Introduction to Environmental Science Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers introductory concepts in environmental science, including systems, Earth's spheres, sustainability, and environmental policy.

Environment

Everything around us, including living and non-living things, and how they interact.

Environmental science

The study of interactions between the natural world and humans.

Environmentalism

A social movement dedicated to protecting the environment from negative human impacts; it uses data to push for action and policy change.

System

A set of interconnected parts that create a whole, where changes in one part can impact the others.

Positive feedback loop

A change in a system that has an effect that makes the change even bigger, causing the change to get stronger over time.

Negative feedback loop

A change in a system that has an effect that reduces the change, bringing the system back to balance and stability.

Geosphere

Earth’s rocks, soils, and minerals, including both the surface (crust) and the interior (mantle, outer and inner core).

Atmosphere

The gases surrounding the Earth, mainly nitrogen ($78\%$) and oxygen ($21\%$).

Hydrosphere

All of Earth’s water, including freshwater ($2.5\%$), saltwater ($97.5\%$), and water in the ground or as vapor.

Cryosphere

A part of the hydrosphere that includes all frozen water, such as glaciers.

Biosphere

The "living Earth," consisting of living organisms and their environment.

Natural resources

Materials provided by nature that humans use and need, such as water, soil, sunlight, and coal.

Renewable resources

Natural resources that replenish at a similar rate to their use, such as sunlight, wind, and plants.

Nonrenewable resources

Natural resources that replenish very slowly or do not replenish at all, such as fossil fuels.

Sustainability

Using Earth’s resources and services in a way that can continue at the same rate in the future.

Tragedy of the Commons

A scenario where a shared resource is overused by individuals for personal gain, leading to the degradation of the resource for everyone.

Agricultural revolution

A shift from hunting and gathering to farming and domestication of livestock, which began $10,000$ years ago.

Industrial revolution

A transition in the $1700$’s and $1800$’s to urban living and the use of fossil fuels, resulting in improved medicine, sanitation, and farming.

Ecological footprint

A measure of the impact of an individual, group, or activity on the environment based on resource use and waste produced.

Anthropocentrism

An environmental worldview where humans and their well-being have the highest value.

Biocentrism

An environmental worldview where all living things have value.

Ecocentrism

An environmental worldview where an entire ecosystem, including living and nonliving things, has value.

Ecosystem services

The non-market value of environment-provided services, such as educational, aesthetic, or use value, that are not reflected in the price of goods.

Environmental policy

Plans enacted on global, national, state, or local levels to manage and minimize human impact on the environment.

Command-and-control

A policy approach where the government sets specific rules and punishes violations.

Green taxes

Extra taxes placed on pollution and other activities harmful to the environment.

Cap-and-trade

A policy approach where a limit is set on the amount of a pollutant a company can emit, allowing companies to trade unused units.