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Biology - Human Impact > Environmental Science > Flashcards

Environmental Science Flashcards

0
Q

3 aspects of sustainability

A

Economic
Social
Environment

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1
Q

Sustainability

A

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

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2
Q

Economic

A

Job conservation
economic development
cost to benefit balance

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3
Q

Social

A

Maintain quality of life

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4
Q

Environment

A

Pollution
Waste
Conservation of resources
Maintaining biodiversity

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5
Q

Main areas of impact

A 
Water usage/pollution
Climate change
Air pollution
Over consumption/exploitation
Solid waste
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6
Q

Water

A

Single greatest resource

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7
Q

Water is used for

A

Personal use
Agriculture
Recreation

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8
Q

Water management

A

Helps communities manage water and reduce water pollution

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9
Q

Struggles with water

A 
Phoenix water is above K
Water wars (Colorado River)
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10
Q

Biomagnification

A

Toxic chemical pollutants released into the water are taken up (eaten by small consumers and the toxin gets stored in their muscle tissue)

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11
Q

Process of biomagnification

A

As larger and larger consumers eat more and more smaller fish, the dose of stored chemical get larger and eventually too consumers eat infected organisms and receive the largest doses of the toxin

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12
Q

Toxins consumed through biomagnification

A

DDT and mercury

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13
Q

Acid rain

A

Caused by fossil fuel emissions and produced when pollutants in the water cycle cause rain pH to drop

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14
Q

Effects of acid rain

A

Can lower the pH of a lake or stream

Can harm trees

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15
Q

How acid rain is produced

A

Emissions evaporate
Travel by wind
Blend into rain

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16
Q

Acid rain pH vs. normal rain pH

A

4.5 vs. 5.6

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17
Q

Smog

A

A haze of pollutants that hangs in the air

A combination of smoke and fog

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18
Q

What smog is composed of

A 
nitrogen dioxide
carbon monoxide
sulfur dioxide
ozone
particulates (tiny particles of soot, ash, or dust)
19
Q

Affects of smog

A

Can cause respiratory problems
burning and watery eyes
Increases suspectibilty to disease
Contributes to an estimated 50,000 deaths per year in the U.S.

20
Q

Global climate change

A

As more fossil fuels are burned, more CO2 and methane gases (CH4) enter our atmosphere and create a blanket effect that holds in the sun’s energy

21
Q

Outcomes of global climate change

A 
Changes in ice caps
Drying rivers/lakes
Longer summers/delayed winters
More severe weather 
Flooding
Fires
22
Q

Cause of desertification

A

Clear cutting forests

23
Q

Effects of burning fossil fuels

A

Increase in VOCs (volital organic compounds) and NOx (types of nitrogen) which also cause poor AQ (air quality) leading to smog/air pollution

24
Q

Coal

A

Never “clean”

Carbon and nitrogen cycles impacted

25
Q

Why “climate change” is more accurate than “global warming”

A
  • Much more far-reaching consequences
  • Not only planet getting warmer but extremes on both ends of the spectrum (dynamic weather pattern shifts)
  • issues also in agriculture, sea life, water ability, wildfires
26
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

A natural phenomenon that keeps our planet at a livable temperature (warmer)

27
Q

Why does the greenhouse effect occur?

A

We have the ozone layer and other atmospheric layers to protect the Earth

28
Q

How the greenhouse effect is increased

A

Humans over produce greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4)

29
Q

Climate change

A

A human-caused phenomenon through the run-away production of greenhouse gases this increasing the effect of the greenhouse effect causing higher than ever average temperatures in the planet

30
Q

Opposite of sustainability

A

Over consumption or exploitation

31
Q

Over consumption

A

Taking more than is needed

32
Q

Exploitation

A

Taking away an entire resource

33
Q

Ways we consume/exploit

A

Invasive species
Clear cutting
Produce non-reusable materials(trash)
Urban sprawl

34
Q

Invasive species

A

Organisms brought to a new area by humans and those organisms out compete native species because the invasive species don’t have natural predators (intentional and accidental)

35
Q

Examples of invasive species

A 
Cane toads (intentional)
zebra muscles (accidental)
burmese python (intentional)
kudzu (intentional)
emerald ash borer (accidental)
36
Q

Clear cutting forests

A

Destroying rainforest to do agriculture (desertification)

37
Q

Produce non-reusable materials(trash)

A

Solid waste

38
Q

Biodegradable

A

Materials that can be degraded or broken down by microorganisms into essential nutrients

39
Q

Non-biodegradable

A

Materials that cannot be broken down by natural processes

40
Q

Urban sprawl

A

Secondary succession (habitat destruction) done to natural habitats to develop land

41
Q

H.I.P.P.O (big environmental impacts)

A 
Habitat loss
Invasive species
Pollution
Population growth (humans)
Over harvesting (over consumption)
42
Q

World energy consumption

A

Fossil fuels 81%
Renewables 16%
Nuclear 2.8%

43
Q

Renewables (broken down) 16%

A

Wind/solar/biomass/geothermal power generation 0.7%
Biofuels 0.6%
Biomass/solar/geothermal/hot water/heating 1.5%
Hydropower 3.4%
Traditional biomass 10%

44
Q

What can be done to reduce the matter

A

Reduce usage and consumption
Stick and carrots (reward)
Reforestation
Develop non-fossil fuel energy providers (wind or solar)
Leaders can give tax cuts
Give companies money to develop alternatives

Biology - Human Impact (1 decks)

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