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BREE 327: Bio-Environmental Engineering > Limits of the Planet > Flashcards

Limits of the Planet Flashcards

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1
Q

Uneven environmental change

A

Quality of the environment is changing unevenly across the globe

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2
Q

What are the 4 key drivers of environmental change?

A

Food
Energy
Water
Resources

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3
Q

Gaia Hypothesis

A

Living organisms and inorganic surroundings interact to form a self-regulating complex system that maintains conditions for life on Earth.

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4
Q

Daisy world

A

A hypothetical planet where white daisies cool the planet and black daisies heat it. This interaction is a metaphor for global regulatory processes.

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5
Q

Components of the Earth system

A

Atmosphere
Geosphere (lithosphere)
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Cryosphere

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6
Q

Define the atmosphere and its functions

A

The gaseous layer surrounding the Earth

Functions:
- Receives solar radiation which warms the Earth.
- Facilitates the distribution of water across the planet.
- Contains essential gases which are necessary for life processes.

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7
Q

Define the geosphere and its functions

A

The solid part of the Earth, composed of rocks and minerals.

Functions:
- Provides nutrients to the biosphere through soil formation.
- Influence the Earth’s magnetic field and geological activity.

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8
Q

Define the hydrosphere and its function

A

All the water on Earth

Functions:
- Regulates the Earth’s temperature
- Supports aquatic life

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9
Q

Define the cryosphere and its functions

A

The frozen water part of the Earth system

Functions:
- Reflects sunlight, regulating the Earth’s temperature.
- Stores large amounts of freshwater

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10
Q

Define the biosphere and its functions

A

The global sum of all ecosystems

Function:
- Promotes essential processes for life
- Cycling of matter

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11
Q

Planetary boundaries concept

A

9 critical Earth system processes that maintain the stability of the planet

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12
Q

What are the planetary boundaries?

A

Climate change
Biosphere integrity
Ozone depletion
Ocean acidification
Biogeochemical flows
Land system change
Freshwater use
Atmospheric aerosol loading
Novel entities

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13
Q

Planetary boundary: Climate Change

A

Threshold: 350 ppm C02
Current level: Surpassed

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14
Q

Planetary boundary: Biosphere integrity

A

Genetic Diversity:
- Threshold: 10 extinctions per million species per year.
- Current: 100-1000 extinctions per million species per year

Functional Diversity:
- Threshold: Biodiversity intactness at 90%.
- Current: 84%

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15
Q

Planetary boundary: Ozone depletion

A

Threshold: <95% PI O3
Current: >95% PI O3

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16
Q

Planetary boundary: Ocean acidification

A

Threshold: >80% PI aragonite saturation
Current Level: 84% PI aragonite saturation

17
Q

Planetary boundaries: Biogeochemical flows

A

Phosphorus (Global):
- Threshold: 11 Tg/year
- Current: 22 Tg/year

Phosphorus (Local):
- Threshold: 6.2 Tg/year
- Current: ~14 Tg/year

Nitrogen (Global):
- Threshold: 62 Tg/year
- Current: ~150 Tg/year

18
Q

Planetary boundaries: Land-System change

A

Global
- Threshold: 75% original forest cover
- Current: 62%

Biome:
- Threshold: 50-85% potential forest cover
- Current: ?

19
Q

Planetary boundaries: Freshwater use

A

Threshold: 4000 km³/year
Current: 2600 km³/year

20
Q

Planetary boundaries: Atmospheric aerosols

A

Threshold: AOD < 0.25
Current: 0.30.

21
Q

Planetary boundaries: Novel entities

A

Threshold: ?
Current: ?

22
Q

Anthropocene

A

A proposed geological epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth’s systems

23
Q

Tipping points

A

Critical thresholds where small changes lead to drastic shifts in the state or behavior of a system. Once crossed, the changes can be irreversible.

24
Q

Malthusian Dilemma

A

Human population growth will eventually outpace food production, leading to widespread famine, conflict, and collapse.

25
Q

Criticisms of Malthusian Dilemma

A

Technological innovations have temporarily alleviated the pressures

IPAT equation suggests that affluence and technology are more significant in determining environmental impacts

The distribution of resources and consumption patterns are the problem

26
Q

Neo Malthusian

A

Extends Malthusian concerns to include broader environmental and social consequences.

27
Q

Carrying capacity

A

The theoretical limit of population that an environment can sustain indefinitely without degrading the resources on which it depends.

28
Q

Political Ecology

A

Environmental decline is not a natural outcome of population growth, but rather the result of human political and economic decisions.

29
Q

Marxist Political Ecology

A

A view that links environmental degradation directly related to the capitalist system, coining the term “Capitalocene” to describe the current epoch dominated by capitalism and its impact on the environment.

BREE 327: Bio-Environmental Engineering (9 decks)

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