Chapter 1 Flashcards
-what constitutes the environment? -What fields of study collaborate under the umbrella of environmental science -etc
What is the Environment?
Environment is the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates; the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area, especially as effected by human activity
Environmental science is defined as..
an interdisciplinary field of research that investigates the natural world and humanity’s relationship to it
Lithosphere
realm of rock; studied in geology (study of rock and physical processes involving rock, e.g. minerals, fossil fuels, volcanism, plate tectonics); Earth science
Hydrosphere
realm of water; studied in hydrology (study of water movement and storage, quantity and quality) links to limnology (study of fresh water ecosystems); Geography
Atmosphere
realm of air studied in atmospheric science (including climatology, meteorology, air quality); Geography
Biosphere
realm of life studied in biology; ecology
What two (general) factors led to demise of the Greenland Vikings?
Both natural events and human choices
Jared diamond’s five factors that led to Vikings demise?
- Natural Climate change (mini ice age)
- Self-inflicted environmental damage (overgrazing, over-harvesting, turf use)
- Failure to respond to the natural environment (didn’t fish)
- Hostile neighbours (refused Inuits help)
- Loss of friendly neighbours (European supplies stopped)
What lessons can be learned from the Greenland vikings failure?
To survive, human societies must learn how to interact with their environment in a sustainable way
What is Environmental Literacy?
The ability to understand, and clearly articulate, environmental problems
Carrying Capacity (definition)(people per hectare?)
-The maximum population size that an area can support indefinitely (100 people per hectare)
Ecological footprint (definition)
Area of land needed to provide resources for, and assimilate waste of, a population (e.g. 1 hectare per 100 people)
Three pillars of sustainability
- Environmental impacts
- Social impacts
- Economic impacts
‘Wicked Problems’
- Complex problems to understand-causes delays
- multiple causes-some natural some anthropogenic
- different stakeholders want different solutions-winners & losers
Anthropogenic (definition)
Caused by or related to human action
Three main underlying causes of environmental problems?
- Human population size
- Unsustainable resource use
- Pollution
Nonrenewable resources
Resources in finite supply or not replenished very quickly
Renewable resources
Resources that are infinitely available or easily/quickly replenished
Sustainable resource use
Using resources in a way that we can use them indefinitely
Social Traps (definiton)
Decisions that produce short-term benefits, but hurt society in the long run
Where does energy come from?
All of our energy comes from the sun, except for geothermal and nuclear energy.
Energy from the sun includes:
- Direct solar energy
- Anything driven by differential heating of Earth’s surface by the sun (movement of wind and water)
- Photosynthesis, which converts light and carbon dioxide into carbon-based materials, and makes development of fossil fuels possible
What are Fossil Fuels?
Carbon based materials (ancient life), deposited hundreds of millions of years ago, can become ‘fossil’ fuels: coal, natural gas, oil
Benefits of fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels are immensely efficient sources energy, due to their concentration and abundance of carbon-carbon bonds.
What type of carbons are fossil fuels?
Hydrocarbons
What is the result of combustion of hydrocarbons? (technical)
- Produces an exothermic chemical reaction
- Produces water vapour, carbon dioxide and heat
Advantages of coal?
- cheap
- easy to convert to energy
- easily available
Formation of coal?
- ancient swamps (with biomass) become buried over millions of years
- sediment builds up and compresses the highly organic soil (peat).
- Over millions of years pressure builds and converts peat into lignite, a soft coal, and eventually into harder versions of coal (bitumen)
Formation of coal?
- ancient swamps (with biomass) become buried over millions of years
- sediment builds up and compresses the highly organic soil (peat).
- Over millions of years pressure builds and converts peat into lignite, a soft coal, and eventually into harder versions of coal (bituminous, anthracite)
What is peat?
a brown, soil-like material characteristic of boggy, acid ground, consisting of partly decomposed vegetable matter. It is widely cut and dried for use in gardening and as fuel.
Disadvantages of coal?
- Finite resource
- damaging to environment due to C02 production
- Huge external costs
Who pays the external costs of coal?
Individuals or governments with tax dollars
Burning coal releases?
- C02, CH4, and other greenhouse gases
- acid rain
- mercury
- radioactive materials
- soot
- fly ash
2 Reasons our crude oil consumption cannot last?
- There is a limited amount of fossil fuel; after just100 years of oil extraction, peak oil is nearly passed
- Extracting, processing, and burning the remaining oil will cause excessive environmental damage (i.e., climate change)
Reserves are
the amount of crude oil, natural gas, or other
deposits that is economically feasible to extract.
How can we increase energy security and reduce our dependance on fossil fuels? (5 points)
- Importing energy from multiple sources
- Reducing energy usage overall
- Exploiting local energy sources
- Developing alternative energy sources
- The petrochemical industry has spent decades developing products from hydrocarbon molecules in crude oil/ WE CAN Developing products usually made from petrochemicals using alternative raw materials
Jared Diamonds five factors of success/failure (in society)
1. Natural climate change 2, Failure to properly respond to environmental changes 3. Self-inflicted environmental damage 4. Hostile Neighbours 5. Loss of friendly neighbours
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry involves using nature a model, mentor, and measure for out systems- using it as an example of how to design our own systems.
An example of the Tragedy of the Commons?
Everyone using fossil fuels because it is the best and most efficient way to produce energy- resulting in climate change that will drastically and negatively affect everyone.
An example of Time Delay?
Mass fishing, it benefits us now because it allows us to live abundantly but will result in a damaged future ecosystem with not enough fish to feed us.
An example of Sliding Reinforcer
Using chemicals in our farming and pastures to kill insects ultimately changing the ecosystem and creating resistant insects and potentially creating stronger pesticides that can harm us or our food.
What is the difference between an anthropocentric worldview and a biocentric worldview?
An anthropocentric worldview puts all value on human lives and treats all other animals and living beings as merely having instrumental value- to be used for humans benefit. Whereas a biocentric worldview holds all life at an equal value- every organism has intrinsic value that does not depend on their usefulness to any other being.
