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ESS > 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

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2
Q

How are perspectives influenced?

A

With values and beliefs

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3
Q

What are values

A

Deeply held beliefs focused on the things that people see as important or desirable in life

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4
Q

An example of showing values

A

A person who has had direct experience of climate change may form personal values that reflect this

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5
Q

What are values surveys

A

Can be used to investigate the values underpinning the perspectives shown by a particular social group

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6
Q

What is a questionnaire

A

A document that asks the same questions to all individuals in the sample

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7
Q

What are worldviews

A

The lenses shared by groups of people, how societies see the world and how peoples values are shaped by many factors

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8
Q

Environmental Values System (EVS)

A

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

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9
Q

State some EVS inputs

A

Education, worldviews, the media, cultural influences, economic factors, sociopolitical factors, religion

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10
Q

State some EVS outputs

A

Judgement, choices, courses of action

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11
Q

What three perspectives is the EVS separated in

A

Ecocentric, anthropocentric and technocentric

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12
Q

What is an ecocentric perspective

A

The idea that ecology and nature is the centre to humanity

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13
Q

What is an anthropocentric perspective

A

The belief that humans must sustainably manage the global system

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14
Q

What is a technocentric perspective

A

The belief that technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems

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15
Q

What is a pressure group

A

A group that puts pressure on an organisation to act more sustainably correct (eg protestors)

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16
Q

What is Greenpeace?

A

An influential pressure group (NGO) that made an anti-whaling campaign

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17
Q

How is Greta Thunberg influential

A

She held school strikes to protect the climate, starting a global movement

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18
Q

How is Rachel Carson influential

A

She was the first person to highlight the environmental hazards posed by pesticides

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19
Q

How is Jane Goodall influential

A

She studied chimpanzees in the wild and set up a global community conservation organisation

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20
Q

What is a system

A

An assemblage of parts and the relationships between them that make a whole

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21
Q

How are the interdependent components of systems connected

A

Through energy and matter

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22
Q

What is a storage

A

A place where matter or energy is kept

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23
Q

What is a flow

A

Something that provides inputs and outputs of energy and matter

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24
Q

How are system diagrams drawn

A

Storages are rectangular boxes and flows are arrows marking the direction of the flow

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25
Q

What two forms can flows come in

A

Transfers and transformations

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26
Q

What is a transfer

A

A change in location

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27
Q

What is a transformation

A

A change in energy or state of matter

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28
Q

What is an open system

A

A system where both matter and energy is exchanged across the boundaries

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29
Q

Examples of open systems

A

Forests and rivers

30
Q

What does organic mean

A

Living (open systems are organic)

31
Q

What is a closed system

A

A system where energy is exchanged across the boundaries but matter is not

32
Q

Examples of closed systems

A

Aquarium with a lid

33
Q

What is the Gaia Hypothesis

A

The Earth is compared to a living organism which feedback maintains equilibrium, stating that Earth is a global control

34
Q

What is an ecosystem

A

A community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they inhabit

35
Q

What are biomes

A

Ecosystems with similar climactic conditions in different parts of the world

36
Q

What is negative feedback

A

Feedback that counteracts any change away from equilibrium, promoting stability

37
Q

What is equilibrium

A

A state of balance among the components of a system

38
Q

What is positive feedback

A

A source of instability or change which counteracts the equilibrium of a system

39
Q

Example of a positive feedback loop

A

More global warming –> increased temperature –> melting of ice –> decreased albedo

40
Q

What is a tipping point

A

A critical threshold where even a small change can have dramatic effects and cause a disproportionately large response in the overall system.

41
Q

What is a model

A

A simplified version of reality, used to understand how systems work and interact

42
Q

What are some advantages of models

A

They allow scientists to simplify complex things, can predict things, allow inputs to be changed and examined, the public and other scientists can understand because it is simple

43
Q

What are some disadvantages of models

A

It may be hard to take all variables into account, different models could show different effects using the same data, may be oversimplified and less accurate, many assumptions may be made making it unreliable

44
Q

What is a trophic level

A

The position that an organism occupies in a food chain

45
Q

What is resilience

A

The capacity to resist damage and recover from or adapt efficiently to disturbance

46
Q

What is sustainability

A

Using global resources at a rate which allows natural regeneration and minimises damage to the environment

47
Q

What is environmental sustainability

A

The focus on resource depletion, pollution and conserving biodiversity

48
Q

What is pollution

A

The contamination of the Earth and atmosphere to an extent that normal processes are severely affected

49
Q

What is biodiversity

A

The variety of life on Earth

50
Q

What is social sustainability

A

The focus on the survival of societies and their cultures, considering their use of language and beliefs

51
Q

What is economic sustainability

A

The ability of the present generation to meet its needs without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs

52
Q

What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

A

A measure of national output

53
Q

What is environmental justice

A

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development and implementation of environmental laws and policies

54
Q

What is an ecological footprint (EF)

A

The focus on a given population and its current rate of resource consumption and the estimation of the area of environment needed to sustainably support this population

55
Q

What is a carbon footprint

A

The relation to specific quantity of greenhouse gases produced by human activities

56
Q

What do greenhouse gases do

A

Heat up the planet

57
Q

What is biocapacity

A

The capacity of a given biologically productive area to generate an ongoing supply of renewable resources and absorb existing wastes

58
Q

What is citizen science

A

The involvement of the public in scientific research

59
Q

What are some advantages of the sustainable development goals (SDGs)

A

They set a common ground for policy making

60
Q

What are some limitations of the sustainable development goals (SDGs)

A

They do not go far enough, ignore local contexts and lack supportive data

61
Q

What does the planetary boundaries model do

A

Identifies science-based limits to human disurbances of Earth’s systems and highlights the need to focus on more than just climate change

62
Q

What is a limitation of the planetary boundaries model

A

It only focuses on ecological systems and does not consider the human dimension necessary to act for environmental justice

63
Q

What is the doughnut economics model

A

A model that addresses the challenges of meeting environmental and social sustainability, with human and environmental factors

64
Q

What is a regenerative economy

A

One that works within the cycles and limits of the world

65
Q

What is a distributive economy

A

One that shares values and opportunities more equally among stakeholders

66
Q

What are the three pillars of sustainability

A

Economic, social and economic

67
Q

What is the circular economy model

A

The reuse approach

68
Q

What are the three principles the circular economy is based around

A
  1. Eliminate waste and pollution
  2. Keep products and materials in use
  3. Regenerate natural systems
69
Q

What is the butterfly diagram

A

The visual representation of the circular economy, showing the different ways which materials can be kept in use

70
Q
A

ESS (2 decks)

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