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APES > I - Environmental Problems, Their Causes, & Sustainability > Flashcards

I - Environmental Problems, Their Causes, & Sustainability Flashcards

1
Q

What are some major environmental problems?

A 
Biodiversity Depletion
Food Supply Problems
Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Waste Production
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2
Q

Environment

A

All external conditions & factors that affect living organisms

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3
Q

Ecology

A

Study of relationships between living organisms & environment

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4
Q

Environmental Science

A

Interdisciplinary study of role of humans on the Earth

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5
Q

Major fields of study that contribute to environmental science

A 
Biology
Earth science
Physics
Chemistry
Social Sciences
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6
Q

Solar Capital

A

Provides 99% of energy used on Earth

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7
Q

Earth Capital

A

Life-support and economic services

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8
Q

Sustainability

A

Persistence of a system through time

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9
Q

Qualities of a sustainable society

A

Economy & population size without EXCEEDING planet’s ability to absorb INSULTS, replenish its RESOURCES, and sustain HUMAN & LIFE over a specified period

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10
Q

Carrying capacity

A

Number of organisms that can be sustained a a particular environment

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11
Q

Linear growth

A

quantity is increasing by a constant amount per unit of time

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12
Q

Exponential growth

A

quantity increases by a fixed percentage of whole in a given time as each increase is applied to the base for further growth

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13
Q

Human population growth is most similar to which growth pattern

A

Exponential

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14
Q

How long does it take for the human population to double itself?

A

60K year -> 1 billion
130 yr -> 2 billion
45 yr -> 4 billion
less than 45 yr -> 8 billion

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15
Q

Doubling rates are calculated using

A

the Rule of 70

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16
Q

Rule of 70

A

70/ percentage growth rate = doubling rate in years

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17
Q

Economic growth

A

Increase in capacity to provide goods and services for people’s final use
Seeked by virtually all countries

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18
Q

Goods and services are produced by

A

Increasing the flow of matter and energy resources through an economy

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19
Q

GNP

A

gross national product

market value in current dollars off all goods & services produced by a country during a year

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20
Q

Characteristics of Developed Countries

A 
Highly Industrialized
High average per capita GNP
20% of world population
Command 85% of world's wealth and income
Use 88% of natural resources
Generate 75% of pollution & wastes
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21
Q

Examples of developed countries

A

US
Canada
Japan
Germany

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22
Q

Characteristics of developing countries

A 
Little industrialization
Low-moderate per capita GNPS
80% world population
15% world's wealth & income
12% world's natural resources
Generate 25% world's pollution & wastes
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23
Q

Examples of developing countries

A

Most countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America

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24
Q

Population is increasing faster in

A

Developing countries than in developed countries

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25
Wealth Gap
Gap between per capita GNP of rich, middle, and poor widened
26
Hans Rosling
Debunked "developing world" myth-> most DW heading on same trajectory to health and prosperity
27
Ecological resources
Anything that required an organism for normal maintenance, growth, & reproduction
28
Ecological resources examples
Habitat Water Shelter Food
29
Economic resources
Anything obtained from the environment to meet human needs & wants
30
Economic resources examples
fresh water Soil Plants & animals fossil fuels
31
Renewable resources
Can be replenished relatively rapidly
32
Nonrenewable resources
Can be exhausted & not renewed in human time scales
33
Renewable resources examples
Direct solar energy Winds Tides Flowing Water
34
Potentially renewable resources examples
Fresh air Fresh water Fertile soil Biodiversity
35
Nonrenewable resources examples
Fossil fuels Metallic minerals Non Metallic minerals
36
Sustainable yield
Highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply
37
Exceeding sustainable yield leads to
environmental degradation
38
Tragedy of the Commons
Common property resources are very susceptible to environmental degradation Conflict between short-term interests of individuals and long-term welfare of society
39
If land is held in common,
Individuals tend to graze as many animals as possible, leading to destruction of land.
40
``` When commons are replaced by enclosed fields owned by individuals, ```
``` people tend to graze only the number of animals the land can support ```
41
Hardin predicted
people would deplete natural resources to the point of society’s collapse by acting in their own self-interest
42
Opponents consider social nature of humans:
Living in groups-> INTERDEPENDENT Solving problems through solutions which may override individual's short-term interest but improve env'tal quality in long run
43
Pollution
UNDESIRABLE change in physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air, water, soil, or food that can ADVERSELY affect humans or other living organisms. Can also include noise, heat, etc.
44
Point Source
SINGLE identified sources of | pollution
45
Point Source examples
smoke stack or effluent discharge
46
Nonpoint Source
DISPERSED & often difficult to identify sources
47
Nonpoint Source examples
agricultural runoff
48
Components to determining severity of pollutants
Chemical nature Concentration Persistence
49
Chemical Nature
How active & harmful to living organisms? Very LITTLE is know about possible harmful effects of 90% of 72,000 synthetic chemicals
50
Concentration
How much is present the environment?
51
Common concentration used includes ...
One part per million (ppm) One part per billion (ppb) One part per trillion (ppt)
52
Persistence
How long does it take to break down to acceptable | levels?
53
Three types of persistence
Degradable/ nonpersistent Slowly degradable/ persistent Nondegradable
54
Degradable (nonpersistent) pollutants
broken down COMPLETELY or reduced to ACCEPTABLE levels by natural, physical, chemical, and biological processes
55
Degradable (nonpersistent) pollutant example
Human sewage in a river
56
Slowly degradable (persistent) pollutants
take DECADES or longer to degrade
57
Slowly degradable (persistent) pollutant examples
DDT & plastics
58
Nondegradable pollutants
CANNOT be broken down by | natural processes
59
Nondegradable pollutant examples
lead & mercury
60
Preventing pollution from reaching the environment
Preventing pollution though pollution control technology is a LONG-TERM solution
61
Pollution clean-up
SHORT-TERM solutions Causes pollution Expensive process
62
Sustainability
Earth’s carrying capacity has EXPANDED due to cultural change.
63
Notable human advancements
Tool- making 1 mil years ago Agricultural 100K years ago Industrial-scientific 10K years ago
64
Predictions about future human population
Continued growth Population stabilization Population crash
65
The Hunter-Gatherers Lifestyle
FEW possessions 3 Energy sources -> Sun, fire, manpower "Earth wisdom" -> expert knowledge of nature HIGH infant mortality/ LOW life expectancy SLOW population growth
66
The Hunter-Gatherers | Env'tal Impact
``` Converted forests to grasslands Possibly led to extinction of large game Altered distribution of plants and animals which fed from them ```
67
The Agriculturalists Lifestyle
``` DOMESTICATED animals SHIFTING CULTIVATION techniques, irrigation, urbanization Accumulation of materials DECREASED infant mortality INCREASED life expectancy INCREASED pop. growth ```
68
The Agriculturalists Env'tal Impact
``` SLASH & BURN CULTIVATION fertile land turned to deserts; topsoil washed away into streams, lakes, etc Societal conflict over land & water rights Demand for nonrenewable resources Increases in wastes, pollution, diseases ```
69
The Industrialists Lifestyle
``` LARGE-scale production Improved farming techniques Increased per capita energy consumption DEPENDENCE on nonrenewable rss LOWER infant mortality Higher life expectancy ADVANCES in sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, medical care Pop. sky-rocketed ```
70
The Industrialists Env'tal Impact
Pollution problems from burning fossil fuels Greater rss consumption Better farm machinery/farming techniques -> increased per acre crop yields
71
What two major crises concern the env't right now?
Population | Consumption
72
Simply stated, a given area’s total environmental degradation and pollution depends on three factors
Number of people(P) Numbers of units of resources used/ person(A) Env'tal degradation & Pollution/ unit of rss used(T)
73
a given area’s total environmental degradation and pollution is also known as
environmental | impact of population
74
What two kind of overpopulation exists?
Population | Consumption
75
Every American born will need ....
3.6 million pounds of minerals, metals, and fuels in their lifetime
76
Developing countries have ---- people, but ----- | environmental impact per person than developed countries
More | Lower
77
Modern Env'tal Worldviews
Planetary Management | Earth-Wisdom
78
Planetary Management | Worldview
Humans -> MOST IMPORTANT SPECIES Always MORE Economic growth -> GOOD Potential for economic growth is LIMITLESS Success -> MANAGING Earth's life-support systems for BENEFIT
79
Earth-Wisdom | Worldview
Nature exists for ALL species NOT always more Some economic growth are env'tally HARMFUL & should be DISCOURAGED Success -> Learning to COOPERATE w/each other & nature by working with Earth
80
Working Toward Sustainability Guidelines
``` Reduce poverty Slow pop. growth Don't waste rss Take no more than necessary Protect biodiversity Leave the earth as good/better than we found it. ```

APES (26 decks)

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