Sustainability Activity
Please ensure you are completing this activity first, before completing the Environmental Issues activity.
Purpose
Sustainability science attempts to solve complex problems caused by numerous, interrelated economic, social and environmental (and other) factors. In addition to being complex, these problems are urgent, potentially dangerous, and change overtime. They also require long-term, flexible interventions from diverse stakeholders. Whether, and how, to solve sustainability problems is often controversial, as the impact and importance of the problem may vary depending on geographic location. For example, in the United States, sea level rise due to global climate change is a problem that may not directly impact a farming community in the Midwest, while cities on the east coast experience increased, and more severe seasonal flooding.
The capacity of stakeholders to cope with the problem further compounds their controversy, as some communities adapt easily to the problem, while others struggle to acclimate. For instance, when a region’s municipal water supply has been contaminated, different socioeconomic groups are impacted to different degrees. Communities that can afford and have access to filtered or bottled water easily adapt to the crisis, while poorer communities cannot. For these reasons, simple approaches to sustainability problems often result in failure.
Designing a successful solution to a sustainability problem involves careful analysis of the factors contributing to the problem and developing a targeted plan of action aimed at addressing these factors. Sustainability scientists must also be attentive to the problem of unintended consequences. These arise, often unexpectedly, when a solution to a complex problem is implemented. As a result, sustainability problems must be continually monitored, evaluated, and adjusted as unintended consequences are identified.
One way to evaluate environmental problems is by using a tool called a fishbone diagram. A “fishbone” diagram is a visual representation of a complex problem. The “head” of the diagram represents the central problem, with “bones” of the diagram illustrating factors that contribute to the cause of the central problem. For these examples, contributing factors are grouped as belonging to either Economy, Society, Environment, or Technology.
References:
Information taken from – https://static.sustainability.asu.edu/giosMS-uploads/sites/15/2016/08/How-to-Analyze-Sustainability-Problems-Food-Deserts.pdf
https://sustainability.asu.edu/sustainabilitysolutions/programs/teachersacademy/teacher-resources/
https://www.asu.edu/copyright/
Please be sure you read the information above. It is critical for the assignment.
Watch the following videos:
Introduction to Defining Sustainability (1 minute 9 seconds)
How to Analyze Complex Problems (6 minutes 47 seconds)
Read the article “Sustainable Fisheries ”
Instructions. As you read and watch the videos, please take notes. Begin to brainstorm your understanding of the topic. Once you have a rough outline of the problem, please create a fishbone diagram of the sustainability problem involving fisheries. The diagram should include the relevant factors that combine to cause the problem from the article. Be sure to identify factors from the economy, society, environment, and technology.
Article to read :
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/sustainable-fishing/
Instructions. As you read and watch the videos, please take notes. Begin to brainstorm your understanding of the topic. Once you have a rough outline of the problem, please create a fishbone diagram of the sustainability problem involving fisheries. The diagram should include the relevant factors that combine to cause the problem from the article. Be sure to identify factors from the economy, society, environment, and technology.
Please remember you should submit documents as JPG, PDF, RTF, PNG, DOC and DOCX only. Other formats will not be accepted. Incorrect submission formats could impact your grade.
Category: Natural science : Environmental science
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 7 and 8 in your course textbook.
The purpose of this assignment is twofold: first, to enable you to explore a term (concept, technique, place, etc.) related to this week’s theme of sustaining atmosphere and climate; second, to provide your first contribution to a collective project, the Class Sustainable Living Guide. Your work this week, will be gathered (along with that of your peers) into a master document you will receive a few days after the end of the course. The document will provide everyone with a variety of ideas for how we can all live more sustainably in our homes and communities.
To complete this assignment,
Select a term from the list of choices in the Week 4 – Term Selection Table. Term selected is (global climate change)
Instead of being required to use the text as your third source for completing the assignment, you will be expected to use the hyperlinked source provided for you.
Download the Week 4 Assignment Template Download Week 4 Assignment Templateavailable in the course and replace the guiding text with your own words based upon your online research.
Please do not include a cover page. All references, however, should be cited in your work and listed at the end, following APA Style expectations.
In the template, you will
Define the term thoroughly, in your own words.
Explain the importance of the term using evidence.
Discuss how the term affects living things and the physical world.
Suggest two specific actions that you and your peers might take to promote environmental sustainability in relation to the term.
Explain exactly how those actions will aid in safeguarding our environment in relation to your chosen term.
Provide detailed examples to support your ideas.
The Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Our Atmosphere and Climate paper
Must be a minimum of three paragraphs in length (not including title, any quoted text, or references) and formatted according to APA Style
Add two other sources.
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 7 and 8 in your course textbook.
The purpose of this assignment is twofold: first, to enable you to explore a term (concept, technique, place, etc.) related to this week’s theme of sustaining atmosphere and climate; second, to provide your first contribution to a collective project, the Class Sustainable Living Guide. Your work this week, will be gathered (along with that of your peers) into a master document you will receive a few days after the end of the course. The document will provide everyone with a variety of ideas for how we can all live more sustainably in our homes and communities.
To complete this assignment,
Select a term from the list of choices in the Week 4 – Term Selection Table. Term selected is (global climate change)
Instead of being required to use the text as your third source for completing the assignment, you will be expected to use the hyperlinked source provided for you.
Download the Week 4 Assignment Template Download Week 4 Assignment Templateavailable in the course and replace the guiding text with your own words based upon your online research.
Please do not include a cover page. All references, however, should be cited in your work and listed at the end, following APA Style expectations.
In the template, you will
Define the term thoroughly, in your own words.
Explain the importance of the term using evidence.
Discuss how the term affects living things and the physical world.
Suggest two specific actions that you and your peers might take to promote environmental sustainability in relation to the term.
Explain exactly how those actions will aid in safeguarding our environment in relation to your chosen term.
Provide detailed examples to support your ideas.
The Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Our Atmosphere and Climate paper
Must be a minimum of three paragraphs in length (not including title, any quoted text, or references) and formatted according to APA Style
Add two other sources.