Environmental Sustainability Lecture 1 Flashcards
How long has Earth existed for?
3.8 billion years
Why is Earth well suited for life?
- Water-covers 71% of Earth’s surface
- Habitable temperature, moderate sunlight
- Atmosphere provides oxygen and co2
- Soil provides essential minerals for plants
What is altering the planet?
Human activities (not always positive)
What are some examples of human activity?
Overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, and species eradication
What is the connection between WW1, mosquitoes, and DDT?
All harmful to the environment
When did the use of synthetic pesticides begin?
End of World War 2 (according to graph) → 1945-1960 linear increase
Who was Rachel Carson?
Scientist for wildlife and fisheries
What was Rachel Carson known for?
Silent spring (book) 1962 that raised awareness on ddt and its effect on the environment
When did agricultural use of ddt get banned?
1972 in the US
Who was the founder of Earth Day?
Gen. Gaylord Nelson
How much of the global population live in poor countries?
81%
How many people live in extreme poverty?
1 in 4
What are the results of living in extreme poverty?
Low life expectancy; unable to meet basic needs
What are the characteristics of highly developed countries (hdcs)?
Complex industrialized basis, low population growth, high per capita incomes
What are some examples of HDCs?
US, Canada, Japan, western Europe
What are the characteristics of less developed countries (LDCs)?
Low level of industrialization, very high fertility rate, high infant mortality rate, low per capita income
What are some examples of LDCs?
Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia
What are nonrenewable natural resources?
Replaced on a geologic timescale, and supply diminishes with use
What are examples of nonrenewable natural resources?
Metallic minerals (gold, tin), nonmetallic minerals (salt, phosphates, stone), fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
What are renewable natural resources?
Typically replaced on fairly short timescale, and majority of supply is driven by sun’s energy
What are some examples of renewable natural resources?
Solar energy, energy of winds or flowing water, fertile soil, clean air, fresh water, biological diversity
What is people overpopulation?
Too many people in a given geographic area
Who has an issue with people overpopulation?
Developing countries (LDCs)
What is consumption overpopulation?
Each individual in a population consumes too large a share of the resources
Who has an issue with consumption overpopulation?
Highly developed countries (HDCs)
Who developed ecological footprint?
Mathis wackernagel and William Rees
What is an ecological footprint?
Total area of land required to sustain a person
What is the IPAT model?
Mathematical relationship between environmental impacts and the forces driving these impacts
What is “I” in IPAT
Environmental impact
What is “P” in IPAT?
Number of people
What is “A” in IPAT?
Affluence, or measure of the amount of resources used per person
What is “t” in IPAT?
Environmental effects (resources needed and wastes produced) of the technologies used to obtain and consume the resources
What are the factors in IPAT model doing?
3 factors are always changing in relation to one another
What is environmental sustainability?
Ability to meet current human economic and social needs without compromising the ability of the environment to support future generations
What levels are environmental sustainability applied to?
Individual, community, regional, national, and global level
What is “The tragedy of the Commons”?
1968 paper in Science by Garrett Hardin (1915-2003)
What was the tragedy of the commons about?
Our inability to solve many environmental problems is the result of a struggle between short-term and individual wel-fare vs. Long-term environmental sustainability and societal welfare
