Environmental Sustainability Lecture 1

Question 1

How long has Earth existed for?

Answer 1

3.8 billion years

Question 2

Why is Earth well suited for life?

Answer 2

1. Water-covers 71% of Earth’s surface
2. Habitable temperature, moderate sunlight
3. Atmosphere provides oxygen and co2
4. Soil provides essential minerals for plants

Question 3

What is altering the planet?

Answer 3

Human activities (not always positive)

Question 4

What are some examples of human activity?

Answer 4

Overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, and species eradication

Question 5

What is the connection between WW1, mosquitoes, and DDT?

Answer 5

All harmful to the environment

Question 6

When did the use of synthetic pesticides begin?

Answer 6

End of World War 2 (according to graph) → 1945-1960 linear increase

Question 7

Who was Rachel Carson?

Answer 7

Scientist for wildlife and fisheries

Question 8

What was Rachel Carson known for?

Answer 8

Silent spring (book) 1962 that raised awareness on ddt and its effect on the environment

Question 9

When did agricultural use of ddt get banned?

Answer 9

1972 in the US

Question 10

Who was the founder of Earth Day?

Answer 10

Gen. Gaylord Nelson

Question 11

How much of the global population live in poor countries?

Answer 11

81%

Question 12

How many people live in extreme poverty?

Answer 12

1 in 4

Question 13

What are the results of living in extreme poverty?

Answer 13

Low life expectancy; unable to meet basic needs

Question 14

What are the characteristics of highly developed countries (hdcs)?

Answer 14

Complex industrialized basis, low population growth, high per capita incomes

Question 15

What are some examples of HDCs?

Answer 15

US, Canada, Japan, western Europe

Question 16

What are the characteristics of less developed countries (LDCs)?

Answer 16

Low level of industrialization, very high fertility rate, high infant mortality rate, low per capita income

Question 17

What are some examples of LDCs?

Answer 17

Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia

Question 18

What are nonrenewable natural resources?

Answer 18

Replaced on a geologic timescale, and supply diminishes with use

Question 19

What are examples of nonrenewable natural resources?

Answer 19

Metallic minerals (gold, tin), nonmetallic minerals (salt, phosphates, stone), fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

Question 20

What are renewable natural resources?

Answer 20

Typically replaced on fairly short timescale, and majority of supply is driven by sun’s energy

Question 21

What are some examples of renewable natural resources?

Answer 21

Solar energy, energy of winds or flowing water, fertile soil, clean air, fresh water, biological diversity

Question 22

What is people overpopulation?

Answer 22

Too many people in a given geographic area

Question 23

Who has an issue with people overpopulation?

Answer 23

Developing countries (LDCs)

Question 24

What is consumption overpopulation?

Answer 24

Each individual in a population consumes too large a share of the resources

Question 25

Who has an issue with consumption overpopulation?

Answer 25

Highly developed countries (HDCs)

Question 26

Who developed ecological footprint?

Answer 26

Mathis wackernagel and William Rees

Question 27

What is an ecological footprint?

Answer 27

Total area of land required to sustain a person

Question 28

What is the IPAT model?

Answer 28

Mathematical relationship between environmental impacts and the forces driving these impacts

Question 29

What is "I" in IPAT

Answer 29

Environmental impact

Question 30

What is “P” in IPAT?

Answer 30

Number of people

Question 31

What is “A" in IPAT?

Answer 31

Affluence, or measure of the amount of resources used per person

Question 32

What is "t" in IPAT?

Answer 32

Environmental effects (resources needed and wastes produced) of the technologies used to obtain and consume the resources

Question 33

What are the factors in IPAT model doing?

Answer 33

3 factors are always changing in relation to one another

Question 34

What is environmental sustainability?

Answer 34

Ability to meet current human economic and social needs without compromising the ability of the environment to support future generations

Question 35

What levels are environmental sustainability applied to?

Answer 35

Individual, community, regional, national, and global level

Question 36

What is "The tragedy of the Commons"?

Answer 36

1968 paper in Science by Garrett Hardin (1915-2003)

Question 37

What was the tragedy of the commons about?

Answer 37

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