reporting starts where we
have data! In other cases, the start or base year is selected because of ongoing
societal changes that spurred a difference in how we manage specific
resources.
Why does trend analysis for protected areas begin in 1990?
What was happening in Canada in the late 1980s and early 1990s that may
have impacted the selection of this year as the base year?
For some relevant background, read about the Endangered Spaces
Campaign:
World Wildlife Fund Canada. (2010). 100 Million Hectares, 10 Per Cent of
Canada, 1 Generation. Toronto, ONT: World Wildlife Fund Canada.
Retrieved July 6, 2012 from
http://assets.wwf.ca/downloads/wwf100millionhectares.pdf.
The two measurable values that are tracked across time in this trend analysis are:
1. Percent of terrestrial area protected
2. Percent of marine area protected
In this particular assessment tool, both percentages are summarized in a graph
showing time (1990–2014) and percentage of areas protected.
Use the following questions to explore this dataset. Record your answers in the
notebook you keep for this course.
Focus Questions
1. What are the data sources of the data? (Hint: use the link ‘How this indicator
was calculated’).
2. On the Protected Areas Indicators page, , click on the ‘Data sources and
methods’ tab and review the sub-section ‘Caveats and limitations’. What are
three limitations to the data that are identified? How might these limitations
affect any analysis based on the data? (Hint: think about scale of analysis).
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3. Click the “CESI Interactive Mapping Application.” What additional

information can you learn from this application and about how data is
collected and standardized across different jurisdictions? (Hint: look under
‘Map Information’, and then ‘Source’).
4. Guidelines to selecting indicators to track and measure advise that agencies
ask a question that is answerable – or in other words, indicator questions are
composed to not only facilitate meaningful answers but also to ensure that
data is available to provide some degree of trend analysis. Knowing this,
consider the following: What alternative questions would you ask, if you had
all the data you needed to answer any question?
Learning Activity 3 - Personal Sustainability, Online

To explore ideas about using criteria and indicators as assessment tools, you will
compose a brief list of environmental sustainability principles to inform the way you
live your daily life. Once you have completed the following, post your list and
discussion in the online discussions area.
1. Identify three criteria that are important to how you live your life
sustainably. For each criterion, list two indicators that you could use to
assess each criterion.
2. Next, briefly discuss the following question:
o How practical would it be to implement each criterion? Identify two
possible obstacles to implementing each criterion.
A reminder: A criterion is a standard, a goal, e.g. Reduce carbon footprint.
An indicator is some metric that allows you to assess your progress towards
achieving your criteria, e.g. monitoring monthly car fuel bill. One example of
confusion between the two is that people may say that ‘use public transit
more often’ is an indicator—but in actuality it is an action to achieve a
criterion.
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Final Project: Stakeholders

In Topic 3, you selected a subject for your final project and identified and
summarized the central environmental, social, political, and economic issues.
Now, it is time to delve deeper into your subject to identify who is involved: Who
are the stakeholders (individuals and groups)? Why are they interested in this
subject? Describe their views and identify their values as related to this issue.
You can use the personal notebook you keep for this course to make notes. This
information will be used in your final project.
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Topic 5: Sustainable Communities

Introduction
Communities exist at various scales. At the maximum scale possible, the entire
human population is one community, and from this perspective, we all have a
shared interest in keeping the planet habitable. Communities also form at smaller
scales, including at the level of a nation state or some political subdivision of that
state. So far we have been looking at the concept of sustainability at the federal or
provincial levels. However, most frequently, we relate best to the concept of
community at the level of region, city, town, or neighbourhood. In each of these
examples, community is defined by where people live, although our sense of
belonging also can be defined by other characteristics, such as race and religion. In
short, we self-define communities based on commonalties and shared values
(remember the values exercise in Topic 3, Learning Activity 3?). “Sustainable
communities” organize and function across all spatial scales. You may have heard of
the phrase “think globally, act locally” – this concept recognizes that our actions
have impacts at the global scale but that we can work most effectively at local scales.
Solving the kinds of problems that sustainability addresses requires thinking and
approaching problems differently. To paraphrase Albert Einstein "We can't solve
problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
Solutions will involve overcoming institutional barriers and developing new policy
instruments. Topic 5 takes a closer look at sustainable communities, the
characteristics of success, and intra-generational sustainability.
Learning Outcomes
• Define sustainable development.
• Compare and contrast the different approaches to sustainable development.
• Describe the attributes of sustainable communities.
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1. Reflection Compare/contrast No formal

definitions assessment
2. Reading and A closer look at your own Quiz

Questions community
3. Online Journal Characteristics of Successful Assignment 1:

Assessment Sustainable Communities Online Discussions
(Post 6)
4. Video Analysis Intra-generational No formal

sustainable development assessment
Final Project Systems diagram Final Project

component
Introduction to Essay—due at the end of 20%

Essay Topic 6
Learning Activity 1 - Compare and Contrast: Sustainable

Communities
As noted in Topic 4, the Brundtland Report provides no specific blueprint for
implementing sustainable development (SD). Concepts of sustainable communities
differ by scale and also by circumstance: rural or urban settings, North or South,
developed or developing worlds, one culture or another, et cetera. One of the most
significant challenges to implementing sustainability is that:
The kind of change required by sustainability implicates each
community, each household, each individual. Successful
solutions to problems at this level of society will need to be
rooted in the cultural specificity of the town or region if the
people are to be supportive of and involved in such change
(UNESCO, 1997, p. 35).
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At the same time, sustainability efforts at local and community levels “need to reflect
a global view and understanding” (Hembd & Silberstein, 2011, p. 263). The concept
“think globally, act locally” embodies the basic premise of sustainable communities:
the integration of economic, social, and environmental objectives within a
community, while also considering the impact on the global community and future
generations.
Similar to SD, the concept and definition of sustainable communities has taken on
many forms as process and experience has guided our understanding. Following is
one definition:
Sustainable communities live in social, cultural and physical
environments in which needs and aspirations can be satisfied
without diminishing the chances of future generations. A
sustainable human community is designed in such a way that its
ways of life, businesses, economy, physical structures, and
technologies do not interfere with nature’s inherent ability to
sustain life. Sustainable communities evolve their patterns of
living over time in continual interaction with other living
systems, both human and non-human (Capra, 2002, p. 230).
A sustainable community also is one in which:
the economic, social and environmental systems that make up
the community provide a healthy, productive, meaningful life
for all community residents, present and future. Sustainable
communities acknowledge that there are limits to the natural,
social and built systems upon which we depend (Hart, n.d., para.
4).
Other definitions of sustainable communities include:
Sustainable communities meet the diverse needs of existing and
future residents, their children and other users, contribute to a
high quality of life and provide opportunity and choice. They
achieve this in ways that make effective use of natural resources,
enhance the environment, promote social cohesion and inclusion
and strengthen economic prosperity (Eagen, 2004, p. 18).
A community… can move towards sustainability when it
understands the connected economic, social, and environmental
consequences of its actions and makes deliberate, informed
choices (the 3 Cs of sustainability) that allow all people to lead
healthy, productive, and enjoyable lives in the community, now
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and in the future, without experiencing unintended

consequences. Living sustainably is maintaining the important
mix of options and opportunities while creating no new and
onerous constraints (Flint, 2010, p. 47).
Using your online journal or notebook, review the above definitions carefully, and
for each one, note the key elements and identify the common elements between
them. Secondly, in what ways do the definitions differ? Now, consider the
definitions of SD presented in Topic 4. In what ways do the definitions presented
above match or differ from the original SD concept?
Learning Activity 2 - Components of Sustainable

Communities
Introduction
Sustainable communities use citizen-based processes to identify goals and objectives
to understand how people identify sustainability within their community. These
goals and objectives can then act as ‘targets’ for sustainability projects. By clarifying
what the majority would like to see, sustainability efforts can then establish
measurable criteria and indicators.
The Eagen Review (2004, p. 18), from the United Kingdom, lists seven components
as central to the planning, delivery, and maintaining of a sustainable community:
1. Governance: Effective and inclusive participation, representation and
leadership
2. Transport and connectivity: Good transport services and communication
linking people to jobs, schools, health and other services
3. Services: A full range of appropriate, accessible public, private, community
and voluntary service
4. Environmental: Providing places for people to live in an environmentally-
friendly way
5. Economy: A flourishing and diverse local economy
6. Housing and the Built Environment: A quality built and natural environment
7. Social and cultural: Vibrant, harmonious and inclusive communities
Using the 7 sustainability components above, it is time to take a closer look at your
own community. In the notebook you keep for this course, answer the following
questions about where you live.
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Questions for consideration

The following questions can be used to evaluate and monitor the sustainability of
your community:
• Describe your community in 50 words—is it within a large city, part of a
small town, or located in a remote area? What are its defining characteristics?
• How would describe the environmental health of your community? What
environmental activities impact health positively and which ones impact
health negatively?
• Is your community well serviced with public transport, schools, health care,
and recreation facilities? Do people have opportunities for satisfying and
well-paid employment? What is the main employer?
• Do you think people feel their opinions are ‘counted’ by key decision-
makers? Give one example that supports your view.
• Considering the seven components above, which two aspects are most
important to you? Why?
Moving Beyond the Definition

Creating a sustainable community requires community input to develop a process or
framework to guide decision-making. Many challenges exist, including the
mismatch of scale amongst social, economic, and ecological components. Inkpen
(2009) observes: “The scale at which geomorphic and ecological processes operate
within a catchment might not necessarily be matched by the scale at which local
communities and institutions act” (p. 386). He continues:
The setting of management objectives requires an understanding
of the local and historical context to provide local communities
with a feeling that the management goals are of relevance to
them. This reduces the overarching acceptance of expert
scientific knowledge as the only or final arbitrator of what is
‘correct’ management. Such a situation is full of difficulties and
usually requires a lengthy process of negotiation and
compromise to develop an acceptable framework for sustainable
development for any specific project (Inkpen, 2009, p. 386).
Thus, a negotiated inclusion of various stakeholders is essential to establish and
maintain support. However, working with people and their interests can be
challenging:
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Most of us are concerned about the same issues and want to live
in the same kind of world. That in no way diminishes the degree
to which we disagree about how to get there (Flint, 2010, p. 51).
Moving beyond traditional community consultation to develop different approaches
is essential to the success of SD. Linking society, economy, and the environment is
itself a major departure from the traditional approach by which decisions are made
separately in each realm. Therefore, putting SD into practice requires embracing
different methods. One method is to apply “systems” thinking by which the
relationships amongst society, economy, and the environment are emphasized
(Hembd & Silberstein, 2011; Inkpen, 2009; Mitchell, 1997).
In Figure 1, Venn diagrams are used to illustrate and contrast basic economic
relationships, where Total Capital = Natural + Built + Human Capital (Hembd &
Silberstein, 2011). Diagram 1 a. shows unconnected and independent processes—
societal well-being (human capital), economic gains (built capital), and
environmental services and values (natural capital) existing independently. Diagram
1 b. shows the overlap amongst the three SD elements. This common portrayal for
modeling SD shows an intersection but not complete overlap of the three processes.
As SD has been applied in the real world, many practitioners found that too much of
each process occurred outside the realm of the intersected area. As a result, many SD
projects have adopted a more integrated model—the one depicted in 1 c. In this
model, SD is represented by a systems view, where:
the economy exists and functions within society, and together
they exist and function within a finite environment and are
totally dependent on it. A growing economy implies that the size
of its circle changes—gets larger—relative to the unchanging size
of the environment circle. The longer-term environmental
implications of continued economic growth are made readily
apparent. In terms of sustainability, this changes how
community development decisions must be considered (Hembd
& Silberstein, 2011, p. 268).
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Figure 5.1: Modelling relationships of economy-environment-society: Diagram 1 a.

shows unconnected and independent processes—societal well-being (human
capital), economic gains (built capital), and environmental services and values
(natural capital) existing independently. Diagram 1 b. shows the overlap amongst
the three SD elements. This common portrayal for modeling SD shows an
intersection but not complete overlap of the three processes. As SD has been applied
in the real world, many practitioners found that too much of each process occurred
outside the realm of the intersected area. As a result, many SD projects have adopted
a more integrated model—the one depicted in 1 c. In this model, SD is represented
by a systems view.
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Learning Activity 3 - Characteristics of Successful

Sustainable Communities: Online Discussions (Post 6)
In the view of SD as a systems-based process, a broad range of stakeholders identify
goals and develop implementation frameworks. Some SD projects are more
successful than others. In the following activity, you will read an article that looks at
35 Canadian community projects. The accompanying questions will help to guide
your reading and understanding.
Dale, Ling, and Newman (2010) examine 35 Canadian community projects to
identify the common characteristics of community vitality and sustainability.
1. Read the Dale, Ling, and Newman (2010) article and answer the below
questions. From their meta-analysis of 35 sustainable community projects, the
authors identify a number of characteristics common to successful projects.
These include:
o Community Openness and Trust
o Connection with People and Place
o Continuity and Stability
o Perturbation
o Diversity
2. Select one of the above characteristics and in a paragraph posted to the online
discussions:
a. Define what the authors mean by the characteristic,
b. Describe why this characteristic is fundamental to successful sustainable
communities,
c. Provide an example of a project where this characteristic was evident,
describing it briefly.
References
Dale, A., Ling C., & Newman, L. (2010). Community vitality: The role of community-
level resilience adaptation and innovation in sustainable development. Sustainability,
2(1), 215–231. Available online through the TRU Library Journal Database and at
http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/2/1/215 (Open Access).
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Learning Activity 4 - “Develop or Die”: Video Analysis

Introduction: Community Sustainability—Developing and
Developed Worlds
Two of the main tenets of SD are 1) inter-generational equity and 2) intra-
generational equity. Inter-generational refers to the equity amongst generations, and
intra-generational is concerned with equity amongst people of the same generation.
Our discussion of SD so far has looked mainly at intergenerational equity (and
most discussions focus on this aspect, e.g. ‘providing for future generations’).
However, as SD has been put into practice, it has become clear that true SD is not
possible as long as intra-generational inequities exist.
For developed countries, SD has primarily focused on greening the economy and
including social benefits as a part of economic growth. In contrast, for “developing
countries the priority regarding sustainable development has been to meet basic human
needs of its present citizens, and to ensure economic development” (Mitchell, 1997, p.
35). At the same time, international movements to achieve global SD may inadvertently
put disproportionate costs on developing nations because most of the damage to the
environment that already exists is due to past economic development—development
which primarily benefitted the world’s wealthiest nations (Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment, 2005). At the same time, the world’s largest population growth, and thus
the greatest demand for resources today and in the future, is occurring in developing
nations, those that are seeking to improve the well-being of their citizens by developing
economically. Intra-generational inequities exist when people who live within the same
generation (or time period) have unequal access to resources, such that basic needs are
not provided for at the same level.
We will be watching the following BBC videos on YouTube, which introduce the
challenges facing developing Asian countries with respect to economic development
and sustainability. The participants in these debates assess the issue of economic
growth while evaluating how to respond to international pressure to protect the
environment.
The debate is presented in two parts:
• Develop or Die 5 of 6 - Sustainable Development Debate - BBC
Environmental Discussion
https://www.youtube.com/embed/id5k2kbOME8
• Develop or Die 6 of 6 - Sustainable Development Debate - BBC
Environmental Discussion
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZiB6Vb7PLP8
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As you watch the videos, take notes that you can use to help you answer the
following questions, which you can answer in our personal notebook that you keep
for the course.
1. Why is protecting the environment more important than economic growth?
How would sustainable development work to resolve the issue between
economy and environment? Use material from the reading to support your
answers.
2. Do you think that the solutions proposed during these debates are feasible?
Citing two examples, explain why or why not?
References
Capra, F. (2002). The hidden connections: Integrating the biological, cognitive, and social
dimensions of life into a science of sustainability. New York: Doubleday.
Eagen, John. (2004). Skills for Sustainable Communities. London, England: Crown
Publications.
Flint, W. R. (2010). Seeking resiliency in the development of sustainable
communities. Research in Human Ecology, 17(1), 44–57.
Hart, M. (n.d.). Sustainable communities. The sustainability report. Retrieved July 6,
2012 from http://www.sustreport.org/issues/sust_comm.html.
community development. In J. W. Robinson & G. P. Green (Eds.), Introduction to
community development: Theory, practice, and service-learning (pp. 261–277).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Clifford, S. L. Holloway, S. P. Rice, & G. Valentine (Eds.), Key concepts in geography
(2nd ed.) (pp. 378–391). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. (2005). Living beyond our means. Washington,
DC: Island Press.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (1997).
Educating for a sustainable future: A transdisciplinary vision for concerted action.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001106/110686eo.pdf.
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Final Project Component: Systems Diagram

During Topic 2, we looked at examples of systems diagrams, and you created one of
your own.
At this stage of your final project, you will create a systems diagram showing
human-natural system interactions. Be sure to include inputs and outputs, and
feedback mechanisms.
You will include this diagram in your final project submission to illustrate the main
components (and their relationships) of your chosen subject. This is one component
that may take extra time, as you may have to research and identify what the
components of the system are, as well as think about how you will illustrate their
interactions.
Assignment 1: Online Discussion Posts (15%)

Once you have completed your first six posts to the online discussions, collate them
and submit them to your Open Learning Faculty Member using the assignment
submission tool below.
Assignment 3: Essay (20%)

If you are following the suggested course schedule, your first essay will be due at the
end of Topic 6. Go to the “Assignments Overview” section of your course for more
details about how to complete and submit this assignment.
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Module 3: Global Sustainability—Population,

Climate Change
Introduction
Module 3 will cover two major issues for global sustainability, population and
climate change. This first topic on population, examines three different approaches
to quantifying human population and resource use: carrying capacity, IPAT, and the
ecological footprint. Each method considers that the physical earth is an ecosystem
under stress. Our impact, and choices we make, determine the sustainability of the
Earth’s ecosystem. In Topic 7, we will discuss ways to interpret information around
climate change so that you can form balanced and informed view when considering
its impact on sustainability issues.
Topic 6: Human Population and Resource Use

Introduction
In 1830, the population of the world reached one billion. The second billion was
reached in 1925, the third in 1960, the fourth in 1974, the fifth in 1987, and the sixth
in 1999. October 31, 2011, was the official date marking the advent of a planet with
seven billion inhabitants. In only 34 years from now, in 2050, the prediction is that
the world’s population will increase to nine billion people.
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M3-2 Module 3: Global Sustainability—Population, Climate Change
Global demographics demonstrate noticeable trends. Developing nations are

proportionately populated by large numbers of young people and children, and total
populations are growing exponentially. Africa and Asia are predicted to become the
homes for 20% and 60%, respectively, of the world’s population. Developed nations
will have twice as many elderly people as they do young people, and the
populations of most developed nations will decline. In addition, developing nations
are experiencing an exodus from rural areas to urban centres. As discussed earlier
when we looked at intra-generational equity, people living in developed nations
have been the largest consumers of the world’s resources, but that is changing as
developing nations increase their standard of living. Both these factors will
contribute to an overall global demand for more resources.
Some pundits believe that we are doomed to outgrow the Earth no matter what we
do. Stabilizing the world’s population requires the average birth rate around the
world to be reduced to two (2.0) children per woman. But even if fertility fell to this
rate tomorrow, the world population would still grow by several billion persons
because of the disproportionate numbers of young people who have not yet begun
childbearing. Others believe that technological innovation will enable us to figure
out how to use the Earth’s resources more efficiently, and also provide new sources
of energy and food.
Learning Outcomes
the Internet.
• Think and read critically about key environmental issues.
• Explain how an interdisciplinary approach is necessary for effective
management by using concepts such as adaptive management and carrying
capacity.
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1. Interactive Web World population Quiz
2. Readings IPAT Quiz
3. Online Journal Your ecological footprint Assignment 2: Online

Discussions Post 7
4. Reading The ecological footprint Quiz

as a sustainability
indicator
5. Video Sustainable future No assessment
Essay Due at the end of this 20%

topic
Learning Activity 1 - Web Exploration: Interactive

Population Growth
Carrying Capacity
Carrying capacity is the maximum population of any given life form that an
ecosystem can support over a period of time. As a population increases, the need for
resources increase. In theory, when the carrying capacity is reached, the population
growth rate falls to zero and the population remains at a constant level. However, no
natural environment is completely stable, so populations tend to overshoot their
carrying capacity and then drop precipitously. This sharp drop is an indicator that
the carrying capacity of a population has been exceeded.
For the human population, what is the carrying capacity of the planet? To explore
this question, use the learning resources in Learning Activity 1.
The following resources provide information about current and projected
population growth. As you explore each of the following websites, answer the
questions posed and then record your responses in your personal notebook you
keep for this course.
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Website 1: 9 Billion? A Whirlwind Trip Through Population Trends

The video 9 Billion? A Whirlwind Trip Through Population Trends, from Science
Magazine (special issue about population) provides information about the causes of
population growth, trends, and regional differences.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/DCPCQrxBUOU
As you watch the video, take notes that you can use to help you answer the
following questions:
1. What regions of the world will have the greatest population growth in the
near future?
2. What are some of direct and indirect impacts of population growth?
3. The video explains that in 1950 a population explosion started and since then
the global population has been on a general upward trend:
a. What are the causes of this spectacular population growth?
b. What are the variations in this trend? What are some causes of these
variations?
Website 2: National Geographic Interactive Site on “How Big is 7 Billion”
National Geographic has created a video Seven Billion: Are You Typical?, that uses
the world’s most common demographic characteristics to create a composite of the
world’s most typical human. While watching this video, consider the following
questions, recording your answers in your personal journal:
1. What characteristics is National Geographic using to define the typical
person?
2. Which characteristics do you think are the most important for predicting
population growth?
3. Consider your own personal characteristics and the degree that they differ
from the world’s typical person. Do you consider yourself mostly similar or
dissimilar from the world’s “typical” person? If dissimilar, what factors do
you think you would need to learn more about if you were to fully
understand the impact of population growth, the impact of the world’s
“typical” person, on resource use?
4. How will the definition of the “typical” person change in the future? How do
you think that will impact resource use?
Website 3: National Geographic Population Density
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This third website The World of Seven Billion, also compiled by National
Geographic, illustrates population density, around the globe and relates it to income
levels as well as a number of related well-being and lifestyle factors, such as life
expectancy, years of education, and number of internet users. Population density is
an area-based measurement that estimates human population per area. Population
density models the number of humans uniformly across a given area; in reality, we
know that there are many inhospitable areas where people do not live and many
preferred areas where many, many people live. It is estimated that globally on
average 45 people are living per square km, if we consider all the land and not the
water (including Antarctica). For context, Canada’s population density is
approximately 3.75 people per square km.
Figure 6.1: NASA image of city lights at night shows where population density is
highest.
Simon, D. (2012). Night Lights 2012 - Flat map. NASA Earth Observatory [Digital Image].
Retrieved from: http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=79765
Populations are concentrated in urban areas in Canada and around the world, which
represents special challenges for acquiring and moving the resources required to
support urban-centered populations. We will take a closer look at the impact of this
settlement pattern in the section “The Ecological Footprint.”
Consider the following questions and post your answers in your personal notebook.
When viewing The World of Seven Billion, be sure to click through the screens 2–4 (top
right hand buttons).
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1. Most of the statistics in The World of Seven Billion are linearly predictable, for
example, trends increase or decrease as you move along the income-
population spectrum. One statistic that does not follow this pattern is the
percent of urban population (screen 3). Using the map on screen 1, determine
where these populations are located. What might happen to resource use if
the people represented in the second category (population by lower middle
income, 4 billion people) were to become more urbanized? How would this
migration affect the world economy?
2. It is apparent from looking at this site that inequities exist in the world in
terms of what goods and options are available for specific populations, as
well as their impact on the environment. Sustainable development
emphasizes that true sustainability cannot be realized until intra-generational
equity exists. In Topics 8 to 12, we will look at specific resources, distribution,
and sustainability. You may want to come back to this site to consider how
global populations differ in their overall well-being and consumption of
resources.
Learning Activity 2 - Readings: IPAT

IPAT Equation
Carrying capacity is a concept that looks at what the environment can provide. IPAT
is a formula that presents a set of interrelated factors that influence carrying
capacity, where:
Human Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology
We have examined the population part of the equation in the preceding section
“Carrying Capacity.” A is the variable that stands for affluence, representing how
much each person in the population consumes (as an average). T factors in how
technological changes affect consumption and its impacts. Inkpen (2009) provides an
example of this latter point:
the switch from coal to nuclear power electricity generation, for
example, changes the nature of the resources required. This not
only influences the demand for coal, but also affects the nature of
pollution in an area and so indirectly influences carrying
capacity (p. 381).
Within the context of IPAT, different levels of affluence require different levels of
resource support. Thus, carrying capacity is not fixed and may change with varying
levels of predictability. In turn, this situation can create uncertainty in the system
(Hembd & Silberstein, 2011; Inkpen, 2009).
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Two key elements of the IPAT equation are 1) use is generally limited to looking at a
single variable, i.e., looking at just air pollution, and 2) resource consumption and
impacts are not restricted by political boundaries (Hembd & Silberstein, 2011;
Inkpen, 2009).
Instructions
Read each of the following articles, and record your answers to the focus questions
in your personal notebook.
1. The “population bomb” is an idea from Paul and Ann Ehrlich, both
professors at Stanford University, which predicts that overpopulation will
cause global starvation and social upheaval. In their article “Too Many
People, Too Much Consumption, “ (2008) on the Yale Environment360
website, the Ehrlichs consider the use of IPAT for policy- making. What are
the reasons that the “population bomb” concept is mainly ignored by policy-
makers? Record your answers to the questions in your personal notebook or
journal.
2. David Biello’s (2008) Scientific American article "Population Bomb Author's Fix
for Next Extinction: Educate Women,” proposes a solution to population
growth. In addition to educating women, he posits a necessary second step.
What is this second step and how does it fit into ideas about intra-
generational equity?
3. Fred Guteri’s (2011) Scientific American article “Why Innovation Won’t Defuse
the Population Bomb,” provides a counterview to the position that
technological innovation will enable the planet to continue to support
population growth and resource consumption. Why does Guteri consider it
doubtful that technological innovation will continue to provide solutions to
the challenge of human population growth?
Learning Activity 3 - Calculate Your Ecological

Footprint: Online Discussions (Post 7)
Humans depend on the Earth to provide basic services: water, air, heat, shelter,
and waste removal. In this sense, the ways we use the planet and its resources
can be defined within a biological context. The ecological footprint (EF) was
developed as an approach to quantify the impact of human consumption and
waste. EF measures natural capital supply and demand. The “supply” of natural
capital is what the planet can provide for our basic needs. The “demand” side is
based on what we use. The EF concept is scalable for use with the entire globe,
regions, nations, communities, and individuals (Inkpen, 2009; Ponthiere, 2009;
Wackernagel et al., 2005).
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Instructions
In this activity, you will calculate your own Ecological Footprint and post your
results to the online discussions.
Begin by using one or two of the many online EF calculators to get an estimate of
your personal EF. For example, you could use any of the following:
• WWF: EcoGuru tool
• Global Footprint Network: Footprint Calculator
Also, feel free to use other online calculators that you find.
Use the following questions to write a reflection on EF in your online discussion
post:
• Which calculator did you use? What was your EF? Did you think that the
calculator(s) provided a reasonable estimate of your EF? Why or why not?
• What do you think you would need to do to decrease your footprint by 25%?
• What are some activities that would help protect the environment if a lot of
people did them?
• If humans had a smaller ecological footprint, do you think that would enable
other creatures to sustain themselves because they would have more
resources? Or are the impacts that humans make on the natural world too
dramatic for other creatures to support themselves?
Learning Activity 4 - The EF Concept as a Sustainability

Indicator
Critique of the Ecological Footprint as a Measurement of Impact
EF is area-based and captures the services the Earth provides to humans by using an
analogy that is visually comprehensive:
One strength of the footprint model is immediately obvious even
to the scientifically challenged: it represents an area of land, not
some abstract physical variable.
Every gardener, homeowner or naturophile can visualise the
parcel of land corresponding to his or her footprint. A second
benefit is that most will be surprised at the size of it; most of us
do not realise just how massive an impact our consumption
habits have on the land (and seas) that sustains us (Lautensach
2009, p. 158).
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EF is most often expressed in hectares. For example, it is estimated that the average
Canadian requires 8 hectares of land and water to support her/his consumption and
waste (Holmberg et al., 1999). The 2005 report Ecological Footprints of Canadian
Municipalities and Regions provides some more detailed breakdown of estimated
EFs. For example, the report finds that people who live in Ottawa have a footprint of
8.59 Ha, while people who live in Toronto have a footprint of 7.39 Ha.
A look at the figures for other countries and regions allows us to compare and
contrast EF figures. For example, a selection of the footprints for an average person
in other countries (Ewing et al., 2010) follows:
Country Footprint in Global Ha/person
United Arab Emirates 10.68
United States 9
Australia 6.84
Sweden 5.88
Saudi Arabia 5.13
Brazil 2.91
China 2.21
India 0.91
In its Living Planet Report 2014, the World Wildlife Fund provides calculations of
EFs for each nation and for specific components, such as carbon, grazing, forest,
fishing, cropland, and built-up land. In this learning activity, explore the WWF EF
presentation (Chapter 1, pp. 16–63). In particular, review the information and
graphics around the EF concept, pp. 32–42.
1. Examine the chart showing the EF of individual countries compared with the
world average (pp. 38–9). Where is Canada located and how does it compare
to the world average?
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2. What is the single largest component of Canada’s EF (and most other

countries as well)? What are some of the activities and consumption patterns
that make up this component? Is this component on the rise or decrease?
There is much debate over the strengths and weaknesses of the EF model, although
some claim that its true strength lies in its ability to illustrate and thus communicate
the concept of human impact. By providing a glimpse of impacts over time, EF
calculations may act as indicators of consumption trends, and motivate policy
makers, communities, and individuals to modify their lifestyles.
Instructions
The following readings examine the strengths and weaknesses of the EF concept.
After finishing them, write your answers to the questions in your personal notebook.
Torregrosa-López, Bellver-Navarro, and Lo Iacono-Ferreira (2011) provide an
analysis of the EF methodology and consider appropriate applications. Van den
Bergh & Grazi (2010) provide six criticisms of the EF method and even question its
strength as a communication tool for turning “unbelievers into believers of the
seriousness of environmental problems” (p. 4844).
1. Read the following pages in the following articles:
o Pages 16 and Conclusion on pages 17–18 in Torregrosa-López, J. I.,
Bellver-Navarro, C. G., & Lo Iacono-Ferreira, V. G. (2011). Experiences in
the use of ecological footprint as a sustainability indicator.
o Cuadernos de Biodiversidad , 37, 9–18. Retrieved Feb. 23, 2016 from
http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/19566/1/cuadbiod37_02.pdf.
o Pages 4843 and 4844 in Van den Bergh, J. & Grazi, F. (2010). On the policy
relevance of ecological footprints. Environment, Science and Technology,
44(13), 4843–4844. Retrieved Feb. 23, 2016 from
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/es1003582.
2. Using your understanding of these articles, consider the following question:
What are some of the pros and cons with respect to using the EF calculation
approach as an indicator of sustainability.
Learning Activity 5 - Video: TED Talk on Sustainable

Future
In the following TED Talk (2005), Alex Steffan—a journalist, writer, and the founder
of the online magazine worldchanging.com—discusses the ecological footprint and
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global sustainability. Although he begins his talk by presenting a bleak outlook for
the planet and the human population, he also points out tools, models, and ideas,
which if widely adopted, may create positive and sustainable change.
Have a look at the Ted Talk video Alex Steffen sees a sustainable future.
https://embed.ted.com/talks/alex_steffen_sees_a_sustainable_future
Use the following questions to reflect on some of the ideas presented, and record
your thoughts in your personal notebook.
Some of these ideas will be familiar to you and others will seem pretty wild. Identify
some “pretty wild” ideas and consider what we would need to do as a society to
implement them.
Read the comments that viewers have posted on the site in response to this video.
Select one and consider whether you think the writer’s opinion is valid. Why do you
think it is valid? In what ways do you disagree with the opinion? Does the writer
provide reputable sources that back their posting? If not, does that affect your
interpretation of the writer’s opinion?
References
Ewing, B., Moore, D., Goldfinger, S., Oursler, A., Reed, A., & Wachernagel, M.
(2010). The ecological footprint atlas 2010. Oakland, CA: Global Footprint Network.
Goudie, A. (2000.) The human impact on the natural environment (5th ed.). Oxford:
Blackwell.
community development. In J. W. Robinson & G. P. Green (Eds.), Introduction to
community development: Theory, practice, and service-learning (pp. 261–277). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Holmberg, J., Lundqvist, U., Robèrt, K-H., & Wackernagel, M. (1999). The ecological
footprint from a systems perspective of sustainability. International Journal of
Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 6(1), 17–33.
Clifford, S. L. Holloway, S. P. Rice, & G. Valentine (Eds.), Key Concepts in Geography
(2nd ed.) (pp. 378–391). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Lautensach, A. (2009). Teaching values through the ecological footprint. Green Theory
& Praxis: The Journal of Ecopedagogy, 5(1), 153–168.
Ponthiere, G. (2009). The ecological footprint: An exhibit at an intergenerational
trial? Environment, Development and Sustainability, 11(4), 677–694.
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Rees, W. E., & Wackernagel, M. (1994). Ecological footprints and appropriated

carrying capacity: Measuring the natural capital requirements of the human
economy. In A. M. Jansson, M. Hammer, Folke, & R. Costanza (Eds.), Investing in
natural capital: The ecological economics approach to sustainability. Washington, DC:
Island Press, pp. 362–91.
Wackernagel, M., Monfreda, C; Moran, D., Wermer, P., Goldfinger, S., Deumling, D.,
& Murray, M. (2005). National footprint and biocapacity accounts 2005: The underlying
calculation method. Oakland, CA: Global Footprint Network.
Assignment 3: Essay Due This Topic (20%)

Your essay now is due. Please see the Assignments Overview section for details
about how to submit your essay to your Open Learning Faculty Member.
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Topic 7: Climate Change and Sustainability

Introduction
Climate change is unique among environmental issues for its ability to attract and
maintain interest, and for how it elicits strong opinions from a full spectrum of
stakeholders. It may be the most pressing scientific issue of our day, yet uncertainty
dominates discussions around climate change. Public opinion is radically polarized
on this topic—between 20–40% of the population do not believe the science behind
global warming (Austin, 2011; CBC, 2011). A 2015 article stated that approximately
15% of Canadians do not believe in Climate Change at all (Csanady, 2015). From the
implementation of carbon taxes to determining whether Canada is a signatory to
international treaties, policy is discussed and debated, and to a limited extent, it is
implemented in the midst of this debate and in response to public opinion.
Consider this: you are not a climate change expert, yet you and everyone else in
society is being asked to weigh arguments and have an opinion. Many of the
decisions you make in life will require you to engage in a topic outside of your
specialty. As a critical thinker and an environmentally aware citizen, you have an
obligation to engage in this topic, understand as much of the science as you can, and
open yourself to exploring the reasoning from those who believe that climate change
is occurring as well as those that do not. Only then will you be able to make an
informed decision about what you, as an individual, are going to do to address the
issue.
This topic is designed to present basic information on climate change and encourage
you to explore your views in a critical way.
Learning Outcomes
• List the apparent causes of climate change and describe their anticipated
effects. Develop a reason and science-based approach to assessing
environmental issues.
• Critically analyze information to make informed judgments about Canadian
and global environmental issues.
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Learning Activities and Assessment Checklist
1. Videos How it works Quiz
2. Readings Scientific uncertainty Quiz
3. Videos Impacts of climate Quiz

change
4. Online Journal Equity and Climate Assignment 2: Online

Assessment Change Discussions Post 8
5. Quiz Quiz on material Quiz

Topics 1 to 7
Final Project Final Project Component
What is Climate Change?

Climate change is a long-term (backed by statistics) change in weather patterns.
Sometimes, the term also is used when people talk about global warming, but this
use is a bit misleading because it implies that in the past, the climate was stable and
unchanging and only now has changed. However, even systems that are stable
change, and so we would expect the climate to vary over time. The most obvious
evidence that our climate changes over time is our knowledge about past glaciation
events.
The concern today about climate change is centred on how the global climate overall
appears to be on a warming trend and how anthropogenic impacts (greenhouse
gases) may be altering our atmosphere and amplifying the effect of atmospheric
warming. Thus, a more appropriate term might be climate warming or global warming,
although to be consistent with popular and scientific literature, we will use the term
climate change throughout this discussion.
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Mechanics of Climate Change

Our planet is warmed by incoming energy from the sun and outgoing energy from
the earth. Most of the shortwave, visible ultraviolet energy from the sun passes
through the atmosphere to the earth (approximately 25% is absorbed by the
atmosphere, and clouds reflect another 25% back to space). This energy heats the
earth, warming it by approximately 33 degrees Celsius and creating an average
temperature on Earth of 15 degrees Celsius. The Earth re-emits some of this energy
in the form of infrared longwave radiation or heat. Figure 1 shows how naturally
occurring gases in the atmosphere—primarily water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N20)—absorb and trap some of this energy and
warm the system.
Figure 7.1: The greenhouse effect.

This phenomenon is popularly known as the greenhouse effect, and the active gases
responsible for it are referred to as greenhouse gases (GHGs). This effect is similar to
an actual greenhouse, which stays warm because light passes through the glass and
heats objects inside, including the air. The greenhouse effect and the presence of
GHGs are essential elements of the atmospheric radiation system, the energy of
which provides the foundation for life on earth (Forest et al., 2000; Houghton, 1997;
Solomon et al., 2007).
Climate change has become an issue of international proportions because scientists
studying the greenhouse effect have linked anthropogenic activities with an increase
in GHGs to an apparent increase in the Earth’s temperature (Table 1). The three most
commonly talked about human-influenced GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane
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(CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases differ in their severity or ability to cause
warming of the atmosphere. Human activity produces more CO2 than all other gases
combined but that does not mean that it is responsible for the majority of warming.
Methane is considered 24 times more powerful a warming agent than CO2, and N2O
is 250 times more potent. To avoid confusion, GHG emissions and consumption are
often converted to CO2 equivalents.
Greenhouse Gas Anthropogenic Approx. Climate

Source Removal Forcing
Time (W/m2)
Carbon Dioxide coal burning, internal >100 years 1.3 to 1.6

combustion engines,
deforestation
Methane natural gas burning, 10 years 0.5 to 0.7

cattle, landfill seepage
Nitrous Oxide agriculture 100 years 0.1 to 0.2
(Sources: Committee 2001, Houghton 1997, Johnston et al. 2000,

Reilly et al. 2001)
Table 7.1: Primary anthropogenic GHGs, their main sources, approximate removal
times from the atmosphere, and climate forcing values W/m2 (watts per square metre).
Learning Activity 1 - Video and Animation: Climate

Change—How it Works
Many of you already will know quite a bit about climate change and global
warming. The following videos and web pages are provided so that you can review
and refresh your knowledge:
• BBC News animation
• NASA video NASA Now Minute: Solar Radiation and Earth
https://www.youtube.com/embed/efMk8vBenq4
Climate change is believed to be the result of anthropogenic activities altering the
Earth’s solar energy budget. Review your knowledge by watching the National
Geographic video Global Warming 101.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/oJAbATJCugs
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Modelling Climate Change

Scientific analysis and forecasts provide the foundation for knowledge about climate
change. You can begin to imagine how the multitude of factors affecting the capture of
energy make it difficult to determine all the factors contributing to a change in the
climate. So, if we are actually talking about something that is constantly non-constant,
how can we tell if it is changing beyond what we have grown accustomed to?
The science of global climate change research depends on the application of global
climate models (GCMs). Although the fundamentals of atmosphere physics are
understood, some significant challenges remain with respect to simulating future
climatic scenarios. Climate cannot be described with reference to the atmosphere alone;
the ocean, land surface, cryosphere, and biosphere are all coupled to and influence
climate properties, and so climate change models must reflect these relationships. In
addition, positive and negative feedback mechanisms —water vapour, cloud radiation,
ocean-circulation, ice-albedo—complicate the process of estimating future outcomes
(Houghton, 1997; Nesge and Dahl, 2000). For example, the presence of water vapour in
the system may amplify the warming due to CO2 by a factor of 1.6 (Houghton, 1997).
Further, how can we differentiate these anthropogenic-caused changes from natural
changes in the Earth’s climate? Are the present changes in climate greater than those the
Earth and humans have experienced over the past 10, 50, 100, or 1000 years?
Additionally, what changes are relevant to society? If we depend on stable climates over
a 10 year period to plan for agriculture production, it might not matter if climate change
is only significant over 100 years. Similarly, if we plan for potential flood levels in our
cities on the basis of 100 year time periods, it might not be important then if a change in
climate is significant only over a 500 year period. On what time scale do you plan your
life? How important is it to know generally what the climate will be over that time?
Scientists modelling global climate change also face challenges of scale; it is not
sufficient to assemble more accurate data on local or regional short-term weather
patterns and use the same processes to create projections of global climate changes
hundreds of years into the future (Nesge & Dahl, 2000). Dynamic conditions—including
heat and moisture exchange, convection, temperature, and atmospheric pressure—are
parameterized between grid points, and estimates of boundary conditions, including
the feedback mechanisms described above, limit the degree of certainty with which we
can apply the results of these models. Contributing to further uncertainty in climate
model scenarios are the natural variation of climate over long time periods, the ability of
modelers to simulate this variation over hundreds of years, and an uncertainty with
proxy measures of the Earth’s past climate, which figure prominently in testing the
validity of GCMs (Committee, 2001; Houghton, 1997; Nesje et al., 2001).
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Learning Activity 2 - Reading: Scientific Uncertainty

It is a certain fact that the climate is constantly changing and that many factors
contribute to the variability of these changes. Then, a question arises: What amount
of variability is beyond the natural range of variability? In addition, what amount of
variability is within the limits of what humans find acceptable?
The following two papers examine the different challenges related to using the
scientific method to make assertions about climate change. The first uses scientific
data to conclude that the planet is cooling. In the second paper, the author considers
the role of science in the climate change debate.
As you read both papers, record your answers to the accompanying questions in
your personal journal.
Paper 1
Depending on when you do your scientific observations, you could be fooled into
thinking the climate is doing one thing or another. The history of climate research is
such that the scientific community has actually warned of the imminent perils of
climate cooling, not warming! The fear was that the next, and overdue, ice age was
starting. Review the Rasool and Schneider (1971) paper to take a look closer at the
question of scientific observation. Even though this paper is older, it is still relevant
for demonstrating that we need to critically examine the scale at which we make our
observations for collecting relevant data and drawing accurate conclusions. In your
personal journal, record why you think Rasool and Schneider thought the climate
was cooling.
Rasool, S. I., & Schneider, S. H. (1971). Atmospheric carbon dioxide and aerosols:
Effects of large increases on global climate. Science, 173(3992). 138–141. Available
online through the TRU Library Journal Database.
Paper 2
In this second article, the author describes what he thinks is the limit of scientific
inquiry in the climate change debate. Use the following questions to guide your
reading. In your personal journal, record your answers.
• What role does Hulme see for science in the climate change debate?
• Why is Hulme calling for an ethical consensus over a scientific consensus?
Hulme, M. (2007). Understanding climate change—The power and limit of science.
Weather, 62(9), 243–44. Available online through the TRU Library Journal Database.
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Potential Impacts of Climate Change

The predicted impacts of climate change are numerous and variable depending on
where you are living. The potential impacts of climate change include: a rise in ocean
levels that may inundate low-lying coastal areas and islands; drought, particularly at
the mid-latitudes, that may diminish the world’s agricultural food resources;
ecosystem changes that may outpace the ability of species to adapt; and both
amplified and new challenges to human health. Positive impacts and opportunities
may also result. For example, we may be able to grow crops in different areas, and
many areas may develop longer growing seasons. It is predicted that the Arctic
shipping routes will open, supporting cheaper transportation of goods. The east
coast of North America may actually experience a decrease in the number of
hurricanes. Feedback loops make it very difficult to predict actual impacts.
Learning Activity 3 - Video: Impacts of Climate Change

The following web resources illustrate some of the potential impacts of climate
change. As you watch the two videos and read the Environment Canada web page,
use your personal journal to take notes and answer the following questions.
• National Geographic video A Way Forward: Facing Climate Change
• World Wildlife Fund video Observations on Climate Change in the Arctic – WWF
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jak1pExql0U
• Environment Canada Human Activity and the Environment: Annual
Statistics 2007 and 2008, (scroll down to the section “Climate change
impacts”)
i. What do you think are the most significant potential effects of climate
change?
ii. What change can we live with and why?
iii. What changes are you willing to make (for example, to save the polar
bears)?
Responses to Climate Change

Adaptation requires that societies prepare for an inevitable warming of the climate
beyond our experienced natural range of variability. Adaptation stresses the
importance of natural system resistance and resilience. Adaptation aims to reduce
the magnitude of change, and possible adaptation practices include: avoiding
building on floodplains and low-lying areas, developing drought-tolerant crops, and
preparing public health systems to fight widespread disease.
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Figure 7.2: If climate change brings an increase in significant weather events, like
flooding, then as a society we may want to adapt by examining which of our cities
are built in flood plains. What would be the costs associated with trying to rebuild
out of the floodplain?
Wigham, A. J. (2006). Come hell or high water 1 [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved from:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90664717@N00/179299295. CC BY 2.0
Mitigation focuses on reducing the degree to which the climate is changing because
of human activities. Strategies include limiting the amount of GHGs produced
through policies including: reducing industrial emissions, reducing deforestation
and increasing afforestation, implementing carbon taxes, and modifying agricultural
practices to enhance soil carbon.
It is likely that we will need to employ both adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Our society depends on fossil fuels, and it will take many years before this
dependence is replaced by non-renewable energy sources. Energy systems cannot be
changed quickly. Also, climate change is also presently occurring and cannot be
stopped easily; no matter what we do, we will experience some change.
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Learning Activity 4 - Equity and Climate Change: Online

Introduction
Developed countries are widely held to be responsible for causing climate change
because of their past and current industrialization and consumption patterns.
However, developing nations currently produce more CO2 than developed
nations (total production but not on a per capita basis). The dichotomy can best
be summed up:
There are generally two schools of thought regarding the fair
distribution of global responsibility for the 25–40% reduction in
carbon emissions believed necessary to limit the worst effects of
climate change. Developing countries (India, China, and Brazil
are some of the biggest players in this group) who hold little
responsibility for the current rate of climate change insist that
developed countries' (the U.S. and much of Europe fall in this
category) extended history of dirty industry makes them the
primary culprits and therefore primarily responsible for making
the necessary carbon emission cuts. Developed countries, while
acknowledging their overweight role in climate change, contend
that limiting the current shift in climate is a task which requires
participation by all nations, not just the most industrialized
regions (Robertson, 2014)
Additionally, as economies develop, people tend to increase their consumption. The
developing countries are striving for the same level of comfort that developed
countries now enjoy, but employing adaptation and mitigation efforts on a global
scale may require restricting the growth of developing countries. Additionally,
developing nations have populations that are much greater than developed nations
and the impact of development at such a large scale will have impacts on global
carbon emissions. Thus, adaptation and mitigation options not only will have social,
economic, and environmental costs for our communities, and for individuals, but
also intra-generational costs.
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Instructions
This activity is designed to support your exploration of quality and credible sources
as well as your ability to assess and answer a question with complicated answers.
1. Using three external sources (following the guidance in source selection)
consider and answer the question below. Your answer should be between
300–500 words:
o Is it fair to restrict the growth of developing countries because of climate
change?
2. Post your response to the online discussions area.
References
Austin, E.G. (2011, February 8). Why don’t Americans believe in global warming?
The Economist. Retrieved Feb. 23, 2016 from
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/02/climate_change.
CBC News. (2011, February 22). Climate change an issue in Canada: Poll.
Committee on the Science of Climate Change, Division on Earth and Life Studies,
National Research Council. (2001). Climate change science: An analysis of some key
questions. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Csanady, Ashley. (2015, May 18). Just over half of Canadians believe humans
causing climate change, while 15 per cent don’t believe it at all. The National Post.
Retrieved March 16, 2016 from http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-
politics/just-over-half-of-canadians-believe-humans-causing-climate-change-while-
15-per-cent-dont-believe-in-it-all
Forest, C. E., Stone, P. H., & Jacoby, H. D. (2000). How to think about human influence
on climate (Report No. 68). Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Houghton, J. (1997). Global warming: The complete briefing. Cambridge, MA:
Cambridge University Press.
Nesge, A., & Dahl, S. O. (2001). Glaciers and environmental change. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Reilly, J., Babiker, M., & Mayer, M. (2001). Comparing greenhouse gases (Report No.
77). Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Solomon, S., Qin, D. Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K. B., Tignor, M.,
& Miller, H. L. (2007). Contribution of working group 1 to the fourth assessment report of
the intergovernmental panel on climate change: The physical science basis. New York, NY:
Cambridge University Press.
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Quiz
The quiz will consist of 20 questions (1/2 mark each) and is worth 10% of your final
grade. The material that the quiz covers is from topics 1 to 7. There is a lot of general
level concept material in these topics as well as readings with detail. The quiz will
focus on the general level ideas that are presented in the module writing. The quiz
will be timed and you will have 30 minutes to take it. There will be one opportunity
to take the quiz.
Final Project Component: Meeting or Event

Now that you are learning about who is involved with the topic you have chosen for
your final project and what their interests and values are, participate in a local
meeting.
Alternatively, if a meeting is not available, you can gather information other ways.
You may choose to look at sources of information on similar environmental
problems. For example, if you are looking at the question of whether or not a mine
should be developed in an area, you can look for information on a similar project in
another area, and write about the common themes and concerns. Some suggestions
for attending a local meeting are:
• Participate in or host a Twitter chat on the subject. Interview the main
proponents involved in your topic area.
• Post and monitor a Facebook page about a similar environmental concern.
If you are unsure about your method, consult with your Open Learning Faculty
Member—one of the keys to a successful project is interacting with others to gather
relevant information.
Answer the following questions:
• Who spoke (posted, interviewed, etc.)? What groups do they represent?
• Did they raise additional issues or express values other than those of which
you already are aware?
• Who do you think made the most effective argument and why?
Note
If a meeting that you would like to attend will be held at a later time, you do
not necessarily need to complete this activity this week.
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Module 4: Natural Resources—Water, Air, Energy,

Biodiversity, and Food and Agriculture
Introduction
In Module 4, we move on to look at natural resource management from a
sustainability perspective. For the last five topics in the course, we will look at water,
air, energy, biodiversity, and food and agriculture.
Water is integral to life. Although we live on the “big blue marble” and seemingly
enjoy abundant water resources, human activity threatens water quality and
quantity. Further, distribution of water is not equal around the world; some areas
have lots and others very little. In addition, the availability of water varies
throughout space and time. Changing environmental conditions make the goal of
achieving water sustainability a constantly moving target. Some say that the scarcity
of clean, drinkable water will turn water into the oil of the twenty-first century
(Carey, 2009). In this topic, we will examine water sustainability.
Topic 8: Water Sustainability
Figure 8.1: The hydrologic cycle
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M4-2 Natural Resources—Water, Air, Energy, Biodiversity…
The hydrologic cycle involves the continuous cycling of water above, below, and on
the Earth’s surface. Water changes form as it cycles, and so it can be present as a
solid (ice), liquid (water), or gas (atmospheric vapour). Ocean water, recharged
primarily from precipitation and surface runoff, comprises 97% of the Earth’s total
water resources (NASA, n.d.). During the process of evaporation, ocean water turns
to water vapour and re-enters the atmosphere. Precipitation over land recharges
freshwater rivers and lakes, as well as ice and snow. Runoff moves across the surface
until it is deposited into water bodies or infiltrates into the ground (percolation) and
enters the ground water system. The water taken up by plants also can re-enter the
atmosphere through evapotranspiration. Water is stored in reservoirs, including
lakes and oceans, as well as in snow and ice, the atmosphere, and the ground. When
moving, water can act as a force of destruction—its energy can move earth,
buildings, jetties, and other man-made structures (Briggs et al., 1989).
The intricacies of this process are studied as an important element in climate change.
For example, water, snow, and ice are important for the Earth’s reflectance of solar
energy or its albedo. Whereas snow and ice reflect solar radiation back into the
atmosphere, water tends to absorb solar radiation. When albedo decreases—for
example, when snow and ice melt—the planet is warmed because less radiation is
reflected back into space. This decrease leads to more warming and thus more
melting. Conversely, when albedo increases more radiation is reflected, and the
planet is cooled, promoting the formation of additional ice and snow. This process is
a good example of a positive feedback loop. An additional influence on global
warming is the effects of evaporation and condensation. Evaporation heats the
atmosphere and condensation cools it. Both are important principles in the influence
of water on our overall climate (Briggs et al., 1989).
Learning “Bite” Environment Canada has created a web page that describes
the different components of the hydrologic cycle.
The U.S. Geological Survey also has a website,that provides information
about the major components and processes of the Earth’s water.
Another source, the Encyclopedia of Earth, provides some excellent graphics.
You also may want to look at the online edition of The Fundamentals of
Physical Geography (2nd ed.).
Finally, NASA has a number of good videos on water cycle properties and
what happens when there is too much or too little water.
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Learning Outcomes
• Identify the major threats to fresh water sources and how they can be
controlled.
1. Reading/Web Sustainability No assessment

Activity indicators—water
quality and availability
2. Reading/Web How much water do No assessment

Activity you use?
3. Reading Integrating local No assessment

knowledge with
scientific research
4. Online Discussions Water sustainability in Assignment 2: Online

Post a changing world and Discussions Post 9
the tragedy of the
commons
Final Project Costs and benefits Final Project

component
Learning Activity 1 - Reading and Web Activity: Water

Quality and Availability
The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program collects data
on water availability and quality in Canada. We used these resources in Topic 4
when we assessed sustainable development using criteria and indicators. In this
exercise, we will use the CESI data tables and interactive map to explore information
and trends on water quality and availability.
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Answer the following questions in your personal notebook:

1. Examine the main website page: Environment Canada Environmental
Indicators and the geographic distribution of water quality (categorized from
poor to excellent) from different monitoring stations across Canada.
2. Do you notice any patterns?
3. Look more closely at a water monitoring station in an area with which you
are familiar. Can you hypothesize why the CESI has categorized the water
quality as poor, marginal, fair, excellent or good?
4. When considering land use impacts on water quality, population density is
listed as a factor impacting water quality. Why? What other land uses impact
water quality?
5. What are the threats to water availability? Which threats originate from direct
human activities? Which threats are indirect? Which likely originate from
point sources and non-point sources? Which of these threats do you think can
be effectively managed to ensure continued water availability? How would
you use governance (laws and regulations), environmental approaches, or
economic strategies to managed threats to water availability?
Water Supply in Canada

Map 1.1 from Statistics Canada “Renewable freshwater resources by country, and
water yield by drainage region within Canada,” illustrates renewable freshwater
resources by country, and water yield by drainage region within Canada (Dewar &
Soulard, 2010, p. 14).
The following facts highlight some pertinent information about Canada’s water
supply and demand.
Compared with many nations, Canada is a “water rich” country, but water is not
evenly distributed. Map 1.1 shows how freshwater resources are variable across
Canada, with most of them located in the Pacific Ocean watersheds. In addition,
water availability in a given watershed varies from year to year and season to
season. The following information is provided in Human activity and the
environment: Fresh water supply and demand in Canada, prepared by Dewar and
Soulard (2010):
• “Pacific Coast drainage region has greatest amount of water per unit area
(1.54 m3/m2)” (p. 5).
• “Drainage areas in the Prairies and north of the Prairies produce the least
water (0.02 - 0.07 m3/m2)” (p. 5).
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• “From 1971 to 2004 water yield in Southern Canada decreased an average of

3.5 km3 per year, which is equivalent to an overall loss of 8.5% of the water
yield over this time period. This average annual decrease of 3.5 km3 is almost
as much as the 3.8 km3 of water that is supplied to the residential population
of Canada in a year” (p. 29).
• “For most of the country the bulk of the water yield is produced in April,
May and June, as snow and ice melt, and precipitation increases. In the North
this peak occurs in late spring and early summer. In the South, where the
preponderance of Canada’s economic production takes place, water yield is
highest in the spring. As spring turns into summer, yield declines and
demand for water related to human activity increases” (34).
Even though Canada has an abundance of freshwater resources, it still experiences
water shortages. Since the majority of our population lives in urban centres along
our southern border, pressure peaks in the summer due to recreational and
agricultural uses compete with household requirements (Dewar and Soulard. 2010):
• “In August 2005, more than 40% of the water yield in the Okanagan–
Similkameen drainage region and the Prairies was withdrawn by agriculture,
industry and households. In the Prairies, where stocks are limited, water
demand must be met primarily by renewable water, and water shortages are
evident when demand exceeds the renewable supply” (p. 7).
• “In August 2005 more than 40% of the water yield was also withdrawn in the
Great Lakes drainage region in Canada. The Great Lakes themselves,
however, contain more than 6.5 times Canada’s annual water yield.
Therefore, low summertime water yield in that drainage region has less
potential to impose a constraint on human activities” (p. 7).
How do Canadians use water?

Canada is second only to the U.S. in water consumption per capita amongst all
developed countries. It is estimated that humans require between 2 to 5 litres per
person per day for basic survival; on average, Canadians use between 320–350 litres
per person per day for basic needs, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and all other
domestic uses (Dewar & Soulard, 2010; Schnoor, 2010; Shrubsole & Draper, 2007).
Why do Canadians use so much water? In part, our society creates little incentive for
water conservation. Since our water is priced extremely cheap, conservation is not
promoted. Additionally, the majority of water use supports economic activity, so
policies making water use more expensive may negatively impact economic growth
or activity:
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• “In 2005, more than 90% of the water that was withdrawn went to support
economic activity, and about 9% was used directly by the residential sector.
The residential sector used 56% of the water that was supplied by the public
utility water system. The sector that used the most water overall, by a
considerable margin, was Thermal-electric power generation” (Dewar &
Soulard, 2010, p. 38).
• NRTEE (2011) found that natural resource industries used water in the
following percentages: the thermal electric power generation sector at 77.7%,
manufacturing at 7.8%, pulp and paper at 7.2%, agriculture at 5.5%, mining at
1.3%, and oil and gas at 0.6 % (p. 46).
• “The agricultural sector was responsible for 4.6% (almost 2 km3) of total
water withdrawals in 2005. The bulk of this water was used to irrigate crops,
with a balance of 16% going to support livestock production” (Dewar &
Soulard, 2010, p. 43).
Water Conservation
In Topic 6, we measured our ecological footprints as a means to consider our impact
on the biosphere. In a similar fashion, your individual water footprint measures the
water it takes to produce the individual goods and services you consume. The video
everydropcounts, shows how water supports the goods and services we use in a
typical day, including “virtual water,” a measure of water use that quantifies the
water embedded in the foods we eat or that is required to produce the products we
use.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/dXZiURKha5w
Visit the Virtual Water website, for more information about how virtual water is
calculated.
Learning Activity 2 - How Much Water Do You Use?

Water Use and Conservation
In this activity, you will use a variety of online water calculators to track and record
the amount of water you use for various activities over a 48 hour period. After you
calculate how much water you used for the goods and services you consumed,
answer the following questions in your personal notebook. Don’t forget to include
virtual water!
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Figure 8.2: Most Canadians acknowledge that Canada is a country wealthy with
water resources. When we think of those resources, we tend to think of ‘pure’ water,
originating in ‘wild’ areas, and being relatively pollutant free. But Canada faces
some stresses in terms of both quantity and quality.
Bloggs, D. (2014). Mt. Lorette ponds, Kananaskis, Alberta [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved
from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davebloggs007/15387062301. CC BY 2.0
Figure 8.3: One of the challenges for our water quality is that the further
downstream from the source of a watershed, there tends to be more urban,
industrial, and agricultural activities, all of which can contribute to deteriorating
water quality.
Knowles, C. (2012). False Creek Condos [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved from:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/colink/7961135688. CC BY 2.0
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Here are some calculators and other sources to assist you:

Information containing virtual water content estimates:
• “Water Content of Things—Data Table 19” 2008/2009 data on The World’s
Water website, a project of the Pacific Institute,
• "Product Gallery” on the Water Footprint Network website. Choose a
product to see how much water it takes to produce.
Water footprint calculators:
• "Your Water Footprint” on the Water Footprint Network website. Use the
quick or extended calculator.
• “What is your Water Footprint” on the National Geographic website
Water footprint apps:
• “Water Footprint” (Android):
• “Virtual Water” (iOS)
Resources on Canadian water use:
• “Factsheet: Water Use & Consumption in Canada,” from Shrubsole, D., &
Draper, D. (2007). On guard for thee? Water (ab)uses and management in
Canada” In K. Bakker (Ed.), Eau Canada (n.p.). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.
• “Water Consumption,” from the Conference Board of Canada website.
Questions
1. Did any activity surprise you in terms of how much water you consumed?
2. How does your calculated water use compare with the statistics from the
resources on Canadian water use (above)? If your estimated use varies
considerably, consider the methodology used in the water calculator(s) you
applied to estimate your use. Remember: Water is measured in cubic meters
(1 m3 = 1000 litres)!
3. What are some ways that personally you could conserve water?
4. Does your community experience water shortages? What are some changes
that could occur at the community level to promote water conservation?
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Point and Nonpoint Sources of Pollution

Water availability is important, but so is water quality, which is impacted by
industrial and residential use. Some cities in Canada dump their raw sewage
straight into our water. Point source water pollutants discharge pollutants directly
into water sources and include: factories, road salt, sediment from culverts, and
sewage treatment plants. Nonpoint sources of water pollution originate away from
bodies of water and seep or leach into the ground. Agricultural fertilizer, mines,
landfills, acid rain, and urban runoff are some examples of nonpoint pollutants.
Some pollutants will biodegrade, but others affect water quality or aquatic plants,
fish, and other animals.
Learning “Bite” Using resources from the library or reliable internet sources,
consider the following questions:
● What role might topography contribute to the impacts of pollutants?
● How do high temperature discharges affect water quality?
● What are your views on the practice of dumping raw sewage into bodies of
water? Base your decision on a balanced consideration of the environmental
impact and mitigation and adaptation practices.
Learning Activity 3 - Reading: Integrating Local

Knowledge with Scientific Research
Cohen et el.’s (2006) paper “Learning with Local Help: Expanding the Dialogue on
Climate Change and Water Management in the Okanagan Region, British Columbia,
Canada” states that knowledgeable stakeholders are invaluable when trying to
address sustainability issues because: “[t]he importance of local conditions implies
that dialogue with stakeholders needs to be an explicit part of the process of framing
research questions and carrying out impact and adaptation assessments” (p. 333). In
this paper, the authors describe an approach for soliciting local knowledge input for
discussions on water management, which involves combining physical science with
social science.
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As you read the Cohen et al. paper (see documentation below), consider the
following questions, and record your answers in your personal journal or notebook
that you keep for this course:
• Describe, in your own words using 3–4 sentences, a “participatory
approach.”
• The framework presented by Cohen et al. comprises five key components.
One is to use climate change scenarios to create “what if” situations. What are
the other four key components? Through what mechanisms are they
integrated?
• Participatory integrated assessment is a dialogue process amongst
participants. Cohen et al. identify three essential elements for success—one is
“a gradual build-up of trust through shared learning.” What are the other
two? What are the methods for achieving all three elements? How would the
study designers know when they have been successful in achieving these
elements?
• What are the limitations of combining scientific modelling, field work, and
the collection of local knowledge?
• After reading this article, what types of local knowledge enhance formal
science?
Cohen, S., Neilsen, D., Smith, S., Neale, T., Taylor, B., Barton, M., Merritt, W., Alila,
Y., Shepherd, P., McNeill, R., Tansey, J., Carmichael, J., & Langsdale, S. (2006).
Learning with local help: Expanding the dialogue on climate change and water
management in the Okanagan region, British Columbia, Canada. Climatic Change,
75(3), 331–358. Available online through the TRU Library Journal Database.
Learning Activity 4 - Water Sustainability in a Changing

World and the Tragedy of the Commons: Online
The “Tragedy of the Commons”
The “tragedy of the commons” is a model of resource use developed by Garrett
Hardin in 1968. He argued that when individuals have equal access to a limited
resource, they will all choose to exploit that resource rather than manage it for
conservation and future use. By doing so, each individual acts independently,
promoting their own self-interest before community benefits. Individuals who use
more of the resource than their equitable share benefit at the expense of others,
depleting and perhaps even destroying the resource for all. Water use is described as
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a classic “tragedy of the commons” paradigm. However, Hardin argues that the
tragedy can be avoided if resources are appropriately regulated.
Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of the commons. Science, 162(3859), 1243–1248.
Retrieved July 12, 2012 from http://www.sciencemag.org/content/162/3859/1243.full.
Introduction and Reading

In his 2010 lecture titled “Water Sustainability in a Changing World,” Schnoor (2010)
defines water sustainability as “The continual supply of clean water for human uses
and for other living things” (15). He notes that because water is a renewable
resource, theoretically we should have enough water for our human needs as well as
enough for environmental maintenance. In reality, “Various forces affect the nature,
timing, and availability of water” (Schnoor, 2010, p. 1). Since these forces are fluid
and “change throughout time,” Schnoor posits that water sustainability is a moving
target. He calls these forces “drivers,” and his lecture examines four important
components—population growth, climate change, land use change and energy
choices, and Global poverty—and their impacts on water quality and quantity. He
also discusses potential strategies to address these solutions, which may empower
us to achieve water sustainability.
1. Read Schnoor’s lecture (see documentation below).
Schnoor, J. L. (2010). Water sustainability in a changing world . The 2010
Clarke Prize Lecture, National Water Research Institute. Retrieved July 12,
2012 from http://www.nwri-usa.org/pdfs/2010ClarkePrizeLecture.pdf.
As you are reading, consider the following question:

o In what ways do you think our water use, as described by Schnoor, is a
‘Tragedy of the Commons’?
2. Post your answer in 300 words (and no more than 500 words) to the online
discussions.
References
Briggs, D., Smithson, P., & Ball, T. (1989). Fundamentals of Physical Geography.
Toronto, ONT: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd.
Carey, S. K. (2009). Hydrology and water resources in Canadian geography. The
Canadian Geographer, 53(4), 500–505.
Dewar, H., & Soulard, F. (2010). Human activity and the environment freshwater supply
and demand in Canada. Ottawa, ONT: Statistics Canada.
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NASA. (n.d.). Water Cycle. Retrieved July 12, 2012 from

http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/ocean-earth-system/ocean-
water-cycle/ (accessed Feb. 23, 2016 as http://science.nasa.gov/earth-
science/oceanography/ocean-earth-system/ocean-water-cycle/).
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE). (2011).
Charting a course: Sustainable water use by Canada’s natural resource sectors. Ottawa,
ONT: NRTEE. Retrieved July 12, 2012 from http://www.cwn-rce.ca/news-and-
events/nrt-report-charting-a-course-sustainable-water-use-by-canadas-nat-res-
sectors/.
Shrubsole, D., & Draper, D. (2007). On guard for thee? Water (ab)uses and management
in Canada. K. Bakker (Ed.), Eau Canada (n.p.). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.
Final Project Component: Impacts (Optional Online

Posting)
Your work with your project to date has involved: analyzing a problem; identifying
stakeholders and their wants, needs, and values; and understanding the science
behind your project. This week you will assess the negative and positive impacts
(costs and benefits) of your environmental topic as it affects various stakeholders by
considering the following questions:
• What do you think are the potential impacts (positive and negative) for the
short- and long-terms?
• How do you propose weighing present values against future concerns?
• Are all impacts at the local or regional scale, or do you think that some
impacts will have a wider geographic influence? If so, which ones?
• Will the impacts affect all people equally? If not, who will benefit and who
will not, and why?
After you summarize these impacts (both positive and negative), you may want to
post your summary in the online discussions so that you can get some feedback
from other participants. Take a look at some of the impacts highlighted by other
learners’ projects. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences; this
exercise may be useful as you start to think about the solutions and outcomes for
your issue.
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Topic 9: Air Pollution and Air Quality

Introduction
Have you heard of the plan to move the Parthenon to a different site in Athens and
build a glass roof over it to protect it from the weathering effects of air pollution? In
addition, a weather-resistant replica would be built on the Acropolis for the tourists
to visit. Do you think that this is a good solution for addressing air pollution?
Air pollution is not new. The smoke inside a Masai hut affected the health of its
inhabitants for generations. King Edward I passed the first known law to control
urban air pollution in London in 1273 yet over one thousand people died there in the
air pollution crisis of 1911. So we have been trying to address the impact of air
pollution for a very long time.
An air pollutant can be defined as any substance in sufficient concentration in the air
to produce a harmful effect on humans, animals, vegetation, and other materials.
Since the damage produced by a pollutant depends on its concentration, pollutants
have been dealt with in two ways: by reducing the production of the harmful
substance and/or by increasing the dispersal of the substance. The early response to
industrial pollution often focused on building higher smokestacks so that the
pollutants were diluted by a larger volume of air! Today, it is common to set air
pollution standards as acceptable levels of emission from the stack, but this still does
not address the total pollution released by all sources.
In this Topic, we look at air pollution and air quality.
Learning Outcomes
• Identify the causes of air pollution and some approaches to its control.
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1. Reading Something in the air No assessment
2. Online Journal In the air around you Assignment 2: Online

Assessment Discussions Post 10
3. Video Analysis Two countries, related No assessment

problems
Final Project Decision-making No assessment

structure
Air Pollution
A pollutant is a substance not normally found in the air (Tiwary & Colls, 2010;
Vallero, 2008). Four processes determine air pollution levels (Annenberg Learner,
n.d., p. 4):
1. Emissions: Air pollutants emitted directly in the air are primary air
pollutants. Sources are anthropogenic (e.g., cars, industrial activity) and
natural (e.g., wildfire, volcanoes).
2. Chemistry: Air pollutants formed by chemical reaction (pollutants reacting
with each other or water vapor) are secondary air pollutants.
3. Transport: Global weather is important, particularly circulation patterns, in
determining where air pollutants travel. Wind moves pollutants in the
atmosphere, and east-west routes can transport them around the globe in a
few weeks.
o To learn more about these circulation patterns, review “The Pacific Dust
Express,” a learning resource from NASA that illustrates how dust from
Asia moved across the Pacific and over the continental U.S.
4. Deposition: Pollutants in Earth’s atmosphere are returned to the planet (are
“deposited”) by weather events including rain, snow, and fog. Also,
pollutants can be absorbed during chemical processes, e.g., photosynthesis.
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What is an Airshed?
Pollutants impact air quality, and the physical geography of an area determines how
those pollutants disperse. An airshed is a geographical area where local topography
and meteorology affect the dispersion of pollutants. Common topographic features
that create airsheds include mountains.
An inversion occurs when normal atmosphere conditions, where warm air is closer
to the ground than cooler air, are inverted, and cold air becomes closer to the
ground. These temperature inversions prevent atmospheric convection, which
means that air becomes ‘stiller’—as a result, pollutants such as dust or smoke are not
lifted away from the surface but become trapped. In cities and towns that are located
in valleys (surrounded by mountains), inversions trap the air in the valley, making it
hard to breathe and conduct normal activities.
Go to the following Environment Canada website to view a variety of resources that
demonstrate how inversions occur. In particular view the videos “An upside down
morning” and “A view on smog”. You can also go to the following video which also
demonstrates inversions in various locations:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/jnfNn-7kbws
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: Something in the Air

Air quality affects personal well-being and is an important component of healthy
communities. Air that is hard to breathe impacts our short- and long-term quality of
life. For example, the concentration and chemical composition of fine particulate
matter in the atmosphere is a major contributor to incidences of asthma and
cardiovascular disease.
Kaiser and Granmar (2005) identify some of the known and suspected dangers of
fine particulate matter in their article “Mounting Evidence Indicts Fine-Particle
Pollution.” Read this article and consider the following questions. As you are
reading, record your answers in the personal journal or notebook that you keep for
this course.
1. In what ways can breathing fine particle matter damage the cardiovascular
system?
2. What other health impacts may be caused by exposure to fine particulate
matter?
3. What is the role of chemical composition in fine particulate matter pollution?
4. How would you design a sustainable community so that exposure to fine
particulate matter would be minimized?
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5. The article references laws and abatement standards for the United States. By
using the web, identify comparable laws and standards for Canada.
Kaiser, J., & Granmar, M. (2005). Mounting evidence indicts fine-particle pollution.
Science, 307(5717), 1858–1861. Available online through the TRU Library Journal
Database.
British Columbia—Air Pollutants and Air Quality

In British Columbia, air pollutants of special concern are fine particulate matter
(PM2.5), ground-level ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2).
These pollutants are monitored by the Ministry of Environment from stations
located across the province.
The British Columbia State of the Air, 2015 report presents data on a variety of
pollutants (BC Lung Association, 2015):
Common Outdoor Air Pollutants

http://oledmedia.trubox.ca/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=1
Learning Activity 2 - In the Air Around You: Online

Introduction
The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) collects data on
ground-level ozone (O3) and particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter
(PM2.5) for air quality trend analysis. In this learning activity, you will use the CESI
data for Air Quality to explore raw and trend data for a monitoring station in or near
your community. By using the web and your own local knowledge, you will
research supporting information (monitoring station location, nearby emission
sources, prevailing wind direction) and discuss what contributes to the condition of
air quality in your community.
Instructions
1. For this exercise you will use the CESI’s interactive maps for Air Quality.
Select one of the appropriate air quality indicators. Next, zoom in to locate
the data for a town or city near where you live (you may also select a station
in or near a community you are familiar with instead of where you are
currently living). Click on the monitoring station map point, then click
‘Details – More information’ to open a webpage containing information on
trends for your selected community and comparison with national averages.
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2. Next, identify potential emission sources near your monitoring station. You
can return to the drop-down menu and select one of the indicators that
begins with ‘Emission’– this will bring up a map of emission sources, such as
industrial plants.
3. Consider the following questions below as you explore the data and then
post your summary to the online discussions.
o Identify which community you selected. What are the measurements for
O3 and PM2.5 for your community on the map webpage? Over what time
period are these levels calculated?
o Is there any noticeable trend for either pollutant over the time period that
data is graphed? How does your community compare with the national
average for each pollutant?
o Applying your knowledge of local activity and prevailing winds, what do
you think are the largest emission sources?
o How is air quality affected by the geography of your community?
Consider information from newspapers and your own local knowledge
and experience.
Learning Activity 3 - Video Analysis: Two Countries,

Related Problems
Health and Air Quality
The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a tool developed to communicate
information about air pollution on a daily basis. It is used across Canada to
empower Canadians to monitor air quality and to take steps to protect their health.
Canadians with asthma or other respiratory conditions that are exacerbated by
polluted air can choose to stay indoors or perhaps even temporarily relocate to less
polluted (more remote) areas. Children and elderly people are particularly sensitive.
As well, the AQHI assists people in deciding whether they should exercise outdoors.
The AQHI calculates and reports on mixtures of ground-level ozone (O3),
particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). AQHI is reported as a
number indicating risk, from Low to Very High. The AQHI is higher on days with
smog, high fine particles in the air, and when air currents carry smoke from
wildfires into urban areas. Risks are typically reported with weather forecasts.
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Figure 9.1: AQHI index.

© Environment Canada. “ What is the scale for the new AQHI?” found at
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cas-aqhi/default.asp?Lang=En&n=065BE995-1 This reproduction is a
copy of an official work published by the Government of Canada and has not been produced
in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada.
Learning “Bite” What regulations exist in Canada to reduce air pollutants

and improve air quality? For example, you can read about British Columbia
Regulations.
Reducing Air Pollutants

Some ways to reduce air pollutants include:
• Scrubbers on industrial smokestacks
• Fewer cars on road, carpools, or mass transportation Catalytic converters on
cars
• Overall reduction of use of fossil fuels
• Where possible, selection of local produce over imported produce
A key factor in reducing emissions levels is to reduce production of materials
produced by emission sources. Much air pollution, and its associated GHG impact,
can be lessened if we simply consume fewer goods or reduce our driving footprint
(carpool, use public transportation, etc.). Individuals, families, communities, and
entire countries can commit to this project. Although some actions are accomplished
voluntarily—most frequently at the scale of individuals and families—other actions
need to be encouraged by policy changes.
For example, a carbon tax on gasoline may encourage people to buy less. However,
these policies can hurt a population when choice is restricted. People can choose to
consume less gas but only up to the point where it is no longer possible to avoid
driving. Our public transit infrastructure is not as developed as in other countries, in
part because of the large size of Canada and the huge number of remote, spread-out
communities. Creating a more developed public transit infrastructure would require
a complete change in how our society lives.
TRU Open Learning

Introduction
Air quality, primarily as it affects human health and visibility, is paramount to our
well-being. In the World Health Organization 2010 global ranking of air quality in
cities, Canada, as a country, ranked number 3 in terms of clean air. In contrast, many
Chinese cities were graded as having “very polluted” air. Evidence suggests that in
many of China’s urban areas air quality is amongst the worst in the world.
Instructions
Two videos have been selected for you to view to compare and contrast the air
quality of 1) BC coastal communities, 2) communities in China. As you watch the
videos, consider the following questions. Record your answers in the personal
notebook that you keep for this course.
Videos
• British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast Clean Air Society produced video
Common Air Pollutants and their Sources.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/UtdKRvWC1yQ
• A closer look at China’s development in the video Longing for Blue Skies.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/v-SEJfpQLSI
Questions
1. What are some of the main sources of pollutants along the BC coast? In
China’s rural areas? In China’s urban areas? As shown in the videos, what is
similar and what is different about the source of air pollutants?
2. What do the videos illustrate about health impacts in the two countries?
Where would you prefer to live?
3. By using the web as a search tool, explore the air pollution indices for
particulate matter in Beijing, China and Vancouver, British Columbia. What
are some of the extreme differences that you see? In what indices are the
areas similar?
4. What are some changes that, if a large number of people carried them out,
would improve the air quality in British Columbia? In China?
5. What are some changes that could be made to industry and manufacturing
that would improve the air quality in British Columbia? In China?
6. Considering what the videos demonstrate in terms of pollution levels and
human health impacts, what do you think are the differences in the
governing structures and attitudes towards creating sustainable societies in
each of the three areas?
TRU Open Learning

References
Annenberg Learner. (n.d.). Unit 11: Atmospheric Pollution. In The habitable planet: A
systems approach to environmental science. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from
http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/index.html.
British Columbia Lung Association (BC Lung). (2011). State of the air 2011. Retrieved
Feb. 28, 2016 from
https://bc.lung.ca/sites/default/files/State%20of%20the%20Air%20Report%202011.pd
f.
Kaiser, J, & Granmar, M. (2005). Mounting evidence indicts fine-particle pollution.
Science, 307(5717), 1858–1861. Available online through the TRU Journal Database.
Tiwary, A., & Colls, J. (2010). Air pollution: Measurement, modelling and mitigation (3rd
ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Vallero, D. (2008). Fundamentals of air pollution (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier.
Final Project Component: Decision Making

This final project component of this topic is to identify and evaluate the decision-
making structures, formal and informal, that will determine the outcome of your
issue. Consider the following questions, which are designed to guide your analysis:
1. Who are the main decision-makers?
2. With whom do the decision-makers consult?
3. Describe the structure within which decision-makers operate (e.g., local or
provincial government, collaborative decision making between government
and non- government, etc.).
4. Do you see evidence that power is shared equally amongst the participants?
5. If not, can you suggest some solutions to remedy this lack of equality? What
do you think are the barriers to implementing your solutions?
6. Are any “voices” missing from the discussion/debate? Is so, who? If yes, what
might be some problems associated with consulting with additional people?
What would be some positive impacts of doing so?
TRU Open Learning

Topic 10: Energy

Canadians consume more energy per capita than most other nations in the world (on
a per capita basis, we were number 8 in the world in 2015). Almost three- fourths of
this energy comes from burning fossil fuels. Our energy consumption rises with
economic growth. Thus, as we increase our standard of living, our demand for
energy also increases. Globally this fact also holds true; thus, as developing nations
desire to improve the standard of living for their citizens, they too consume more
energy. One thing that we have learned is that the planet has finite resources to
support our continued growth, and nowhere is this more obvious than our
consumption of energy.
In this topic, we will examine the sustainability issues associated with energy use.
Learning Outcomes
• Explain the importance of energy to society and possible future approaches to
the use of energy.
1. Personal Activity How much energy do No assessment

you use?
2. Online A consideration of two Assignment 2: Online

Discussion Post views: Oil sands Discussion Post 11
development
3. Reading Energetic limits to No assessment

economic growth
4. Reading and Renewable energy and No assessment

Activity your region
Final Project Solutions and resolutions Final Project component
TRU Open Learning

Energy—A Snapshot
We will begin our discussion of non-renewable energy by watching the video 300
years of fossil fuels in 300 seconds, produced by the Post Carbon Institute. This
video illustrates how our economic growth, social change, and environmental
policies have been shaped by our growing energy use. It makes the point that our
society has been built on cheap sources of energy, and our economic well-being is
supported by continued consumption. Our expectations for our lifestyle have been
built on an environment that can no longer support continued growth, or even
sustain the status quo.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/cJ-J91SwP8w
Fossil fuels provide a staggering 85% of world’s total energy needs (natural gas 23%,
oil 37%, coal 25%) (Brown et al., 2011).
Nuclear energy provides 6% of world’s energy needs (Brown et al., 2011). The
mining, transportation, production, and management of nuclear waste create
problems because of the associated health risks and extremely long life of radiation.
The nuclear industry creates 21,000 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs and accounts
for $6.6 billion dollars of economic activity (Canadian Nuclear Association, 2010).
The remaining 7–9% (estimated) of the world’s energy needs are met by renewable
sources: hydropower (3%), biomass (4%) and small percentages from other sources,
including solar (0.54%), wind (0.3%), geothermal (0.2%), and biofuels (0.2%) (Brown
et al., 2011; McLamb, 2011).
Canada is the fifth largest producer of energy. We meet 6% of global energy needs.
Thus, energy is a key factor in Canada’s economic health: energy is the fourth most
important sector in Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We are a “net energy
exporter”, where value of energy exported exceeds the value of energy imported.
Canada benefits from its many natural resources and a relatively small population.
The United States considers Canada a safe, stable source of energy, and Canada is
America’s primary source for oil, natural gas, uranium, and electricity (Centre,
2011). Globally, Canada produces 4% of the world’s crude oil (6th largest producer
in the world) and 4.9% of the world’s natural gas supplies (3rd largest producer in
the world) (IEA, 2011; IEA, 2016). Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the
world (behind Venezuela and Saudi Arabia) (NR Canada, 2016).
On a per capita basis, Canadians consume more energy than almost every other
individual nation. Since we live in small numbers over a large area, nearly 30% of
our domestic energy use goes to support transportation. In addition, a full 40% of
our domestic energy use goes to heating (NR Canada, 2011).
TRU Open Learning

Learning “Bite” Which countries are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest
producers of the world’s energy?
Where Energy is Produced and Consumed in Canada
The Atlas of Canada’s collection of thematic maps on “Energy” webpage,
(produced by Natural Resources Canada), provides maps that show the
location of coal, uranium, oil, natural gas, and hydropower resources, and in
addition, the transportation networks that are used to move these resources
across, and out of, the country.
Learning Activity 1 - Your Personal Energy

Consumption
How much energy do you think you use in your day-to-day life? In this activity, you
will calculate your personal energy consumption.
Begin by using one or two of the many online personal energy calculators to get an
estimate of your personal energy consumption:
• From the Canadian Geographic, the Personal Energy Calculator
• BC Hyrdo, "Cost calculator"
• The Nature Conservancy, "Calculate Your Carbon Footprint"
Note
Feel free to use other online calculators that you find.
Post your answers to the following questions in the personal journal or notebook
you keep for this course:
1. Do you think that the calculators provided a reasonable estimate of your
energy consumption? Why or why not?
2. What do you think you would need to do to decrease your energy use by
25%?
3. Consider the results of these energy use calculations with those from your
ecological footprint (Topic 6) and water consumption (Topic 8). Which
calculation surprised you the most? Why?
TRU Open Learning

4. What would be the one or two changes that you could make that would have
the greatest impact on your personal sustainability? Are there one or two
changes you could make that would reduce your ecological footprint, water
consumption, and energy use?
Learning “Bite” How much greenhouse gas does the world produce through
its oil use? Canada? The United States?
Learning Activity 2 - Alberta’s Oil Sands—Consideration

of Two Views: Online Discussions (Post 11)
Oil—A Non-renewable Resource
Since the 1950s, oil has been the world’s most important energy source. Oil is a
highly dense energy source that is easily transported and abundant (relative to other
energy sources). Oil is used for transportation and heating, and since World War II,
an increasing number of our goods are made, at least partially, from oil.
Here is a small list of some of the common, everyday things we use that are made
from oil.
The rising global population, coupled with increasing urbanization in developing
nations and the desire for an improved standard of living, create an increasing
pressure on our oil reserves.
Alberta’s Oil Tar Sands are crude oil resources mixed with sand and clay. The
extraction of oil from this material requires the burning of natural gas—the energy
generated “melts” the oil from the sand. This process is the largest source of
greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. Further, the process requires enormous
amounts of water; between 2 to 5 barrels of water are required to produce one barrel
of oil. Although the water is recycled, almost all of it ends up in tailings ponds. Also,
large areas of boreal forest have been cleared to create space for open pit mines to
access the oil.
The oil sands have an estimated value of $80 trillion dollars and potentially will
provide more oil than Saudi Arabia. Many American politicians consider the oil
sands a “stable and safe” source of energy, given Canada’s proximity to the United
States and our long history of peaceful co-existence. The Canadian and Alberta
governments, as well as the oil companies, argue that reclamation and
environmental practices will maintain the environment. The oil sands create many
jobs and generate revenue for Canada and Alberta.
TRU Open Learning

One of the most polarizing issues of our time is whether to continue developing the
oil sands. In this learning activity, you will review material that presents views and
arguments from a pro-oil sands development stance and also from those speaking
out against development. After reading the relevant material and viewing the
videos, post your answers to the following questions (you may also use other
material, but provide the references for that material) in the online discussions.
“Pro” Oil Sands Development

• Read the Natural Resource Canada brochure Oil Sands: A Strategic Resource
for Canada, North America and the Global Market.
• There are a number of other publications on this page addressing various
issues. Select a few to read to learn about what issues are identified, and what
solutions (mitigations or adaptations) are proposed.
• The decline in 2015 in production from the oil sands has led to significant
unemployment. See:
• ‘Oil Industry to Lose 100,000 Jobs by the End of 2015 as Policy Uncertainties
and Low Prices Decimate Sector’ (Dec. 18, 2015)
• ‘The death of the Alberta Dream’ (January 6, 2016)
• Watch these videos on the environmental impacts, monitoring, and cleanup
of the oil sands:
o Alberta Oil Sands: Air, Biodiversity, Water, First Nations, and
Reclamation,
https://www.youtube.com/embed/KXeGIrm2q34
o Alberta Oil Sands: About,
https://www.youtube.com/embed/UGx5_2IYZ4Y
“Against” Oil Sands Development
Read
• Dyer, S. (Nov 25, 2010). Oil sands, energy security and climate calamity, The
Pembina Institute.
• Watch the National Film Board 2010 documentary Crude Sacrifice, about
how mining in Canada’s tar sands is impacting Aboriginal people in Fort
Chipewyan.
TRU Open Learning

Questions
1. Use the following table to record five main points for each “side”. When you
submit your answers in the assignment area, you may use bullet form
For example:
Pro-development:
o Point one
o Point two, etc.
Anti-development
o Point one
o Point two, etc.
Pro-development Side Anti-development Side
E.g. Provides jobs Will not create jobs in oil

development sector
2. In addition to providing the above table, consider the following questions in

your post:
a. Some people call this area the “oil” sands and some call it the “tar” sands.
Is there any difference in the use of these terms? If so, what is the
difference? Which do you favour, and why?
b. Both sides employ figures of authority—scientists and researchers—who
argue for or against the development of the oil sands. How do you know
who to believe? Who do you believe and why?
c. Do you think that you can live without oil? If not, can you live with the
consequences of oil exploration and production?
TRU Open Learning

Learning Activity 3 - Reading: Energetic Limits to

Economic Growth
Introduction
In this learning activity, you will read the article “Energetic implications to future
economic growth” by Brown et al. (2011) from page 22 onwards.
In this article, the authors show that economic growth requires increases in energy
use. Further, by referring to the impacts of human activity on climate, ecosystem
processes, and biodiversity, they argue that such growth has natural limits.
The authors present three scenarios for future population growth and ways to
maintain or increase standards of living (page 22 onwards). Each scenario has
unique issues or challenges.
Scenario 1: Increasing energy supply
Issue: Non-renewable resources are finite, and we appear to be running out of them.
The development of new sources of energy requires immense capital and may have
diminishing returns.
Scenario 2: Decreasing per capita energy use
Issue: Our global population is increasing, and in the areas of the world where it is
increasing the most, urbanization also is on the rise. People in developing nations
want an increase in their standard of living, and people in developed nations, by and
large, do not want a decrease in their standard of living.
Scenario 3: Decreased human population
Issue: When resources are limited, people generally have fewer children. For the
global population to experience unrestricted population growth, estimates suggest
that we would require five times the current energy supply.
Instructions
Read the article “Energetic implications to future economic growth,” and as you are
reading, consider the following questions, and record your answers in the personal
notebook that you keep for this course.
1. What do you think would be the best scenario to follow? Consider societal
values and overall costs-benefits. Would the best scenario be different in
different countries?
2. Why do you think the authors do not consider technological innovation as a
potential answer to solving our “energetic limits”?
TRU Open Learning

Brown, J. H., Burnside, W. R., Davidson, A. D., DeLong, J. P., Dunn, W. C.,
Hamilton, M. J., Mercado- Silva, N., Nekola, J. C., Okie, J. G., Woodruff, W. H., &
Zuo, W. (2011). Energetic limits to economic growth. BioScience, 61(1), 19–26.
Available online through the TRU Library Journal Database. Note that the
Biomedical Reference Collection and Academic Search Premiere databases do have
links to the full-text articles, as of July 2012.
Is renewable energy really renewable?

Renewable energy sources may be considered abundant; however, each comes with
environmental, social, and economic impacts. The time, resources, ecological
constraints and impacts, and financial investment required to capture their energy
may, in reality, limit their potential use (Brown et al., 2011; Hall & Day, 2009). The
total contribution of renewable energy to the world’s energy needs is estimated at
between 7–9% (Brown et al., 2011; McLamb, 2011). Most efforts to develop new
sources of energy must confront economic problems of diminishing returns on
energy and monetary investment (Hall et al., 1986; Tainter, 1988; Allen et al., 2001;
Tainter et al., 2003). As well, our existing energy system is built on an infrastructure
that was designed for fossil fuels at a time when fossil fuels were relatively cheap.
Adapting our infrastructure to renewable energy sources may require rethinking
how we structure our economy and society.
Following is a very brief introduction to renewable energy sources (you will have an
opportunity to explore more of these sources in Learning Activity 4):
TRU Open Learning

Hydroelectric Power
Figure 10.1: Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Power Stations are two hydroelectric
power stations in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The stations divert water from the
Niagara and Welland Rivers above the falls that is then released into the lower
portion of the river, and together produce up to 1,926 MW.
Enking, L. (2011). Sir Adam Beck II Hydro Plant [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved from:
• Hydroelectric power projects produce electricity by harnessing the power of
rivers.
o For more information, see the webpage Hydroelectric Power: How it
works.
• Canada is the third largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world,
behind China and Brazil. Canada generates the majority of its electricity from
hydroelectricity (IEA, 2011).
• By using Natural Resources Canada’s map of Hydro Electric projects, see
where Canada’s many hydropower projects are located.
TRU Open Learning

• Hydroelectric power has many potential costs. For example, flooding land
can displace people, and ecosystem changes can occur that affect fish and
wildlife species. What other economic, environmental, or social costs can you
identify?
o For more information and an example, see “Site C Criticized by
Environmental Groups,” The Canadian Press (2010).
o “Site C dam granted environmental assessment approval” (2014)
o BC Hydro granted injunction against Site C protesters (2015), CBC News
o Site C job fairs draw thousands from B.C., Alberta (2016), CBC News
Geothermal
Figure 10.2: The volcanic vents and hot springs provide heat and power in
Arnessysla, Iceland.
Hernandez, J. (2010). Geothermal Energy [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved from:
TRU Open Learning

• Geothermal projects capture the Earth’s heat to produce electricity.

o For more information, see the Manitoba Hydro website How Geothermal
Heating Works.
• Canada has very little developed geothermal capacity. The areas with the
most resources are in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon.
• Read “Why Is Canada Freezing out Geothermal Power?” in The Tyee (Nov
19, 2010).
Solar
Figure 10.3: The Oregon State University has five large grid-tied, ground-mounted
solar electric (photovoltaic) arrays. This one has a capacity of 450 kilowatts. For an
idea of how many homes that could heat, read here:
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/megawhat/Content?oid=3433953.
Oregon State University. (2012). Solar Array Two [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved from:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonstateuniversity/8229484839. CC BY 2.0
TRU Open Learning

• Solar collects and stores energy from the sun.

o For additional information, go to the Discovery Channel, and search solar
energy, and to the National Geographic website article “Solar Energy"
(Sept 2009) and Where is Solar Power Headed? (2015).
• Canada has many solar installations, most of them in Ontario, Quebec, and
the Prairies. Most of these installations are used for space and water heating,
and the drying of crops and lumber (Centre for Energy, 2011).
Wind
Figure 10.4: Wind turbines at the Pubnico Point Windfarm, Nova Scotia. Built in
2005.
Jarvis, D. (2011). Pubnico Harbour Lighthouse [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved from:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/6085778684. CC BY 2.0
• Wind energy is converted into energy by high-powered wind turbines.
o For more information, see The Discovery Channel Wind Power
https://www.youtube.com/embed/NiSWe3_GEUA
TRU Open Learning

o Case study video Canada’s Dokie Wind Project,

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZFtWCtuRNYc
• Generally, wind turbines are located in groups (farms), and one important
consideration in locating wind farms is that they must be close enough to
existing transmission infrastructure to move the energy they produce to
market, since it is costly to build new infrastructure.
• Canada’s installed wind energy is enough to power one million homes (a
capacity of 4,588 megawatts) (Centre for Energy, 2011).
• The provinces with the most installed wind energy systems (in descending
order) are Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland
and Labrador. How much power do the projects in each province produce?
• The potential ecological effects of wind farms include impacts on migrating
birds and bats, fragmentation of forests to establish farms that may lead to
species loss and the introduction of invasive species, and land use change.
o For more information, see the video Marine Wind Power and Birds:
Understanding Effects
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hrs8na3p130
o The Wind Energy Bird and Bat Monitoring Database, Bird Studies Canada
o Dokie Wind Energy Project: Wildlife Monitoring Plan,
• Potential impacts on humans include the following: “wilderness values”
often are assaulted, since the large towers in remote areas do not meet
people’s expectations of “untouched” land; some individuals complain about
the noise, and a few say that the wind farms near their homes are making
them ill.
o Potential Health Impacts of Wind Farms, Ontario Health
o Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study: Summary of Results, Health
Canada
TRU Open Learning

Bioenergy
Figure 10.5: A mat of slash in an Oregon forest.

Oregon Department of Forestry. (2012). Slash mat [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved from:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregondepartmentofforestry/14329283000. CC BY 2.0
TRU Open Learning

Figure 10.6: One of the products from biomass are wood pellets, which are then
burned to create heat. The image above shows finished pellets falling onto a
conveyor at the Malheur Lumber Mill in John Day, Ore. The sale of bulk pellets to
institutional customers, such as the hospital, airport and public schools, now
accounts for 30% of the output from the pellet mill.
Oregon Department of Forestry. (2015). Flowing pellets [Digital Image]. Flickr. Retrieved
from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregondepartmentofforestry/17072117200. CC BY 2.0
• Bioenergy turns biomass (raw materials from industrial, agricultural, or
forest products and by-products; plant- and animal-based organic matter)
into energy.
o For more information, see video What is Biomass, (note: produced by Fair
Energy Ltd., a company supplying wood fuel and solar heating systems).
https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQ-cIVJuDks
• Concerns have arisen about the impact of the large-scale harvesting of forests
for biomass production.
o For more information, see Burning trees for energy puts Canadian forests
and climate at risk a Greenpeace 2011 report
TRU Open Learning

• Biomass has the potential to sequester carbon; however, the expansion of the
bioenergy industry could lead to additional carbon emissions through the
loss of soil carbon, which creates uncertainty about whether bioenergy will
cause positive or negative impacts with respect to global warming (George &
Cowie, 2011). Over its life-cycle, bioenergy is believed to have a more positive
impact than conventional fossil fuels on greenhouse gas emissions, but the
conversion of quickly-harvested biomass areas from plants that sequester
carbon (e.g., forests) may tip the balance towards the negative.
• The true sustainability of biomass has been questioned because using crops
for biomass instead of food can raise food prices, making food inaccessible
for some and costly for others. Land use conversion from other uses (e.g.,
forestry, agriculture, natural areas) to biomass production may not be
desirable for the overall well-being of society.
o For more information, see “Bioenergy from Biomass” , from Natural
Resources Canada
References
Brown, J. H., Burnside, W. R., Davidson, A. D., DeLong, J. P., Dunn, W. C.,
Hamilton, M. J., Mercado- Silva, N., Nekola, J. C., Okie, J. G., Woodruff, W. H., &
Zuo, W. (2011). Energetic limits to economic growth. BioScience, 61(1), 19–26.
Canadian Nuclear Association. (2010). Nuclear Energy Fact Book 2010. Retrieved July
18, 2012 from
http://www.cna.ca/english/pdf/nuclearfacts/2010/CNA_Booklet_2010.pdf.
Canadian Nuclear Association. (2014) Nuclear Energy Fact Book 2013. Retrieved Feb.
28, 2016 from https://www.cna.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CNA-Factbook-
2013.pdf
Centre for Energy. (2011). Canada—A secure, reliable source of energy. Ottawa:
Government of Canada.
George, B. H., & Cowie, A. L. (2011). Bioenergy systems, soil health and climate
change. Soil Health and Climate Change. 29(4), 369–397.
International Energy Agency (IEA). (2011). Key World Energy Statistics. Paris:
International Energy Agency.
International Energy Agency (IEA). (2015). Key World Energy Statistics. Paris:
International Energy Agency.
TRU Open Learning

Annenberg Learner. (n.d.). Unit 10: Energy Challenges. In A Systems Approach to

Environmental Science. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from
http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/index.html.
McLamb, E. (2011, Sept 6). Fossil fuels vs renewable energy sources. Ecology.
Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from http://www.ecology.com/2011/09/06/fossils-fuels-vs-
renewable-energy-resources/.
Natural Resources (NR) Canada. (2011). Important facts on Canada’s natural
resources. Retrieved July 18, 2012 from http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/statistics-
facts/home/887.
Natural Resources (NR) Canada. (2016). Key Facts and Figures on Canada’s Natural
Resource Sector. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/key-facts/16013.
Learning Activity 4 - Reading and Activity: Renewable

Energy and Your Region
Renewable Energy
Types of renewable energy include hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind, and
bioenergy.
Giving consideration to the following questions, write your answers in the notebook
you keep for this course:
1. Which renewable energy source would be the most suitable for development
in your region? Why?
2. What criteria are you using to select your energy type and also the proposed
site location?
3. What are some of the economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits
to consider?
The following resources (as well as the ones listed earlier) may be helpful for this
activity:
• Pimentel, D. et al. (2002). Renewable Energy: Current and Potential Issues.
BioScience, 52(12), 1111–1120. Available online through the TRU Library
Journal Database.
• Natural Resource Canada provides an overview of renewable energy sources
in Canada on their webpage “About Renewable Energy.”
• See the CBC news article “Solar Energy: Is it commercially viable in Canada?”
(2011, March 30)
TRU Open Learning

• Wind Energy, Canadian Geographic.

• Natural Resources Canada thematic energy maps:
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/maps-tools-and-publications/maps/energy-
maps/16872.
• PlanLoCal, a project supported by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) in
the UK, produced the video Considering a Wind Project.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/CUFsIPkt0GQ
Final Project Component: Solutions

In this part of the development of your final project, you will identify and assess
potential solutions and resolutions to your environmental sustainability issue.
• These questions will guide you in your analysis:
• What solutions are being proposed?
• Do you see any room for resolution amongst the various stakeholders?
• How do the solutions address economic, environmental, political, and social
concerns? What are the trade-offs and how are they determined?
• Sometimes there is much to learn by looking at similar issues from other
jurisdictions. International examples often are different enough, in terms of
governing structure and history, to provide us with some ideas that we can
use at home. Knowing this, consider the following questions:
o Are there examples from other jurisdictions (nationally or internationally)
from which we can learn? What are the limits to using the “lessons
learned” from another jurisdiction, and what are the opportunities?
o Looking at this example from another jurisdiction, what can you learn
from contrasting and comparing these two similar issues?
TRU Open Learning

Topic 11: Biodiversity

Introduction
Biodiversity is sometimes mistaken for an aspect of nature or used as a “catch-all”
term for nature. However, as we will explore in this topic, biodiversity is much more
than that. The philosophy of sustainable development is entrenched in the concept
of biodiversity as defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992). The
goals of the Convention included “the sustainable use of biological resources… and
the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources”
(Minister of Supply and Services Canada, 1995, p. 5–6).
In this topic, we will examine biodiversity and sustainable development.
Learning Outcomes
• Discuss the importance of biodiversity and the means to its maintenance.
1. Reading What is biodiversity? No assessment
UN decade on
2. Reading No assessment
biodiversity
3. Online Journal Biodiversity in your Assignment 2: Online

Assessment area Discussion Post 12
Final Project Outcomes Final Project component
What is Biodiversity
Many definitions of biodiversity exist. Since many are vague and some confusing,
this phenomenon reflects the uncertainty around the term.
Before you proceed further in this topic, write down what you think biodiversity
means. Record your definition in the notebook or journal you keep for this course.
We will use this definition in Learning Activity 1.
Some definitions of biodiversity follow.
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The Conservation of Biological Diversity (CBD, Rio de Janeiro, 1992) defined

biodiversity as: “the variability among living organisms from all sources including,
inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological
complexes of which they are part: this includes diversity within species, between
species and of ecosystems” (United Nations, 1992, p. 3).
The Canadian Biodiversity Strategy (Government of Canada, 1995) defined
biodiversity as:
the variety of species and ecosystems on Earth and the ecological
processes of which they are a part. Three components of
biodiversity are ecosystem, species and genetic diversity.
Ecosystems perform functions that are essential to human
existence such as oxygen and soil production and water
purification (p. 5).
The term has anthropogenic overtones because embedded in these definitions is the
idea that by managing for biodiversity, we will ensure that the planet can provide
services essential to support human life. Vermeulen and Koziell (2002) describe
biodiversity as “the provider of goods and services” (11).
Biodiversity is tied tightly to the Brundtland Report and sustainable development.
When the Convention of Biological Diversity was created, its authors purposefully
defined objectives that philosophically linked biodiversity with sustainable
development. The objectives of this Convention are:
• The conservation of biodiversity
• The sustainable use of biological resources
• The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic
resources (Minister of Supply and Services Canada, 1995, p. 5–6).
Biodiversity and Interdisciplinarity

Rubidge et al. (2012) find that the challenge of maintaining biodiversity is “among
society’s most daunting challenges” (p. 3). They argue that interdisciplinarity is a
key to solving this issue because uncertainty dominates scientific predictions and
policy-making:
Strong science will underpin sustainable policies, yet scientific
uncertainty abounds in our understanding of complex ecological
dynamics operating across multiple spatial and temporal
scales—from sub-cellular to landscape, seasonal to epochal. Such
uncertainty reaches beyond boundaries of traditional
disciplinary thinking, necessitating shared insight from
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ecologists, evolutionary biologists, taxonomists and conservation

biologists (among many others). How will species and
communities respond to a changing climate? What effect will
biodiversity loss have on the functioning of ecosystems and
delivery of critical ecosystem services?
Which species are most vulnerable to extinction, and how can
damaged ecosystems be restored? Tackling these and other
pressing questions will undoubtedly require a thriving and
interdisciplinary community of biodiversity scientists (Rubidge
et al., 2012, p. 3).
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: What is Biodiversity?

Menzel and Boögeholz (2009) present the view that talking about the concept of
biodiversity with students is a good way to learn about sustainability because
biodiversity incorporates the concepts of social, economic, and environmental
values. The authors assert that this is “[e]specially in so-called biodiversity hotspots,
[where] natural resources are often depleted for economic interest which, in many
cases, is required income. Therefore, economic and social aspects must be considered
in order to fully understand biodiversity loss” (p. 429).
Menzel and Boögeholz’s (2009) study asked the questions: What do students
perceive biodiversity to be, and what does its loss mean? They surveyed two student
populations, one in Chile and the other in Germany.
They found that although some students successfully integrated the three aspects of
sustainable development (Economics, Ecology, and Social Values) into their
definition of biodiversity, many did not. Students who focused on the ecological
benefits of biodiversity did not adequately recognize the impacts on local people
when biodiversity was lost. Others struggled with the recognition of the importance
of biodiversity at local levels, as opposed to global-scale biodiversity.
Read Menzel and Boögeholz’s (2009) article. As you read, consider the following
questions, and record your answers in the personal journal or notebook that you
keep for this course:
1. Review your own definition of biodiversity that you wrote down at the
beginning of this topic. Menzel and Boögeholz’s (2009) “Results and
Discussion I” section (pp. 435–438) presents and discusses ideas that their
student subjects held about the concept of biodiversity, which was evident
from the way they defined the term. For example, some students included
within their definition of biodiversity the idea that “undeveloped” areas are
more diverse because more space is available for animals and plants
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compared to other areas. After reading these pages, and referring to your
own definition, can you identify any embedded ideas that you have about
biodiversity? What are they? Now that you have considered a few “official”
definitions of biodiversity, do you think that your definition is accurate? If
not, how would you improve it?
2. Menzel and Boögeholz (2009) identify three “subjective theories [or beliefs]
about the loss of biodiversity” that explain why people believe biodiversity is
lost. One belief is that biodiversity loss is mostly caused by threats to
ecosystem biological properties.
a. In your own words, write about the other two challenges to maintaining
biodiversity.
b. Of the three, which one do you seem to align with most strongly? Do you
think you should change your thinking to include other views and
values? How might you do this?
3. Using the reading as reference, what is an effective way to successfully
communicate the concept of sustainable development within biodiversity?
Menzel, S., & Bo�geholz, S. (2009). The loss of biodiversity as a challenge for
sustainable development: How do pupils in Chile and Germany perceive resource
dilemmas? Research in Science Education, 39(4), 429–447. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11165-008-9087-8.pdf.
Putting It Into Practice: Measuring Biodiversity

Biodiversity focuses on three components or layers: species diversity, genetic
diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
Some publications you can explore to learn more about the status of biodiversity
include the following:
• Taking Nature’s Pulse: The Status of Biodiversity in British Columbia
• New Brunswick’s Biodiversity Strategy
• Northwest Territories Biodiversity Action Plan
• The Path We Share: A Natural Resources Strategy for Nova Scotia,
• State of Ontario’s Biodiversity
Global Biodiversity Outlook

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity regularly produces a report
on the status of international efforts to protect biodiversity, as defined by the 1992
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Convention. The Global Biodiversity Outlook 3 report (Secretariat, 2010)

summarizes that evidence exists that biodiversity is declining in genes, species, and
ecosystems:
• “Species which have been assessed for extinction risk are on average moving
closer to extinction. Amphibians face the greatest risk and coral species are
deteriorating most rapidly in status. Nearly a quarter of plant species are
estimated to be threatened with extinction.
• “The abundance of vertebrate species… fell by nearly a third on average
between 1970 and 2006, and continues to fall globally, with especially severe
declines in the tropics and among freshwater species.
• “Natural habitats in most parts of the world continue to decline in extent and
integrity, although there has been significant progress in slowing the rate of
loss for tropical forests and mangroves, in some regions.
• “Extensive fragmentation and degradation of forests, rivers and other
ecosystems have also led to loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• “Crop and livestock genetic diversity continues to decline in agricultural
systems” (9).
The report concludes that there are five primary causes of diversity loss: habitat
change, overexploitation, pollution, invasive alien species, and climate change.
Additionally, the authors assert that the impacts from these five causes are either
remaining constant over time or, in some cases, are increasing.
Learning “Bite” Watch the United Nations produced video Global

Biodiversity Outlook 3:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/EGMkW_vo5GU
The goals articulated in the Convention have not been met by the
international community, and in 2010, a renewed effort to achieve them was
made, and as part of this commitment, 2011–2020 was declared the decade of
biodiversity
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Benefits of Biodiversity
• Intrinsic values
• Services, e.g., clean water
• Economic, e.g., hunting, tourism
• Medicine Food
• Industrial material
Threats to Biodiversity: Canada and the World

A few of the threats to biodiversity in Canada and around the world include:
• Fragmentation of ecosystems by roads, pipelines, and other linear corridors
• Depleted resources
• Disappearing wilderness
• Alien invasive species
• Water developments
• Recreation
• Oil and gas developments and other industrial developments
• Land use change to industrial agriculture
Is More Always Better?

If biodiversity is good, should we assume that more diversity is better? This
assumption is not always the case. It is too simplistic to assert that “increased
biodiversity = increased good” and “decreased human activity = increased diversity”
(Vermeulen & Koziell, 2002, p. 15).
Duelli et al. (2007) emphasize that protecting a diversity of ecosystems may result in
protecting species-poor habitats (where a few ecosystem specialists are found) rather
than protecting ecosystems that would be comparatively more species rich.
Vermeulen and Koziell (2002, p. 15) describe a few principles that show the fallacy of
the belief that “more is always better”:
• "Increased biodiversity can decrease biological resource values… adding a
swarm of locusts to a millet monoculture may double species diversity, but
decimate yield.
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• "Not all facets of biodiversity, or ranges of biodiversity change, are equally

valuable… increasing a child’s diet from one vegetable to six vegetables will
no doubt have greater health benefits than an increase from 20 to 25
vegetables.
• "Different facets of biodiversity do not increase or decrease in tandem with
each other. Species numbers can increase after clear-cutting a forest, but the
newcomers may consist of invader species that prevent regeneration of
endemic (local) species.
• "Biodiversity is a product of both natural evolutionary and human selective
processes. There is now a growing awareness that, even those areas
traditionally perceived by western scientists to contain ‘pristine’ biodiversity,
have actually been shaped and moulded by successive generations of
people.”
Learning Activity 2 - Reading: United Nations Decade on

Biodiversity 2011–2020
United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011–2020
The United Nations declared 2011 – 2020 a decade to focus on biodiversity, with an
overall goal of “living in harmony in nature.” To learn about the goals and objectives
of this decade-long project, you can watch the overview video United Nations Decade
on Biodiversity - Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/zpM-nkhZCgk
To measure the progress towards this major goal of achieving harmony with nature,
5 strategic goals and 20 targets have been developed. These are named after Nagoya,
Aichi Prefecture, Japan, where the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in October 2010.
Aichi Biodiversity Targets

• Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by
mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society.
• Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote
sustainable use.
• Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding
ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity.
• Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem
services.
• Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning,
knowledge management, and capacity building.
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The 20 targets are organized under the Strategic Goals, as outlined on the
Convention on Biological Diversity website, the “Aichi Biodiversity Targets”
webpage.
Instructions
On the “Aichi Biodiversity Targets” webpage, read the 20 targets and their
appropriate goals.
1. Record your answers to the following questions in the notebook you keep for
this course:
a. Which targets do you think will most likely be achieved? Why?
b. Which ones do you think will be the most difficult to achieve? Why?
c. By using the Internet and scholarly journals, search for evidence that
countries are monitoring biodiversity within their boundaries, according
to the Aichi biodiversity targets and goals. What did you find? How
successful has Canada been since the signing of the Aichi targets?
Note
Think about categorizing your thoughts in terms of scientific knowledge,
commitment from governments, economic motivations, and benefits to
society.
2. Following your analysis of the Aichi, read the article by Sparks et al. (2011)
“Linked indicator sets for addressing biodiversity loss” and answer the next
set of questions in the personal notebook or journal you keep for this course.
Before you consider the next set of questions, here are some key points
arising from the article:
o Sparks et al. open their article with the recognition that the first
international effort to protect biodiversity—made in 1992 at the UN
Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—
has not been successful.
o They observe that: “At the global level most indicators of the state of
biodiversity have worsened during the last 4 decades and none shows a
significant recent reduction in the rate of decline” (p. 412). They
acknowledge that the targets of the more recent 2010 meeting were
designed to be “stronger, more comprehensive, more explicable, and
more measurable,” in short, to offer nations a greater chance of success in
meeting biodiversity goals.
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o Sparks et al. propose an adoption of a linked indicators framework in

which indicators would measure responses, pressures, states, and
benefits. The theory of linking these four categories is that it will be easier
to see how actions affect each other, and therefore “easier to understand,
communicate and interpret to guide policy [development]” (p. 411),
where:
 Response indicators are indicators that measure the implementation of
policies or actions to prevent or reduce biodiversity loss.
 Pressure indicators are indicators that monitor the extent and intensity
of the causes of biodiversity loss that responses aim to address.
 State indicators are indicators that analyze the condition and status of
aspects of biodiversity.
 Benefit indicators are indicators that quantify the benefits that humans
derive from biodiversity.
Now consider the following questions:

1. How do Sparks et al. propose that the indicator framework is a feedback loop
rather than linear?
2. They provide two examples: humid tropical forests and marine fisheries in
which linked indicator frameworks could be used to measure biodiversity.
Select one of the examples and fill in the following table.
Indicators of response
Indicators of pressure
Indicators of state
Indicators of benefits
3. One of the limitations of this approach to measuring biodiversity loss that

Sparks et al. identify is that direct and indirect effects are frequently hard to
discern over the short- and long-terms. In practical terms, this means that
benefits in one area (as measured by an indicator) may actually decrease
other biodiversity values.
4. What are additional barriers to implementation of this approach identified by
the authors?
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References
Sparks, T. H., Butchart, S. H. M., Balmford, A., Bennun, L., Stanwell-Smith, D.,
Walpole, M., Bates, R., Bomhard, B., Buchanan, G. M., Chenery, A. M., Collen, B.,
Csirke, J., Diaz, R. J., Dulvy, N. K., Fitzgerald, C., Kapos, V., Mayaux, P., Tierney, M.,
Waycott, M., Wood, L., & Green, R. E. (2011). Linked indicator sets for addressing
biodiversity loss. Oryx: The International Journal of Conservation, 45(3), 411–419.
Learning Activity 3 - Biodiversity in Your Area: Online

In this activity, you will learn more about biodiversity near your home and answer
the following questions. Your answers can be posted the online discussions.
By using external resources, identify and describe one example of biodiversity in
your area. You can use any resources you wish, but you will be asked to list your
resources, so keep track! Remember to be critical about the resources you use (if you
need to, review the discussion around quality and credibility of sources).
Answer the following questions:
Note
Be sure and be clear about what you mean by biodiversity.
1. Identify and describe an example of biodiversity in your area (in one

paragraph)
2. What are you focusing on when you use the term biodiversity? Is it species
biodiversity, genetic biodiversity, or ecosystem biodiversity
3. What is one threat to maintaining the example of biodiversity you have
identified?
4. Is this threat being addressed by local landowners, local authorities, or other
agencies responsible?
5. How or what is your evidence that it is, or is not, being addressed (provide
one external reference)?
6. By 2020, which of the Aichi biodiversity targets do you think would be the
most important to achieve in order to address the threat you identified?
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References
Minister of Supply and Services Canada. (1995). Canadian Biodiversity Strategy.
Ottawa: Environment Canada, Biodiversity Convention Office.
Duelli, P., Baur, P., Buchecker, M., Gugerli, F., Holderegger, R., & Wohlgemath, T.
(2007). The role of values systems in biodiversity research. In F. Kienast, O. Wildi, &
S. Ghosh (Eds.), A Changing World: Challenges for Landscape Research (pp. 27-34 ). The
Netherlands: Springer.
Rubidge, E. M., Burton, A. C., & Vamosi, S. M. (2012). Biodiversity: Past, present and
future. Biological Letters, 8(1), 3–5. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from
http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/8/1/3.full.pdf.
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (2010). Global Biodiversity
Outlook 3. Montréal, QC: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from http://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/gbo/gbo3-final-
en.pdf.
United Nations. (1992). Convention on Biological Diversity. Rio de Janerio, Brazil:
United Nations. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from http://www.cbd.int/doc/legal/cbd-
en.pdf.
Vermeulen, S., & Koziell, I. (2002). Integrating global and local values: A review of
biodiversity assessment. London: International Institute for Environment and
Development.
Final Project Component: Outcomes

Now you will undertake the final component of your final project. You have gone
from doing some very basic work on your environmental issue, from describing it
and identifying the main stakeholders to considering the complex issues of
interrelated problems and opportunities.
As a citizen and a student of sustainability, a time comes when you must make a
decision about an issue, based on the information available. That information may
be neither perfect nor complete, but you still have to make a decision!
Therefore, the final component of your final project is to determine what the
outcome of your issue should be. Remember to justify your thinking!
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Topic 12: Food and Agriculture

Introduction
This course has introduced you to environmental sustainability by identifying its
key concepts and definitions. Additionally, the course has critically examined how
successful (or not) we have been in applying its principles through analyses of case
study examples: World Population, Community Sustainability, Climate Change,
Water Quality and Quantity, Air Pollution, Energy Use, and Biodiversity.
In this final topic of the course, we will focus on the sustainability of food and
agriculture, the impacts of industrial agriculture, threats to food security, and
initiatives for local food production. In some ways, the sustainability of food and
agriculture can be considered to be the most important topic because everyone
needs to eat to survive. Without adequate food and nutrition, we would not have the
energy to perform any of the actions necessary to ensure the sustainability of our
planet.
As you will see, our current system, built on the import and export market of
industrial agriculture, is not considered to be sustainable for our current population,
let alone sufficient to feed an increasing population.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
• Discuss what industrial agricultural is and its impacts and benefits.
• Discuss what food security is and its impacts.
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1. Reading Breadbasket No assessment

contradictions
2. Online What the world eats Assignment 2: Online

Discussion Post Discussion Post 13
3. Reading The challenge of feeding No assessment

the world
4. Video Food (in) security No assessment
Final Project Wrap-up and finish Final Project component

project
Industrial Agriculture
Industrial agriculture feeds us. At the end of this topic, we will look at local food
initiatives and their contribution to food security in communities—although
producing and consuming food from our own region may be more sustainable, we
simply do not produce enough food to feed ourselves for very long. For example,
the Vancouver Island Food Producers estimate that in the non-summer months, only
three days’ worth of fresh food is available on the island to feed the population.
What is Industrial Agriculture?

Industrial agriculture produces the majority of the world’s food and fiber. Two of
the main challenges of industrial agriculture are that 1) it relies on fossil fuels, and 2)
its practices may degrade the environment. Although potential technological
innovations of the future may help to address some of these problems, this scenario
is far from a certainty.
Weis (2010) identifies the defining characteristics of industrial agriculture as
including massive machinery; heavy use of inputs (e.g. pesticides, herbicides,
fertilizers); monocultures; intensively reared livestock; farming by large
transnational corporations, which displaces rural families and communities; and
high levels of productivity (p. 27). Industrial agricultural practices in Canada and the
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United States enable these countries to produce 14% of the world’s agricultural
exports, despite their relatively small populations.
Lyson (2008) contrasted and compared industrial agriculture with sustainable
agriculture by using the following descriptors (p. 172):
Industrial Agriculture is… Sustainable Agriculture is…
Production maintained by chemicals Production maintained by the

development of healthy soil
More plants grown in monocultures More plants grown in polycultures
Farming is a business only Farming as a way of life
Narrow genetic base Broad genetic base
Highly processed, nutrient-fortified Minimally processed, naturally

food nutritious food
Industrial agriculture consumes a lot of energy, reduces soil quality and fertility,
creates disease resistant crops at the expense of genetic diversity, introduces huge
social costs in terms of the loss of farm communities, and the run-off of pesticides
and soil associated with this kind of agriculture degrades ground and surface water.
As a consequence of the degradation of agricultural land, more and more land needs
to be brought into cultivation to produce equal amounts of food (Tilman et al., 2001).
Canada and the United States are also large-scale food importers, bringing in semi-
tropical and tropical products to their markets. Producers of these imports, mainly in
developing countries, rarely see the full market benefit of their produce.
Learning Activity 1 - Reading: Breadbasket

Contradictions
In this learning activity, you will read the chapter “Breadbasket Contradictions: The
Unstable Bounty of Industrial Agriculture in the United States and Canada” in Food
Security, Nutrition and Sustainability (Weis 2010).
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As you are reading, consider the following questions, and record your answers in a
personal journal or notebook that you keep for this course:
1. In this chapter, what is the contradiction that Weis identifies?
2. He describes the industrial agricultural system as inequitable and
unsustainable. What are some of the negative impacts of this system on the
global food supply?
3. After reading this chapter, what predictions can you make regarding food
supply and agricultural methods?
Weis, T. (2010). Breadbasket Contradictions: The Unstable Bounty of Industrial
Agriculture in the United States and Canada. In G. Lawrence, K. Lyons, and T.
Wallington (Eds.), Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainability (pp. 27–40). United
Kingdom: Earthscan.
Learning Activity 2 - What the World Eats: Online

Through its use of photographs and a catalogue of consumed foods, D’Aluisio and
Menzel’s (2008) What the World Eats is an evocative comparison/contrast of what
families consume in different regions of the world. The introduction asserts that as
countries industrialize people generally become less active and therefore need less
food (energy). Instead, when industrialization takes hold, the trend around the
world is to replace traditional country foods with “energy-dense” foods, many of
which are imported. This access to imported foods includes foods that are less
nutritional, those frequently made available by multinational fast-food companies.
In many countries, these changes are causing a rise in obesity. For example,
D’Aluisio and Menzel note that in less than 20 years the obesity rate in Mexico has
increased from 10% of the population to over 65%. In addition, What the World Eats
illustrates the diverse standards of living found across the globe.
Instructions
Make a list of everything that you eat for a week (you may use your personal
notebook to track what you eat). Then, use your list to help you answer the
following questions. Post your responses to the online discussion.
1. Read the following excerpted sections from "What the World Eats". Which
family’s weekly groceries most resemble yours (or a typical family’s)? Justify
your answer by considering not only the content but also the source of food
and the distance it travelled to reach your plate.
2. Which family’s groceries would you like to eat and why?
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3. What societal and economic factors do you think have the greatest influence
on the eating patterns of a country? Identify three factors that influence how a
country eats (provide references from the reading).
References
Time Magazine (online). (n.d.) What the World Eats, Part I. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016
from http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html.
Time Magazine (online). (n.d.) Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, Part II. Retrieved
Feb. 28, 2016 from http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1645016,00.html.
D’Aluisio, F., & Menzel, P. (2008). What the World Eats. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.
Learning Activity 3 - Reading: The Challenge of Feeding

the World
In Topic 6, we discussed the prediction about the world’s population reaching 9
billion by 2050.
1. The FAO Hunger Map, 2015, provides a ‘quick-look’ at the percentage of
population, on a country-by-country basis, who are not able to acquire
enough food to meet the daily minimum dietary energy requirements, over a
period of one year. The categories range from ‘Very low’ (<5% of the
population unable to acquire energy requirements) to ‘Very high’ (35%+ of
the population unable to acquire energy requirements). Using the interactive
online map, answer these questions:
a. Is there a geographical pattern where certain regions have more or fewer
hungry people?
b. From your current knowledge of world events, can you identify some of
the causes of ‘High’ or ‘Very High’ categorizations?
2. Read the Godfray et al. (2010) article “Food Security: The Challenge of
Feeding 9 Billion People,” which discusses the problems and issues
associated with feeding a global population of 9 billion people. As you are
reading, consider the following questions, and record your answers in the
personal journal or notebook that you keep for this course:
a. Godfray et al. (2010) provide some solutions for the problem of increasing
global food production. Which of these suggested solutions are the most
plausible?
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b. What are the effects of food production on social well-being and

standards of living, the environment, and the economy that are not
accounted for in the price of food?
c. How are food prices and food production interrelated? How does rising
food prices affect the citizens of developing countries? Developed
countries?
d. Are you prepared to pay more for your groceries so that the “true”
price—a price that also reflects social and environmental costs—is
captured? What percentage of your income are you prepared to spend on
food?
e. What strategies (adaptation and mitigation) could we adopt to feed a
future global population of nine billion people in a healthy and equitable
way?
Godfray, H. C. J., Beddington, J. R., Crute, I. R., Haddad, L., Lawrence, D., Muir, J. F.,
Pretty, J., Robinson, S., Thomas, S. M., & Toulm, C. (2010, Feb 12). Food Security: The
Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People. Science, 327(5967), 812–818.
Learning Activity 4 - Food (In)Security

Food Security
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defines food
security as follows:
Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical,
social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food
that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active
and healthy life. Household food security is the application of
this concept to the family level, with individuals within
households as the focus of concern (FAO, 2010, p. 8).
When the resiliency of a community fails, people go hungry. Food security becomes
an issue due to a number of intertwined social, economic, and environment issues.
The British Red Cross video Food insecurity, how it happens and what you can do,
presents some of the reasons why food security becomes an issue.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/79UGlB1IRh4
A second video from the British Red Cross Would you pay £9 for a sandwich? Food
insecurity comes to the UK, shows the reactions of people in a British market when
sellers charge the prices that people in some other countries have to pay for food.
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The Canadian Meal Exchange, provides an overview of food security challenges in

Canada in the video Meal Exchange – An Introduction to Food Security.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/PE1-RYPJNdg
After watching these videos, consider the following questions (you can record your
answers in the notebook that you keep for this course):
1. What are the main causes of food insecurity?
2. What are the risk factors associated with household food insecurity in
Canada?
3. What evidence of food insecurity have you seen in your community?
4. What changes would you need to make if your food cost as much as a
mortgage?
5. The Canadian Meal Exchange suggests a number of “actions” that you can
take to help eliminate food insecurity in Canada. Are you willing to do one or
two of these things? How important is this issue?
Threats to Food Security

Globally, in 2011 it was estimated that 925 million people were undernourished
(FAO, 2011). By 2015, that figure had increased to 975 million people (World Food
Programme, 2015), although the proportion of the total world’s population has
decreased (the overall increase reflects the increase in total world population). It can
be hard to make sense of statistics – so are we doing better or worse? In some
populous countries, like China, hunger has been decreasing steadily since the early
1990s, and their large population makes the statistics look globally like they are
improving (FAO, 2015). However, two-thirds of the world’s undernourished people
live in seven countries: Bangladesh, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan (FAO, 2011; FAO, 2015).
What threatens food security?

1. Poverty
Simply put, when people have more income to spend on food, they can buy
more of it (provided it is available). Globally, a trend recently developed that
showed the number of undernourished people increased between 2006 and
2009 because food prices increased, influenced by the global economic crisis
(FAO, 2010). When the economy recovered slightly in 2010, food prices
declined in many regions, which enabled people to increase their access to
food.
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Typically, food security may be considered a problem of developing nations,

but food security also affects people in developed nations, such as Canada.
Even in a relatively prosperous nation such as Canada, a growing number of
people do not have access to sufficient, safe, or nutritious food without
compromising one of their other basic needs, for example, shelter. The
increasing demand for food banks in Canada may be interpreted as a
barometer of the economy: either people are having trouble getting
employment or governments are cutting back spending on social programs,
resulting in people “falling through the cracks.” In addition, when global
food prices rise, Canadians pay more for imported food (Canadian Federal
Government, 1998; Food Banks Canada, 2011).
Table 1 provides a snapshot of Food Bank use in Canada in March 2014. For
more detailed regional information, see the report Hunger Count 2015.
http://oledmedia.trubox.ca/wp-admin/admin-
ajax.php?action=h5p_embed&id=2
Food Bank Use in Canada, by Province, March 2015, showing percent change
from 2008-2015.
“Hunger Count 2011”, Peter Menzel and Fait D’Aluiso. © 2011 Toronto: Food
Banks Canada.
Who is using Canada’s food banks?

Each March since 2008 Food Banks Canada conducts surveys to identify the
demographics profile of Canadians using food banks across the nation.
According to Food Banks Canada (2015) food bank use in March 2015
increased by 26% over use recorded in March 2008. The characteristics of
individuals assisted by Canadian food banks on March 2015 are as follows:
o >1/3 of those receiving food were children
 4.9% were seniors over age 65
 16% self-identified as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit
 10% were immigrants or refugees
Sometimes post-secondary students run short of cash, particularly
near the end of term, so many schools now have a “food bank” shelf
or area where students can pick up food if they run out. Does your
school have this kind of food bank?
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2. Conflict
Conflict often occurs over food security (e.g., wars are fought over land that
produces food and water). Food also is used as a type of weapon, for
example, when access to it is used to control people.
By using recent media sources, identify two national regions where conflict
has created issues of food security for people. What have been the national
responses to these crises? The international responses?
Do areas of conflict correspond with areas of greatest hunger, as identified by

the FAO’s Hunger Map, introduced at the beginning of this topic?
3. Terrorism
Similar to conflict, acts of terrorism can disrupt the normal day-to-day
operations of a nation and interrupt food supply chains. Fear over lack of
food can lead to civil unrest. As well, terrorists may use food itself as a
vehicle for an attack. The World Health Organization (WHO) (2008) has
considered the potential of terrorists using food in attacks in developed and
developing countries:
Food safety infrastructures offer a means for preventing and
mitigating sabotage of the food supply. At the same time, many
developing countries, which lack basic food safety infrastructures,
are highly vulnerable to deliberate acts of sabotage. The dietary
diversity available in many developed countries also reduces the
likelihood that the entire food supply would be contaminated and
would tend to dilute potential health effects. In addition,
international food safety initiatives and enhanced disease
surveillance and response activities can be developed for
preventing and responding quickly to food terrorism. On the other
hand, food is also the one of the most vulnerable vehicles for
intentional contamination by debilitating or lethal agents. The
diversity of food sources, including the global market, makes
prevention difficult (WHO, 2008, p. 7).
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4. Corruption
In countries where food is scarce, or food distribution mechanisms are
unstable, corruption can widen the gap between the rich and the poor.
In the Food and Agriculture Administration of the United Nations (FAO)

(2011, Dec 12) article “Corruption undermining land access, development,”
the FAO declares that one of the main issues affecting global food security is
corruption, where “weak governance has increased the likelihood of
corruption in land tenure and administration, and is intensifying the impact
of pressures on land use.” By referring to recent news media, can you find
examples of how corrupt or weak government structures are leading to land
use changes that threaten food security?
5. Environmental Degradation
Environmental degradation has been touched on in the preceding section
“Industrial Agriculture.” In addition to the intensified use of agricultural
land, competing demands for land threaten Canada’s agricultural base. For
example, hydroelectric projects may flood valleys, and urban sprawl devours
prime agricultural land.
Learning “Bite”By using the Internet, and remembering to be critical and

choose reliable sources, answer the following questions:
1. How much of Canada’s land base is used for agriculture? How much was
used in 1971? What is the percent change?
2. What province has the greatest percent of Canada’s agricultural land?
3. How does land conversion reflect our society’s values?
4. Is there any evidence in the trends that land conversion is leveling off?
What social, economic, and environmental changes would we have to make
as a society to sustain Canada’s agricultural lands?
“Gate to Plate”
We will end our topic on food and agriculture by briefly mentioning the importance
of local food sources and markets. A number of initiatives exist in local communities
and regions that promote “gate to plate” programs. You probably have visited a
local farmer’s market and bought some regional produce, meat, or breads. Even
most large grocery stores identify, using signage, the produce that is produced
locally, in recognition of its market value. Recently, hundred mile diets, which
people follow to try to source all their foods within one hundred miles of their home,
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have become popular. Many websites, including Get Local BC, Farm Folk – City
Folk, and Ontario’s Greenbelt, provide information about where farmer’s markets
are located within driving distance of larger urban centres. Producing and
consuming local food protects community health, promotes cultural heritage, and
facilitates community togetherness.
In some ways, the “fashion” behind producing and consuming local food is a
throwback to simpler times, before transportation and technology were brought
fresh food from around the world in mere hours or days. Growing and preserving
your food was just a regular way of life. One big difference between those times and
today is that eating local foods can be as expensive, and frequently more expensive,
than buying imported foods at the supermarket.
One final question for you to consider: Can living sustainably be done on a budget?
References
Canadian Federal Government. (1998). Canada’s Action Plan for Food Security (1998).
Ottawa: Canadian Federal Government.
Food and Agriculture Administration of the United Nations (FAO). (2011). The State
of Food Insecurity in the World. Rome: Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and
Innovation. Retrieved July 20, 2012 from
http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2330e/i2330e00.htm.
Food and Agriculture Administration of the United Nations (FAO). (2015). State of
Food Insecurity in the World in Brief. Rome: Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research
and Innovation. Retrieved March 2, 2016 from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4671e.pdf.
Food and Agriculture Administration of the United Nations (FAO). (2015). The State
of Food Insecurity in the World. Rome: Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and
Innovation. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2016 from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4646e.pdf .
Food Banks Canada. (2011). Hunger Count. Toronto: Food Banks Canada. Retrieved
July 20, 2012 from http://foodbankscanada.ca/getmedia/dc2aa860-4c33-4929-ac36-
fb5d40f0b7e7/HungerCount- 2011.pdf.aspx.
Food Banks Canada. (2015). Hunger Count Toronto: Food Banks Canada. Retrieved
Feb. 6, 2015 from https://www.foodbankscanada.ca/getmedia/01e662ba-f1d7-419d-
b40c-bcc71a9f943c/HungerCount2015_singles.pdf.aspx
Lyson, T. (2008). Agriculture of the middle: Lessons learned from civic agriculture.
In T. A. Lyson, G. W. Stevenson, & R. Welsh (Eds.), Food and the mid-level farm:
Renewing an agriculture of the middle (pp. 165–178). Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT).
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Tilman, D., Farglione, J., Wolff, B., D'Antonio, C., Dobson, A., Howarth, R.,
Schindler, D., Schlesinger, W., Simberloff, D., & Swackhamer, D. (2001). Forecasting
agriculturally driven global environmental change. Science, 292, 281–284.
Weis, T. (2010). Breadbasket contradictions: The unstable bounty of industrial
agriculture in the United States and Canada. In G. Lawrence, K. Lyons, & T.
Wallington (Eds.), Food security, nutrition and sustainability (pp. 27–40). United
Kingdom: Earthscan.
World Food Programme. (2015). Hunger Statistics. Retrieved March 2, 2016 from:
https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats
World Health Organization (WHO). (2008). Terrorist Threats to Food. Switzerland:
World Health Organization.
Assignment 2: Online Discussions

Once you have completed your final 7 posts, collate into one document and submit
to your Open Learning Faculty Member for grading using the Assignment tool.
Final Project Component: Final Wrap-up

Your final project is due once you have completed all the other course assignments
and components. See the Course Guide for suggested completion dates. Continue to
work on your project using the questions and activities from the preceding topics as
guides for developing the content of your assignment.
Please refer to the “Assignments Overview” section to review the overall project
requirements.
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Course Development team: Revision (2017)

Thompson Rivers University

Module 2: Sustainable Development, Sustainable Communities

Module 3: Global Sustainability—Population, Climate Change

Module 4: Natural Resources—Water, Air, Energy, Biodiversity,

Module 1: Key Concepts of Environmental

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Accessing Articles from the TRU Library

Evaluating the Quality and Credibility of Resources You Use

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TRU Writing Centre

Topic 1: Key Concepts of Environmental Sustainability

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Learning Activity and Assessment Checklist

Activity Description Assessment

1. Introductory Introduce yourself. In No assessment

2. Review Course Read online letter, No assessment

3. Reading Paper: "Relevance of No assessment

4. Key Concepts Research, write, and Assignment 1: Key

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Learning Activity 1 - Reading: The Role of Social

Reading and Focus Questions

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How Social Science Contributes to Natural

1 Documents what exists.

Summarizes relationships over time or amongst

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Citizen Engagement and Natural Resource Management

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Learning Activity 2 - Key Concepts, Online Discussions

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o Biocentric, Ecocentric, Anthrocentric, Conflict

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Topic 2: Key Concepts—Physical Science

Learning Activity and Assessment Checklist

Learning Activity Description Assessment

1. Key Concepts Research, write, and Part of your Assignment

2. Reading Paper: “Multi-scale Quiz

3. Systems Create a systems diagram Part of your Assignment

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Key Concepts from the Physical and Biophysical Sciences

Learning Activity 1 - Key Concepts Online Discussions

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Learning Activity 2 - Scale: Reading and Focus

Reading and Focus Questions

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Learning Activity 3 - Create a Systems Diagram: Online

To Make Your Systems Diagram

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Screen Capture Your Drawing

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Also, detailed information is available in the following publication:

Examples of Systems Diagrams

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Example 3: Human Interaction with Wildlife Populations

Figure 1: See caption above.

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Topic 3: Putting It All Together—Linking the Physical

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Learning Activity and Assessment Checklist

Learning Activity Description Assessment

1. Readings Guidelines for Quiz