Topic 1

Question 1

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE SYSTEM (EVS)

Answer 1

An environmental value system (EVS) is a worldview that shapes the way an individual or group of people perceive and evaluate environmental issues. This will be influenced by cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political context.

Question 2

ecocentric worldview

Answer 2

puts ecology and nature as central to humanity

- deep ecologists

Question 3

anthropocentric worldview

Answer 3

believe humans must sustainably manage the global system

- humans are not dependant on nature but nature is there to benefit humankind

Question 4

technocentric worldview

Answer 4

believe that technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems
- cornucopians

Question 5

open system+ example

Answer 5

An open system exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings
e.g. plants fix energy from light entering the system during photosynthesis

Question 6

closed system + example

Answer 6

A closed system exchanges energy but not matter with its environment
e.g. carbon cycle

Question 7

isolated system + example

Answer 7

An isolated system exchanges neither matter nor energy with its environment
e.g. (does not exist naturally but…the entire universe…)

Question 8

2 examples of transfers

Answer 8

1. water moving from a river to the sea

2. chemical energy in the form of sugars moving from a herbivore to a carnivore

Question 9

2 examples of transformations

Answer 9

1. liquid to gas

2. light to chemical energy

Question 10

2 strengths and weaknesses of models

Answer 10

Strengths:
- easier to work with than complex reality
- can be used to predict the effect of a change in input
- help us see patterns
Weaknesses:
- accuracy is lost because the model is simplified
- if our assumptions are wrong, the model will be wrong
- predictions may be innacurate

Question 11

first law of thermodynamics

Answer 11

is the principle of conservation of energy which states that energy in an isolated system cannot be created or destroyed

Question 12

second law of thermodynamics

Answer 12

states that entropy of a system increases over time

Question 13

entropy

Answer 13

is a measure of the amount of disorder in a system

Question 14

equilibrium

Answer 14

the tendency of a system to return to an original state after a disturbance.

Question 15

a steady state equilibrium

Answer 15

is a characteristic of open systems where there are continuous inputs and outputs of energy and matter, but the system as a whole remains in a more or less constant state (e.g. climax ecosystem)

Question 16

positive feedback loop + example

Answer 16

are destabilising and will tend to amplify changes and drive the system towards a tipping point where a new equilibrium is adopted
e.g.
global temps rise, polar ice caps melt, dark soil exposed so more solar radiation is absorbed (as lower albedo) so global temps rise

Question 17

negative feedback loop + example

Answer 17

is stabilising and will occur when the output of a process inhibits or reverses the operation of a process in such a way to reduce change

e.g. global temps rise, ice caps melt, more water in the atmosphere, more clouds, more solar radiation reflected, so global temps fall.

Question 18

resilience of a system+ 3 factors that affect it

Answer 18

ability of a system to return to its initial state after a disturbance
Factors:
- more diverse and complex a system is
- species biodiversity
- larger the ecosystem
- climate (warmer climates have more resilience as faster growth rates)

Question 19

ecological tipping point + example

Answer 19

An ecological tipping point is reached when an ecosystem experiences a shift to a new state in which there are significant changes to its biodiversity and the service it provides

• lake eutrophication
• coral reef death
• extinction of keystone species

Question 20

sustainability

Answer 20

is the use and managment of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and a full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use

Question 21

inertia

Answer 21

when changing what we do seems difficult

related to tragedy of the commons

Question 22

tragedy of the commons

Answer 22

when many individuals act in their own self-interest to harvest a resource but destroy the long-term future of that resource

Question 23

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Answer 23

is a report prepared before a development project to change the use of the land, e.g. to convert fields into a gold course

Question 24

ecological footprint

Answer 24

is the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate which are being consumed by a given population

Question 25

pollution

Answer 25

is the addition of a substance or an agent to an environment by human activity , at a rate greater than that which it can be rendered harmless by the environment, and which has an appreciable effect on organisms within it

Question 26

primary pollutants

Answer 26

are active on emission, e.g. carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion of fuels

Question 27

secondary pollutants

Answer 27

formed by primary pollutants undergoing physical or chemical change e.g. sulphuric acid forms when sulphur trioxide reacts with water

Question 28

photochemical smog

Answer 28

is a mixture of primary and secondary pollutants

Question 29

non-point source pollution

Answer 29

is the release of pollutants from numerous widely dispersed origins, for example gases from the exhaust of vehicles

Question 30

point source pollution

Answer 30

is the release of pollutants form a single, clearly identifiable site, e.g. factory chimney or waste disposal pipe

Question 31

persistant organic pollutant DDT

Answer 31

POPs manufactured as pesticides in the past
DDT - utility vs effects on the environment
used against mosquitos+ so malaria and cheap
BUT 1970 WHO banned it as bad for environment, e.g. ‘Silent Spring’ thinning of bird egg shells and reduction in population numbers

Question 32

acute pollution

Answer 32

is when large amounts of a pollutant are released causing a lot of harm, e.g. Bhopal disaster in India (1984)

Question 33

chronic pollution

Answer 33

results from the long-term release of a pollutant but in small amounts