Envi 101 final Flashcards
Municipal waste
waste from your household
What percent of municipal waste goes to landfills?
50% ish
most to least preferred methods of reducing waste
- source reduction and reuse
- recycling/composting
- energy recovery
- treatment and disposal
features of a sanitary landfill
- landfill, compact waste, cover with dirt (decrease odors, prevents litter from blowing away, prevents animals from scavenging)
- impermeable clay or plastic to keep waste and runoff contained
- drainage system that catches any harmful runoff before it affects the groundwater
incinerators
- separate hazardous waste
- burn waste
- residual ash is sent to landfill
- reduces the quantity of waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills
- heat derived incineration can be used to produce energy
reprocessing discarded materials into new, useful products
recycling
type of recycling that converts organic waste to soil-enriching organic fertilizer
composting
hazardous waste
any discarded material, liquid or solid that contains substances known to be:
1. fatal to humans or laboratory animals in low doses
2. toxic, carcinogenic, or causing birth defects in humans or other life forms,
3. ignitable with a flash point less than 60˚C
4. Corrosive
5. Highly explosive or highly reactive (undergoes violent chemical reactions either by itself or when mixed with other materials)
RCRA
- resource conservation and recovery act
- requires testing and management of toxic and hazardous substances in companies
- from cradle to grave
- cant dump your hazardous waste wherever you want
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
act that addressed where waste had already been dumped and helped fund emergency clean-up
- allowed EPA to bring suits to companies responsible
- identifies superfund sites
Superfund sites
pot of money available to initiate an immediate clean-up of a determined hazardous area
Phytoremediation
using plants to clean up waste
examples of phytoremediation
- sunflowers help with cleaning up radioactive waste
- bracken ferns can absorb arsenic in the soil
- trees that can extract mercury from the soil and convert it to a less harmful form
What percentage of the world’s population lives in cities?
56% (4.4 billion)
What are cities defined based on?
function of the area
rural areas
- lots of farms
- agriculture is a major industry
- harvesting of other natural resources
urban areas
people working in manufacturing, commerce, governments
Why are cities growing in size?
natural increase, increased immigration
natural increase
- access to medical care and better medicine
- better sanitation
increased immigration
more people are leaving rural areas and moving to cities
- push factors
- pull factors
examples of pull factors
- persecution
- political issues
- war
- climate change/drought/environmental issues
- cost of living
examples of pull factors
- job opportunities
- access to social services, education, medical care
- convenience (proximity to amenities), transportation options
Problems with urban growth
- air pollution
- wastewater treatment
- water shortages
- rising sea levels
- informal settlements
urban sprawl
the unlimited outwards extension of city boundaries that lowers population density, consumes open space, generates freeway congestion, and causes decay in central cities
Characteristics of urban sprawls
- unlimited outward extension
- low-density residential and commercial development
- leapfrog development that consumes farmland and natural areas
- fragmentation of power among many small units of government
- dominance of freeways and private automobiles
- no centralized planning or control of land uses
- widespread strip malls and “big box” shopping centers
- great fiscal disparities among localities
- reliance on deteriorating older neighborhoods for low-income housing
- decaying city centers as new as development occurs in previously rural areas
environmental problems with more cars
- take up a lot of space (parking lots, roadways, highways
- pollution
- accidents
- cost
smart growth
strategies for well planned developments that make efficient and effective use of land resources and existing infrastructure
- creating mixed use places
smart growth charactersitics
- mix land uses
- take advantage of compact building design
- create a range of housing opportunities and choices
- create walkable neighborhoods
- foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
- preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas
- strengthen and direct development towards existing communities
- provide a variety of transportation choices
- cluster development
- conservation development
- open-space zoning
conservation development
trying to change zoning to preserve at least 50% of the area
conservation development
A social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services to satisfy people’s needs and wants
economics
Economics are determined by
supply, demand, and price
any form of wealth
capital
natural resources or ecosystem services that help support life (does not come in a monetary form)
natural capital
the physical and mental talents of people who provide labor, create innovations, manage, organize, etc
human capital
relationships with other people, overall connections
social capital
buildings, roads, tools, materials, etc
built/manufactured capital
view the earth’s natural capital as a part of the human economic system - the potential for economic growth is unlimited - and we can find substitutes for any resource or ecological service that is depleted or degraded
neoclassical economics
there are no substitutes for many natural resources - including clean water, clean air, fertile soil, biodiversity, and they provide important ecological services
ecological economics
a value placed on something just because it exists
existence value
a value placed on a forest or species due to its beauty
aesthetic value
benefits and drawbacks of calculating ecosystem services and nonuse values in monetary values?
- numbers and money are more understandable
- “money talks”
- putting a number to something can diminish its value, lead to exploitation, or profit
comparing estimated costs and benefits of actions such as implementing pollution control regulations, building a dam, preserving a forest, etc
cost-benefit analysis
what is price?
all the raw materials, labor, shipping, and the markup for the dealer associated with the production of a good
external/hidden costs
things that are not included in the price but would be considered costs of making the car
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
- the annual market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations, foreign and domestic, operating within the country
GPI
Genuine Progress Indicator
- beneficial transactions and harmful environmental
effects
- environmental indicators
Environmental Performance Index
Evaluated progress toward environmental and ecological health and overall sustainability goals
the laws and regulations enacted and enforced by the government
policies
the process by which individuals and groups try to influence or control the policies and actions of government at the local, state, national, and international levels
politics
- problem recognition
- research
- policy formulation
- budgeting
- policy implementation
- monitoring
- policy adjustment
- evaluation
repeat
policy lifecycle
legislative branch
- house of reps and senate
- introduces bills
executive branch
president, vice president, president’s cabinet
judicial branch
supreme courts and lower federal courts
laws are passes by the ______ branch
legislative
regulations are instituted by the ________ branch to put these laws and programs into effect
executive
funding is approved by ________ and the _________ to finance these programs to implement and enforce
congress and the president
hiring people to go to the capitol and frequently talk to officials
lobbying
the right to take part in legal proceedings (valid interest in the case)
Standing
the president makes a rule and bypasses congress to pass it
executive order
the (lack of) power with executive orders
things can get done fast, however, can be reversed just as quickly with a change in administration
- fall under the executive branch
- political appointees (change with change of president)
- must follow the rules when writing rules
- regulatory capture
regulatory agencies
- head of the EPA
- air quality specialist
Michael Regan
head of DOI
Deb Haaland
- USDA
- previously served under Obama
- involved in the dairy industry
Tom Vilsack
Earth day
April 22, 1970
- protest against pollution of the environment
- started on college campuses
- largest demonstration in American history
1970
Clean Air Act
- national air quality standards
1972
Clean Water Act
- limited emissions of raw sewage and other pollutants from surface waters
1974
Safe Drinking Water Act
- EPA sets and monitors national quaanity standards
1980
CERCLA
- establishes superfund for emergency response, spill prevention, and site remediation for toxic wastes
- established liability for clean up costs
NEPA
- oversees actions by federal agencies (USDA, US Forest Service, Department of Transportation, etc) and requires agencies to complete and EIS before any development project or action
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- environmental impacts (positive or negative) of whatever action they are planning on doing
- overall need and purpose of the project
- detailed and time-consuming
- forces agencies to consider the environmental impacts of their actions
- makes information public and available for people to read and give feedback on
forces agencies to have to go through a process with the idea that the process may revise actions while keeping them held accountable, and involving the public
Procedural law
International Policy
- united nation (leader in international policy efforts)
- UN Environment Programme (UNEP) (Paris agreement, COP28)
- benefits: global problems can be addressed as a globe, need all hands on deck approach
- downfalls: not legally binding, relies on the idea that each country will do its part
- Usually non profit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
environmental groups
Environmental NGOs
8 million citizens belong to more than 30,000 NGOs
- World Wildlife Fund
- the sierra club
- National Wildlife Federation
- Audobon society
- Green Peace
- Friends of the Earth
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- improve understanding of environmental studies
- encourage students to pursue careers related to the environment
National Environmental Education Act (1990)
citizen is fluent in principles of ecology to better understand the language of environmental wisdom
- establish a stewardship ethic
Environmental literacy
in order to appreciate and protect nature we need to _________ the environment
learn about
learning about the environment is one thing, _____________ are another
understanding and caring
kids are not getting intimate contact with nature, time outside, immersion (leads to anxiety, depression, etc)
Nature-deficit disorder
research conducted with and by participation of the general public
citizen science
benefits of citizen science
- gives the opportunity for lots of people to collect data
- help with building trust
drawbacks of citizen science
- issues with accuracy and precision of data collection
buying things we dont want or need just to impress others
Conspicuous consumerism
drive to possess “stuff”
affluenza
amount of CO2 generated by an individual, and organization, country or other entity
carbon footprint
Ways to reduce your carbon footprint
- purchase less
- reduce excess packaging
- avoid disposable item
- conserve energy and water
- vote
Tragedy of the Commons
people are motivated by self-interest, without government regulation and property rights, resources will be overused and the environment will be destroyed
Managing the Commons
community, communication, and cooperation
Science
- a way of knowing
- discovering how nature works
- the systematic examination of the structure and functioning of the natural world, including both its physical and biological attributes
The scientific method
- Observe phenomena
- identify question
- form testable hypothesis
- collect data to test hypothesis
- interpret results
- report for peer review
- publish findings
hypothesis
testable explanation for an observation
Reliable science
- is it peer-reviewed?
- do the majority of scholars agree?
- is there a scientific consensus?
- are the methods used to produce results well documented?
- peer review process
peer review process
as a scientist, share what you did for your study (methods, steps, findings), your peers review the materials and either approve or disapprove of the steps and methods used and how well they were done, publish or revise your work
matter
anything that has mass and takes up space
element
any substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by chemical reactions
atomic number
the total number of protons in an atom
mass number
total number of protons and neutrons in nucleus
average atomic mass
average weight of atoms of an element
energy
the ability to do work
Environmental Science
the study of the natural and built world
interspecific competition
competition between species trying to use a similar resource
intra specific competition
competition within a species
preservationist
John Muir
- advocated for the preservation of wilderness
- established national parks
- first president of the Sierra Club
conservationists
Gifford Pinchot:
- first chief of the US Forest Service
Teddy Roosevelt
sustainable development
meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Trophic Structure
- Primary producers/autotrophs
- primary consumers /herbivores
- secondary consumers/carnivores
- tertiary consumers/top carnivores
others: scavengers, detritivores, decomposers, earthworms, bugs, vultures, bacteria, fungi
primary producers
- receive energy from the sun
- photosynthesizers (plants)
primary consumers/herbivores
- receive chemical energy from primary consumers
- rabbits, caterpillars, cows, sheep, and deer
secondary consumers/carnivores
- bears, birds, wolves, fish
tertiary consumers/top carnivores
- sea turtles, sea lions, hawks, and foxes
Omnivores
bears, birds, dogs, raccoons, foxes, humans
Evolution
the process through which life forms change genetically over time
allele
a form of a gene
genotype
genetic code
phenotype
physical characteristics
sources of genetic variation
- mutations
- sexual reproduction
natural selection
when environmental conditions in a particular area can favor certain traits or characteristics
Primary productivity
rate of biomass production through photosynthesis
species richness
the number of different species
species evenness
comparative abundance
What are examples of high areas of primary productivity?
swamps, marshes, tropical rainforests, and estuaries
What are examples of low areas of primary productivity?
tundra, desert scrub, extreme desert, and open ocean
Ecological succession
gradual change in species composition
primary succession
occurs in an area where no biotic community previously existed (lava field, newly exposed rock)
pioneer species
lichens, mosse
break down rock and start soil formation process
secondary succession
occurs at a location that was previously occupied by a community they then underwent a disturbance
- fire occurred, process restarts with same soil
population
group of individuals of the same species in a specific time and place
carrying capacity
the maximum number of individuals that an environment can hold/support
density-dependent factors
factors that affect population numbers due to population density
density-independent factors
factors that affect population numbers despite population density
examples of density-independent factors
- destruction of habitat
- change in temperature
- spraying pesticides
examples of density-dependent factors
- competition for food, water, space
- diseases
- predation
genetic drift
gradual changes in gene frequencies due to random events
bottleneck
drastic reduction in population size
Environmental Health
external factors that cause disease including elements of the natural, social, cultural, and technological worlds in which we live
disease
abnormal change in the body’s condition that impairs important physical or psychological function
zoonotic diseases
diseases that are common in other types of animals that jump to humans
emergent diseases
newly recognized within a population, or known before but are rapidly increasing in infected numbers or geographic
CAFOs
concentrated animal feeding operations
environmental toxicology
the study of toxic substances and their effects - particularly on living organisms and how they interact and are transformed as they move through populations and ecosystems
bioaccumulation
increased concentration of contaminants in the tissues of a specific organism
biomagnification
concentration of contaminant increases in organisms that are higher up on the food chain
trends in global population
- population size is increasing exponentially
- population growth rate is decreasing
reasons for decreasing birth rate
- access to contraceptives
- societal changes
- access to education
- increase in the cost of living and raising children
Demographic transition hypothesis
countries will go through a demographic transition when they become more industrialized, further develop their economy, and per capita income starts to rise
stage 1: pre-modern (birth and death rates high)
stage 2: urbanizing/ industrializing (death rate falls, more access to healthcare, nutrition, sanitation etc)
stage 3: mature/ industrial (birth and death rates fall)
stage 4: post-industrial (population levels out as birth and death rates even out
age structure
the numbers or percentages of males and females in young, middle, and older age groups in that population
chronic undernutrition or hunger
people who cannot grow or buy enough food to meet their basic energy needs, which threaten their ability to live healthy and productive lives
malnourishment
national imbalance caused by a lack of specific dietary components or an inability to utilize essential nutrients
macronutrients
large groups of nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber)
micronutrients
key vitamins and minerals
examples of micronutrients
- vitamin A
- Zinc
- Iron
- Iodine
famine
large scale food shortages accompanied by widespread starvation and even death
food security
ability to obtain sufficient and nutritious food on a day to day basis
food desert
geographic areas that lack access to nutritious food
food swamps
geographic areas that have an overabundance of unhealthy food
problems when lacking micronutrients
- deteriorating vision
- immune susceptibility
- lack of blood oxygen
- major health problems
problems with CAFOs
- major emitter of methane
- density-dependent disease spread
- antibiotic resistance
Aquaculture
farming of fish
farm subsidies
government payments or other types of support intended to help farmers stay in business
soil
complex mixture of rock pieces, particles, mineral nutrients, decaying organic matter, water, air, and living organisms that support plant and animal life
loam
most suited mixture for plant growth (40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay)
soil layers
O (organic matter), A (topsoil), B (subsoil), (C) parent material, (R) bedrock
cross breeding
sex between two tomatoes, no manipulation of genes, longest
Transgenesis
surrogacy
gene editing
computer engineering
alternatives to synthetic pesticides
- biological controls (natural predators, parasites, disease-causing bacteria and viruses)
genetic diversity
helps in building resilience in a population against cases such as natural disasters or disease
species diversity
richness and evenness
ecological diversity
the richness and complexity of ecosystems
more ecological diversity = more species diversity
species richness
how many different species
species evenness
relative abundance of individuals within each species
Endangered Species Act (1973)
- works to protect species that are considered endangered
- prohibits the import, export, or taking (killing, trapping, harming, harassing, etc) of a species
wildland-urban interface
a transition zone in which scattered housing and buildings encroach on forests or undeveloped
national forest system
managed by the US forest service - used for logging, livestock grazing, farming, oil/gas extraction, recreation, conservation
bureau of land management
manages a variety of large tracts of land for mining, oil/gas extraction, and livestock grazing
national park system
managed by the national park service - can camp, hike, fish, boat
national wildlife refuge system
managed by US Fish and Wildlife Services - meant to conserve fish, wildlife, and plants. Minimal recreation activities allowed (birding, photography, fishing, and hunting
