LE 1 CONCEPTS (M1 - M3) Flashcards
- Environner, to encircle or surround
- All physical and biological surrounding of an organism along with their interactions
Environment
Components of Natural Environment
Geosphere and Biosphere
the branch of engineering concerned with the application of scientific and engineering principles for protection of human populations from the effects of adverse environmental factors; protection of environments, both local and global, from potentially deleterious effects of natural and human activities; and improvement of environmental quality
Environmental Engineering
Largely defined by problems
rather than by technical/ scientific
methods
Environmental Engineering
The introduction of substances or energy
into the environment, by people, liable to
cause harm to living creatures or
ecological systems
Pollution
a field of engineering dealing with energy
efficiency, energy services, facility management, plant engineering, environmental compliance, sustainable energy and renewable energy technologies
Energy Engineering
development that “meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainable Development
meaning of MDGs by United Nations
Millennium Development Goals
How many is the UN 2030 Agenda?
17 Sustainable Development Goals
the sequence of eating and being eaten among the biotic components
food chain
Refers to the position of an organism in a food chain
Trophic Level
Occurs when the organism’s uptake of a substance is greater than the outtake (from all sources combined e.g. water, food, air, etc.)
Bioaccumulation
occurs when the organism’s intake of a substance from water is greater than the outtake
Bioconcentration
the process that results in the accumulation of a chemical in an organism at higher levels than are found in its own food
Biomagnification
The movement or exchange of nutrients or essential compounds, in their various forms, among the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere
Biogeochemical Cycles
5 Major Biogeochemical Cycles
- Water Cycle
- Carbon Cycle
- Nitrogen Cycle
- Phosphorous Cycle
- Sulfur Cycle
the 4th most abundant element in the universe and is the building block of life on earth. It is present in all life
forms; is also a key component of fossil fuels
Carbon
Two components of Carbon Cycle: rapid carbon exchange among living organisms
Biological Carbon Cycle
Two components of Carbon Cycle: dealing with long-term cycling of carbon through geologic processes
Geological Carbon Cycle
converting gaseous nitrogen into forms usable by living organisms
Nitrogen fixation
The biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
Phosphorus cycle
- found in every living cell (amino acids)
- Long used as a medicine
- component of penicillin-class antibiotics
- Medications for dandruff, and warts have this ingredient
Sulfur
defined as the ability to produce change or do work
Energy
the flow of electrons/ electrical power or
charge.
Electricity
time rate at which work is done or
energy is transformed
Power
2 Major Forms of Energy
Potential and Kinetic Energy
energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules. It is the energy that holds these particles together
Chemical Energy
energy stored in objects by the application of a force
Stored Mechanical Energy
energy stored in the nucleus of an atom—the energy that holds the nucleus together
Nuclear Energy
the energy of position or place
Gravitational Energy
the movement of electrons
Electrical Energy
Electromagnetic energy that travels in transverse waves. Includes visible light, x-rays, gamma rays, and radio waves.
Radiant Energy
the internal energy in substances—the vibration and movement of atoms
and molecules within substances
Thermal Energy
the movement of objects and substances from one place to another
Motion Energy
the movement of energy through substances in longitudinal (compression/rarefaction)
waves
Sound Energy
Where do Earth’s natural energy resources come from?
- Fossil fuels
- Uranium
- Solar energy, Wind Energy, Tidal Energy etc.
a natural resource that cannot be remade or re-grown at a scale comparable to its consumption
Nonrenewable resource
natural resources that can be replenished in a short period of time
Renewable resources
called “fossil fuels” because they have been formed from the fossilized remains of prehistoric plants and animals
Coal, Oil and Gas
When sediment (the sea bed) contains more than 5% organic matter, it is called
black shale
the basis of nuclear power which currently produces about 17% of the world’s electricity needs
Uranium
not formed from marine organisms, but from the remains of land plants
Coal
