Reserve reading – sociology of the environment

1. How does the technological level of a society determine its ability to affect the natural environment?

2. How does this affect energy use?

3. What is meant by the term “logic of growth”?

4. What are Milbrath’s criticisms of this logic?

5. What were the conclusions of the study “The Limits to Growth”?

6. For each of the following environmental problems, describe the following:

a) why this is a problem

b) the extent to which technology is a cause of this problem

c) the extent to which technology can monitor this problem

d) the extent to which technology can reduce the problem

e) non-technological ways of reducing the problem

¨ Solid waste

¨ Water quality

¨ Air quality

¨ Acid rain

¨ Rain forests

¨ Global warming

¨ Declining biodiversity

7. How well do you think that structural-functional analysis, cultural ecology, and social conflict analysis describe environmental problems?

Geological, Ocean and Mineral Sequestration Options

8. What percent of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions are from Canada?

9. Is this percentage increasing, decreasing or stable?

10. Which province has the highest amount of CO₂ emissions?

11. What are some of the reasons that make Canada one of the highest per capita emitters of CO₂?

12. What are the 6 known greenhouse gases?

13. Why is so much emphasis put on CO₂?

14. What percentage of the world’s energy is produced by burning fossil fuels?

15. What percentage is from renewable energy sources?

16. What efforts are being made to use technology to reduce CO₂ emissions?

17. What is meant by the term “CO₂ sequestration”?

18. Describe the six methods that can be used to store CO₂.