| A | B |
|---|
| How has nature sustained itself? | Nature has sustained itself for billions of years by using solar energy, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling |
| What is the environment? | Everything around us |
| Define Environmental Science | interdisciplinary science connecting information and ideas from other sciences and areas of learning |
| When studying environmental science what do you study? | 1) How nature works; 2) How the environment affects us; 3) How we affect the environment; 4) How to deal with environmental problems; 5) How to live more sustainably |
| What are 3 principles that nature has for "sustainabilty"? | 1) Reliance on solar energy-The sun provides warmth and fuels photosynthesis; 2) Biodiversity-Astounding variety and adaptability of natural systems and species; 3) Chemical cycling-Circulation of chemicals from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment-Also called nutrient cycling |
| Briefly trace the development from "the simple cell" to the Homo Sapiens? | 1) First simple cell appear(about 3.5 billion years ago); 2) First muticell appears(1 billion years ago); 3) First major land plants appear(about 475 million years ago) 4) Dinosaurs dissappear(about 65 millions ago); 5) Homo Sapiens arrives(about 200,000 years ago) |
| What are the "Three Principles" of sustainabilty | 1) Solar Energy; 2) Chemical cycling; 3) Biodiversity |
| What are the key components "Sustainabilty"? | 1) Natural capital-supported by solar capital; 2)Natural resources- useful materials and energy in nature; 3) Natural services-important nature processes such as renewal of air, water, and soil; 4)Humans degrade natural capital; 5) Scientific solutions needed for environmental sustainability |
| What are the two parts of "Natural Capital"? | Natural Resources + Natural services |
| What are 3 areas of concern in the "air"? | 1) air purification; 2) Climate control; UV Protect(ozone layer) |
| What are 3 areas of concern in the "water"? | 1) Water purification; 2) Waste treatment; 3) Nonrenewable minerals(iron and sand) |
| What are 3 areas of concern in the "soil"? | Soil renewal (cannot be replace or renewed by nature) |
| What are 3 areas of concern in the "land"? | 1) food protection; 2) Nutrient recyling; |
| What are 3 areas of concern in the "Life (Biodiversity)"? | 1) Population control; 2) Pest control |
| What three things make up "renewable energy"? | 1) sun; 2) wind; 3) water flows |
| What is a "nonrenewable energy" source? | Fossil fuels |
| What are three sources of energy that can be extracted from "nature"? | 1) Fossil fuels; 2) coal; 3) natural gas |
| What are the steps in "nutrient Cycling"? | 1) Organic matter in animals; 2) Dead organic matter; 3) Decomposition; 4) inorganic matter in soil; 5) Organic matter in plants |
| What are some renewable resources? | 1) Forrest; 2) Grasslands; 3) Fresh air; 4) Fertile Soil |
| How long can it take for natural resources to renew themselves? | Several days to several hundred years |
| Define "Sustainable yield" | Highest rate at which we can use a renewable resource without reducing available supply |
| Define "Economic growth" | increase in output of a nation’s goods and services |
| Define "Gross domestic product (GDP)" | annual market value of all goods and services produced by all businesses, foreign and domestic, operating within a country |
| Define "Per capita GDP" | one measure of economic development |
| Define "Economic development" | using economic growth to raise living standards |
| List 4 "more-developed countries" | 1) North America; 2) Australia; 3) New Zealand; 4) Japan; 5) most of Europe |
| List 3 "less-developed countries" | 1) Africa; 2) Asia; 3) Latin America |
| How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth? | As our ecological footprints grow, we are depleting and degrading more of the earth’s natural capital. |
| What is "Living Unsustainably"? | Environmental degradation-wasting, depleting, and degrading the earth’s natural capital |
| What can be said about 'environmental degradation"? | Happening at an accelerating rate |
| What is another term for "living unsustainably"? | natural capital degradation |
| What are some "natural capital degradation" renewable resources? | 1) climate change; 2) air pollution; 3) soil erosion; 4) shrinking forrest; 5) decreased wildlife habitats; 6) species extinction; 7) aquifer depletion; 8) water pollution; 9) declining ocean fisheries |
| What are some "point" and "nonpoint" source pollutions? | 1)point source pollution- e.g. smockstacks; 2) nonpoint source pollutions-e.g. pesticides blown into the air |
| What are 2 main types of pollutants? | 1) Biodegradable; 2) Nondegradable |
| Define "polution cleanup"? | output pollution control |
| Define "polution prevention"? | input pollution control |
| What are three types of property or resource lights? | 1. private property; 2. common property; 3. open access renewable resources |
| What are some "Tragedy of Commons"? | 1. Common property and open-access renewable resources degraded from overuse; 2. Solutions |
| Define "Ecological footprint" or "Per capita ecological footprint"? | The amount of biologically productive land and water needed to provide the people in a region with indefinite supply of renewable resources, and to absorb and recycle wastes and pollution |
| Define "Unsustainable"? | Footprint is larger than biological capacity for replenishment |
| Define "Case study"? | China’s New Affluent Consumers |
| What are several leading consumer of various foods and goods? | 1. wheat 2. rice 3. meat 4. coal 5. fertilizers. 6. steel 7. cement |
| who is the second largest consumer of oil? | Two-thirds of the most polluted cities are in China |
| What are the next projections for next decade? | Largest consumer and producer of cars |
| Define "Ecological tipping point" | An often irreversible shift in the behavior of a natural system |
| What environmental degradation has time delays between our actions now and the deleterious effects later? | 1. Long-term climate change 2. Over-fishing 3. Species extinction |
| What cultural Changes Have Increased Our Ecological Footprints? | 12,000 years ago: hunters and gatherers |
| What are 3 major cultural events? | 1. Agricultural revolution 2. Industrial-medical revolution 3. Information-globalization revolution. Also a current need for a sustainabilty revolution |
| How does technology increases? | 1. Agricultural revolution 12,500 years ago; 2. Industrial medical revolution 275 years ago; 3. Information Globalization revolution 50 years ago |
| What are some major cause of environmental problems? | 1. Population Growth 2. waistful and unsustainable resource use; 3. poverty; 4. exclusion of environmental costs of resource use from the market prices of goods and services |
| What are four Basic Causes of Environmental Problems? | 1. Population growth; 2. Wasteful and unsustainable resource use; 3. Poverty; 4.Failure to include the harmful environmental costs of goods and services in market prices |
| What are 4 causes of Environmental Problems? | 1. Population growth; 2. Unsustainable resources; 3. Poverty; 4. Excluding environmental costs from market prices |
| What are some harmful effects of poverty? | 1. Adequate sanitation facilities-2.6 billion 38%; 2. Enough fuel foe heating and cooking-2 billion 29%; 3. Electricity-2 billion 29%; 4. Clean drinking water-1.1 billion 16%; 5. Adequate hesalth care-1.1 billion 16%; 6. Adequate housing-1 billion 16%; 7. Enough food for good health-1 billion 15% |
| What are some prices that Do Not Include the Value of Natural Capital? | 1.Companies do not pay the environmental cost of resource use; 2.Goods and services do not include the harmful environmental costs; 3. Companies receive tax breaks and subsidies |
| Define "Environmental ethics"? | what is right and wrong with how we treat the environment |
| Define "Planetary management worldview"? | This means We are separate from and in charge of nature |
| Define "Stewardship worldview"? | This means Manage earth for our benefit with ethical responsibility to be stewards |
| Define "Environmental wisdom worldview"? | This means We are part of nature and must engage in sustainable use |
| What Is an Environmentally Sustainable Society? | Living sustainably means living off the earth’s natural income without depleting or degrading the natural capital that supplies it. |
| Define "Environmentally sustainable society"? | Meets current needs while ensuring that needs of future generations will be met-also Living on natural income of natural capital without diminishing the natural capital |
| What are some individuals Matter? | 1. 5–10% of the population can bring about major social change; 2. We have only 50-100 years to make the change to sustainability before it’s too late; 3. Rely on renewable energy; 4. Protect biodiversity; 5. Reduce waste and pollution |
| What are three big ideas that we can rely on? | 1. We could rely more on renewable energy from the sun, including indirect forms of solar energy such as wind and flowing water, to meet most of our heating and electricity needs; 2. We can protect biodiversity by preventing the degradation of the earth’s species, ecosystems, and natural processes, and by restoring areas we have degraded; 3. We can help to sustain the earth’s natural chemical cycles by reducing our production of wastes and pollution, not overloading natural systems with harmful chemicals, and not removing natural chemicals faster than those chemical cycles can replace them |
| How does "Exponential Growth of Human Population" work? | 1. Hunting and gathering; 2. Agricutural revolution; 3. Industrial revolution |
| What is the total ecological footprint (million hectares) and share of biological capacity? (%) | 1. Unites States- 2,810 (25%); 2. European uion- 2,160 (19%); 3. China- 2,050 (18%); 4. India- 780 (7%); 5. Japan- 540 (5%) |
| What is the per capita ecological footprint? (heactares per person) | 1. United States- 9.7; 2. European uion- 4.7; 3. China- 1.6; 4. India- 0.8; 5. Japan- 4.8 |
| How does the "tipping point" start? | The " ball(tipping point)" starts at the top then after so much weight eventually falls to the bottom |
