Chapter 1 Flashcards
Environment
all living and nonliving things around us, including continents, oceans, clouds, ice caps, animals, plants, landscapes
Environmental science
study of how the natural world works and relationships between humans and the environment
Natural resources
substances and energy sources humans take from the environment/rely on
Renewable natural resources
resources replenished over short periods (e.g. Sunlight, wind, waves are inexhaustible; timber, water, animal populations, fertile soil take more time and are exhaustible)
Nonrenewable natural resources
formed more slowly than used
Ecosystem services
services of natural systems (e.g. air/water purification, cycling of nutrients, climate regulation, pollination, waste recycling)
Agricultural revolution
people began growing crops/domesticating animals
Industrial revolution
shift toward fossil fuels
Ecological footprint
cumulative area of land/water needed to provide resources/waste disposal for a person, which increased with industrialization
Overshoot
surpassing Earth’s capacity to support our population - humans use renewable resources 68% faster than they are replenished
Natural capital
Earth’s store of resources and ecosystem services - should be relying on interest, not principal
Interdisciplinary
environmental science relies on techniques of multiple fields, including natural studies and social sciences
Science
systematic process for learning about the world/testing knowledge
Descriptive science
researching new organisms, materials, systems
Hypothesis-driven science
testing hypotheses with the scientific method
Scientific method
scientist observes a phenomenon, a question arises, a hypothesis attempts to answer it by making predictions and testing with an experiment (using an independent and dependent variable)
Controlled experiment
only the independent variable changes (treatment) and is compared with the control
Quantitative data
data expressed in numbers to compare values
Manipulative experiment
researcher chooses and manipulates independent variables (not always possible)
Natural experiment
search for correlation between naturally occurring phenomena
Line graph
shows trends over time (may use multiple lines)
Bar graph
compares single measurements between groups
Scatter plot
reveals correlations
Pie chart
shows percentage breakdowns
Peer review
editor/scientists comment/criticize research and judge publication
Theory
widely accepted explanation of cause/effect relationships that have been validated by testing (e.g. Evolution, cell theory, atomic theory, plate tectonics)
Paradigm
dominant view
Ethics
studies good/bad, right/wrong
Ethical standards
criteria to make distinctions in ethics
Categorical imperative
treat others as you would like to be treated
Principle of utility
something is right when it practically benefits most people
Relativist
ethics vary with social context
Universalist
ethics are consistent everywhere
Environmental ethics
application of ethics to human relationships with nonhuman entities (e.g. Must this generation conserve, may some communities be more polluted, may humans drive other species to extinction)
Anthropocentrism
evaluates costs/benefits only on their impact on people
Biocentrism
values human and nonhuman life
Ecocentrism
judges actions based on effect on ecosystems, including humans and nonhuman entities
Preservation ethic
John Muir proposed the environment should be protected pristinely
Conservation ethic
Gifford Pinochet proposed people should responsibly use natural resources
Environmental justice
fair/equitable treatment of people with respect to environmental policy, regardless of income/race/ethnicity (poor people are exposed to more hazards)
Sustainability
living within the planet’s means, conserving resources for descendants, maintaining fully functional ecological systems
Solutions
replacement energy sources to fossil fuels, soil conservation/better irrigation/organic agriculture, increased efficiency of technology, laws to reduce pollution, identifying endangered habitats/species, better waste management
Campus sustainability
help colleges/universities reduce ecological footprints
Environmental literacy
most students don’t take environmental science, so lack knowledge
