Transcript 3.2.2 Factors influencing Contemp relationships with OE

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the effects of different technologies
commercialisation of outdoor environments and
outdoor experiences
portrayals of outdoor environments and outdoor
experiences in the media, music, art, writing
and advertising
social responses to risk taking
social and political discourses about climate
change, water management, biosecurity and
other contemporary environmental issues.
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Discourse = written or spoken
communication/debate/discussion
Conversation, argument, points of view
Individuals, experts & interest groups
typically engage in the “discourse”, so do
government agencies
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Aim: to understand
◦ how OE are threatened,
◦ the causes &
◦ who is engaged in the discussions and why
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Understand the debate, the importance of the
issue, what we can or should do/be doing,
how we might take action, &&&&&
How these discourses impact our
relationships with OE
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climate change,
water management,
biosecurity and
other contemporary environmental issues
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https://www.extremetech.com/wpcontent/uploads/2016/05/5_9_16_Andrea_T
empSpiralEdHawkins.gif
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Al Gore’s film: An Inconvenient Truth
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An environmental issue
A topic debated in the media
A topic agreed on in the scientific community
The media has played a role in shaping
opinions
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http://www.environment.gov.au/climatechange/climate-science/greenhouse-effect
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Uncertainty
◦ Climate contains many variables
◦ Uncertainty over how much and how fast it will
change
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Other associated issues
◦ Sea level rise
◦ Ocean acidification
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Debate around validity of theories that
support global warming
Whether humans have a major influence in
the climate
The importance of those changes
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Page 213
◦ Sceptics vs Climate scientists
◦ http://climatedebatedaily.com/
◦ Other
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Too much coverage for sceptics ???
Focus on the debate & controversy rather
than the science
Created a distorted impression of the science,
suggesting a relatively even split in scientific
opinion.
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Humans have adapted to environmental
pressures throughout history & we need to
prepare for climatic change….
Adapt
Mitigate the extent of climate change
Introduce incentives to modify human
practices that contribute to climate change
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http://thestar.com.au/blog/life-savingtower-gone/
Natural occurrence vs climate change
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The first major international agreement to cut
greenhouse gases
Challenges:
Created under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in
Kyoto, Japan in 1996
Agreed target: developed countries to cut by
at least 5% below 1990 levels during 2008 –
2012
Australia initially did not sign
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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/ne
ws/howard-firmly-against-kyoto/storye6frg8gf-1111114647760
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Aust signed in 2008 following a change of
federal govt
In Victoria parliamentary discussion resulted
in the Climate Change Act which aims to
reduce carbon emissions in Victoria by 20% in
2020
http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/environmentand-wildlife/climate-change/victorianclimate-change-act-2010
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Clean coal technologies
Carbon sequestration (carbon capture & stroage)
Energy saving, energy conservation, reduce…
◦ eg compare this building to the new library, better insulation
Reducing dependence on fossil fuels is the most
significant step in mitigating climate change.
Mitigate = reduce, diminish, lessen
Renewable energy sources
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Biofuels
Wind
Solar
Tidal/wave
Nuclear energy??
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New industries will appear and old one like
brown coal generation will suffer
Mitigation requires both economic and social
change, the impact of these changes seem by
some as outweighing the threat posed “in the
future” by climate change
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Economic response: carbon tax & an
emissions trading scheme (ETS)
2012 $23 @ tonne for top polluters
Repealed in 2014
ETS involves buying/selling allocating permits
for CO2 emissions.
Sell your permit if you reduce emissions
Largely the debate is about economics not
the environment
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The way OE are perceived
How we interact with OE
The impact we have on OE
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P 217 summary table
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Climate change has been caused by humans
Climate change is a natural phenomena – it
has occurred throughout the planet’s history
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Aust climatic variation results in periods of
drought associated with El Nino
Water management was discussed and
debated in Vic due to water shortages that
forced the govt to implement water
restrictions
Drought for much of 2000 to 2010
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Water shortages during drought highlighted
that:
◦ Vic catchments were unable to supply sufficient
water for Melbourne’s popl’n & industries
◦ Water management techniques were not sustainable
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Water crisis with a social & political discourse
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Drinking water
Water for industry
Storage reservoirs
Catchment
Water conservation
Recycling of water
Irrigation
A wide range of adaptive strategies are required
to meet water needs for domestic and industrial
needs for agriculture and for healthy rivers and
ecosystems
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DEPI (now DELWP) identified a range of issues
to be considered in management of Vic
waterways & produced the Victorian Waterway
Management Strategy
Dept of Environment Land Water and Planning
The policies and actions influence our
relationship with specific aquatic
environments, depending on how we use
waterways.
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Read the overview handed out in class (or look at
full version online or an rtf copy on student shared). Below is a link
to the over view:
http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/
0004/200587/VWMS-Summary_FINAL_WEBready.pdf
Do any key points, policies and actions
impact you??
Focus on the management issues pp12 -15
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The Victorian Waterway Management Strategy (the Strategy)
provides the framework for government, in partnership with
the community, to maintain or improve the condition of
rivers, estuaries and wetlands so that they can continue to
provide environmental, social, cultural and economic values
for all Victorians
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East Gippsland rivers in excellent health
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In Victoria, there are ten catchment
management regions and each has a
catchment management authority to coordinate integrated management of land,
water and biodiversity.
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Development and implementation of regional
Waterway Strategies for each of the ten
catchment management regions across
Victoria will deliver key elements of the
management approach outlined in the
Strategy.
East Gippsland M’ment Strategy
http://www.egcma.com.au/what-wedo/274/
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East Gippsland’s waterways are remarkable ‘natural assets’ of
Victoria, with the highest proportion of streams in ‘Excellent’
or ‘Good’ condition in the state
Our waterways provide many of Victoria’s best fishing,
swimming, camping, boating and scenic attractions. The
health of these waterways underpins many aspects of
tourism, employment and investment in the region.
The purpose of the East Gippsland Waterway Strategy 2014–
2022 is to ensure that the future management of our
waterways keeps providing these important environmental,
social, cultural and economic values.
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Much of discourse,esp in media, was driven
by issue of shortages in Melb
The previous graph shows that without water
restrictions Melb could have run out of water
Drought conditions and a growing population
sparked social & political discourse
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The Vic govt produced a long term plan to
secure Melbourne’s water supply – Our Water,
Our Future.
The next slide shows the summary of that
plan.
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http://www.theage.com.au/video/videonews/video-national-news/desalinationdrop-by-drop-20111206-1ogf3
Two measures in the plan were particularly
controversial:
1. The construction of a reverse osmosis
desalination plant near Wonthaggi - to
produce drinking water from seawater, (to
meet up to 30% of Melb needs)
2. The Foodbowl Modernisation Plan which
include interconnection of water supplies
across the state and re-direction to supply
Melbourne
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Water-saving, recycling and capturing
initiatives put forward were well received but
some believed they did not go far enough
with water conservation, and
These alone could solve water supply
initiatives, and that
Its wrong to be diverting water from other
catchments, and
A desalination plant was not a good idea
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A interest group formed to bring attention to
concerns and to fight to convince the
public/government to rethink their plans
Desalination requires a large input of energy,
which in turn contributes to climate change,
if it energy from non renewable sources
Concerned about impacts to marine & coastal
environments
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Also called the North- South pipeline, was not
well received by people who saw it as taking
water away from their catchments
Read pp222 & 223,
As a class discuss the questions in the
learning activity
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Not long after the desalination plant was built
the drought broke
Controversy, debate & protests continued
during the construction
Make your own summary table similar to the
one shown on pp223 & 224.