Ch. 1 Living in the Environment
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20 Terms
Sustainability
capacity of the earth’s natural systems to survive, flourish, or adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely
Biomimicry
learning from the earth and living things to live more sustainably
Environment
all living and nonliving things with which we interact
Ecology
branch of biology focusing on interaction of living things with their environment
Ecosystems
set of organisms interact in a defined area
Environmentalism (environmental activism)
social movement dedicated to protecting the earth’s life and resources
3 scientific principles of sustainability
dependence on solar energy
biodiversity
chemical(nutrient) cycling
Natural capital
ecosystem services and natural resources that support life and economy
Natural resources
useful materials and energy in nature
Inexhaustible
resources that last until death of the sun
Renewable
resources that can be replenished by natural processed in hours or centuries, can be depleted
Nonrenewable
exhaustable resources
Ecosystem services
services received from healthy ecosystems at no monetary cost (e.g. oxygen)
Human footprint index
percentage of how affected a terrestrial area is by human activities
Tragedy of the commons
when there are resources that aren’t owned by anyone, it’s more difficult to preserve since everyone has access
Ecological footprint
amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply a population with renewable resources and recycle wastes
Biocapacity
ability of an area’s ecosystems to regenerate renewable resources
Ecological deficit
footprint larger than biocapacity for replenishment
Major environmental problems
Climate change
Loss of species and habitats
Ocean acidification
Diminishing access to freshwater
Resource waste
Hazardous pollutants
Basic causes of environmental problems
Population growth
Unsustainable resource use
Omission of harmful environmental costs
Increasing isolation from nature
Competing environmental worldviews
Note 
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