Environmental Change and management Flashcards
WHat are environmental wordlviews?
consists of varying viewpoints of how the world works and where people fit into the world. Worldviews form assumptions and values that guide an individual’s actions towards the environment.
What is environmental ethics?
They are an individual’s beliefs about what is right or wrong behaviour in relation to the Earth and its environment.
What is egocentric
When people see themselves as the most important factor. They might often choose economic gain over the functioning of an ecosystem
What is Anthropocentric?
Acknowledges that humans have a variety of needs and wants that must be place above the desire to protect environments. Values the environments for what they provide
What is stewardship?
Recognises that although humans need to make use of environments, they have the responsibility to care for the Earth
What is biocentric?
Recognises the significant role that the Earth and its environments play in sustaining life and strives to minimise the impact of human activities
What is ecocentric?
Places the preservation of environments above all other needs and wants. The need to protect the environment despite the income and jobs the environment may create
What causes climate change?
Burning coal, oil and gas produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.
Deforestation help to regulate the climate by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere
Increasing livestock farming
Why does the land degrade?
When land is cleared or overgrazed, it becomes vulnerable to erosion by wind and water.
Introduced species such as rabbits eat grass and shrubs down to the soil, thus exposing it to erosion.
What is land degradation?
Land degradation causes physical, chemical and biological changes to the environment. The natural environment deteriorates and the landscape undergoes a dramatic change.
How has agriculture degraded the Australian landscape?
Australian soil is already nutrient poor, vegetation is shallow-rooted. Australia’s rainfall is also variable, meaning drought can last for years leaving the ground parched, dry, Barron and unproductive
What is plastic?
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes.
What are unintended consequences of plastic?
Marine animal ingestion and physical strangling
Sea turtles can mistake floating plastic garbage for food. They can choke, sustain internal injury and die — or starve by thinking they’re full from eating plastic.
What is the Great Garbage Patch?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive circulation of plastic debris in the north-central Pacific Ocean. It’s the largest accumulation of plastic in the world. Gyres are large systems of circulating ocean currents. Three times as large as France
What is being done to manage the plastic situation?
Changing people’s attitudes towards plastic
Initiatives such as Clean Up Australia Day on the first Sunday in March
Tackling litter prone areas
Upcycling plastic waste
Reusing plastic
