quiz #3 Flashcards

1
Q

what are the different ways of combatting climate change?

A

1) mitigation: reduce CO2 emissions
- international agreements have limited success

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2
Q

define biodiversity: list some causes of biodiversity loss

A

variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes of which they are part
- conversion of natural land to crops and cities, pollution, exploitation for commercial use, species being hunted/killed/marketed illegally

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3
Q

what risks are associated with losing biodiversity?

A

we threaten our well-being when we diminish biodiversity.
- maintains natural systems, aids in robustness, provides essential goods and services

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4
Q

what are the two ways humans impact the environment?

A

1) cumulative impacts: actions become problems when too many people participate i.e., burning, cutting trees, mining
2) unintended consequences: occur when people don’t pay attention to how the world works i.e., pesticides, dumping trash in wetlands

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5
Q

explain the tragedy of the commons

A

a situation where individuals acting independently and rationally according to each other’s self-interest behave contrary to the best interests of the whole by depleting some common resource

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6
Q

what are the three unifying themes we need to move towards a sustainable relationship with the natural world?

A

1) sustainability: can continue indefinitely without depleting material or energy resources, i.e, sustainable yields in forestry/fisheries, sustainable ecosystems, sustainable society
2) sound science
3) stewardship

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7
Q

what is sustainable development?

A

development or progress that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

developed countries: environmental sustainability
developing countries: economic development

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8
Q

what are sustainable solutions and what does it mean?

A

concerns of sociologists (human needs), economists (growth), and ecologists (natural systems) must intersect to produce sustainable solutions…. socially, economically and ecologically feasible

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9
Q

what are the four assumptions of the scientific method?

A

1) what we perceive with our senses represents objective reality
2) objective reality functions according to certain basic principles and natural laws that remain consistent
3) every result has a cause: every event causes other events and events do not occur without reason
4) through observation, manipulation and reason: we can discover and understand natural laws of the universe

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10
Q

draw the steps of the scientific method

A

observations -> questions -> hypothesis -> experiment -> answers

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11
Q

hypothesis vs. theory

A

hypothesis: educated guess about the cause of an observation
theory: hypothesis that has been rigorously tested and confirmed

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12
Q

how can concepts be used to modify public policy?

A

explanations of data gathered from the natural world but help make qualified predictions of future outcomes

i.e., DDT and mosquitoes resistance, spraying a marsh with DDT is likely to result in resistant mosquitoes, public policy can reduce this outcome

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13
Q
A
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