TOPIC 1 Flashcards
biodegradable
capable of being broken down by natural biological processes
sources of pollution (5 main ones)
-agriculture
-manufacturing industry
-domestic waste
transport
energy
Primary pollutants (definition + example)
Pollutants active on emission/release (e.g., CO2)
Sustainability (2 points, definition)
-The USE and MANAGEMENT of resources that allows FULL NATURAL REPLACEMENT of resources exploited
and
-full RECOVERY of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use
baseline study (2 definitions)
ecological: surveys to identify patterns in vegetation, special sites and unique habitats, and keystone and redlisted species prior to development
socio-economic: identify the communities that will be impacted by the development, their viewpoints, and the economic impacts of the development
Steady-state equilibrium
The condition of an OPEN SYSTEM in which there are NO changes over the LONGER TERM, but in which there may be some oscillations in the VERY SHORT TERM
Negative feedback loop
-Feedback which is STABILISING
-occurs when the output of a process inhibits or reverses the operation of the same process in such a way as to reduce change: it counteracts deviation
tldr it stabilises things and generally has Good outcomes (e.g, increase in tempurature increases amount of cloud cover, which reduces incoming radiation and limits warming); the thing happening makes the thing happen Less
ecocentric (3 points)
-integrates social, spiritual, and environmental dimensions into a holistic ideal
-prioritises biorights and emphasises the importance of education and encourages self-restraint in human behaviour
-puts ecology and nature as central to humanity and emphasises a less materialistic approach to life with greater self-sufficiency of societies
Flow
a MOVEMENT into or out of a system and between storages in a system (energy OR matter)
Transfer
A flow with a change in location
-e.g. water entering a lake
First law of thermodynamics
-the principal of conservation of energy
-states that energy in an ISOLATED SYSTEM can be transformed, but cannot be created destroyed (the universe is an isolated system)
anthropocentric (3 points)
-humans must sustainably manage the global system
-uses taxes, environmental regulation, and legislation
-debate is encouraged to reach a consensual, pragmatic approach to solving environmental problems
Pollution (3 points)
-The addition of a substance or an agent to
an environment through human activity
-Occurs at a rate greater than what can be rendered harmless by environment
-Has an appreciable effect on environment’s organisms
Positive Feedback Loop
Destabilising feedback which will tend to amplify changes and drive the system towards a tipping point where a new equilibrium is adopted
tldr it destabilises and generally has a Bad outcome (e.g., ice melts because of high temperatures, reducing the surface area which allows the albedo effect [reflection of light and heat], which increases temperatures); the thing happening makes the thing happen More
biosphere
the part of the earth inhabited by organisms; extends from the upper parts of the atmosphere to deep within the earth’s crust
Point Source Pollution
Pollution arising from a single clearly-identifiable site
e.g., a pipe emitting polluted water
Society (you live in it)
An arbitrary group of individuals who share some common characteristics
these include:
geographical location, cultural background, historical timeframe, religious perspectives
Sustainable development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)
MEA was a collaborative research project that measured TWENTY FOUR indicators of ecosystems and their services
Store/storage
-Usually rectangles in a diagram
-Represents a temporary or permanent storage of MATTER in a system (e.g., a glacier in the water system/cycle)
Stable equilibrium
The condition of a system in which there is a TENDENCY for it to RETURN to the previous equilibrium following DISTURBANCE
System approach
A way of visualising a complex set of INTERACTIONS, which may be ecological or societal
Types of pollution (list)
-Organic or inorganic substances
-Light, sound, thermal energy
-Biological agents or invasive species
Cornucopian (3 points)
-believes that man will always find a way out of any difficulties, either political, scientific, or technological
-believes resource replacement will solve resource depletion
-extreme technocentrism
environmental indicators
environmental indicators are anything that you can define to describe and measure a component of the environment
Goods
-Physical items (eg., timber, fiber, food, minerals)
-may include renewable resources (timber, ozone), and non-renewable resources (fossil fuels, metal ores)
ecological footprint (EF)
area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed and the assimilation of all wastes by a given human population
-if iti s greater than the area available to the population, indicates of unsustainability
Non-point Source Pollution
Pollution which arises from numerous widely-dispersed oriigns
Second Law of Thermondynamics (3 points)
-The ENTROPY of a system increases over time.
-Entropy is a measure of the amount of DISORDER in a system
-an INCREASE in entropy arising from energy TRANSFORMATIONS then REDUCES the energy available to do work
Tipping point
the MINIMUM amount of change within a system that will DESTABILISE it, causing it to reach a new equilibrium or stable state
acute pollution
pollution arising from a one-off event such as an oil spill
environmental value system (acronym + 2 definition, influences)
-EVS
-a world view/paradigm that shapes a way an individual or group of people perceives and evaluates environmental issues
-influenced by: cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political contexts
Secondary pollutants (definition and example)
Arise from primary pollutants undergoing a physical or chemical CHANGE
-eg: tropospheric ozone in photochemical smog
closed system
exchanges ONLY ENERGY across its boundary
Services (of an ecosystem)
ECosystems may provide life-supporting services such as water replenishment, flood protection, and erosion protection (good idea to be able to list specific examples)
Resilience (of a system)
The tendency of a system to AVOID tipping points and MAINTAIN stability
Natural Income
the YIELD obtained from natural resources (not financial)
Transformation
A flow with a change in the CHEMICAL NATURE or STATE of matter
Technocentric (4 points points)
-believes a pro-growth agenda is deemed necessary for society’s improvement
-encourages scientific research in order to form policies and udnerstand how systems can be CONTROLLED, MANIPULATED, or CHANGED to solve resource depletion
-is a largely optimistic view of the role humans can play in improving the lot of humanity
-argues that technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems
environmental impact assessment (EIA)
-DIFFERENT to a baseline study (i think?)
-a process undertaken prior to a decision being made about a proposed new development
-aim is to ensure sustainable development
-provide decision-makers with information in order to consider the environmental impact of a project
Persistent pollutant
-is NOT biodegradable
-continues to exist in the environment
without intervention from humans
Mitigation strategy
Designed to LIMIT the impact of a project/circumstance (e.g., climate change) and protect the environment (and people in the climate sense)
REDD+
A mechanism that has been under negotiation by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change since 2005
purpose is to mitigate climate change by enhancing FOREST MANAGEMENT in DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Natural Capital
natural resources that can SUPPLY a natural income of goods or services
Open System
Exchanges BOTH energy and matter across its boundary
Model
-simplified version of reality
-can be used to UNDERSTAND how a system works and PREDICT how it will respond to change
Time lag
The speed of response to a CHANGE in a system
chronic pollution
arising from long lasting release of a pollutant with the effects lasting for a long time
Natural resources
Anything that the earth supplies which can be used by humans (e.g., coal, iron ore, forests, water, air)
Isolated system
A hypothetical concept in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged across the boundary
