Unit 1 Review Guide Flashcards
(25 cards)
Environmental Science
humans + ecology; interdisciplinary
Environmental Activism
Social movement to protect nature
Ecology
Purely scientific
Give two examples of renewable and nonrenewable resources
Renewable: soil and water
Nonrenewable: oil and natural gas
What is included in the term environment?
the plants and animals in the natural world, the nonliving portion of an area and humans and man-made structures
What is an ecological footprint?
Materials and resources consumed and needed for disposal and waste
Which areas of the world have the largest ecological footprint?
Industrialized nations
Why do the areas of the world have the largest ecological footprint?
They have the most fossil fuels
Give an example of inductive reasoning
“All birds have feathers”
Give an example of deductive reasoning
“The light went out so I need to change the bulb”
How does quantities and qualitative data differ?
Quantitative: numbers
Qualitative: descriptions
What is a peer?
An individual at the same level of education or specialization
How does the peer-review process reduce faulty science?
Peer-review looks at flaws in the experiment or conclusion to make sure the data is accurate
What are the 3 types of ethical worldview regarding the environment? What is the focus of each?
- Anthropocentric: humans focus led
- Biocentric: any organism, including humans and all living organisms
- Ecocentric: ecosystem as a whole, the entire planet
How do supply and demand affect cost?
When supply increases, cost usually decreases. When supply decreases and demand increases, cost increases.
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
The process of deciding whether the gain brought by the resource is worth the cost
What are the 3 types of environmental policies used to protect the environment in the United States?
- Regulations
- Incentives
- Cap-and-trade
Why are incentives preferred over regulations, when possible?
Incentives are self policing; regulations are expensive to enforce.
Describe how a cap-and-trade policy works
Cap-and-trade is a combination of regulations (pollutants are limited) and incentives (permits can be sold to others).
What are the 4 types of ecosystem services?
Provisioning, regulating, cultural, supporting
Trees along a slope prevent erosion. What type of ecosystem service are they providing?
Regulating
What are the two major events that drastically changed the human population and it’s use of resources?
Agricultural revolution and Industrial Revolution
Explain the “Tragedy of the Commons”. Provide an example and explain how it can be prevented.
When a public resource is unregulated , private self-interest can cause it to be used unsustainably leading to depletion of the resource. Examples and prevention will wary.
List and define the steps in the scientific method
- Problem/question
- Hypothesis
- Experiment
- Collect data
- Conclusion
