Definitions Flashcards
Spaceship Earth
The idea that we all must work harmoniously together as a crew on a ship. What is here is all our supplies.
Ecosystem services
The free benefits humanity gains from ecosystems
- > Support Services : Nutrience recycling, photosynthesis)
- > Provisioning Services: giving life things (water, food raw materials)
- > regulating: biosystems (maintain air, water regulation)
- > Cultural: (spirituality, mental health)
https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blog.nus.edu.sg/dist/8/6679/files/2016/11/Screen-Shot-2016-11-08-at-2.47.13-pm-1768qsq.png
Dynamic Ecosystem
Ecosystems are not stationary, they adapt and shift.
Trophic levels
What level a species is on the food chain
Food Chain/Webs
A network of an ecosystem depicting energy transfer
->who eats what and gains energy that way
Limiting factor principle
A limiting factor is a nutrient or condition that inhibits a population’s exponential growth
-> ex// Nitrogen is a limiting factor in plant growth
Ecological succession
Primary -> a previously unlivable (lava field), lack of soil, ecosystem is transformed into a livable one.
-> Involves the development of new soil
Secondary -> An ecosystem created again after a natural disaster (think forest fire)
-> Already has soil
The second law of thermodynamics
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Only transferred (ex// Food web) or transformed (ex// emission as heat)
Biomes
distinct physical ecosystem, based on common characteristics of its climate
collections of similar ecozones*
Invasive species
an introduced organism that competes with the local/natural ecosystem, causing harm to the local/natural ecosystem,
Shifting Baselines
We do not perceive that there has been a shift of what is considered a healthy ecosystem
-> Fishing: change in perception of what the average fish size should be. Difficult to now get the data of pre-industrial baselines.
Evolution
The gradual change of the frequency of alleles over a long period of time
-> The traits that get carried on are the optimal traits to survive the ecosystem at that time
Keystone species
Species in an ecosystem that carries the survival of the system
- > Disproportional effects based on the population size
- > Otters are keystone creatures, help the large kelp forest
Carrying capacity
The max population an ecosystem can provide based on its resource supply
Ecological Overshoot
The population surpasses its carrying capacity, causing harm to the ecosystem
Planetary boundaries
Determines the consequential limits that humanity can have on the earth, without the planet being permanently hurt
Industrial Revolution
Early to mid-1800s when humanity began the mass production of products and mass consumption of energy
The Great Acceleration
Mid 20th century, the rapid increase of industries lead to the mass/rapid increase of environmental degradation
http://www.igbp.net/globalchange/greatacceleration.4.1b8ae20512db692f2a680001630.html
Demographic transition
Describes population changes due to industrialization
- > from high birth rates to decreasing birth rates (due to female education and access to health care)
https: //pages.uwc.edu/keith.montgomery/Demotrans/demtran.htm
Environmental Kuznet curve
Describes that as economies develop, there is high environmental degradation till it reaches a turning point, where the degradation goes down
pre-industry -> Industry (turning point) -> Service economy
https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/14337/environment/environmental-kuznets-curve/
Eco-economic decoupling
References an economy that can grow (rising GDP) without causing environmental pressure (ex// less GHG emissions)
Environmental justice
Equitable treatment of people in relation to environmental effects and laws
-> ex// more environmentally damaging industries in POC neighbourhoods
Malthusianism
The idea that population grows exponentially, but food supply grows linearly
Sustainable development
Developing countries and cities with the idea of sustainability at the front
-> does this align with the UN’s SDG’s?
Carbon cycle
The cycle carbon goes through in an ecosystem
- > air -> plants ->animals ->decay in the ground (fossil fuels)
- > air -> ocean (causeing acidification)
Greenhouse effect
Gass molecules in the atmosphere that trap heat, making the earth warm
-> short wave ration from the sun is then dispersed throughout the earth becoming longwave radiation. Now there is not enough energy for this heat to escape
Feedback loops
Loops that amplify an effect
- > Positive feedback loop: albino effect, the less snow, less heat is absorbed, the warmer the atmosphere gets
- > Negitive feedback loop: Increase in temperature increase the cloud coverage thereby lowering the ground temperature
Tipping points
A threshold that when met, changed the outcome of the entire system
-> 2-degree increase tipping point
Climate change modelling
series of equations used to measure the possible effects on our climate
IPCC
The UN’s international panel on Climate Change
Carbon sequestration
Transforming carbon in the atmosphere into a solid
- > tech, to mitigate the increase in the atmosphere.
- > ocean acidification and uptake
- > photosynthesis
Ocean acidification
From the intake of CO2 in the atmosphere. More damaging to aquatic ecosystems, especially coral which is sensitive to pH changed. Also warms the water, as energy is released in the transformation from CO2 to carbonic acid.
Coral Bleaching
Due to increasing temperature and stress on coral, the coral loses its symbiotic relationship with the algae and is bleached white from a lack of nutrients.
ITCZ
The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone
- > Near the equator where the north and south trade winds collide
- > big scary storms made here
Ecological resilience
The ability an ecosystem can bounce back after a natural disaster or major disruption
-> recover quickly (SPEED)
Net primary productivity
the rate that energy is stored as biomass (ex// in trees) and made available to the rest of the food chain
Agro-ecology
Bringing ecological theories into agriculture
- > ex// looking at energy loss
- > reslience
Industrial farming
Use of tech to get the maximum productivity of an area (often exceeds it).
Categorized commonly by:
monocrops, lost of biocides, intensive livestock habitat
Green Revolution
Late 1950’s, more people in cities than farms, needed a mass increase in food productivity. Lead to more industrial farming
GMOs
Combining the genes of different species to get a superior crop
Monocultures
Only one type of crop or livestock
- > Farm fields that are not super resilient.
- > Doesn’t follow an ecosystem way of thinking
Salinization
When salts accumulate in the soil, slows the growth of agriculture by limiting the plant’s water supply
bio-resistance
The ability to stay the same despite changes
-> Stays near its equilibrium state
Organic food
Food that has no GMO or biocides used
- > conciders entire food web with a closed-loop system
- > better soil fertility
Locavor
Someone who only eats food that is local and in season
Virtual Water
amount of water need for a “good” or “product”
->like food, are you importing a lot of water from high water foods?
Biofuels
Fuel made from biomass, like plants
->PROBLEM: more land degradation for food that humans won’t even eat? Should be grasses that we dont consume
Food Miles
thinking about how far your food came and the amount of degradation caused by this travel
->often measured by fuel use
Feed conversion ratio
The ratio of feed to livestock, in terms of energy input to energy output
->Lots of energy at first, then a huge loss of energy once it is an animal
Discourse
The shared way of seeing a certain aspect of the world
->ex// how to see to solve env problems
The double burden of malnutrition
The coexistence of obesity and malnourished people in a community
- > There is accumulating evidence that when economic conditions improve, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases may escalate in countries with high levels of undernutrition.
http: //www.fao.org/3/a0442e/a0442e00.pdf
Bycatch
Unintended Fish or other aquatic life caught during fishing
Fishing down the food chain
Fishing the large top trophic level fish first, diminishing their population, then going to fishing all the smaller species away
Bottom trawling
Form of fishing involving a boat dragging a weighted net across the bottom of the ocean floor
->Lots of bycatch, lots of reefs damage
Endocrine disruption
Due to some polluting chemical substances, it can mimic fish hormones leading to the feminization of fish
->DDT decreases sperm in males
Aquaculture
Farmed aquatic life, including fish, clams, plants ect.
Life cycle analysis
An analysis that allows one to determine the environmental effects of a product during all aspects of its life (production -> disposal)
Embodied energy/pollution
The amount of energy that goes into the creation of a substance (a lot of internet talks about building materials and pollution caused by cement)
Carbon footprint
A measure of the amount of GHG emission a person creates based on lifestyle etc
Cradle-to-grave
From conception to destruction, the produces industry should consider all parts of this product
->reducing and recycling leads to greener design
->ithe company’s responsibility for dealing with hazardous waste and product performance
Impact benefit agreements
An agreement that shows that a project will benefit the indigenous community in order to gain support for it
->provide jobs and better economy etc.
Tailings pond
The leftover rocks and liquids from mining, typically stored in a deep hole or damn. If escapes, huge impact on the environment
NIMBYism
“not in my backyard”
- > people may want things for this society to be better, but not in their back yard
- > ex// Landfills, wind turbines
Urban heat island
Inside the city, or urban area is hotter due to poor planning
-> like not enough nature or efficient building design
Soil remediation
the removal of toxins from the soil after the closure of an industry ect
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
->green building certification
Sustainable
Development
Goals (SDGs)
The blueprint goals to achieve a just green civilization
E-waste
refers to the large amount of waste from electronic devices being disposed of
->toxins that leech into the environment and cause a ton of harm
