mana 3002 quiz 4

Renewable Resources

Natural capital assets that replenish through natural cycles, such as timber and water.

Non-Renewable Resources

Natural capital assets that are permanently depleted once consumed, such as petroleum and coal.

Anthropocene Era

The modern period during which human enterprise has become the primary force driving planetary and climate change.

Ecological Footprint

An accounting metric measuring planetary boundary overshoot by calculating the total land and water area required to sustain a population's consumption and absorb its waste.

Primary Driver of Environmental Degradation

The rapid and ongoing expansion of the global human population.

Environmental and Social Impacts of Exponential GDP Growth

Positive outcomes include poverty alleviation and enhanced living standards; negative outcomes include escalating pollution, accelerated depletion of finite raw materials, and habitat destruction.

Paris Agreement

A multilateral environmental accord established to hold the increase in global average temperature to within $2\,^{\circ}\text{C}$ above preindustrial levels.

Stratospheric Ozone

A bluish gas layer in the upper atmosphere vulnerable to depletion from chlorofluorocarbons once widely used in coolants, propellants, and solvents.

Product Stewardship

An extended responsibility framework where companies retain ongoing accountability for the environmental footprint of their goods throughout their post-sale lifecycle.

Clean Air Act (1970)

A foundational statute establishing enforceable national ambient air quality criteria and compliance timetables.

Clean Water Act / Water Pollution Control Act (1972)

A major regulatory law setting national goals and deadlines for clean waterways, later amended in 1987 to fund wastewater treatment facilities and waterway restoration.

Safe Drinking Water Act (1974, 1996)

Federal legislation authorizing uniform national safety standards for public drinking water supplies.

Pesticide Control Act (1972)

Federal legislation mandating government registration and usage restrictions for agricultural and chemical pesticides.

Oil Pollution Act (1990)

A statutory measure expanding the authority of the EPA to prevent, prepare for, and respond to catastrophic oil spills.

Hazardous Materials Transport Act

A regulatory law establishing standards for the safe commercial handling and shipment of dangerous substances.

Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Legislation that established the Superfund system and legal procedures to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites.

Costs of Environmental Regulation

Corporate compliance expenses totaling billions annually, localized employment loss in high-emission sectors, reduced competitiveness for capital-intensive firms, and higher retail prices for consumers.

Benefits of Environmental Regulation

Reduced air and water pollutants, remediation of toxic waste locations, improved health and longevity, resource conservation for posterity, and job generation in clean energy and green services.

Corporate Sustainability Leaders

Sustainability-driven enterprises structured to operate indefinitely without diminishing the carrying capacity of the biosphere.

Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

A specialized manager responsible for coordinating environmental performance, securing top management commitment, fostering employee engagement, and aligning incentive systems.

Net Zero Emissions

A condition where an organization or individual releases no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than it can capture or neutralize through carbon offsets.