Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Global Warming and Sustainability: The Environmental and Economic…
Global Warming and Sustainability: The Environmental and Economic Challenges of the 21st Century
Deindustrialisation and the Green Transition
Definition: Decline of manufacturing sector in high-income countries.
Historical Background:
Started in the late 20th century due to globalisation, automation, and outsourcing.
Social Impact:
Job loss in traditional industries (mining, steel, textiles)
Rise in unemployment and regional inequality
Urban decay in industrial cities (e.g., Detroit, Sheffield)
Environmental Impact:
Decline of pollution in some areas but rise elsewhere (Global South).
Transition Opportunities:
“Just Transition” policies: protecting workers as economies shift.
Green reindustrialisation: electric vehicles, renewable energy, recycling industries.
Skills development: reskilling programs for clean jobs.
Green infrastructure: smart grids, sustainable housing, mass transit.
Pollution: A Legacy of Industrialisation
Air Pollution:
Emitted from vehicles, factories, power plants.
Linked to asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases.
Water Pollution:
Industrial runoff, plastic waste, oil spills.
Destruction of marine ecosystems and drinking water sources.
Soil Pollution:
Heavy metals, pesticides, landfill leakage.
Affects food safety and agriculture.
Other Forms:
Noise pollution: affects mental and physical health.
Light pollution: disrupts ecosystems and circadian rhythms.
Planetary Boundaries: Many ecological thresholds already crossed.
Circular Economy: The Future of Sustainable Production
Definition: Economic system aiming to eliminate waste by continuously reusing resources.
Principles:
Design out waste and pollution.
Keep products and materials in use.
Regenerate natural systems.
Strategies:
Product-as-a-service (leasing, sharing economy)
Repair, reuse, refurbish, remanufacture
Industrial symbiosis (waste of one becomes input for another)
Benefits:
Reduces pressure on the environment.
Boosts innovation and competitiveness.
Supports job creation in repair and recycling sectors.
Examples:
Patagonia’s repairable clothing
Urban mining (recovering metals from e-waste)
Closed-loop packaging systems
Global Warming: Origins, Dynamics, and Threats
Definition: Long-term rise in Earth’s average surface temperature due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
Main Greenhouse Gases:
Carbon dioxide (CO₂): from burning fossil fuels, deforestation.
Methane (CH₄): from livestock, landfills, oil and gas extraction.
Nitrous oxide (N₂O): from fertilizers and industrial processes.
Fluorinated gases: synthetic gases from industrial uses.
Key Human Activities:
Energy production (coal, oil, gas)
Transportation (cars, planes, shipping)
Deforestation (reduces CO₂ absorption)
Industrial agriculture and livestock
Global Effects:
Temperature increase of 1.1°C (as of 2023) — approaching critical 1.5°C threshold.
Melting ice caps, rising sea levels — threat to coastal cities.
Extreme weather: heatwaves, wildfires, hurricanes, floods.
Health threats: new diseases, air pollution, climate refugees.
Climate Injustice:
Poorest countries contribute the least but suffer the most.
Intergenerational impact: children inherit a damaged planet.
Traditional Economy vs. Green Economy
Traditional (Linear) Economy
Model: “Take → Make → Dispose”
Energy: Relies on non-renewable resources (coal, oil, natural gas).
Production logic: Mass consumption, planned obsolescence.
Consequences:
Overexploitation of resources.
High emissions and toxic waste.
Unsustainable in the long term.
No environmental or social responsibility embedded.
Green Economy
Model: Integrates economy with ecology.
Core Principles:
Efficiency in energy and resource use.
Fair employment and social inclusion.
Investments in clean technologies and innovation.
Sectors:
Renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal)
Sustainable agriculture
Eco-tourism and low-impact transportation
Goals:
Decouple growth from environmental degradation.
Achieve carbon neutrality and social equity.