Ecological Questions Unit 1 Flashcards
Whose responsibility is it to protect the environment and ensure sustainable practices?
Humans because we are aware of the environmental issues which could possibly destroy us and other organisms
Describe 3 human behaviors that are harmful to the environment
Overhunting- Hunting too many animals, causing their extinction and the extinction of other organisms
Deforestation-Destroying forest in order to build homes, schools and other human facilities
Driving cars-causes high levels of carbon emissions
What are some possible actions a person can take to correct the harmful behaviors mentioned in Prev Q?
Decrease time spent in cars
Recycle
Plant Trees
Properly dispose batteries + oils
How did the the industry affect the physical environment?
The thneed industry caused physical environmental degradation. The water, air, soil, and many other aspects were destroyed by the industry’s pollution
How did the production of thneeds affect the truffula tree, Bar-ba-loots, Humming fish and Swomee Swans?
Truffla trees — went extinct
Bar-ba-loots—- robbed of shelter and food, causing them to migrate (possibly die)
Humming fish- The factory’s gunk and the town’s trash polluted the rivers (like Lake Erie) so they had to migrate (possibly die)
Swomee Swans——Can’t sing because of the factories’s smoke. Had to migrate (possibly die)
Was the method of manufacturing thneeds sustainable? Support your answer with specific ex from the video
No, though truffula trees are a renewable resource, the unclear was using them faster than they could refill. Additionally, he was not planting any new trees. Knowing this, it is no surprise that his business was ruined
What does the footprint measure?
How much earth it takes to die us resources and absorb the waste we create
Describe the benefits of using the ecological footprint for countries, local leaders, and individuals
Countries—— Helps build better environmental policies
Local Leader——- Allocate resources and money better
Individual——-Helps understand your impact on the environment
Explain why a nation’s biocapacity is important
It represents the ability of a area to provide you with resources and absorb your waste
Compare and contrast biocapacity (ecological deficit and biocapacity (ecological reserve
Deficit (your footprint is larger than the biocapacity)
Reserve (your footprint is smaller than the biocapacity)
How does the footprint relate to biodiversity?
High footprint = low biodiversity (b/c their is more competition for resources)
Low footprint = High biodiversity
(b/c their is less competition for resources)
Explain how the ecological footprint could be very low and yet there is no biocapacity remaining?
The biocapacity was low to begin with, so even if you have a low footprint, your supplies will still run out
Describe what sustainability is
Sustainability is the ability of an way of life to continue over a long period of time, without exhausting, resources, damaging the environment, or harming people
Human activities are currently not sustainable. Explain 2 different ways humans are not using resources sustainably
- Using natural resources faster than they can be replenished, like water and forest
- Creating pollutants and other waste faster than the earth can absorb them
Describe 2 ex. of how humans can use resources sustainably
- Fisheries and forest can be managed to sustain healthy populations of trees and fish for the future
- Using renewable energy resources, such as solar cells and wind turbines
Describe 2 examples of why it is currently difficult to use sustainable energy resources
- Renewable energy resources need further technological development to be efficient in every day life
- Additionally, Renewable energy resources only work at certain periods, making them slightly inefficient for every day use
(A lot of batteries are needed) , but new forms of battery technology must be developed for the storage of excess
Explain why biological resources are the most important natural resources for people
Biological resources are the most important natural resources for people b/c it provides us w/ food, shelter, and other supplies that we need to survive
Describe two different uses of mineral resources
- Provide us w/ power, light, and heat
- Can be used as raw materials for finished goods, such as cars and refrigerators
Explain the balance that humans must deal with in the use of resources
Humans must deal w/ balancing their needs and wants for resources and preserving the environment
What does the ecological footprint measure?
- How much earth it takes to give you resources
- How much earth it takes to absorb your waste
Using renewable resources sustainably
Use renewable resources slower than they can replace themselves
Humans right principle (What?)
Everyone has the right to clean land, water, and air
The Precautionary Principle (What?)
If it appears something is disrupting the environment, stop doing it, even if there is no scientific proof
Explain why nature must recycle matter to be sustainable. How can we be like nature
- There is a limited amount of matter so it has to be recycled
- We can recycle like nature
Why nature uses a never ending energy source. How can we copy it?
- Every time you use energy it becomes less useful
- High quality energy can only be used once, thus you need a never ending supply
- Turbines, dams, solar power
What is your overshoot day?
What does it mean?
April 24th.
It means that on April 24th I use up all the resources that the earth can make in a year
How many earths are there?
If everyone lived like you, how many earths would be needed
1 Earth
3.2 Earths
Rank your land type
Which land type is the highest?
Explain why you think this land type is highest for your lifestyle.
- Carbon Footprint
- Cropland
- Forest products
4.Built up land - Grazing Land
- Fishing Grounds
Carbon Footprint
I use a lot of electricity and frequently travel by car
How many pounds of CO2 are released per yr by your lifestyle?
20, 286 pound per year
Rank your consumption category.
Which category is ranked highest?
Explain why you think this category is highest for your lifestyle.
- Shelter
- Food
3.Goods
4.Mobility
Shelter
My house is extremely large so it takes up a lot of resources such as electricity and trees
