Foundations of ESS Flashcards
environmental value system
a particular worldview or set of paradigms that shape the way individuals or societies perceive and evaluate environmental issues
ecocentric
nature centred value system that views people as being under natures control
anthropocentric
human centred value system that places humans as the central species
technocentric
technologically based value system that believes human intuition will enable humans to control the environment
cornucopians
extreme technocentrics
environmental managers
ethical duty is to look after earth
biocentric
shouldnt cause the extinction of other species
deep ecologists
nature has more value than humanity
systems approach
a way of visualising a complex set of interactions in ecology or society
system
an assemblage of parts and the relationships between them that enables them to work together to form a whole
open system
exchanges both matter and energy with its surrounding
closed system
exchanges energy but not matter with its surroundings
isolated system
exchanges neither energy or matter with its environment
transfers
change in location
transformation
change in chemical nature, state or energy
first law of thermodynamics
energy can be transferred or transformed, but not created or destroyed
entropy
a measure of the disorder of a system - the greater the disorder, the higher the entropy
second law of thermodynamics
in isolated systems, entropy tends to increase
efficiency
useful energy divided by the energy consumed
negative feedback loop
when output of a process reverses the operation of the same process
equilibrium
state of balance among the components of a system
steady state equilibrium
stable form of equilibrium that allows a system to return to its steady state after a disturbance
static equilibrium
no changes over time because there are no inputs and outputs
stable equilibrium
a system that is disturbed returns to its former position
unstable equilibrium
a small disturbance produces a large change and a new equilibrium
feedback
effect that change in one part of an ecosystem has on another
positive feedback
destabilising and tend to amplify changes and drive systems towards a new equilibrium
tipping points
the minimum amount of change within a system that will destablize it
resilience
the tendency of a system to maintain stability and resist tipping points
sustainable development
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
ecological footprint
area of land and water needed to sustainably provide all the resources at the rate of which they are consumed
pollution
the addition of any substance to the environment at a rate faster than the environment can accomodate
ecological overshoot
using resources quicker than they can regenerate
natural income
the yield obtained from natural resources
sustainablility
the use and management of resources so that full natural replacement of exploited resources can take place
pollutants
matter - gases, liquids, solids
energy - sound, light, heat
living organisms - invasive, biological
sources of pollutants
- combustion of fossil fuels
- domestic waste
- industrial waste
- agricultural waste
natural capital
describes natural resources that produce a sustainable income of goods and services
point source pollution
can be traced to a single source
non point source pollutants
release of pollutants from numerous widely dispersed origins
acute pollution
a single isolated incident
chronic pollution
long term often undetected pollution
biodegradable pollution
breaks down naturally in the environment
persistent pollution
non biodegradable and substances remain in the environment for too long
primary pollutant
substance thats active as soon as its emitted
secondary pollutant
formed from a primary pollutant that undergoes a change
pollution management strategies
- changing human activity (education)
- regulating release of pollutant (legislation)
- restoration of ecosystems (mitigation)
