Enviro Problems Flashcards
Exponential growth
Quantity increases at a constant rate per a unit of time. Example 2% a year
Environment
Is everything that affects a living organism
Environmental science
study that uses physical sciences and social sciences to learn how the earth works. How to deal with environmental problems.
Environmentalism
Social movement dedicated to protecting the earth’s life support system
Solar energy (solar capital)
Includes direct sunlight & indirect forms or renewable solar energy (wind power, hydropower, biomass)
Natural resources (natural capital)
Resources and ecological services that sustain earths life and economies
Carrying capacity vs cultural carrying capacity
The max number of organisms that can be maintained in a area without degrading the environment. Used to manage wild species such as deer/ salmon and also max # of humans that can live in a area.
Cultural carrying capacity is used if people have cultural amenities such as luxuries & technology that raise their levels beyond basic levels
Sustainability & enviro sustainable society
Ability of a system able to survive for a extended period of time. Example fish or forests should be available for as long as we need them in
Meets the current needs of its people for food, clean water, clean air, shelter and other basic resources without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
Economic growth
Is a increase in the capacity if a country to provide people with goods and services. This requires pop growth, (more producers and consumers) more production and consumption per person or both
Gross domestic product (GDP)
Annual market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations, foreign and domestic, operating within a country. This measures a country’s standard of living.
Per capita GDP
GDP divided by the total pop at mid year
Economic development
The improvement of living standards by economic growth
Developed countries vs developing
High average GDP vs low income or moderately developed countries
Globalization
Process of social, economic, environmental global changes that lead to interconnected world
Perpetual resource vs renewable resources
Solar energy is because on a human scale it’s renewed continuously vs replenished fairly rapidly (hours to several decades) through natural process
This works only as long as the resource is not used up faster than it is replaced
