ESS T1

Environmental Value System

a worldview that shapes the way people perceive and evaluate environmental issues

Ecocentrism

the view or belief that the rights and needs of humans are not more important than those of other living things.

Anthropocentrism

regarding __humankind__ as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to God or animals.

Technocentrism

technology centered EVS - technology can provide solutions to environmental issues

Cornucopian

idea that the world has infinite resources, environmental issues are not a problem and that growth and capitalism are the most important

A System

assembly of interrelated parts that work together by some driving process which is influenced by various inputs and produces outputs

inputs examples

education, science, religion

output examples

actions, decisions, evaluations

properties of a system

* each part has a specialised function
* similar parts are grouped together
* groups coordinate functions
* whole system can do things individual parts cannot

reductionist approach (systems)

look at each individual part of system

Holistic Approach (systems)

look at whole process - how things work together

DDT

* fertilizer
* negative effects on nature
* banned worldwide
* environmental moment triggered by ‘the silent spring’

Gaia hypothesis

* he earth is a single living system
* earths living organisms and all inorganic surroundings evolved together
* harming one part affects the whole system

Fukishima Disaster

* Earthquake + tsunami cut off power + cooling system for nuclear plant
* reactor cores melted
* poor safety checks
* people evaluate, 1000 deaths + further future death

Types of system

* isolated systems
* closed systems
* open systems

1st law of thermodynamics

Conservation of energy - Energy in a closed system can be transformed but not destroyed

* ecosystems maintain themselves by cycling energy and nutrients obtained from external sources

2nd law of thermodynamics

the entropy of any system always increases.

Entropy

the measure of the degree of randomness of the energy in a system

2nd law in food chains

* chemical energy passes along food chain
* only 10% of energy is kept between trophic levels

energy

work + heat

open system equilibrium - stable

system returns to the same equilibrium after the disturbance

open system equilibrium - unstable

system returns to new equilibrium after the disturbance

open system equilibrium - static

the system experiences no change over time

open system equilibrium - dynamic

continuous inputs and outputs but system as a whole remains in a more or less constant state (small fluctuations)

sustainability

the ability to endure. Ecology: how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time

natural capital

the standing stock (total amount) of a natural resource

* natural resources +environmental features in an area, regarded as having economic value.

Natural capital classes - renewable

can be used over and over again

Natural capital classes - non-renewable

cannot be replenished within a timescale of the same order as which they are taken from the environment

replenishable

non-living resources that are continuously restored by natural processes as fast as they are used up

goods

physical resources which are measurable and may (or may not) be monetised

services

natural processes that provide benefits for humans such as; water replenishment, clean air and protection against erosion.

natural income

the yield obtained from natural resources. How much can be used sustainability annually.

biodiversity in an ecosystem

the higher the biodiversity the healthier

* biodiversity can be determined using simpson’s diversity index

environmental impact assessment

a planning tool that provides decisions makers with an understanding of the potential effects that human actions may have on the environment

The process of ETA’s

1. Screening
2. scoping
3. baseline study
4. identification of alternatives
5. impact analysis
6. mitigation and impact management
7. evaluation of significance
8. preparation of EIAs or report
9. Review of EIs
10. decision making
11. monitoring and review
12. non-technical summary

Ecological footprint

area of land and water required to sustainably provide resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population.

measures of ecological footprint

1. number of planets needed to supply humanity’s needs
2. global hectare per person (GHA/Pers)

ecological overshoot

the point in the year when we stop using resources sustainably, and use future generations resources.

Pollution

addition of a substance or agent to an environment (through human activity), at a greater rate than it can be rendered harmless by the environment.

classifications of pollution

* matter (solid, liquid, gas)
* Organics (contains carbon)
* Non-organic

Sources of pollution

* fossil fuels
* Domestic waste
* Industrial waste
* agricultural waste

point source pollution

can be traced back to a single origin or source

non-point source pollution

cannot be traced back to a single origin or source

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological and photolytic processes

biodegradable pollutions

can be decomposed by living organisms

* does not get passed along the food chain

Acute pollution

large amounts of pollutant released at one time

* symptoms after short, intense exposure
* Bhopal 1984

Chronic pollution

long term release of small amounts of pollution

* symptoms after long term, low level exposure

Primary pollutant

pollutants emitted directly from a source

* active on emission

Secondary pollutant

arises from a primary pollutant undergoing a physical or chemical change

* acid rain, smog

Measuring pollution strategies

* directly
* air pollution
* indirectly

directly measuring pollution

* water/soil pollution
* nitrates and phosphates
* organic matter or bacteria

air pollution measuring

* acidity of rainwater
* amount of gas in the atmosphere

Indirectly measuring pollution

* abiotic factors - dissolved oxygen
* biotic factors - lichen on trees

pollution management strategy levels

levels 1 -3

level 1 PMS

changing human activities to prevent/reduce the release of pollutants

Level 2 PMS

preventing or regulating the production/release of pollutants

Level 3 PMS

working to clean up restore damaged ecosystems

DDT

insecticide use to kill mosquitoes and bugs that had adverse effects for humans and nature

DDT + American bald eagle

* reduced amount of nesting pairs
* DDT accumulated in adults fatty tissue
* made egg shells too thin to survive

abiotic factors

non-living, physical factors in the ecosystem that may influence an organism or a system

ecosystem

a community of interdependent organisms and the interactions with the physical environment in which they live

levels of organization

* species
* population
* community
* ecosystem
* biome
* biosphere

species

a group of th esame type of organisms that is able to reproduce and produce fertile offspring

keystone species

species that are crucial to the maintenance of their ecosystem (wolves in yellowstone)

habitat

where an organism lives

niche

where, when, what and how an organism lives

fundamental niche

the entire range of conditions in which a species could live

realized niche

the actual conditions under which the species lives

predating

hunting

herbivory

hunting plants

parasitism

one species depends on another for nutrition, harming the host organism in the process

mutualism

two species benefit

competition

fight for resources

amensalism

one organism unaffected the other is harmed

neutralism

two organisms do not affect each other. no relationship

population dynamics

the study of the change in populations over time

carrying capacitu

the maximum number of organisms of a single species that an ecosystem can support

limiting factors

factors in an ecosystem that limit the population size if there is too much or too little of it

density-dependent factors

will increase or decrease the carrying capacity of a population based on the size of the population

density-independent factors

will increase or decrease the carrying capacity regardless of the size of the population

individual

a single organism of one species

population

all the individuals of the same species within a community

community

a group of interacting species living in the same ecosystem

ecosystem

interrelationships between biotic and abiotic component of the environment

biome

a community made of all the habitats in a given region and climate

biosphere

the sum of the earth’s systems - includes all life on earth

flow of energy in trophic levels

energy decreases as trophic level increases - only 10% is transferred

pyramid of biomass

standing stock of each trophic level, measure in Jm-2

Photosynthesis word equation

carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen

Respiration word equation

Glucose + Oxygen → carbon dioxide + water

Autotrophy

organisms which produce their own food from organic molecules

producers

photosynthesis or chemosynthesis

consumers

ingest organic matter which is living or recently killed

heterotrophy

organisms which derive energy from other living organisms

decomposers

derive enery from non-living matter

pyramid of numbers

the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level

pyramid of productivity

refers to the flow of energy through a tropic level, indicating the rate at which that stock is being generated

bioaccumulation

increase in the concentration of a pollutant in an organism as it absorbs or it ingests it from its environment

biomagnification

is the increase in the concentraion of the pollutant as it moves up through the food chain

open system

exchanges both energy and matter across its boundary