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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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The Environment (Earth)
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-Life has existed on Earth for 3.8 billion years
-Earth is well suited for life (Goldilocks Principal) 1) Water covers 3/4 of planet 2) Habitable Temperature, moderate sunlight 3) Atmosphere provides oxygen and carbon dioxide 4) Soil provides essential minerals for plants - But humans are altering the planet, not always in positive ways |
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No-Analogue State |
-In terms of key environmental parameters, most especially the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gasses, the Earth has moved well outside the range of the natural variability exhibited over the last half million years at least - The nature of changes now occurring simultaneously on the Earth, their magnitudes and rates of change are unprecedented. The Earth is currently operating in a no-analogue state |
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Human Impacts on Environment Population |
-Earth's Human Population is over 7 billion a. growing exponentially - Expected to dd several billion more people in 21st century. - however, growth rate is declining owing several factors |
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Population Issues |
- 1 in 4 people live in extreme poverty a. cannot meet basic need for food, clothing, shelter, health - Difficult to meet population needs without overexploiting Earth's resources |
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Gap Between Rich and Poor |
- Highly Developed Countries (HDC) a. complex industrialized bases, low population growth per capita incomes ex: US, Canada, Japan - Less Developed Countries (LDC) a. low level of industrialization, very high fertility rate, high infant mortality rate, low per capita income b. in some cases, women have few rights and opportunities ex: Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia |
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What worlds eat |
US: Revis family food expenditure for one week: $341.98. Favorite Foods: spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp food expenditure for one week: $1.23. Favorite foods: Soup with fresh sheep meat FOOD TAKES NATURAL RESOURCES |
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Nonrenewable Natural Resources |
-Metallic minerals (Gold, tin) -Nonmetallic minerals (salt, phosphates, stone) - Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) |
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Renewable Resources |
-Direct solar energy -Energy of winds, tides, flowing water -fertile soil -clean air - fresh water -Biological diversity (forests, food, crops, fishes) |
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Renewable Resources that are Not So Renewable |
-fertile soil -clean air -fresh water -biological diversity (forests, food, crops, fishes) |
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People overpopulation |
-Too many people in a given geographical area -problem in many developing nations |
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Consumption overpopulation |
-each individual in a population consumes too large a share of the resources - problem in many high developed nations |
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Ecological footprint |
-The avg amount of land, water and ocean required to provide that person with all the resources they consume |
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Human ecological footprint |
Earth’s Productive Land and Water 11.4 billion hectares Amount Each Person is Allotted (divide Productive Land and Water by Human Population) 1.8 hectares Current Global Ecological Footprint of each person 2.7 hectares |
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Ecological footprint comparison |
-if all people on Earth lived the same lifestyle as Americans, we would need the resources of 4-5 Earths |
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IPAT Model |
-Measures 3 factors (Environmental impact, number of people, affluence per person, and environmental effect of technologies) - I = P x A x T |
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Environmental Sustainability |
-the ability to meet current human need for natural resources without compromising the needs of future generations |
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Requirements to understand Environmental Sustainability |
- The effects of our actions on the Earth - That Earth's resources are not infinite |
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Tragedy of the commons |
Garret Hardin (1915- 2003) -solving environmental problems is the result of struggle between : short term welfare and long term environmental stability and societal welfare -Common pool resources - Garret used common pastureland in medieval Europe to illustrate the struggle |
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Sustainable Development |
Economic development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising future generations |
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Environmental Science |
-Interdisciplinary study of human relationships with other organisms and the Earth - Deals with Life sciences, physical sciences and social sciences |
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EAS System |
A set of components that interact and function as a whole |
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EAS Global Earth systems |
Climate, atmosphere, land, coastal zones, ocean, biosphere |
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EAS Ecosystem |
A natural system consisting of a community of organisms and its physical environment
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EAS System approach to environmental science |
Helps explain how human actives affect global environmental parameters |
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Earth Systems |
- Most of Earth's systems are in quasi-equillibrium or steady state a. Rate of change in one direction equals that in the other - Feedback a. Negative or positive |
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Negative Feedback |
Change triggers a response that counteracts the changed condition |
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Positive feedback |
change triggers a response that intensifies the changing condition |
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Human feedback on Earth |
Humans tend to produce positive feedbacks in Earth systems |
