Chapter 22-24

Urbanization

Migration from people to towns/cities that are mildly populated and spaced (more than 2500)

Mega-cities

Cities with more than 10 million people

Immigration

People "pulled" to urban areas for opportunity or "pushed" from rural areas by struggle

Urban Heat Island

Heat generated by cars and buildings is trapped in cities forming a dome that can increase pollution

City Weather

Warmer, Wetter, Foggier, Higher Flooding from large impervious surface amounts

Noise Pollution

Urban areas are subjected to excessive noise causing stress, hearing issues and even accidents

Urban Sprawl

Automobile oriented cities with low population density are created from highways and land/gasoline access

Two Ground Transportation Types

Individual (cars, bikes, walking) and Mass (bus, rail)

Rail Systems

Heavy - metro/subway

Suburban - connect city with surrounding areas

Light - modern streetcars

Land-Use Planning

determining best present and future use of each land area (usually growth)

Ecological Land-Use Planning

Smart Growth (sustainable development plan including mixed use development zoning and taxes/tax breaks as incentives)

Sustainability Efforts for Cities

Less lawns, more clustered housing, less automobile use, preserve/incorporate green spaces

Economy

System of production, distribution and consumption of goods

Capital

Earth Capital (natural resources) are used to make Manufactured Capital typically by Human Capital (physical/mental talents)

Pure Command Economic System

Communistic Economy with central government decision makers

Pure Market Economic System

Capitalistic Economy with buyer and seller decision makers

Economic Growth

Increase in availability of economic production of goods or services, measured by GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

GNP

Gross National Product (GDP + income from external sources)

Ecological Sustainable Development

Human population and resource use are below carrying capacity of earth capital

Internal costs

Costs handled by buyer or seller (factory, materials, labor, marketing and shipping)

External costs

Harmful social impacts of the good that are not included in market price (waste, pollution, biodiversity loss, resource depletion)

Full Cost Pricing

Prices goods with internal and short/long term external costs

Statutory Law

passed by legislative bodies (government)

Administrative laws

rules related to interpreting the statutory laws

Common Law

Unwritten rules from previous legal decisions

Environmental Lawsuit Issues

\-expensive and time consuming

\-difficult to isolate harm for proof, congress authorization requirement

\-time limitations make environmental damage difficult to view short term

\-must be legal lawsuit

Interest Groups

Pressure/advocate for favorable laws including corporations and nonprofit NGOs

Environmental Groups

national level groups that can focus on local/specific issues, legal actions and education/research

Republican Party

Market based solutions to environmental problems, hands off government

Democratic Party

More government programs and more taxation/citizen sacrifice for the betterment of the environment and our world

Libertarian Party

Private ownership will protect the environment better than the government

Green Party

Dedicated to biosphere dynamics with environmental protection and human activity fitting in natural Earth processes

Affecting Environmental Change

voting, donate time/money, educate others

Curitiba, Brazil

Pioneer of sustainable city with implemented, large green areas, recycling trade-in programs and flood management

Silent Spring

Environmental book by Rachel Carson about anthropogenic effects, specifically on the use of pesticides and the harm they cause

Mitigation Costs

Similar to external costs, the cost of repairing the environment to offset damages of the original process/item

Tradgedy of the Commons

Tendency of a common, shared resource to become depleted due to overuse making it nonrenewable when it could've been renewable

Ecological Footprint

Impact of individual or community on the environment based on resource consumption/waste

Conservation Easement

Legal agreement between landowner and land trust/government that limits property development while allowing private ownership for landowner for conservation

Clean Air Act

Reduce and control air pollution especially for mobile sources (70s)

Clean Water Act

Maintains chemical and biological integrity of waterways through pollution control (70s)

CITES

international convention/agreement to preserve endangered species and monitor species trade (70s)

CERCLA

Superfund, investing into existing heavily polluted sites and cleaning them up while repurpousing them (80s)

Montreal Protocol

global agreement to phase out ozone depleting substances to protect stratospheric ozone layer (80s)

Kyoto Protocol

international UN treaty to lower greenhouse gas emissions because of research revealing anthropogenic global warming (90s)

Endangered Species Act

started protection and conservation of threatened species and their habitats (70s)

Safe Water Drinking Act

EPA sets standards for contaminants in drinking water (70s)

RCRA

Gives EPA complete control on the lifespan of hazardous wastes (70s)

Delaney Clause

Allowed FDA to remove food enhancements if found to be carcinogens (50s)