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ESS all topic definitions and key points > TOPIC 1 > Flashcards

TOPIC 1 Flashcards

1
Q

biodegradable

A

capable of being broken down by natural biological processes

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2
Q

sources of pollution (5 main ones)

A

-agriculture
-manufacturing industry
-domestic waste
transport
energy

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3
Q

Primary pollutants (definition + example)

A

Pollutants active on emission/release (e.g., CO2)

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4
Q

Sustainability (2 points, definition)

A

-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

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5
Q

baseline study (2 definitions)

A

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

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6
Q

Steady-state equilibrium

A

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

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7
Q

Negative feedback loop

A

-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

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8
Q

ecocentric (3 points)

A

-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

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9
Q

Flow

A

a MOVEMENT into or out of a system and between storages in a system (energy OR matter)

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10
Q

Transfer

A

A flow with a change in location

-e.g. water entering a lake

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11
Q

First law of thermodynamics

A

-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)

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12
Q

anthropocentric (3 points)

A

-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

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13
Q

Pollution (3 points)

A

-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

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14
Q

Positive Feedback Loop

A

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

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15
Q

biosphere

A

the part of the earth inhabited by organisms; extends from the upper parts of the atmosphere to deep within the earth’s crust

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16
Q

Point Source Pollution

A

Pollution arising from a single clearly-identifiable site

e.g., a pipe emitting polluted water

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17
Q

Society (you live in it)

A

An arbitrary group of individuals who share some common characteristics

these include:
geographical location, cultural background, historical timeframe, religious perspectives

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18
Q

Sustainable development

A

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

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19
Q

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)

A

MEA was a collaborative research project that measured TWENTY FOUR indicators of ecosystems and their services

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20
Q

Store/storage

A

-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)

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21
Q

Stable equilibrium

A

The condition of a system in which there is a TENDENCY for it to RETURN to the previous equilibrium following DISTURBANCE

22
Q

System approach

A

A way of visualising a complex set of INTERACTIONS, which may be ecological or societal

23
Q

Types of pollution (list)

A

-Organic or inorganic substances

-Light, sound, thermal energy

-Biological agents or invasive species

24
Q

Cornucopian (3 points)

A

-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

25
Q

environmental indicators

A

environmental indicators are anything that you can define to describe and measure a component of the environment

26
Q

Goods

A

-Physical items (eg., timber, fiber, food, minerals)

-may include renewable resources (timber, ozone), and non-renewable resources (fossil fuels, metal ores)

27
Q

ecological footprint (EF)

A

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

28
Q

Non-point Source Pollution

A

Pollution which arises from numerous widely-dispersed oriigns

29
Q

Second Law of Thermondynamics (3 points)

A

-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

30
Q

Tipping point

A

the MINIMUM amount of change within a system that will DESTABILISE it, causing it to reach a new equilibrium or stable state

31
Q

acute pollution

A

pollution arising from a one-off event such as an oil spill

32
Q

environmental value system (acronym + 2 definition, influences)

A

-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

33
Q

Secondary pollutants (definition and example)

A

Arise from primary pollutants undergoing a physical or chemical CHANGE

-eg: tropospheric ozone in photochemical smog

34
Q

closed system

A

exchanges ONLY ENERGY across its boundary

35
Q

Services (of an ecosystem)

A

ECosystems may provide life-supporting services such as water replenishment, flood protection, and erosion protection (good idea to be able to list specific examples)

36
Q

Resilience (of a system)

A

The tendency of a system to AVOID tipping points and MAINTAIN stability

37
Q

Natural Income

A

the YIELD obtained from natural resources (not financial)

38
Q

Transformation

A

A flow with a change in the CHEMICAL NATURE or STATE of matter

39
Q

Technocentric (4 points points)

A

-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

40
Q

environmental impact assessment (EIA)

A

-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

41
Q

Persistent pollutant

A

-is NOT biodegradable

-continues to exist in the environment
without intervention from humans

42
Q

Mitigation strategy

A

Designed to LIMIT the impact of a project/circumstance (e.g., climate change) and protect the environment (and people in the climate sense)

43
Q

REDD+

A

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

44
Q

Natural Capital

A

natural resources that can SUPPLY a natural income of goods or services

45
Q

Open System

A

Exchanges BOTH energy and matter across its boundary

46
Q

Model

A

-simplified version of reality

-can be used to UNDERSTAND how a system works and PREDICT how it will respond to change

47
Q

Time lag

A

The speed of response to a CHANGE in a system

48
Q

chronic pollution

A

arising from long lasting release of a pollutant with the effects lasting for a long time

49
Q

Natural resources

A

Anything that the earth supplies which can be used by humans (e.g., coal, iron ore, forests, water, air)

50
Q

Isolated system

A

A hypothetical concept in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged across the boundary

ESS all topic definitions and key points (10 decks)

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