Environmental Science
What is environmental science?
The study of how humans interact with their environment.
What is the environment?
Everything that surrounds a living thing.
What is ecology?
The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.
What is life?
Life is defined as any system capable of performing functions such as eating, metabolizing, excreting, breathing, moving, growing, reproducing, and responding to external stimuli.
What are developing countries?
These are the nations that have a low standard of living, a lack of industrialization, and poor infrastructure.
What is pure science?
This seeks to answer questions about how the natural world works. (e.g. biology, chemistry, physics)
What is a natural resource?
a material found in nature that can be used by humans to support life and meet their needs, including things like air, water, soil, sunlight, plants, animals, minerals, and fossil fuels
What is a population?
The total number of individuals of a particular group or species living in a specific area
What is the biosphere?
The part of Earth where life exists, encompassing all living organisms and their habitats, extending from the deep ocean floor to the highest mountaintops, essentially the "zone of life" on our planet.
What are developed countries?
These are countries that have a high quality of life, a developed economy, and an advanced technological infrastructure.
What is an applied science?
This uses the information provided by pure science to solve problems. (e.g. environmental science)
What is a renewable resource?
a resource that can be naturally replenished over time, making it sustainable even when consumed by humans
Give me three types of pollution.
air, water, land
What is a sustainable world?
A world in which human populations can continue to exist indefinitely with a high standard of living and health while maintaining a healthy environment for all life.
What is a consumption crisis?
a term that refers to the problem of overconsumption, which is when people consume resources faster than they can be replenished
What is pollution?
The introduction of substances or energy into the environment that can be harmful to humans, animals, and plants.
What is a nonrenewable resource?
a natural resource that cannot be replenished quickly enough to keep up with consumption. Nonrenewable resources are finite, meaning they exist in a fixed amount on Earth and will eventually run out.
What are charts and graphs?
These representations are used to organize and visualize data.
What are the two of the environmental problems caused by humans in the 20th century?
Increased human population = more use of resources + more pollution
What is a population crisis?
Occurs when human populations grow too quickly for the regions to support.
What is extinction?
The complete disappearance of a species from Earth, when all members of that species die out.
What are 3 examples of nonrenewable resources?
coal, oil, natural gas, uranium, phosphates, metals, groundwater
What is a decision making model?
A structured framework or process that guides individuals or teams through a series of steps to analyze a problem, evaluate different options, and ultimately make an informed decision
How could environmental concerns conflict with your desire to improve your standard of living?
When choices that contribute to a higher standard of living, like driving a gas-powered car, consuming large amounts of energy, or buying products with high carbon footprints, can also negatively impact the environment
Where is the consumption crisis usually more severe?
developed countries