Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Environmental Systems and Societies > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is a perspective?

A

The way in which an individual views and understands a particular situation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are perspectives influenced by?

A

Personal and collective assumptions, values and beliefs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are values?

A

Deeply held beliefs that focus on the things that certain people see as important or desirable in life.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are worldviews?

A

The lenses shared by groups of people through which they perceive, make sense of and act within their environment.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How are worldviews shaped?

A

Through how societies see the world, and how people’s values and perspectives are shaped through culture, philosophy, religion, ideology and politics.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is an environmental values system (EVS)?

A

A model showing the inputs affecting our perspectives and the outputs resulting from our perspectives.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What does an EVS consist of?

A

Inputs, outputs and storages.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are some EVS inputs?

A

Education, worldviews, the media, economic factors, cultural influences, and religion.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are some EVS outputs?

A

Judgements, choices and courses of action.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the three main environmental perspectives (worldviews)?

A

Ecocentrism, anthropocentrism and technocentrism.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is an ecocentric perspective?

A

Putting ecology and nature as a central to humanity (nature-centred). Shows how important nature is.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is an anthropocentric perspective?

A

The view that humans must sustainable manage the global system (people-centred). Could be through the use of taxes and laws.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is a technocentric perspective?

A

The view that technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems (technology-centred).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are pressure groups and how do they impact the environments?

A

Pressure groups are a group of people who put pressure on governments to act sustainably, by making protests.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is Greenpeace?

A

A NGO that mounted an anti-whaling campaign and developed into ‘Save the Whale’ campaign making news headlines.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What did Greta Thunberg do to help the environment?

A

Held many ‘school strikes’ to protect the climate.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What did Rachel Carson do to help the environment?

A

She was a marine scientists and made a book ‘Silent Spring’ to highlight the environmental hazards posed by pesticides.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What did Jane Goodall do to help the environment?

A

She was the first person to study chimpanzees in the wild, setting up a global community conservation organization that advances her vision.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is a system?

A

An assemblage of parts and the relationships between them which create a whole.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What does a system show?

A

How components within the whole system relate to one another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are storages in a system?

A

A place where matter or energy is kept.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are flows in a system?

A

Inputs and outputs of energy and matter between storages.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are storages represented as in a systems diagram?

A

Rectangular boxes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are flows represented as in a systems diagram?

A

Arrows going in the direction of the flow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What two processes can flows be?
Transfers or transformations
26
What is a transfer?
A change in location
27
What is a transformation?
A change in the chemical nature, change in state or energy.
28
What is an open system?
A system where both matter and energy are exchanged through the boundaries.
29
What does organic mean in a system?
For an open system- the system must interact with their environment to take in energy and new matter to remove waste.
30
What is a closed system?
A system where energy is exchanged across the boundaries but NOT matter.
31
What is the Gaia Hypothesis?
A theory that states that all components of the Earth work together to form a 'living organism', which is the Earth.
32
What is an ecosystem?
A community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they inhabit.
33
What is a biome?
Ecosystems with similar climactic conditions in different parts of the world.
34
What is negative feedback?
Feedback that brings a system back to equilibrium, reducing the likelihood of a tipping point.
35
What is an example of a negative feedback loop?
Burning of fossil fuels --> increased release of carbon dioxide --> enhanced plant growth.
36
What is equilibrium?
A state of balance among the components of a system.
37
What is positive feedback?
Feedback that brings a system away from equilibrium, towards a tipping point.
38
What is an example of a positive feedback loop?
Increased temperature through global warming --> melting of ice in polar ice caps and glaciers --> decrease in albedo.
39
What is albedo?
The white in north and South Pole that reflects heat from the Earth's surface.
40
What is a tipping point?
When even a small change can have dramatic effects and cause a large response in the system.
41
What is a model?
A simplified version of reality.
42
What are some strengths of models?
They allow scientists to simplify complex systems, used to predict things, inputs can be changed and outputs examined.
43
What are some limitations of models?
It is nearly impossible to take all variables into account, may be too oversimplified (less accurate), data put into the model may be unreliable.
44
What is a trophic level?
The position that an organism occupies in a food chain.
45
What is resilience (in a system)?
The capacity to resist damage and recover from or adapt efficiently to disturbance.
46
What is sustainability?
Using global resources at a rate that allows natural regeneration and minimizes damage to the environment.
47
What is environmental sustainability?
Focusing on resource depletion, pollution and conserving biodiversity.
48
What is pollution?
The contamination of the Earth
49
What is biodiversity?
The variety of life on Earth
50
What is social sustainability?
The survival of societies and their cultures
51
What is economic sustainability?
The ability of the present generation to meet its needs without compromising those of future generations.
52
What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
A measure of national output.
53
What is environmental justice?
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the enforcement of environmental laws.
54
What is an ecological footprint?
A focus on given population and its current rate of resource consumption and estimate the area of environment necessary to support that population.
55
What is a carbon footprint?
The quantity of greenhouse gases produced by human activities
56
What do greenhouse gases do?
Heat up the planet
57
What is biocapacity?
The capacity of a given biologically productive area to generate an ongoing supply of renewable resources to absorb its resulting wastes.
58
What is citizen science?
The involvement of the public in scientific research.
59
What are the SDGs?
Sustainable development goals
60
What do the SDGs do?
Provide a framework for sustainable development and address global challenges faced by humanity.
61
What is the planetary boundaries model used for?
Identify science based limits to human disturbance of earth's systems.
62
What does the doughnut economics model do that the planetary boundaries model does not?
It also focuses on the social aspect
63
What is the doughnut economics model?
A model that shows the planetary boundaries (ecological systems) as well as social foundation.
64
What is the circular economy model?
Reusing materials to benefit the environment
65

Environmental Systems and Societies (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions