Terms Chapter 1 Flashcards
Acid Rain
Rain that is acidic; composed of nitric and sulfuric acids that are formed with water vapor in the air
Best-First Principle*
Humans use the highest quality resources before the lower quality resources (ex.) fishing)
Biodiversity
Biological variation found in a specific spatial area
Carbon Dioxide
Compound CO2; greenhouse gas which has rising levels due to industrialization and land use management
Carbon Monoxide
CO; a highly poisonous and flammable gas
Climate Change*
a statistically significant variation in either the average state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period, typically decades or longer.
Ecological Footprint
a measure of how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resource it consumes and to absorb its carbon dioxide emissions, using prevailing technology.
Environmental Performance Bond
cash or securities deposited before permitting an activity that is likely to have an environmental impact. (ex. clean-up liability insurance)
Environmental Services
a wide range of conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems, and the species that are part of them, help sustain and fulfill human life.
Externalities*
extraneous cost related to a commercial or industrial activity that is not reflected in the overall cost of the good or service
Global Warming
any general increase in the earth’s surface temperatures over an extended period of time.
Greenhouse Gas
any of the gaseous constituents of the atmosphere which results in the greenhouse effect.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period, usually on an annual basis.
Gross National Product (GNP)
value of all the goods and services produced in an economy, plus the value of the goods and services imported, less the goods and services exported.
Human Development
the process of enlarging the range people’s choices by increasing their opportunities for education, health care, a clean environment, income, employment, and political freedom; related to the third principle of sustainability.
Hydrocarbon
any organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen.
Moai (will not need to know this)
monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Polynesian island of Easter Island, a special territory of Chile, between AD 1100 and 1680
Natural Resource*
any form of energy or material ocurring in nature that is extracted and used by humans; related to the first principle of sustainability
Nitrogen Oxide
NOx; generic term for highly reactive gases
Pollution
the introduction into the air, water or ground of toxic substances that are damaging to human health and to natural systems
Quintile (will not need to know this)
statistical value of a data set that represents 20% of a given population. The first quartile represents the lowest fifth of the data (1-20%); the second quartile represents the second fifth (21% - 40%) etc.
Resource Depletion*
the consumption of a natural resource at a rate faster than it is replaced; relates to a violation of the first principle of sustainability
Subsidy
benefit given by the government
Sustainability
conditions under which the quality of human life is improved while living within the carrying capacity of supporting natural systems, thus meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
System*
A collection of parts, which are known as storages and flows, that interact with each other to generate regular or predictable patterns or behaviors.
Waste Assimilation*
the ability of the environment to absorb, detoxify, and disperse wastes in a way that makes them less harmful.
