Vocabulary
What are the differences among the following terms: Environmental Science, Environmental Activism, & Ecology
- Environmental science is ecology plus human impacts (interdisciplinary).
- Ecology is the purely scientific study of nature.
- Environmental activism is a social movement to protect nature.
What are two examples of renewable resources and two examples of nonrenewable resources?
- Renewable resources include soil, water, air, sunlight, biomass, and geothermal energy.
- Nonrenewable resources include oil, natural gas, coal (fossil fuels), and nuclear energy.
What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative data?
- Quantitative data is numbers or measurements.
- Qualitative data is descriptions.
What is the process of deciding whether the gain brought by a resource is worth the cost?
Cost-Benefit Analysis
What are the 3 types of environmental policies used to protect the environment in the United States?
- Regulations
- Incentives
- Cap-and-Trade Policies
What all is included in the term "environment"?
All living and nonliving things (including humans)
What is calculated to account for all materials and resources consumed and needed for disposal and waste per living organism?
An ecological footprint
80% of the frogs in a pond are spring peepers. If there are 200 frogs in the pond, how many peepers are there?
160 peepers
What happens to the cost of a resource when demand for the resource increases?
The cost increases! (When supply increases, the cost decreases. When supply decreases and demand increases, the cost increases.)
Residential homeowners adding solar panels to their homes is an example of what type of environmental policy?
Incentive
What is an individual at the same level of education or specialization?
A peer
What areas of the world have the largest ecological footprint?
Industrialized nations (North America, Australia, Europe, Russia, etc.) They use more fossil fuels!!!
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.
Obtaining marine organisms from the ocean to eat as seafood is an example of what type of ecosystem service?
Provisioning Ecosystem Service
The Clean Water Act is an example of what type of environmental policy?
Regulation
What is the difference between the independent and dependent variable in an experiment?
- The independent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist.
- The dependent variable is what is measured.
What can occur when a public resource is unregulated and private self-interest causes it to be used unsustainably leading to depletion of the resource?
The "Tragedy of the Commons"
What are the 5 steps in the scientific method in order?
- Make an Observation/Ask a Question
- Form a Hypothesis
- Conduct an Experiment
- Analyze Data
- Draw a Conclusion
Trees along a slope preventing erosion is an example of what type of ecosystem service?
Regulating Ecosystem Service
Why are incentives preferred over regulations when possible?
Incentives are self-policing, and regulations are expensive to enforce.
What is the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning?
- Inductive reasoning is creating a rule or pattern of the natural world based on multiple observations.
- Deductive reasoning is comparing a new thing to an already established rule or pattern of the natural world.
What are the 2 major events in history that drastically changed the human population and its use of resources?
- The Agricultural Revolution
- The Industrial Revolution
What are the 3 types of ethical worldviews regarding the environment?
- Anthropocentrism (human-focused)
- Biocentrism (focused on all organisms including humans)
- Ecocentrism (focused on ecosystem as a whole)
What are the 4 types of ecosystem services?
- Provisioning
- Regulating
- Cultural
- Supporting
How does a cap-and-trade policy work?
Cap-and-trade is a combination of regulations (pollutants are limited) and incentives (permits can be sold to others).