College 1
Socio-economic trends differ per region (OECD, BRICS)
Anthropocene (influence):
- Atmosphere: CO2, CH4, N2O
- Erosion and sedimentation: dams for water supply and energy
- Global nutrient cycles: N & P
Planetary boundaries critical treshold that Earth can handle essential to earth system/society
Land system change:
- Within uncertainty zone
- Closely linked to other planetary boundaries
- Links actors with other planetary boundaries
Used 2/3 of the Earth’s terrestrial surface little wild areas left
Social foundation sets basis for human well-being doughnut economy
The Great Acceleration:
- Increasing pressure on environment
- Increasing risk of resource insecurity
- No right solution trade-offs
Types of problems:
- Structured
- Unstructured (wicked) problems: no ready-made solution
o Freshwater use
Reduce by: tax, enforce efficiency irrigation, desalinization plants, quota
Socio-ecological systems: many actors, interactions, system change, adaptation
College 2 (onderdeel 3)
Video (Smog London 1952):
Change in environment: smog/air pollution
Why problematic? Risk to health, lack of visibility
- Who? People/animals in London
- How? Breathing in smog, respiratory problems, economic impacts
What activities caused the problem? Emissions from factories/homes (high concentrations of sulphur
dioxides)(low quality coal), emission from traffic (more car use after WW2), low industrial smoke
stacks, the weather in London at the time (lack of wind, anticyclone; thermal inversion)
Why where these activities carried out? Energy for heating/cooking/production (demand for goods),
transport needs
What was done to prevent? Introducing clean emission zones, switching to electricity, higher smoke
stacks, wearing face masks short term (prevent impacts), long term (prevent problem)
, DPSIR framework:
State change: intense smog caused by high concentrations of PM and SO2/weather conditions
Pressures: burning sulfur-rich coal, use of fossil fuels, emissions
Drivers: industry, homes, transport
Impacts: health impacts, economic impacts (accidents)
Responses: traffic signaling, masks, clean air act
Social side impact, response, driver
Economic response, driver, pressure
Environmental impact, response, pressure, state change
Political response, driver
Why is it so widely used? Simple, transparency (communication is easier), human-centric (appealing
to policy actors)
Disadvantages over-simplification (chains/mixed effects), ambiguity (vague), intended/non-
intended actions, too human-centric
College 3 (onderdeel 2)
Landbedekking kan niet zien waar het voor gebruikt wordt (bos, grasland)
Landgebruik ingezoomd, gedetailleerde, vaak op basis van andere data (natuurlijk bos, productie
bos, natuurlijke grasland, weiland (meadow = hooiland))
Land use intensity conceptual gradient in (mostly agricultural) land use measure by inputs:
- Fertilization
- Mechanization
- Crop cycles
- Pesticide use
Measure by outputs:
- Production
Low intensity = subsistence farming (lage opbrengst)
High intensity = industrial farming (hoge opbrengst)
Herkouwers dragen meer bij aan klimaatverandering (meer voedsel nodig per kg vlees)
Conceptuele raamwerken (frameworks) = manieren om naar de wereld te kijken (vb.
ecosysteemdiensten), relaties, telecoupling
Theorieën = relatie die is getoetst en ook weer getoetst kan worden (vaak oorzaak-gevolg relatie)
- Verschil met wet (wet van de zwaartekracht; perfect mee voorspellen)
- Evolutietheorie (niet goed mee te voorspellen)
- Focus dit vak: middle-range theories (forest transitions)
