Lecture 1-Introduction

Question 1

The Environment def

Answer 1

The sum total of our surroundings: Includes all biotic and abiotic factors

Question 2

biosphere def

Answer 2

the zone on, in and around Earth that supports life

Question 3

what is the diameter of the
earth

Answer 3

is approx.: 12,742 km

Question 4

what is Rüppell’s vulture which is possibly the highest flights

Answer 4

11,300 meters

Question 5

Renewable resources def

Answer 5

a resource which replenishes to overcome resource depletion caused by usage and/or consumption

Question 6

Non-renewable resources def

Answer 6

does not renew itself at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic extraction in meaningful human time-frames

Question 7

what does “Tragedy of the commons”(or “the open access problem” mean

Answer 7

used to describe a situation in a shared-resource system where individual users, acting independently according to their own self-interest, behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling that resource through their collective action

Question 8

what does ‘ecological footprint’ mean

Answer 8

defined as the biologically productive area
needed to provide for everything
people use

Question 9

what is a guiding principle of environmental science

Answer 9

“Living within our planet’s means”

Question 10

Circular economy def

Answer 10

a regenerative system where resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing,
closing, and narrowing energy and material loops

Question 11

what is the difference between Environmental Science and
environmentalism

Answer 11

Environmental Science is Pursuit of knowledge and Objectivity vs Environmentalism is Activism and Social movement