| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Environmental Science | The study of the impact of humans on the environment |
| Ecology | The study of how living things interact with each other and their non living environment. |
| Difference between Environmental Science and Ecology? | Human interaction in Env Science specifically, Ecology is everything, living and nonliving |
| 5 parts of Env. Science | Biology, Earth Science, Physics, Chemistry, Social Science |
| Why is Env. Science multidisciplinary? | In order to truly understand science you need the input of many different fields of study. |
| Hunter Gatherer impact on Environment... | Burned Trees to allow hunting...Extinction of species...overall very low impact |
| Agricultural Revolution Impact... | Loss of fertile soil-exhausted, Water shortages, Floods, Erosion, Habitats burned for farmland-Medium impact, some damaging effects, but not widespread terribleness |
| Industrial Revolution | Burning Fossil Fuels, Artificial substances, High Impact, could destroy the Earth |
| Agriculture | The process by which plants or animals are grown and harvested for human and animal consumption |
| Industrial Revolution | Time period when humans could start mass producing products from raw materials |
| Natural Resource | Something found in the earth that is beneficial to mankind |
| Renewable | A resource that can be remade quickly |
| Nonrenewable | A resource that cannot be remade quickly or cannot be remade at all |
| Depleted | When a large fraction of the resource has been used up |
| Pollution | Any waste that has a negative impact on the environment |
| Biodegradable | Pollutants that can be broken down by natural resources |
| Non-biodegradable | Pollutants that cannot be broken down by natural resources |
| Biodiversity | Refers to the number and varieties of species that life in an area |
| Mass Extinctions | When human interference causes mass amounts of animals/plants to die |
| Difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources | Renewable, can be remade quicly, nonrenewable takes a long time, if it can be renewed |
| 3 Products renewable | Wood, Water, Air, Beef, |
| 3 nonrenewable | Coal, Petroleum, Diamonds |
| Tragedy of the Commons | Title of an Article written Garrett Harden, 1968, said there will always be a struggle because individuals will use up resources that are common even though that's not what they intend. |
| Developed Countries | higher average income, slower population growth, diverse industrial economies |
| Developing Countries | Lower average incomes, simple and agricultural based economies, rapid population growth |
| Ecological Footprint | measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems |
| Sustainability | the condition in which humans needs are met in such as way that a human population can survive indefinitely |
| Cost Benefit Analysis | Weighing the possible beneficial consequences versus the negative consequences |
| Risk Assessment | determination of quantitative or qualitative value of risk related to a concrete situation and a recognized threat. |
| Recyclable | A material can be converted and reused...ex. Paper |
| Non recyclable | A meterial that cannot be recycled and reused...ex..fossil fuels |
| Supply | The amount of material in circulation |
| Demand | How much of something people want |
| Why do economic systems work within natural systems? | Because resources are worth something. Materials have a monetary which is determined by supply and demand and government regulation |
| Three main problems of environment today... | Resource Depletion (consumption), consumption, overpopulation |
| Can biodegradable products be a pollutant? | Yes-Paper |
| Difference between energy consumption and overpopulation in developed and developing countries? | Overpopulation-Developing Consumption-Developed |
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