Environmental Science Flashcards
Ecological footprint
Land needed to provide resources assimilate waste of a population
Anthropogenic
Caused by or related to human action
Carrying Capacity
Population size that an area can support indefinitely
Sustainable
A method of using resources in such a way that we can continue to use them indefinitely.
Empirical Science
A scientific approach that investigates the natural world through systematic observation and experimentation
Applied Science
Research whose findings are used to help solve practical problems
Environmental Literacy
A basic understanding of how ecosystems function and of the impact of our choices on the environment.
Trade-offs
The imperfect and sometimes problematic responses that we must at times choose between when addressing complex problems
Triple bottom line
The combination of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of our choices
Renewable Energy
Energy that comes from an infinitely available or easily replenished source.
Biodiversity
The variety if species on Earth.
Non-renewable Resources
Resources whose supply is finite or not replenished in a timely fashion.
Social Traps
Decisions by individuals or groups that seem good at the time and produce a short-term benefit, but that hurt society in the long run.
Tragedy of the Commons
The tendency of an individual to abuse commonly held resources in order to maximize his or her own personal interest.
Time Delay
Actions that produce a benefit today set into motion events that cause problems later on.
Sliding Reinforcer
Actions that are beneficial at first but that change conditions such that their benefit declines over time.
World views
The window through which one views one’s world and existence.
Environmental Ethic
The personal philosophy that influences how a person interacts with his or her natural environment and thus affects how one responds to environmental problems.
Anthropocentric Worldview
A human-centered view that assigns intrinsic value only to humans
Instrumental Value
The value or worth of an object, organism, or species is based on its usefulness to humans.
Biocentric Worldview
A life-centered approach that views all life as having intrinsic value, regardless of its usefulness to humans
Intrinsic Value
The value or worth of an object, organism, or species is based on its mere existence
Ecocentric Worldview
A system-centered view that values intact ecosystems, not just the individual parts.
Sustainable
Capable of being continued without degrading the environment
Economics
The social science that deals with allocate scarce resources.
Ecosystem Services
Essential ecological processes that make life on Earth possible
Ecological Footprint
The land needed to provide the resources for and assimilate the waste of a person or population
Natural Capital
The wealth of resources on Earth
Natural Interest
Readily produced resources that we use and still leave natural capital behind to replace what we took
IPAT model
An equation (I=P x A x T) that identifies three factors that increase human impact (I) directly: population size (P), affluence (A), and technology (T).
Internal Cost
Those costs– such as manufacturing costs, labor, taxes, utilities, insurance, and rent– that are accounted for when a product or service is evaluated for pricing.
External Cost
Costs that are not taken into account when a price is assigned to a product or service.
True Cost
Including both internal and external costs when setting a price for a good or service.
Closed-loop System
A production system in which the product is folded back into the resource stream when consumers are finished with it, or is disposed of in such a way that nature can decompose it
Cradle-to-Cradle
Management of a resource that considers the impact of its use at every stage of the process
Discount Future Value
To give more weight to short-term benefits and costs than to long-term ones.
Environmental/Ecological Economics
New theories of economics that consider the long-term impact of our choices on people and the environment
Sustainable Development
Economic and social development that meets present needs without preventing future generations from meeting their needs.
Green Business
Doing business in a way that is good for people and the environment
Service Economy
A business model whose focus is on leasing and caring for a product in the customer’s possession rather than on selling the product itself (selling the service that the product provides).
