Midterms: Sustainability Flashcards
- is the capacity of the earth’s natural systems and human cultural systems
to survive, flourish, and adapt to changing environmental conditions into the very
long-term future.
Sustainability
- is a study of our interactions to the world
Environmental Science
3 Branches under Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Ecosystem
- Environmentalism
It is everything around us. This includes both living and nonliving things
like air, water, and energy.
Environment
It is an interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the
living and nonliving parts of their environment. It combines knowledge from natural
sciences, social sciences, and humanities to address environmental challenges.
Environmental Science
- Is a fundamental part of environmental science.
- focuses on how living
organisms interact with each other and their surroundings. Organisms belong to species,
which are defined by unique characteristics that set them apart from other groups.
Ecology
- consists of living organisms interacting with each other and
with non living elements like sunlight, air, water, and soil in a specific area.
Ecosystem
- environmentalism is a social movement aimed at protecting Earth’s life-support systems.
- operates more in political
and ethical spheres.
Environmentalism
3 Scientific Principles of Sustainability/Key Natural Factors
- Solar Energy
- Biodiversity
- Chemical Cycling
Key Natural Factors:
- sun powers life by providing energy for plants and driving
wind and water cycles.
Solar Energy
Key Natural Factors:
- Diverse genes, species, and ecosystems support resilience and
adaptation to environmental changes.
Biodiversity
Key Natural Factors:
- Nutrients continuously cycle through the environment,
sustaining all living organisms.
Chemical Cycling
Key Natural Factors:
- ensures life-supporting nutrients are continuously recycled through
ecosystems, as Earth receives no new chemical supplies. In nature, waste becomes a resource, supporting other organisms. Unlike human systems, nature produces little
waste.
Chemical Cycling
Sustainability relies on _____, which includes the natural resources and ecosystem services that support life and economies.
Natural Capital
Natural Resources can be classified as ______ and ______, or _____
- Inexhaustible
- Renewable
- Nonrenewable
Classification of Natural Resources:
- (such as solar and wind energy),
Inexhaustible
Classification of Natural Resources:
- (such as air, water, plants, animals, and topsoil),
Renewable
Classification of Natural Resources:
- (such as oil, coal, and minerals)
Nonrenewable
3 Social Science Principles of Sustainability
- Full-Cost Pricing
- Win-Win Solutions
- A Responsibility to Future Generations
Social Science Principle of Sustainability:
- which involves including the hidden environmental and health
costs of goods and services in their market prices. This approach helps consumers make more
informed choices by reflecting the true impact of their consumption.
Full-Cost Pricing
Social Science Principle of Sustainability:
- which emphasize cooperation and compromise instead of
competition and dominance. By recognizing our interdependence with others and the
environment, we can create solutions that benefit both people and ecosystems.
Win-Win Solutions
Social Science Principle of Sustainability:
- Ethically, we should ensure that
future generations inherit a planet with healthy life-support systems, at least as good as, if not
better than, what we enjoy today.
A Responsibility to Future Generations
