Environmental Science Quiz 1 Flashcards
What is environmental science?
the interdisciplinary study of the interaction of the biotic and abiotic components of the environment with a specific focus on the impact of humans on the environment
define biotic
living
define abiotic
non-living
What is sustainability?
1.) able to maintain and support a process continuously over time
2.) if it meets the needs of the present with out compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
What are the 3 pillars of sustainability?
social, environment and economic
What is an example of how the 3 pillars of sustainability work together?
-logger head turtle at Tybee island
-they come and lay eggs on the beach however Tybee island is a tourist destination
-how can scientists protect the turtles?
-solution: close the beaches, do nothing which would value social and Economic above everything and the turtles die or protect the turtle nests (this solution compromises all three).
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What is a tragedy of the commons?
tragedy: a bad thing
commons: a shared resource
ex: park, river etc
a tragedy of the commons is a situation which individuals with access to a shared resource (commons) act in their own best interest and in doing so deplete the resource
ex: overfishing in shared waters
define what sustainable means
acting below the carrying capacity
define science
a way of understanding the natural world based on method of seeking answers to questions through observation and expermintation
What are the attributes of science?
observable, measurable, testable, objective, repeatable (able to be replicated), and falsifiable (able to be proven false)
Can science explain everything?
no there are limitations, supernatural vs natural.
science is limited to organisms and processes that can be observed or measured
What is anecdotal evidence?
using your personal experiences and stories to illustrate your point. it has a sample size of 1 or fewer, it often discusses a statistical outlier and It can be difficult to replicate
What is empirical evidence?
it is measured, unbiased and obtained through the scientific method
what is causation?
thing A happened so thing B happened. a change in 1 variable causes a change in the other variable.
What is correlation?
a statistical relationship between 2 variables. 2 things that exist at the same time
What is a scientific law?
a description of an observed phenominon
What is a scientific theory?
a possible explanation for why
What is an example of a scientific law?
the law of gravity: I observe an apple falling from a tree, the law doesn’t say why it fell, it just says that it will happen
Can a theory ever become a law?
no
What is a scientific theory?
it is more that just an educated guess, they can be proven false, but they can never be proven true. A theory is either currently acceptable based on the sum of human science knowledge or it is false
What is the scientific method?
a method for gathering new evidence, it takes the scientist and human out of the equation. in the scientific method what matters is what the data shows
To observe science an idea must be what two things?
observable and measurable
What is step 1 of the scientific method?
1.) Make an observation and ask a question
What is step 2 of the scientific method?
2.) do background research