chapter 1 Flashcards
environmental science
the systematic study of our environment and our place in it.
throughput
the amount of resources we use and dispose of.
ecosystem services
services or resources provided by environmental systems.
sustainability
is the search for ecological stability and human progress that can last over the long term.
sustainable development
is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.
science
the process for producing knowledge based on observations.
deductive reasoning
is drawing a conclusion from a set of given facts using the laws of logic.
inductive reasoning
is reasoning from experience, sense perceptions, and observations to form a conclusion.
scientific method
is the process by which scientists, collectively and over time, endeavor to construct an accurate (that is, reliable, consistent and non-arbitrary) representation of the world.
probability
the measure of how likely something is to occur.
observational experiment
is one in which you observe natural events and interpret a casual relationship between the variables.
manipulative experiment
is one in which conditions are deliberately altered and all other variables are held constant.
dependent variable
is the variable being tested in a scientific experiment.
independent or explanatory variable
is the variable that is change in a scientific experiment.
scientific consensus
ideas and information are exchanged, debated, tested, and retested to arrive at a (blank).
paradigm shifts
new discoveries or breakthroughs can result in major shifts to scientific consensus known as (blank).
critical thinking
is the logical, orderly, analytical assessment of ideas, evidence, and arguments.
utilitarian conservation
idea that forests should be saved not because they are beautiful or because they shelter wild creatures of the wilderness, but only to provide homes and jobs for the people. resources should be used for the greatest good, for the greatest number, for the longest time. key players: george perkins marsh, theodore roosevelt, gifford pinchot.
preservation
idea that emphasizes the fundamental right of other organisms, and nature as a whole, to exist and pursue its own interests. key players: john muir, aldo leopold, stephen mather.
modern environmentalism
idea that concerns extended to include both natural resources and environmental pollution. key players: rachel carson, david brower, edward abbey, barry commoner.
