Environmental Change and Economic Growth Flashcards
what are the different forms of energy?
mechanical, thermal, nuclear, chemical, electromagnetic, sonic, gravitational, kinetic, potential, ionisation.
What key evolution enabled humans to survive in cold climates and cook meat?
Converting chemical energy into thermal energy through the burning of wood.
When did the first agricultural societies emerge, and what energy conversion did they realize?
Around 10,000 BC, realizing the conversion of thermal energy by growing cereal crops that provided chemical energy.
What were settled premodern societies (such as Ancient Egypt, China, and Mesoamerica) built upon?
The farming of grains, forming “organic economies.”
What energy constraints did organic economies face?
It was almost impossible to achieve sustained economic growth due to energy constraints.
How did most people in premodern societies live?
In material poverty, with crude housing, little furniture or clothing, and short lives due to poverty and rudimentary medicine.
What was the mortality rate of newborns and children before the 20th century compared to today?
26.9% of newborns died in their first year and 46.2% of children died before adulthood (vs 2.9% and 4.6% today).
What dietary necessity led to chronic protein deficiency in premodern societies?
An overwhelmingly vegetarian diet out of necessity, a lack of protein meant that people were typically 6 inches shorter than today
What period primarily contributed to the formation of huge carbon deposits compacted into coal?
The Carboniferous period (c. 360-60 million years ago).
What significant invention did Thomas Newcomen create in 1712?
The steam engine, marking the beginning of a new age of energy use
What was the impact of the steam engine on manufacturing productivity and output
It increased manufacturing productivity and output by combusting chemical energy from fossil fuels to produce mechanical energy.
What invention in 1785 further boosted factory productivity?
The power loom.
How did fossil fuels revolutionize transportation?
They powered modern railways, cars, diesel ships, and planes
How did the use of coal in steelmaking transform construction?
It enabled the mass production of steel rails, bridges, steam engines, ships, and skyscrapers
What was the significance of the first power plant in 1882?
It marked the beginning of electrification, originally generating electricity to produce light.
How did mechanization transform agriculture?
It increased productivity and released people from the land, with steam engines, petrol-driven tractors, and combine harvesters replacing human and animal labor.
What discovery by Fritz Haber in 1910 revolutionized agriculture?
A process to extract nitrogen from the air using natural gas, leading to the production of chemical fertilizers.
How did synthetic materials and dyes transform consumer goods?
The synthesis of plastics and synthetic fibers like polyester and the discovery of chemical dyes like mauveine revolutionized the production and variety of consumer goods.
What drove the shift from freshwater to sea fish around 1050?
Exhausted freshwater fish stocks and Christian prohibitions on meat eating during certain times.
How did industrialization impact fishing in the late 19th century?
Steam fishing enabled fishermen to venture further and use heavier nets, leading to increased catches but eventual collapse of marine stocks.
What environmental impact did trawling have on the seabed?
It scraped the seabed bare, creating marine deserts with diminished fish populations.
What significant change occurred in the whaling industry in the 1900s?
The use of steam whalers, grenade-tipped harpoons, and on-board processing led to the near extinction of many whale species.
What is the “Tragedy of the Commons” in the context of natural resources?
The concept that there are few short-term economic benefits to not exploiting wild natural resources, leading to overuse and depletion.
What are some indicators of the Anthropocene, the geological age of man?
Plastic pollution, nitrogen fertilizers, deforestation, and the extinction of nearly 75% of species on earth.
Why is continued dependence on fossil fuels considered a recipe for disaster?
Fossil fuels will eventually become exhausted and their combustion releases gases that cause global temperatures to rise, potentially making life intolerable.
How has the burning of fossil fuels affected atmospheric carbon levels since industrialization began?
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased by a third, reaching levels not seen since the age of the dinosaurs.
How did the development of modern technology lead to the extermination of the American Buffalo c.1805-1889
The use of trains - run parallel to the herd, safer for the hunters, allow hunters to carry bigger cargo, hunters don’t tire. The use of guns - easier to kill quickly and effectively, expending less ammunition, reloading is quicker, not limited by physical capabilities. Hunting for economic gain and sport, clearing the plains so land can be developed
