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APES > I - Environmental Problems, Their Causes, & Sustainability > Flashcards

I - Environmental Problems, Their Causes, & Sustainability Flashcards

1
Q

What are some major environmental problems?

A 
Biodiversity Depletion
Food Supply Problems
Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Waste Production
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2
Q

Environment

A

All external conditions & factors that affect living organisms

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3
Q

Ecology

A

Study of relationships between living organisms & environment

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4
Q

Environmental Science

A

Interdisciplinary study of role of humans on the Earth

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5
Q

Major fields of study that contribute to environmental science

A 
Biology
Earth science
Physics
Chemistry
Social Sciences
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6
Q

Solar Capital

A

Provides 99% of energy used on Earth

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7
Q

Earth Capital

A

Life-support and economic services

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8
Q

Sustainability

A

Persistence of a system through time

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9
Q

Qualities of a sustainable society

A

Economy & population size without EXCEEDING planet’s ability to absorb INSULTS, replenish its RESOURCES, and sustain HUMAN & LIFE over a specified period

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10
Q

Carrying capacity

A

Number of organisms that can be sustained a a particular environment

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11
Q

Linear growth

A

quantity is increasing by a constant amount per unit of time

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12
Q

Exponential growth

A

quantity increases by a fixed percentage of whole in a given time as each increase is applied to the base for further growth

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13
Q

Human population growth is most similar to which growth pattern

A

Exponential

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14
Q

How long does it take for the human population to double itself?

A

60K year -> 1 billion
130 yr -> 2 billion
45 yr -> 4 billion
less than 45 yr -> 8 billion

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15
Q

Doubling rates are calculated using

A

the Rule of 70

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16
Q

Rule of 70

A

70/ percentage growth rate = doubling rate in years

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17
Q

Economic growth

A

Increase in capacity to provide goods and services for people’s final use
Seeked by virtually all countries

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18
Q

Goods and services are produced by

A

Increasing the flow of matter and energy resources through an economy

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19
Q

GNP

A

gross national product

market value in current dollars off all goods & services produced by a country during a year

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20
Q

Characteristics of Developed Countries

A 
Highly Industrialized
High average per capita GNP
20% of world population
Command 85% of world's wealth and income
Use 88% of natural resources
Generate 75% of pollution & wastes
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21
Q

Examples of developed countries

A

US
Canada
Japan
Germany

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22
Q

Characteristics of developing countries

A 
Little industrialization
Low-moderate per capita GNPS
80% world population
15% world's wealth & income
12% world's natural resources
Generate 25% world's pollution & wastes
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23
Q

Examples of developing countries

A

Most countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America

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24
Q

Population is increasing faster in

A

Developing countries than in developed countries

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25
Q

Wealth Gap

A

Gap between per capita GNP of rich, middle, and poor widened

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26
Q

Hans Rosling

A

Debunked “developing world” myth-> most DW heading on same trajectory to health and prosperity

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27
Q

Ecological resources

A

Anything that required an organism for normal maintenance, growth, & reproduction

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28
Q

Ecological resources examples

A

Habitat
Water
Shelter
Food

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29
Q

Economic resources

A

Anything obtained from the environment to meet human needs & wants

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30
Q

Economic resources examples

A

fresh water
Soil
Plants & animals
fossil fuels

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31
Q

Renewable resources

A

Can be replenished relatively rapidly

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32
Q

Nonrenewable resources

A

Can be exhausted & not renewed in human time scales

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33
Q

Renewable resources examples

A

Direct solar energy
Winds
Tides
Flowing Water

34
Q

Potentially renewable resources examples

A

Fresh air
Fresh water
Fertile soil
Biodiversity

35
Q

Nonrenewable resources examples

A

Fossil fuels
Metallic minerals
Non Metallic minerals

36
Q

Sustainable yield

A

Highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply

37
Q

Exceeding sustainable yield leads to

A

environmental degradation

38
Q

Tragedy of the Commons

A

Common property resources are very susceptible to environmental degradation
Conflict between short-term interests of individuals and long-term welfare of society

39
Q

If land is held in common,

A

Individuals tend to graze as many animals as possible, leading to destruction of land.

40
Q 
When commons
are replaced by
enclosed fields
owned by
individuals,
A 
people
tend to graze only
the number of
animals the land
can support
41
Q

Hardin predicted

A

people would deplete natural
resources to the point of society’s collapse by
acting in their own self-interest

42
Q

Opponents consider social nature of humans:

A

Living in groups-> INTERDEPENDENT
Solving problems through solutions which may override individual’s short-term interest but improve env’tal quality in long run

43
Q

Pollution

A

UNDESIRABLE change in physical, chemical, or
biological characteristics of air, water, soil, or food that can ADVERSELY affect humans or other living organisms. Can also
include noise, heat, etc.

44
Q

Point Source

A

SINGLE identified sources of

pollution

45
Q

Point Source examples

A

smoke stack or effluent discharge

46
Q

Nonpoint Source

A

DISPERSED & often difficult to identify sources

47
Q

Nonpoint Source examples

A

agricultural runoff

48
Q

Components to determining severity of pollutants

A

Chemical nature
Concentration
Persistence

49
Q

Chemical Nature

A

How active & harmful to living organisms?

Very LITTLE is know about possible harmful effects of 90% of 72,000 synthetic chemicals

50
Q

Concentration

A

How much is present the environment?

51
Q

Common concentration used includes …

A

One part per million (ppm)
One part per billion (ppb)
One part per trillion (ppt)

52
Q

Persistence

A

How long does it take to break down to acceptable

levels?

53
Q

Three types of persistence

A

Degradable/ nonpersistent
Slowly degradable/ persistent
Nondegradable

54
Q

Degradable (nonpersistent) pollutants

A

broken down COMPLETELY or reduced to ACCEPTABLE levels by natural, physical, chemical, and biological processes

55
Q

Degradable (nonpersistent) pollutant example

A

Human sewage in a river

56
Q

Slowly degradable (persistent) pollutants

A

take DECADES or longer to degrade

57
Q

Slowly degradable (persistent) pollutant examples

A

DDT & plastics

58
Q

Nondegradable pollutants

A

CANNOT be broken down by

natural processes

59
Q

Nondegradable pollutant examples

A

lead & mercury

60
Q

Preventing pollution from reaching the environment

A

Preventing pollution though pollution control technology is a LONG-TERM solution

61
Q

Pollution clean-up

A

SHORT-TERM solutions
Causes pollution
Expensive process

62
Q

Sustainability

A

Earth’s carrying capacity has EXPANDED due to cultural change.

63
Q

Notable human advancements

A

Tool- making 1 mil years ago
Agricultural 100K years ago
Industrial-scientific 10K years ago

64
Q

Predictions about future human population

A

Continued growth
Population stabilization
Population crash

65
Q

The Hunter-Gatherers Lifestyle

A

FEW possessions
3 Energy sources -> Sun, fire, manpower
“Earth wisdom” -> expert knowledge of nature
HIGH infant mortality/ LOW life expectancy
SLOW population growth

66
Q

The Hunter-Gatherers

Env’tal Impact

A 
Converted forests to grasslands
Possibly led to extinction of
large game
Altered distribution of plants and animals
which fed from them
67
Q

The Agriculturalists Lifestyle

A 
DOMESTICATED animals
SHIFTING CULTIVATION techniques, irrigation, urbanization
Accumulation of materials
DECREASED infant mortality
INCREASED life expectancy
INCREASED pop. growth
68
Q

The Agriculturalists Env’tal Impact

A 
SLASH & BURN CULTIVATION
fertile land turned
to deserts; topsoil
washed away into
streams, lakes, etc
Societal conflict over land & water rights
Demand for nonrenewable resources
Increases in wastes, pollution, diseases
69
Q

The Industrialists Lifestyle

A 
LARGE-scale production
Improved farming techniques
Increased per capita energy consumption
DEPENDENCE on nonrenewable rss
LOWER infant mortality
Higher life expectancy
ADVANCES in sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, medical care
Pop. sky-rocketed
70
Q

The Industrialists Env’tal Impact

A

Pollution problems from burning fossil fuels
Greater rss consumption
Better farm machinery/farming techniques -> increased per acre crop yields

71
Q

What two major crises concern the env’t right now?

A

Population

Consumption

72
Q

Simply stated, a given area’s total environmental degradation and pollution depends on three factors

A

Number of people(P)
Numbers of units of resources used/ person(A)
Env’tal degradation & Pollution/ unit of rss used(T)

73
Q

a given area’s total environmental degradation and pollution is also known as

A

environmental

impact of population

74
Q

What two kind of overpopulation exists?

A

Population

Consumption

75
Q

Every American born will need ….

A

3.6 million pounds of minerals, metals, and fuels in their lifetime

76
Q

Developing countries have —- people, but —–

environmental impact per person than developed countries

A

More

Lower

77
Q

Modern Env’tal Worldviews

A

Planetary Management

Earth-Wisdom

78
Q

Planetary Management

Worldview

A

Humans -> MOST IMPORTANT SPECIES
Always MORE
Economic growth -> GOOD
Potential for economic growth is LIMITLESS
Success -> MANAGING Earth’s life-support systems for BENEFIT

79
Q

Earth-Wisdom

Worldview

A

Nature exists for ALL species
NOT always more
Some economic growth are env’tally HARMFUL & should be DISCOURAGED
Success -> Learning to COOPERATE w/each other & nature by working with Earth

80
Q

Working Toward Sustainability Guidelines

A 
Reduce poverty
Slow pop. growth
Don't waste rss
Take no more than necessary
Protect biodiversity
Leave the earth as good/better than we found it.

APES (26 decks)

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