Sustainability & Human Impact
A neighborhood shares a small fishing pond. If everyone keeps as much as they want, what classic problem can happen?
Tragedy of the Commons (overuse of a shared resource)
Which is larger: community or ecosystem?
Ecosystem
Name two processes that move water into the atmosphere.
Evaporation and transpiration
Which is not a “common” resource: air, freshwater lake, ocean fish, or privately owned farmland?
Privately owned farmland
Global literacy rates are generally going (up/down).
Up
A country with high life expectancy, strong education, and good incomes would rank how on HDI?
High HDI
In grass → rabbit → fox, which organism is the primary consumer?
Rabbit
Name one human activity that adds CO₂ to the atmosphere.
Burning fossil fuels (also deforestation/land-use change)
Earth is mostly an closed system with respect to what?
Matter
Global fertility rates are generally going (up/down).
Down
One nation has ~5% of the world’s people but uses ~25% of many resources. What does that reveal about consumption?
Affluent nations consume disproportionately more
In a food web, what’s a likely effect if producers collapse after drought?
Consumer populations decline/collapse (energy input lost)
The nitrogen cycle step where bacteria convert N₂ to ammonia for plants.
Nitrogen fixation
Environmental science blends which three broad domains?
Natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities
Give one indicator that renewable energy is progressing.
Examples: rising wind/solar capacity, falling $/kWh, grid adoption
Why can rapid population growth increase environmental pressure even when per-person use is lower?
More people → higher total resource use/waste
A producer has 1,000 J. Estimate energy available to a tertiary consumer.
~1 J (10% rule twice: 100 J → 10 J → ~1 J)
If phosphorus lacks an atmospheric stage, where does it mostly cycle?
Rocks/soil → plants/animals → decomposers (land & water sediments)
Compared to 50 years ago, the cost of many renewables is now…
Lower/cheaper due to tech improvements & scale
About what fraction of energy in industrialized nations still comes from fossil fuels?
~80%
Briefly explain one policy solution to a commons problem (e.g., fisheries).
Examples: quotas, permits, protected seasons, enforcement, community management
Why are top carnivore populations naturally small in stable ecosystems?
Energy loss at each trophic transfer limits biomass at higher levels
Why do excess nitrogen or phosphorus inputs cause algal blooms?
They’re limiting nutrients; surplus leads to eutrophication
Which ES theme covers access to food, water, and education?
Human Population & Well-being
Name one environmental improvement achieved via international action.
Examples: ozone layer recovery (Montreal Protocol), species protections, cleaner fuels