Topic 1-3 Flashcards
What is ecology?
The knowledge we know about our home/environment. The natural science of the relationships among living organisms, including humans and their physical environment.
Name and explain at least three major environmental challenges to the planet. Briefly explain their causes and solutions.
Climate change, cause: the sum of emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels for energy consumption and transportation, solutions: more fuel-efficient cars, energy-efficient light bulbs, and expanded renewable energy generation.
Name and explain at least three major environmental challenges to the planet. Briefly explain their causes and solutions.
Deforestation, cause: rising demand for lumber and fuelwood, and the conversion of forests to agriculture has also put increasing pressure on the world’s forests, population growth, solutions: enforcement of wildlife conservation habitat protection or deforestation laws.
Name and explain at least three major environmental challenges to the planet. Briefly explain their causes and solutions.
Water pollution, cause: Oil spills and leaks, sewage, industrial waste, and also countries with insufficient water resources and their poor tactics to collect water; solutions: new laws to combat water pollution, wastewater treatments, disposing of medical and chemical waste properly.
What are the risks of identifying the wrong causes of a problem? Example.
Wasting money, time, and resources, you lose the trust of your voters or supporters, and you can potentially make the problem worse or just not solve the problem. If a company were to resolve an issue that caused water pollution and failed to do so in the process, it could lead to more water pollution.
What is effectiveness? Define.
Effectiveness is when it doesn’t matter how you got the job done but it got done.
What is efficiency? Define.
Efficiency is when you got the job done in a timely manner and with the least amount of resources used.
What are the risks of recommending the wrong policies for environmental protection?
If you do not apply the right solution, you will lose money, trust, and time, and you are not resolve anything.
What is an institution? What is an organization? Give an example of an international environmental organization.
Institutions are social practices consisting of easily recognized roles (Oran Young). An organization is a material entities possessing physical locations (or seats), offices, personnel, equipment, and budgets. An example of an international environmental organization is Greenpeace, which is an organization that protests against pollution.
What is an international regime? Define principles, norms and rules. Give examples.
“Sets of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules, and decision-making procedures around which actors’ expectations converge in a given area of international relations” (S. Krasner). Principles: Coherent bodies of theoretical statements about the way the world works; Ex. People should not litter, people should clean up the ocean, eliminate mass destructing weapons. Norms: General standards of behavior, rights, and obligations of states. Ex. Shaking someone’s hand while greeting them or gicing up a seat for a pregnant woman. Rules: Prescriptions for behavior. Ex. Driving on the right side of the road, etc.
What are the landmark global environmental meetings? What are their major accomplishments?
1972, Stockholm, the birth of the UNEP and 109-point action plan for advancing international environmental cooperation.
1992Rio DeJaneiro, Brazil, adopted 3 agreements, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, and the Statement of Forest Principles, adopted 2 major treaties, the climate and biodiversity conventions
2002 Johannesburg, South Africa, only able to review the implementations of the agreements adopted at Earth Summit
2012 Rio +20, which happened in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil included the official proposal for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) adopted by the General Assembly in 2015.
What is the mission of the UNEP?
“Provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.”
What is Brundtland Commission? Name the report that it produced. Explain major focus of the report.
It was a World Commission that aimed to help countries achieve sustainable development. The report that it produced was called “Our Common Future.” The major focus of the report was economy, environment, and social equity.
What is sustainable development (SD)? Is SD desirable and feasible? Yes—
why? No—why?
It is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Yes, it is desirable and feasible if the majority of the population came together and agreed to make a change it could be possible. Such as trying to reuse as many products as possible, create less waste, use sustainable products, and educate others that are not sustainable.
Is limiting population growth a key factor in protecting the global environment?
Discuss.
The rapid population is a key factor because the demand for resources such as food, water, and energy also increases. If we limit population growth, it would ensure that resources are used more sustainably, reduce waste, and protect the ecosystem.
