ENV 100/101 Exam 1 Vocabulary Review

Vocabulary terms and definitions compiled directly from the ENV 100/101 Exam 1 review sheet.

Environmental science

The study of how the natural world works, how our environment impacts us, and how we impact the environment, with the goal of creating ways to live indefinitely sustainably and responding to environmental issues.

Environment

All living and non-living factors (including humans) that impact a system or organism.

Ethics

An idea or ruling of what is good or bad / right or wrong.

Anthropocentrism

A human-centered lens of environmental ethics where human wants take priority.

Biocentrism

An ethical perspective where biotic factors take priority and life is assigned a higher value.

Ecocentrism

An ethical perspective with no central priority, where the entire species, community, and ecosystem are accounted for.

what are the 4 basic principles of environmental science?

1. evolutionary change is constantly occurring; this provides foundational understanding for the operating system of the natural world

2. dependency on healthy planet; planet exists in dynamic non-equilibrium where change is constant yet cannot be destructive

3. interactions within the natural world shape the environment; biotic and abiotic factors are constantly interacting with and influencing each other

4. humans are part of the environment; we are not passive but active factors impacting the natural world

why is environmental science a crisis discipline?

because it is responding to current environmental crises rather than studying a non-emergent or future issue

what does value laden mean?

ethically driven

what makes environmental science eternally vigilant?

the need for constant assessment and reaction rather than a one and done problem solving approach; it accounts for long term sustainability

why is environmental science inexact?

because we dont know everything about the environment and we never will- it is constantly evolving and changing

what does a global perspective entail?

people of all different cultures across boundaries working together towards a shared goal

Environmentalism

A social movement dedicated to protecting the environment.

what did jared diamond cal the root cause of human civilization collapse?

overpopulation relative to carrying capacity

what happened on easter island?

they exploited their nature by using all their trees to build and transport moai statues

Romantic-transcendental view

A quasi-religious belief that nature is a temple to commune with God and should be preserved without destruction for financial gain.

Resource conservation view

A utilitarian view emphasizing the greatest good for the greatest number of people for the longest time by conserving resources because humans depend on them.

Evolution-ecological land ethic

A view that nature is an integrated system with a focus on promoting land's self-renewal.

Technological optimists

People who assume that human technology will keep everything sustainable.

Environmental pessimists

People who overstate issues and emphasize helplessness, discouraging work towards a solution.

Place

An environment where one has a sense of belonging or sentimentality.

Natural capital

Natural resources and services provided by the environment.

Solar capital

Energy received from the sun.

Human capital

Human knowledge, education, and experience.

Sustainable yield

The amount of a renewable resource that can be used without damaging the ecosystem.

Affluence

Wealth that results in high consumption, materialism, and unneeded waste.

Sustainability

The ability of Earth's natural systems and human culture and economic systems to survive and adapt to a changing environment indefinitely in an equitable fashion.

Perpetual resource

Continuous resources that do not depend on human use and are forever available on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, and tidal energy.

Renewable resource

Resources that replenish naturally through biological cycles faster than they are consumed, such as fresh water, wildlife, and forests.

Non-renewable resource

Resources existing in fixed amounts in nature that require millions of years to replenish, such as fossil fuels.

Resource

Anything obtained from the environment to meet human needs or wants.

Service (Natural Service)

Processes provided by nature at no cost that are irreplaceable by money or technology.

Natural capital degradation

The unsustainable use of material capital causing the depletion of goods.

examples of degradation of renewable resources

overfishing and deforestation

examples of degradation of non-renewable resources

burning coal/oil

examples of degradation of natural services

polluting waterways

why do individuals matter

cumulative efforts add up

Tragedy of the commons

A phenomenon where an individual gains all the benefits of a shared resource while only paying a fraction of the costs, leading to exploitation.

Sustainable society

A society that meets the basic needs of people in a just manner using the Earth's natural income without depleting it.

how does population growth cause environmental problems?

more resources are required to sustain a larger population

how does cultural change cause environmental problems?

agriculture allowed settlements to form, industrialization caused urbanization, globalization led to global commerce

how do poverty and affluence cause environmental problems?

poverty prevents one from looking at long term ramifications of actions and affluence leads to overconsumption and waste

what is failure to include environmental cost?

the price to the environment not being included in pricing- if people knew the true cost and saw it reflected when purchasing, they’d be more careful with their purchases and actions

steps of critically thinking

1. question everything

2. evaluate personal bias

3. be open minded

4. be humble

5. evaluate resources

6. determine researcher biases

7. expect uncertainty

8. be aware of logical fallacies

9. be cautious of online sources

Ecological footprint

The amount of productive land needed per person to provide resources and recycle waste and pollution from resource use.

Matter

Any substance that takes up mass.

Energy

The ability of a force to do work or transfer heat.

Energy efficiency

A measure of how much useful work is accomplished before energy changes to a degraded form.

Ecology

The study of connections in nature, specifically how organisms interact with each other and with abiotic factors.

Habitat

The place where a population lives.

Covalent bond

A strong bond characterized by shared electrons.

Metallic bond

A bond formed between positively charged metals.

Ionic bond

A chemical bond formed between charged ions.

Dipole bond

A weaker chemical interaction, such as hydrogen bonds and London dispersion forces (LDFs).

what determines matter quality?

its availability and concentration

Conservation of Matter

A scientific law stating that no atoms are created or destroyed during physical or chemical changes.

1st Law of Thermodynamics

A scientific law stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed (Conservation of Energy).

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

A scientific law stating that energy quality always decreases and entropy increases when energy changes form.

Potential energy

Stored energy, such as that found in matches, batteries, or glucose molecules.

Kinetic energy

Energy in motion, such as heat, electromagnetic radiation, wind, or electricity.

Nuclear fission

A nuclear reaction that releases energy by splitting atomic nuclei into smaller nuclei.

Nuclear fusion

A nuclear reaction that releases energy when two atomic nuclei fuse together.

why is it important to match the quality of energy with the quality needed to complete a task?

to minimize waste; if we used high quality energy for low quality energy work, the potential to do useful work would be wasted

Organism

Any form of life.

Species

A set of organisms that resemble each other in appearance, chemistry, genetics, or behavior.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area.

Community

All populations of different species living and interacting in an area at a particular time.

importance of genetic variation?

to withstand disease/natural disaster (natural selection), to adapt when needed, for healthy reproduction