Unit 4: Sustainability - Aspects of Modern Life that Reduce Sustainability
- Created by: rosieevie
- Created on: 01-06-15 15:18
View mindmap
- Aspects of Modern Life that Reduce Sustainability
- Planned Obsolescence
- Increased consumer demand = increased income
- Durable items don't need to be replaced = reduced demand
- Reduced durability = cheaper manufacture process
- Planned obsolescence - deliberate plan to make items that do not last long
- Technical failure - non-serviceable components deliberately designed to wear out
- Built-in batteries - cannot be replaced so when they fail whole item is replaced
- Lack of spare parts/tech support - manufactures may stop providing spare parts or IT support for old versions
- Customer information - products tell consumers to replace items unnecessarily early
- Fashion - ads make old items outdated when latest style is introduced
- Throwaway society - inconvinient to reuse items due to more effort or organisation e.g. carrier bags
- Ecological Footprints
- Ecological footprint - area of Earth needed to provide the resources used by the human population and to deal with wastes
- Total footprint < area of planet = population is supported
- Ecological debt day - day on which we have used up a years worth of resources
- Day occurs earlier as human impact increases
- Ecological overshoot - exploitation of resources faster than replacement rates (ecological debt)
- Ecological footprint - area of Earth needed to provide the resources used by the human population and to deal with wastes
- Carbon Footprint - part of ecological footprint caused by CO2 release
- Expressed as a mass CO2 equivalent
- Comprehensive - includes all direct and indirect causes
- Biocapacity - measure of biological productivity in an area
- Whole planet or a small area e.g. country
- Combines productivity of all sub-areas e.g. arable, water
- Affected by both farming and human management methods - either positive or negative
- Does not assume land is reserved for other species except us
- Biodiversity buffers - land set aside for other species and wildlife communities
- Planned Obsolescence
Comments
No comments have yet been made