Nature of Env Science

Question 1

environment

Answer 1

all biotic and abiotic entities that interact with e/o and their relationships, involves both natural and constructed environments, networks of a multitude of institutions

Question 2

environmental problems

Answer 2

results from the manipulation of env and its manipulation of ppl, symptoms of dysfunctional economic and social systems

Question 3

natural resources

Answer 3

Earth’s materials found in nature and can be used, allows ppl to improve their circumstances

Question 4

3 types of natural resources

Answer 4

perpetual: infinite on human timescales (solar energy, winds); renewable: can be used repeatedly when returned, results in degradation due to degrading quality; non-renewable: breaks down into non-usable forms when used the first time, finite, can’t be used repeatedly

Question 5

natural capital

Answer 5

Earth’s natural assets and what the env naturally does, intangible and unquantifiable

Question 6

ecosystem services

Answer 6

variety of benefits to humans provided by a healthy nature

Question 7

biotic potential

Answer 7

max number of individuals a species can produce (large organisms have small BP while microorganisms have large BP)

Question 8

carrying capacity

Answer 8

the quantifiable ability of the env to sustain the pop of a certain species , decreases over time due to pop boom-and-bust cycles

Question 9

Thomas Robert Malthus

Answer 9

concluded that food supply increases constantly over time, pop increases exponentially, and pop will exceed food availability which leads to famine and death (pop growth can’t be sustained by food supply)

Question 10

Paul and Anne Ehrlich

Answer 10

concluded that human pop control is needed to prevent global famine and death (like contraceptives, sterilization, expansion of abortion rights, sex ed), and tech continues to offset effects of pop growth but this may be unsustainable

Question 11

Ehrlich/Holdren (IPAT) Equation

Answer 11

represents how pop has an essential impact on env impact

Question 12

ecological footprint

Answer 12

env impact of an individual/pop in terns if the area of land and water required to provide the materials they consume and absorb/recycle wastes

Question 13

paradigms

Answer 13

how each person views and understands the world and how things work, linked to personal ethics and values, influenced by ppl around us

Question 14

economic paradigm

Answer 14

economy is separate from env but dependent on it, env is infinite and can manage waste, fuels economic growth and provides prosperity

Question 15

ecological paradigm

Answer 15

human sphere is a part of env, resources are consumed by humans and put back into nature as waste in the ecosphere

Question 16

holistic paradigm

Answer 16

human-built env is defined by a network of social, economic, and technological connections, all of which are connected to global network of natural systems, where all Earth’s spheres conjoin is the human sphere since humans are dependent on all spheres (known as the human culturesphere)

Question 17

planetary management

Answer 17

humans are the most important and responsible for managing nature, driven by economic growth and prosperity, tech ensures infinite resources, success depends on how well Earth’s systems are managed for humans’ benefit

Question 18

stewardship

Answer 18

humans are the most important species but have an ethical responsibility to care for nature, resources shouldn’t be wasted but are infinite, encourage all env friendly forms of economic growth, discourage env harmful growth, success depends on how well Earth’s systems are managed for all species’ benefit

Question 19

environmental wisdom

Answer 19

nature exists for all species, humans aren’t in charge, resources are limited and shouldn’t be wasted or completely used, encourage sustainable econ growth, discourage degradation, success depends on learning how nature sustains itself and integrating these lessons from nature into behaviours and views

Question 20

science

Answer 20

process of learning about the world and testing understandings of it, involves observation, testing, and discovery, seeks to simplify the world and how it works

Question 21

scientific method

Answer 21

question the structure of the natural world, develop inferences, formulate and test hypotheses, must be re-formulated and re-tested, generalized conclusion

Question 22

scientific process

Answer 22

involves peer review, publication, and debate, consistently supported hypothesis becomes a theory, paradigm shifts in dominant worldview can occur with enough data

Question 23

environmental science

Answer 23

interdisciplinary study of humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the env, env problems are complex and interconnected, seeks to establish general principles about how the natural world functions and use these to develop solutions to env problems

Question 24

environmentalism

Answer 24

social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world