5.1-5.4 Flashcards
Tragedy of the Commons
Individuals will use shared/public resources in their own self-interest, degrading them
The Green Revolution
New varieties of crops, increasing food supply and carrying capacity. Use of mechanization, GMOs, pesticides, etc.
Mechanization
Increased use of tractors for plowing and tilling fields. Emits GHGs and compacts soil
HYV Crops
High-Yield Variety. GMO crops produce a higher yield. Cross-pollinating different species with ideal traits.
Synthetic fertilizer
Increases yield and profits by giving the plants more key nutrients. Requires fossil fuels for production and can cause eutrophication in water.
Irrigation
Drawing water from the ground for the fields. It can deplete groundwater sources, and overwatering can drown roots.
Pesticides
Kills weeds, insects, rodents, and other potential pests. Can wash off into runoff and harm non-target species
Monocropping
Growing a single species. Greatly decreases biodiversity and increases soil erosion.
Tilling
Mixing & breaking up soil to make planting easy. Increases erosion due to loss of topsoil. Also allows for increased particulate matter in air.
Slash & Burn
Cutting down vegetation and burning it to clear land for ag. and returning nutrients to the soil. Loss of habitat, biodiv, CO2 storage, air filtration. Releases GHGs.
Maximum sustainable yield
The max amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource.
GPI
Genuine progress indicator. A measure of economic status that includes personal consumption, income distribution, levels of higher ed, resource depletion, pollution, and health of population
Technology Transfer, Leapfrogging, Natural Capital, Human Capital, Manufactured Capital
Less developed countries adopting, less developed countries using new tech w/o precursors, resources of planet, human knowledge, all goods and infra. humans produce
Rangeland
Dry open grassland for grazing cattle
Prescribed burn
A fire set under controlled conditions to reduce accumulation of dead biomass on forest floor
Exurb
Similar to suburb, but unconnected to any central city
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Mandates an environmental assessment of all projects using federal money or permits
National wildlife refuge
A federal public land managed for the primary purpose of protecting wildlife
Urban sprawl
Urbanized areas that spread into rural areas, removing clear boundaries between the two
Urban blight
The degradation of the build and social environments of the city that often accompany and accelerate migration to the suburbs.
Highway Trust Fund
A US federal fund that pays for construction and maintenance of roads/highways
Smart growth
A set of principles for community planning that focuses on strategies to encourage the development of sustainable, healthy communities
Transit-oriented development (TOD)
Attempts to focus dense residential and retail development around stops for public transport.
Salinization
Form of soil degradation that occurs when small amount of salts in irrigation water become highly concentrated on soil surface.
Energy subsidy
The fossil fuel energy and human energy input per calorie of food produced
