Midterm Exam
Env105 Midterm Exam
1. Summarize the notion of sustainability as described by Paul Hawken. Describe briefly the 12 steps he suggests towards a sustainable society. Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of well-being, which in turn depends on the maintenance of the natural world and natural resources. As the earth’s human population has increased, natural ecosystems have declined and changes in the balance of natural cycles have had a negative impact on both humans and other living systems. Paul Hawken provides 12 steps towards a sustainable society. First, Hawken argues that state and national governments should reclaim their power to regulate corporations by rewriting and renewing current corporate charters. Second, Hawken agrees that companies and consumers should be forced to include all the environmental and social costs in making, producing, using, and disposing of products in the cost of goods. Third, we should tax the amount of non-renewable resources, the amount of fossil fuels, the amount of waste, and the amount of environment destroyed or abused. Fourth, Hawken says that governments should lease companies the right to use and control certain resources such as fisheries, forests. By making these companies' profits dependent on how productive these resources are, they will have a real incentive to protect and even restore these environments to health. Fifth, companies would compete to create industrial design processes in which they greatly reduce their waste. Instead of depending on polluting the environment with their wastes, companies should figure out how to reduce wastes and actually make them a source of profits. Sixth, consumers would lease the right to use products such as TVs or cars from companies and the companies are responsible for
1. Summarize the notion of sustainability as described by Paul Hawken. Describe briefly the 12 steps he suggests towards a sustainable society. Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of well-being, which in turn depends on the maintenance of the natural world and natural resources. As the earth’s human population has increased, natural ecosystems have declined and changes in the balance of natural cycles have had a negative impact on both humans and other living systems. Paul Hawken provides 12 steps towards a sustainable society. First, Hawken argues that state and national governments should reclaim their power to regulate corporations by rewriting and renewing current corporate charters. Second, Hawken agrees that companies and consumers should be forced to include all the environmental and social costs in making, producing, using, and disposing of products in the cost of goods. Third, we should tax the amount of non-renewable resources, the amount of fossil fuels, the amount of waste, and the amount of environment destroyed or abused. Fourth, Hawken says that governments should lease companies the right to use and control certain resources such as fisheries, forests. By making these companies' profits dependent on how productive these resources are, they will have a real incentive to protect and even restore these environments to health. Fifth, companies would compete to create industrial design processes in which they greatly reduce their waste. Instead of depending on polluting the environment with their wastes, companies should figure out how to reduce wastes and actually make them a source of profits. Sixth, consumers would lease the right to use products such as TVs or cars from companies and the companies are responsible for