Unit 1: Environmental Science and Sustainability

Question 1

Environment

Answer 1

a complex entity of all living and nonliving things, including the structures, urban centers and other living spaces created by humans in the built environment

Question 2

Environmental Science

Answer 2

the interdisciplinary study (including natural and social sciences) of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us, and how we affect our environment

Question 3

Renewable Natural Resources

Answer 3

are replenished over relatively short periods

EX. sunlight, wind, wave energy

Question 4

Nonrenewable Natural Resources

Answer 4

are finite in supply- once depleted, they are no longer available
EX. mineral ores and crude oil

Question 5

Ecosystem Services

Answer 5

essential processes carried out by naturally functioning ecosystems, supporting living things and making human economic activity possible
EX. air purification, plant pollination by animals, etc.

Question 6

Ecological Footprint

Answer 6

represents the total area of biologically productive land and water needed to produce the resources and absorb the wastes (ex. CO2 emissions) of a given person or population

Question 7

Natural Capital

Answer 7

Earth’s store of resources combined with the ecosystem services provided by the planet

Question 8

Scientific Method

Answer 8

technique for testing ideas by 1) making observations and 2) asking questions, which lead to 3) developing a hypothesis

Question 9

Hypothesis

Answer 9

a testable explanation

Question 10

Controlled Scientific Experiment

Answer 10

tests the validity of a prediction or hypothesis, manipulating one variable at a time

Question 11

Independent Variable

Answer 11

the manipulated variable

Question 12

Dependent Variable

Answer 12

the one being measured

Question 13

Control Variable

Answer 13

the unmanipulated case used for comparison

Question 14

Replication

Answer 14

repeating an entire experiment and offering multiple replicates of the result of that experiment

Question 15

Quantitative Data

Answer 15

information expressed by numbers

Question 16

Data Analysis

Answer 16

represented in a graph format

EX. scatter plot, line, bar, pie chart

Question 17

Peer Review

Answer 17

determines whether work merits publication

Question 18

Theory

Answer 18

a widely accepted, well-tested explanation of one or more cause-and-effect relationships that has been extensively validated

Question 19

Sustainability

Answer 19

a guiding principle of modern environmental science that requires us to live in such a way as to maintain Earth’s systems and its natural resources for the foreseeable future

Question 20

Sustainable Development

Answer 20

satisfies our current needs without compromising the future availability of natural resources or our future quality of life

Question 21

Triple Bottom Line

Answer 21

solutions that foster economic advancement while also protecting the environment and promoting social equity

Question 22

Audits

Answer 22

produce baseline data on how much an institution consumes and pollutes

Question 23

Recycling and Waste Reduction

Answer 23

common sustainability efforts

Question 24

Green Building

Answer 24

constructed from sustainable building materials, are designed to reduce pollution, use renewable energy, and encourage efficiency in energy and water use

Question 25

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Answer 25

the agreed-upon standards guiding the design and certification of green buildings

Question 26

Carbon-neutrality

Answer 26

involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions and/or employing carbon offsets to reduce the net amount of carbon released into the atmosphere to zero

Question 27

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

Answer 27

shows how value is maximized by conserving natural resources rather than exploiting them for short-term profits

Question 28

Consumer Power

Answer 28

expressing preferences through the political system, “voting with your wallet” for sustainably produced goods, and rethinking assumptions about economic growth as an ultimate goal

Question 29

Population Stability

Answer 29

the growth in population and per capita consumption

Question 30

Green Technology

Answer 30

helps reduce environmental impact

EX. recycling and wastewater treatment tech, and solar, wind, and geothermal energy technologies

Question 31

Systemic Solutions

Answer 31

promotion of solutions that focus on “big picture” solutions, not merely the symptoms of the problem

Question 32

Long-term Perspective

Answer 32

a solution must work in the long term, as often the best long-term solution is not always the best short-term “political” solution