Intro to Environmental Science and Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

what is the definition of environmental science?

A

an interdisciplinary study that uses info from the physical sciences and social sciences to learn how the earth works, how we interact with the earth, and how to deal with environmental problems

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2
Q

what is ecology?

A

the study of the interactions b/w organisms and b/w organisms and their environment

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3
Q

what are the 2 components of ecology?

A
  • Biotic living components: moss, animals, plants

- Abiotic non-living components: clouds, condensation, mountains, snow)

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4
Q

what is environmentalism and what is an example?

A

a social movement dedicated to protecting the earths life support systems for us and other species (ex: climate change protests)

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5
Q

what are earths life support systems?

A
  • solar energy/solar capital
  • natural capital which includes:
    • natural resources
    • natural ecosystem services
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6
Q

What is solar energy/solar capital?

A
  • it is the energy form the sun
  • renewable energy
  • comes from sunlight
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7
Q

what is natural capital?

A
  • natural resources and ecosystem services that support and sustain the earths life and economies
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8
Q

what do earths natural resources include?

A
  • air
  • water
  • soil
  • energy
  • life
  • land
  • minerals
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9
Q

what do the natural ecosystem services include?

A
  • climate control
  • UV protection
  • Water purification
  • food production
  • soil renewal
  • pest control
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10
Q

What is sustainability and why is it important?

A
  • the ability of a system to survive for a long period of time
  • it is important b/c if we don’t live sustainably in the natural world, major environmental problems can occur such as air pollution and food supply problems
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11
Q

what is economic growth?

A

the improvement of living standards by economic growth

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12
Q

define DEVELOPED countries and give examples

A
  • they are highly industrialized w/ a very high GDP per capita
  • ex: Canada, U.S, Japan, Australia, New Zealand etc)
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13
Q

define DEVELOPING countries and give examples

A
  • they are less industrialized w/ a low to moderate GDP per capita
  • ex: Mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America
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14
Q

what are the benefits of economic development?

A
  • higher life expectancy
  • decreased infant mortality rate
  • more food production than we need
  • pollution has been decreasing
  • 50% decrease in the amount of people living in extreme poverty
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15
Q

What are the disadvantages of economic development?

A
  • life expectancy is 11 years lower in developing countries compared to developed countries
  • developing countries have a higher infant mortality rate than developed countries
  • agriculture is having harmful effects on the environment that may limit food production in the future
  • developing countries have high levels of pollution
  • the salary of almost half of the world population is less than 4$/day
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