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Unit Three Flashcards

1
Q

What is exponential growth?

A

Increase in number or size, at a constant rate. Eg. Pandemic at first no one was sick, then everyone at once

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2
Q

What is carrying capacity?

A

the number of people, other living organisms, or crops that a region can support without environmental degradation

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3
Q

What is the rule of 70?

A

number of years to double = 70/annual growth rate

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4
Q

What led to fast growth?

A

1) moved from hunting to farming (agrarian)

2) Developed sewer system (food separate from waste)

3) Medicine and vaccines

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5
Q

Stage one of fast growth…

A

HUNTING AND GATHERING
- Food was not reliable
- Populations fluctuate like the hare/lynx graph. When game or plants were abundant, population increased; if food was scarce population
- Large area of land necessary to support small number of people - earth carrying capacity low
- In order for population to increase a increase in reliable and abundant food source necessary

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6
Q

Stage two of fast growth…

A

AGRICULTRE REVOLUTION
- Resulted in food surplus*
- Increased carrying capacity and provided people with time
- Only reason we are sitting here is because we are based upon the agrarian calendar
- Don’t have to keep moving can stay in one spot → civilizations form

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7
Q

What did agriculture revolution lead to?

A

Less fear of starvation
Other activities due to time
Better life expectancy
Improved health
Introduce trade
Beijing writing
Job specialization

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8
Q

What are the two population growth patterns?

A

1) J Curve
Unlimited environment
No limits to growth

2) S Curve
Pressure on growth (competition, predators) causing rates to slow

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9
Q

Stage 3 of fast growth…

A

CARRYING CAPACITY
- estimate of # of people who can live in an area and be supported (depends on ecological footprint and recourse consumption)

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10
Q

How do we continue to grow carrying capacity?

A

things like GMOs and golden rice provide food to people and allow them to thrive

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11
Q

What is overshoot?

A

Longer the consumption of over the carrying capacity
Degrades carrying capacity

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12
Q

Thomas Malthusian

A

Malthusian growth model, an exponential formula used to project population growth. The theory states that food production will not be able to keep up with growth in the human population, resulting in disease, famine, war, and calamity.

The ideas that malthus had are very interesting because of the threats that climate change is posing to us. Yes we have increased technology, medicine, etc. but will that come to a cost. Maybe Malthus is right and we are to early to see it.

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13
Q

Population is affected by what 4 factors?

A

Birth
Death
Immigration (moving permanently to a new country)
Emigration (moving permanently from one’s native country)

Birth and immigration have a positive effect on a population

Death and emigration have a negative effect on a population

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14
Q

Final population formula

A

Final population = starting pop + births - deaths + imigrantions - emigration

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15
Q

Birth rate formula

A

Birth rate = births / population x 1000

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16
Q

death rate formula

A

Death rate = deaths/population x1000

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17
Q

immigration rate

A

Imigration rate = immigrants/population x1000

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18
Q

immigration rate

A

Emigration rate = emigrants/population x1000

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19
Q

Natural increase rate

A

Natural increase = birth rate - death rate

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20
Q

Net migration rate

A

Net migration rate = immigration rate - emigration rate

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21
Q

Population growth rate

A

Population growth rate = natural increase rate + net migration rate

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22
Q

doubling rate

A

Doubling time = 70/population growth rate

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23
Q

What is causing huge fertility decrease?

A

caused by woman success going to school and getting jobs, want less children

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24
Q

what is dependancy ratio?

A

Measure used to indicate the ratio of people in the “dependant” ages (under 15 and over 65) per 100 people in “economically productive” ages

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25
Dependancy ratio formula
% age under 15 + % of age over 65/ population age 15-64% *100
26
what is a population pyramid?
A diagramic representation of the age and sex composition of a population Allows you to analyze trends in birth and death rates, fertility rates, infant mortality rates Tells about past and present
27
Unstable population pyramids?
PYRAMID SHAPE - Dips in High birth and death rate Low life expectancy Brings countries medical system or political system into question - Lack of contraceptives - Lack of medical
28
Expanding population pyramid?
STRONG PYRAMID SHAPE High births Death rates a bit lower, life expectancy starting to improve Suggests a decent medical system Expect the country’s population to increase rapidly Lots of young, not many elderly
29
Stable population pyramid?
YOUNGER YEARS TO EARLY ADULT AROUND SAME THEN GOES INTO PYRAMID FORM Slow growth Low birth and death High life expectancy Birth rate > death rate Suggest a food medical system: availability of contraceptives and medical treatment Income and standard of living increasing
30
Stationary/slow growth pyramid?
POPULATION DOESN'T DECREASE UNTIL LATER ON Most developed countries All ages groups are similar Birth and earth rates low Life expectancy high Less and less babies No growth Birth rate = death rate
31
Declining pyramid?
UPSIDE DOWN TRIANGLE No country has reached this staged yet, therefore this pyramid represents a prediction of future trends Low birth and death rate High life expectancy Death rate > birth rate Canada heading this way Death rate goes up since there is more old then young, causing more deaths then births
32
What is demographic transition model?
- Theory that every country goes through these different stages of growth and development and will affect their population growth in each stage - The transitions from high birth rates and death rates to low birth rates and death rates as a country develops
33
What happens in stage 2 of transition model?
Stage 2 → death rate drops, birth increases → expansion (demographic trap if countries can’t get out of it- lack of education for females, gender inequality, young marriage age) Highest Growth occurs
34
What happens in stage 4 of transition model?
In Stage 4 → life gets better (family planning, health, improving More developed the higher the stage
35
What led to the large increase in GHG?
industrialization and clear cutting forest
36
What is the concentration of GHG in the earths atmosphere directly linked to?
average global temp.
37
What is the green house effect?
good thing only reason we are here, the problem is that humans are enhance the effect and causing heat to be trapped faster increase our global temperature - Most heat is absorbed by greenhouse gasses and reflected in all directions, warming the earth - Sunlight reaches the earth - Some energy is reflected back into space - Some is absorbed and re-radiated as heat
38
Main green house gases
water (H2O), CO2 (most human caused), and methane (CH4) - These two correlate with human activity (industrialization)
39
Why is earth called the goldi locks planet
not too hot, not too cold, perfect distance from the sun Only planet able to sustain life that we know of
40
What are carbon sinks?
Any reservoir, natural or otherwise that accumulates and stores carbon for an indefinite period and thereby lowers the concentration of CO2 - Two most important carbon sinks are vegetation and the ocean
41
Since when have global temperatures been continuing to rise?
Industrial revolution
42
what is the most abundant GHG?
CO2 - product of burning fuels
43
Carbon VS Methane
Carbon dioxide is the most significant anthropogenic GhG, but not because of its effectiveness to absorb heat (global warming potential or GWP of 1) Methan (GWP of 62) is powerful of GhG when organic material breaks down in absence of O2 60-80% of global methane comes from human activity
44
what is methane caused by?
Decomposing garbage Waste production of extraction/processing of fossil fuels Digestive tracts of domestic animals
45
How do we measure CO2?
Ancient air bubbles trapped in ice enable us to step back in time and see what Earth's atmosphere, and climate, were like in the distant past. They tell us that levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are higher than they have been at any time in the past 400,000 years.
46
Where do GHG come from?
Majority comes from energy requirements (industry, businesses, cars, transportation, etc) Next biggest chunk - agriculture (to feed us, deforestation, agriculture , crop burning)
47
Where are we seeing impacts of warming?
everywhere but especially in Northern hemisphere and Arctic being impacted most
48
What is causing warming oceans
Absorb most of excess head form GHG emissions leading to rising ocean temps Rising temps cause coral bleaching and loss of breeding grounds for marine fishes and mammals Threatens food security, increasing the prevalence of disease and causing more extreme weather
49
What is albedo?
= Amount of solar radiation reflected by surface Surface that are light have high albedo and reflect heat Darker surfaces absorb heat
50
Positive feedback loop?
The affect of something than enhances the result of global warming Causes sea ice to melt, exposes more ocean which have a low albedo and absorb more heat, cause it to melt more ice and continues the cycle The permafrost in the northern hemisphere, exists tundra vegetation and in that is frozen tons of carbon and methane and viruses etc. over time the permafrost melts which releases more CO2 and methane which causes more warming and causes more permafrost to melt and continues on
51
Negative feedback loop?
Decreases the effect Response to some kind of stimulus In tropical areas vegetation will grow larger as heat increases and pull CO2 out of the air But unfortunately can’t keep up
52
Climate feedback loop
Can either amplify or diminish the effect climate is forcing
53
Climate tipping points?
ocean circulation, ice loss, rapid release of methane
54
How is ocean circulation a tipping point?
As Arctic sea ice and Greenland ice sheet melt (fresh water) ocean circulation in the Atlantic may divert the gulf stream This would significantly change regional weather patterns Could lead to cooling in the western europe Highlights the importance of ocean circulation in maintaining regional climates Once you switch ocean currents there is no going back and there are dramatic effects
55
How is ice loss a tipping point?
Due to strong albedo of ice and the positive feedback loop. If enough ice melts the earths surface will absorb more and more heat and we may hit a point of no return Shrinking ice sheets contribute to sea level rise Can impact costal communities
56
How is rapid release of methane a tipping point?
Deposits of frozen methane, potent GHG and CO2 lie beneath permafrost in arctic regions A quarter of the northern hemisphere is covered by permafrost As the environment warms and permafrost thaws the deposits can be released into the atmosphere and present risk of enhanced warming
57
What is causing rising sea levels?
- added water from melting ice sheets - expansion of water as it warms
58
What is polar vortex?
Area of low pressure and cold air over the Earth's North and South poles Gets speed and temperature from difference in temperatures As polar regions start to warm, the stream will lose its power as the difference between warm and cold is less Stream starts to wobble a lot
59
Tragedy of the commons
This is a situation where individuals acting independently and rationally according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the best interests of the whole by depleting some common resource.
60
Carbon footprint and meat
We waste a ton of food from consuming and producing food Majority of food should come from plants Beef produces huge amounts of methane and GHG emissions
61
Deforestation for farming
Meat is a big cause for deforestation In tropical areas, agriculture consumes the land Corporations and local farmers take over forest and clear trees to supply the high demand of crops such as soybeans and palm oil
62
How can we lower GHG emissions
improve diet, healthy calories, high yields, plant rich diet, half food waste, lower emission intensity at farm

World Issues (4 decks)

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