everything Flashcards
Ecological footprint
- Impact of a person or community on the environment in terms of land required for natural resource consumption.
- Example: Calculating the land needed to sustain a family’s food, water, and energy usage.
Subsistence farming
- Agricultural practice focused on producing food for immediate consumption.
- Example: Small-scale farmers growing crops for personal sustenance.
Biomes
- Large ecological areas with distinct climates, flora, and fauna which have adapted to their specific environmental conditions.
- Examples: Deserts, forests, grasslands, tundras, and aquatic ecosystems.
Land degradation
- Decline in land quality and productivity due to human and natural factors.
- Causes: Deforestation, overgrazing, mining, and urbanization.
habitat
Natural environment providing resources for species survival and reproduction. Protecting ecosystems to maintain biodiversity and ecological balance.
Biodiversity
Variety of life forms crucial for ecosystem health and resilience. Impact of habitat destruction and climate change on species extinction rates.
climate change
Is the long-term change in weather. Global climate change occurs very slowly over thousands of years.
Causes of climate change
Milankovitch Cycle, Sunspots, Agriculture, use of fossil fuels and Deforestation,
Anthropogenic Activities that cause Climate change.
Deforestation, Burning Fossil fuels, cars and factories producing extreme amounts of greenhouse gases and agriculture.
Strategies to combat Climate Change
- Reduce Meat Consumption: Lowering carbon footprint.
- Adopt Solar Energy: Utilizing renewable resources.
- Use Sustainable Transport: Minimizing emissions.
International Agreements
Kyoto Protocol Aimed to reduce CO2 emissions by 5.2% below 1990-2012 average, with global participation.
Paris Agreement Seeks to limit global temperature rise and provide financial aid for developing nations.
Impacts of climate change on people
- Health: Increased heatwaves, natural disasters and disease risks.
- Food/Water: Disruptions in supply and agriculture.
- Economy: Damage to infrastructure and financial losses.
- Migration: Forced relocation and potential conflicts.
- Inequality: Greater effects on vulnerable communities.
Impacts on the natural world
- Biodiversity: Loss of species unable to adapt.
- Oceans: Acidification and impacts on marine life.
- Weather: More frequent and severe extreme events.
- Ice Melt: Rising sea levels and reduced freshwater.
- Ecosystems: Disruption and species shifts.
Natural Factors driving climate change.
- Solar Energy: Sun emits energy as infrared radiation.
- Greenhouse Effect: Traps infrared radiation, reflecting heat back to Earth.
- Volcanic Impact: Eruptions release sulfur dioxide, forming aerosols that reflect solar radiation.
- Milankovitch Cycles: Long-term variations in Earth’s orbit and axial tilt.
Positive feedback mechanisms
- Ice-Albedo Feedback: Melting ice reduces reflectivity, absorbing more heat.
- Water Vapor Feedback: Increased temperatures lead to more water vapor, trapping more heat.
- Permafrost Thawing: Releases greenhouse gases, intensifying warming.
- Vegetation Feedback: Loss of vegetation reduces carbon sequestration, warming the climate.
- Ocean Circulation Feedback: Disruptions in ocean currents affect global climate patterns.