Chapter 1

Question 1

Environment:

Answer 1

The biological and physical surroundings in which any given living organism lives

Question 2

Environmental Science:

Answer 2

Interdisciplinary field of research that draws on natural and social sciences and humanities to understand natural world and our relationship to it

Question 3

Examples of applied science:

Answer 3

ecology, geology, chemistry, engineering (also environmental science)

Question 4

Empirical science:

Answer 4

investigates natural world thru systematic observation and experimentation (environmental science)

Question 5

applied science:

Answer 5

Research whose findings used to solve practical problems.

Question 6

environmental literacy

Answer 6

basic understanding how ecosystems function and impact of our choices on environment

Question 7

Wicked problems:

Answer 7

response to any environmental problem involves trade offs. No one response will be ultimate solution

Question 8

Triple bottom line

Answer 8

combination of environmental, social, and economic impacts of our choices

Question 9

Trade offs

Answer 9

imperfect and sometimes problematic responses to complex problems

Question 10

Sustainable development

Answer 10

development that meets current needs w/o compromising ability of future generations to do same

Question 11

carrying capacity

Answer 11

population size that area can support indefinitely

Question 12

ecocide

Answer 12

willful destruction of the natural environment

Question 13

ecological footprint

Answer 13

land needed to provide resources and assimilate waste produced by a person or population

Question 14

anthropogenic

Answer 14

caused by or related to human action

Question 15

sustainable

Answer 15

method of using resources in a way that we can use them indefinitely

Question 16

renewable energy

Answer 16

energy that comes from infinitely available or easily replenished source

Question 17

biodiversity

Answer 17

the variety of species on Earth

Question 18

natural ecosystems

Answer 18

live within their means. Each organism contributes to ecosystem’s overall function.

Question 19

4 characteristics of sustainable ecosystem

Answer 19

renewable energy
use matter conservatively and sustainably (reuse, recycle)
population control
depend on local biodiversity

Question 20

nonrenewable resources

Answer 20

supply is finite or not replenished in timely fashion

Question 21

social traps

Answer 21

decisions that seem good at time, produce short term benefit, but hurt society in long term

Question 22

tragedy of the commons

Answer 22

tendency to abuse commonly held resources to maximize own personal interest

Question 23

time delay

Answer 23

actions that produce benefit today set into motion events that cause problems later

Question 24

sliding reinforcer

Answer 24

actions that are beneficial at first, change conditions such that their benefit declines over time

Question 25

worldview

Answer 25

the window thru which we view our world and existance

Question 26

environmental ethic

Answer 26

personal philosophy that influences how person interacts with natural environment and thus affects how we respond to environmental problems

Question 27

anthropocentric worldview

Answer 27

assigns intrinsic value only to humans

Question 28

instrumental value

Answer 28

value or worth based on usefulness to humans

Question 29

biocentric worldview

Answer 29

all life having intrinsic value, regardless of usefulness to humans

Question 30

intrinsic value

Answer 30

value or worth based on mere existence

Question 31

ecocentric worldview

Answer 31

values intact ecosystems, not just individual parts