Methods in Science
What is qualitative data?
Descriptive and conceptual findings collected through questionnaires, interviews, or observation
How has the human population changed over time?
For nearly all human history, only a few million people existed on Earth
Current population is now around 6.8 billion people worldwide
We add about 78 million people every year.
Name 2 renewable resources
Sunlight, wind, water
What is environmental science?
Environmental Science is the study of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us, and how we affect the environment.
Who is responsible for stating US policy on environmental issues?
Environmental Protection Agency - EPA
What are predictions?
Scientific guesses based on observations and evidence.
What is an environmental scientist?
Environmental scientists study how the natural world works, and how humans and the environment affect each other.
What is included in the natural world?
All of the animals, plants, and other things existing in nature and not made or caused by people
What is modeling?
Modeling is the process of showing an example of an experiment on a smaller scale than possible. For example, a geologist showing a smaller example of plate tectonics.
Name 2 nonrenewable resources
Coal, natural gases, oils.
What is a controlled experiment?
An experiment in which all the variable factors in an experimental group and a comparison control group are kept the same except for one variable factor in the experimental group that is changed or altered.
What is an environmentalist?
A person who is concerned with or advocates the protection of the environment.
What are the layers of the geosphere?
The core, the mantle and the crust.
What is an ecological footprint?
An ecological footprint expresses the environmental effects of an individual or population in terms of the total amount of land and water required:
Provide the raw materials the individual or population consumes
Dispose of or recycle the waste the individual or population produces
What are fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels are made from decomposing plants and animals. These fuels are found in the Earth's crust and contain carbon and hydrogen, which can be burned for energy
Name the 4 variables
Independent - what your testing
Dependent variable - changes with independent variable
Constant - does not change
Control - Used for comparison
Why do we peer review?
Allows for researchers to get valued opinions by those in the field and to get feedback on ways to improve.
What are the three kinds of plate tectonics? Describe each.
Convergent, where plates move into one another; divergent, where plates move apart; and transform, where plates move sideways in relation to each other.
What is environmental economics?
An area of economics that studies the financial impact of environmental policies.
What is ethics?
Moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conduct of an activity.
Name the steps of the scientific method.
State the Problem
Gather Information
Form a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
Analyze Data
State conclusion
What makes an effective scientist?
Scientists must give talks, write papers and proposals, communicate with a variety of audiences, and educate others.
Name the four main steps of the water cycle.
condensation, precipitation, collection, evaporation
What is resource consumption? How has it changed over time?
It is the amount of resources consumed by each individual. Over time, we have increased our consumption of non-renewable resources beyond the rate they are able to be produced.
Describe the positive feedback loop?
Positive feedback loops enhance or amplify changes; this tends to move a system away from its equilibrium state and make it more unstable. - Erosion