Environmental Science Basics
What does environmental science study?
The environment and how living things/humans interact with it
What does sustainability mean?
Using resources in a way that allows them to remain available in the future
What is a population?
a group of the same kind of living thing living in one area
What major change happened during the Industrial Revolution?
Production changed from mostly hand labor to machines and factories
What is pollution?
Harmful substances or waste entering the environment
water, air, soil, plants, animals, etc.
Give one example of a natural resource.
Water, trees, soil, minerals, land, etc.
What happens to a population when more people are born than die?
It increases/grow
Name one new source of power that became important during the Industrial Revolution.
Coal/steam power
Name one type of pollution.
Air, water, or land/soil pollution.
Why do scientists study the environment?
To understand the environment and how changes affect living things.
Why should people avoid wasting natural resources?
Resources can become limited or run out.
Name one reason a human population might grow.
More births, fewer deaths, people moving into an area, more food/water, improved medicine
How did factories change the way goods were made?
Factories and machines allowed goods to be produced faster and in larger amounts.
Give one way humans can cause air pollution
Cars, factories, burning fossil fuels
How can a change in one part of the environment affect another part?
Parts of an environment are connected; for example, polluted water can harm plants and animals
Give one example of something a community could do to become more sustainable.
conserve water, reduce waste, recycle, use less energy, public transportation
How can a growing population affect natural resources?
More people need food, water, land, energy, and other resources.
Name one environmental problem that increased because of factories.
Air pollution, water pollution, increased coal use, waste
How can pollution affect living things?
It can make organisms sick, damage habitats, contaminate food/water, or kill living things
Why is it important to study how humans affect the environment?
So we can understand environmental problems and make better decisions.
A town is using resources faster than nature can replace them. Why is this not sustainable?
The town is using resources faster than they can be replaced, so eventually there will not be enough.
Explain one environmental problem that can happen when a population grows quickly
more waste, pollution, habitat loss, resource shortages, overcrowding
Explain one way the Industrial Revolution helped people AND one way it harmed the environment.
more goods, jobs, transportation, technology, etc. Harm: increased pollution, fossil-fuel use, waste, resource use
Give one example of something humans can do to reduce their impact on the environment.
conserve resources, reduce waste, use less energy, recycle/reuse, reduce pollution