Chapter 1 Qs Flashcards
What factors determine the distribution of species?
The living and non-living environment- environmental tolerances/preferences of temp, precipitation, food sources, climate, terrain, other organisms, etc
Why is environmental science best described as an interdisciplinary science?
Environmental science can include biology, chemistry, and geology as well as political science and law.
What three natural factors have played the key roles in the long-term sustainability of life on this planet?
Solar energy
Biodiversity
Chemical cycling
How long has life existed on our planet? How long have humans been around?
3.8 Billion years of life on Earth but only 200,000 for modern humans.
What are examples of: renewable, inexhaustible, and non-renewable natural resources?
R: Air, water, topsoil, plants, animals, trees, freshwater
I: E from sun and wind
N: Copper, oil, coal, salt, sand
What are some examples of ecosystem services?
Forests help purify air and water, regulate climate, reduce soil erosion, and provide a home for many species. Also pollination, renewal of topsoil, beauty and recreation for humans.
Why do our lives depend on natural capital? Be able to discuss the importance of natural resources and ecosystem services for supporting human health/well-being, economic systems, etc.
We depend on E from the sun, natural resources, and natural services
What factors have led to the demise of earlier human societies (e.g., Mayans, Mesopotamians, etc.)? Could the current human population meet the same fate? What needs to be done to avoid this outcome?
Deforestation, farming that stressed available land and water resources and led to more land needing to be used for farming, etc- we need to learn to be more sustainable: especially managing soils to make sure we don’t meet the same fate
How does human activity degrade natural capital?
Humans use normally renewable resources faster than nature can restore them and by overloading air and water systems with pollution and wastes quicker than they can renew themselves. (Replacing forests with farms, urban development, mining, timber cutting, overfishing)
How does affluence influence environmental degradation in more developed vs. less developed countries?
MDCs: 17% of the world pop, but they use 70% of all natural resources
LDCs: 83% of world pop, but use 30% of all natural resources
(Affluence leads to unsustainable resource use because of increase in consumption, but can also lower it because of increased education, higher envi safety standards, new energy technology, etc)
If we are living beyond the earth’s renewable biological capacity, why do you think the human population and per capita resource consumption are still growing rapidly?
because we haven’t reached the point where we’re actually running out yet, but we are quickly heading to that point
What changes in human societies have led to environmental degradation?
Agricultural revolution
Industrial-medical revolution- contributed to pop growth and higher consumption due to technology and increasing pop
Information-globalization revolution- phone, radio, tv, computer- rapid access to info and therefore more efficient extraction of natural resources
What are the five main causes of environmental problems?
Pop growth
Unsustainable resource use
Poverty
Excluding envi costs from market prices (unsustainable goods are more easily accessible- wouldn’t be if the price was higher)
Increasing isolation from nature (50% of all people live in cities- people are unaware of effects of wastes and pollutants)
How can we slow human population growth?
Education, increased access to birth control, promotion of family planning, better treatment of women
How can we become an environmentally sustainable society?
Social change that leads to better practices Full-cost pricing Win-win solutions (people + environment) Learn from nature Protect natural capital Don’t waste Reduce, reuse, + recycle
