in progress

Who were prominent figures in environmental conservation/ protection history?

Preservationist: John Muir

Conservationist: Gifford Punchot and teddy Roosevelt

Define Science

Systematic examination of the structure and functioning of the natural world, including both physical and biological attributes

what are the steps of the scientific method

Observe a phenomenon

Ask a question

form a hypothesis

collect data to test

interpret results

report for peer review

publish findings

Define reliable science

• Is it peer reviewed?

• do a majority of scholars agree?

• is there scientific consensus?

• Are the methods used to produce results well documented?

what is the peer review process?

peers in the fields review your work. A manuscript is written of what was done, the journal circulate and is reviewed

Define energy

ability to do work

what are the two types of energy and examples?

Kinetic: flowing water, a car driving, electricity, heat

Potential: water stored in a reservoir behind a dam, chemical energy stored in coal, molecules in food you eat

Define evolution

the process through which life forms, changes genetically over time

Define natural selection

individuals with certain genetic traits are more likely to survive and reproduce under a specific set of environmental conditions

what are the different types of species interactions

Interspecific/ intraspecific Competition, herbivory, predation, coevolution

what is Interspecific competition

interactions between different species that compete for the same limited resources, such as food water, territory or mates

what is intraspecific competition

the interaction where individuals of the same species compete for limited resources

what is herbivory competition

consumption of plants by animals (+/-) Positive for the animal negative for the plants

adaptation defenses: having throns, poison, difficulty to get into or reach it

what is predation interactions

(+ / - ) Positive for the animal getting to eat, and negative for the animal being consumed

adaptive response: traveling in groups, camouflage, bright colors

what is coevolution

changes in one species can lead to evolutionary adaptations in another, which affects the first species and so on.

predator defense: chemical, cryptic coloration, warning coloration

what are parasites?

relationship and nourishment from the host, lowering fitness of the host

what is mutualism

relationship where 2 different species benefit from their interaction.

each organism gains a fitness benefit from the other

define commensalism

on species benefits from the relationship and the other is not affected

barnacles attaching to whales, increase access to food and habitat for barnacles but whales are not affected

define density dependent and give an example

Factors that affect population size and depend on population density

• disease spread, predation

define density independent factors and give and example

not dependent on population density

• natural disasters, habitat destruction, spraying pesticides

what are Hadley cells and their impact on climate

• atmospheric circulation patterns that occur in tropical regions, driven by warm air rising at the equator and sinking air

what is primary productivity and how does it vary based on ecosystems?

• the rate of biomass production (plant growth → actual plant production) through photosynthesis

• varies based on temperature, energy production, climate

Define bioaccumulation

where a substance like pollutants build up in the tissues of an organism over time

• build up of mercury in the tissue of fish that consume contaminated

define biomagnification

Concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of it ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are widely disbursed

• accumulation of pesticide DDT in birds

what is the environmental impact equation we discussed in class

I= PAT

Environmental impact = Population size x affluence x technology

What are CAFOS?

• Concentrated animal feeding operations

• Animals are packed close together than can lead to issues (ethical/ environmental)

• Emits methane as cows pass gas.

• Disease can spread quickly

what are lagoon in reference to CAFOS

Holds a lot of waste and is stored leading to water contamination

Define Fisheries

A place where fish are raised for commercial purposes

problems: over harvesting and overfishing. collections of too much before the population can rebound

define aquaculture

farming or cultivation of aquatic organisms, including fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. Breeding, raising, and harvesting these aquatic species under controlled conditions

what are subsidies? Concerns/ issues with them?

• government payments and other types of support intended to help farmers stay in business

  • most of subsidies are going to already large and stable farms

How do soil conservation programs such as the conservation reserve program relate to subsidies and concerns tied to them?

they provide financial incentives to farmers to adopt or maintain conservation practices, often in exchange for reducing or removing land from agricultural production

What are the 3 biogeochemical cycles

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus

what is the carbon cycle

continuous movement and transformation of carbon atoms between different earth systems like atmosphere, ocean, land, and living organisms

involves photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion transferring carbon from one revisor to another

what is the nitrogen cycle

natural recycling system for nitrogen a vital element for life. it moves between the atmosphere, soil, plants, and animals.

plants capture nitrogen through lightning strikes, bacteria in the soil

what is the phosphorus cycle

movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

what can happen to soil if farmers water too much

soil salinization

Increased soil erosion

reduced plant growth

loss of nutrients

possible of plant diseases

what are some alternatives to synthetic pesticides and some potential drawbacks ?

Drawbacks: can contaminate water, workers spraying pesticides, over-reliance can lead to resistance

Alternatives: natural predators, parasites, disease causing bacteria and viruses

Issues with alternatives: hard to control live population, what is used to control a pest can become a pest and then an invasive species

what are hydroponics? Benefits and drawbacks

Growing plants by exposing their roots to rich water solutions instead of soil taking place in a greenhouse

Benefits: conserves water, no runoff, no spraying pesticides and herbicides, no chemicals in the environment, use of old warehouses

Drawbacks: Lights were efficient in terms of growth but they use a lot of electricity, more energy used from growing these crops, may result in higher bills

what is cross breeding?

technique where 2 different plant varieties or species are crossed to create offspring with desirable traits

• transferring pollen from one plant to another, allowing them to combine genetically

what is Transgenesis

process to introducing a gene or genes from one organism to the genome of another, resulting in the creation of a transgenic organism

what is gene editing

alteration of the genetic material of a living organism by inserting, replacing or deleting a DNA sequence, typically with the aim of improving a characteristics of a crop or correcting a genetic disorder

define invasive species

non native species that outcompete population of many native species for food, disrupt ecosystem services, transmit disease and lead to economic losses

ex. zebra mussels, spotted lantern fly

what is clear cutting

removes all trees in a stand, rapid and economical

• manages species like lodgepole pine that don’t grow well in the shade of other trees

• Disastrous to wildlife habitats and exposes soil to erosion and invasive species

define shelterwood

Removes majority of mature trees but leaves protective shelter for new growth

• protective layer for new growth

• allows for seeds to regenerate

define group selection

short intervals, harvesting mature trees and thinning of intermediate trees for natural regeneration

• remaining rows of mature trees support natural regeneration and shelter new growth, while open spaces provide light and room

define single tree selection

removes individual mature trees, leaving the majority of trees on a site standing

• selected trees may be undesirable so removing clears space for new trees to grow

what are the different US and classifications of land

National forest system, bureau of land management, national park system, and national wildlife refuge

what is the national forest system

managed by the US Forest Service - can use for ligging, livestock, grazing, farming, oil/ gas extraction and livestock grazing

what is the bureau of land management

manages a variety of large tracts of land for mining, oil/gas extraction and livestock grazing

what is the national park system

managed by the national park service - can camp, hike, fish, boat

what is the national wildlife refuges

managed by US fish and wildlife service, meant to conserve fish, world life and plants. Minimal recreation activities allied - birding, photography, fishing, hunting

define restoration

helping ecosystems recover from damage degradation or destruction

initiating or accelerating the return of the ecosystem to a more natural functioning state

define regeneration

ability of a system to renew and recover from damage, essentially restoring its health and function.

involves the natural replenishment of resources and the re-establishment of populations and habitats after disturbances (fire)

define rehabilitation

process of repairing and restoring ecosystem functioning at a degraded site

define geology

study of dynamic process taking place on earths surface and interior

what are the three different zones of earth

core: innermost, extremely hot, iron, nickle

mantle: less dense, composed minerals in magma

crust: complex mineralogical composition, iron, calcium, aluminum

define sedimentary rock

made of sediments formed by transportation by wind, water, and gravity

tiny particles of weathered and eroded other types of rock that accumulate in layer

limestone, shale

define metamorphic rock

existing rock is subjected to a change by high temprature, pressure, fluids, or a combination

slate and marble

define igneous rock

formed from the cooling and solidification or molten rock

granite, obsidian

what are greenhouse gases

molecules in the atmosphere that trap heat preventing it from escaping back in space

CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor

too much greenhouse gases and trapping too much heat causes a rise in temperature, flooding, ocean warming, hurricanes, extreme weather

what was the Paris agreement

each country expected to lower greenhouse gas emissions

overall goal of limiting the earths average temprature to below 2 degrees to 1.5

what was COP29

establishment of the new collective quantified goal to mobilize 300 billion annually by 2035 from developed countries to support climate change action in developing countries

what does the clean air act do for the major 6 pollutants covered?

high monumental act that would address air pollution

lead, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter

what has been the effect of the clean air legislation on particulate air pollutants

emission controls

check air quality

cap and trade with sulfur dioxide

what is the breakdown of water on plant earth

oceans - 97% of all water on the plant

freshwater - 3% (most trapped in ice and glaciers)

what are wetlands and their ecosystem services

water that covers the soil for all/ or most of the time and specific plants can grow here

helps with storm surges preventing erosion, stores water, biodiversity, economic actives, filters water

what is water pollution? what is point and non point

physical, biological, or chemical change in water quality that affects living organism or makes water unsuitable for sanitation

• pollution originating from a single identifiable and local source

• pollution that does not originate from a single point but from many sources

what is a dead zone

an area with low oxygen levels where little marine life survive

what is conventional energy

non renewable

fossil fuels (takes years to develop)

coal natural gas, oil, nuclear

what is sustainable energy

renewable

solar, water, wind, biomass (corn)

what did we discuss related to NPR podcast “the promise of natural gas”

concept of natural gas as a bridge fuel, potentially transitioning the US towards renewable energy sources

what are some trends related to the US waste and disposal methods

increased recycling and growing focus on circular economy initiatives, waste to energy technologies and advanced recycling technologies

What is the EPA waste management hierarchy? 

1. Most preferred to least preferred (top to bottom order) 

   1. Source reduction and reuse 

   2. recycling/ composting 

   3. Energy recovery 

   4. Treatment and disposal 

What are different ways to dispose of waste? 

1. Compost: decayed organic material used a plant fertilizer 

2. Incineration: combustion of waste to transform into base components. Heat is trapped for deriving energy. Assorted gas 

3. Anaerobic digestion: plants and other materials breakdown without oxygen 

4. Landfill: a place to dispose of refuse and other waste material by burying it and covering it with soil, method of filling in or extending usable land. 

5. Waste segregation: combines necessary practices like garbage collection, transportation, and disposal of trash 

6. Landfills, recycling, refuse, contact waste disposal places 

what are trends by country related to how they handle their waste

1. United States: our waste goes to landfills, majority

2. Other countries: incineration, recycling, or composting 

define recycling and what are challenges

process of converting waste materials into new materials or products for reuse

aims to minimize waste reduce the need for resources and conserve energy

challenge: quality and consistency of collected materials

What's going on with China and waste and what have been international effects 

a lot of waste including e waste and recyclables have been sent to China for disposal, basically china has said no more, not taking any more waste

define composting

A type of recycling that converts organic waste into soil - enriching organic fertilizer 

what are anaerobic digesters? and what are benefits?

enclosed systems like tanks or lagoons where organic matter decomposes without oxygen producing biogas

capture methane and allow use to use that methane in a beneficial way

economic: power companies, with farmers to be able to sell some of that energy. farmer can sometimes make money by being an energy provider and also potentially save money not paying for energy

how is the love canal connected to hazardous waste?

originally of the site of an abandoned canal became a dumping ground for 21,000 hazardous waste, leading to leakage and contamination of soil and groundwater

What is phytoremediation? What are examples? 

1. A more specific version of bioremediation. Plants. When we are specifically using plants to clean up toxic waste sites 

   1. Genetically modified popolars - can clean up mercury 

   2. Brack and firm - can take in arsenic 

   3. Sunflowers - can extract radioactive material from soil 

What are the general trends we are seeing with people living in cities/ moving to cities? Projected for the future? More or less people living in cities? 

1. 56% of the world's population (4.4 billion people) live in cities 

   1. Estimated to increase 

   2. Predicted over 90% of human population growth is going to be in cities in developing countries 

      1. Can be an issue if we don't have enough resources to address waste and pollution as we expect cities to get more populated 

   3. Estimated by 2050 over ⅔ of people will live in cities 

ways to define a city

through population size and density, the presence of institution and public services, cultural characteristics, and social behaviors 

Why are cities growing in size? What are examples we discussed? 

1. Natural increase 

   1. Less death and more births

   2. Overall access to medical care, people die at a slower rate 

   3. Better sanitation, connects to overall less death 

   4. Improvements in the food supply 

2. Increase immigration 

   1. More people are leaving rural areas and moving to cities 

      1. Push factors (bad): people are push out of rural areas for persecution, political issues, war, climate change, increased cost of living 

      2. Pull factors: pulling people to want to live in cities. More jobs, access to amenities, social service access, access to education, medical care, entertainment, food 

3. Transportation options

What are some problems with population increase in cities? 

1. Air pollution 

2. Wastewater treatment services 

3. Water shortages: issue with many cities in the west now that more people are moving there 

4. Rising sea levels: concern the cities will go underwater in the future (miami) 

5. Informal settlements: residential districts that can be unhealthy, lacking wastewater treatment, clean water supply, and safety concerns (slums), buildings are abandoned by landlords and taken over by low income people who need a place to live, need safe place to live when more people are moving to cities

What is urban sprawl? What are the different characteristics of urban sprawl? 

1. Unlimited outward expansion of city boundaries that lowers population density, consumes open space, generates freeway congestion and overall causes decay in central cities 

2. Characteristics: 

   1. Outward expansion leads to low density residential buildings and commercial developments 

   2. Leapfrog development: takes up farmland and developments on other natural areas, environmentally problematic 

      1. Ex. binghamton developing from farmlands to stripmalls 

      2. Growth outward and less development and growth in downtown area 

What are some environmental issues with cars? 

1. Average US driver spends 443 hours per year behind a steering wheel - one full 8 hour day per week 

2. Envi problems with more cars: 

   1. Taking up space (parking lots, roadways, highways) could be used for natural areas like greeneries 

   2. Pollution, greenhouse gas emissions 

   3. Debts from crashes 

   4. Also is expensive to own a car (gas, tolls, etc)

What is smart growth? What are some examples of smart growth? 

1. Strategies for well planned developments that make efficient and effective use of land and resources and existing infrastructure 

   1. Creating mix - use spaces, integrating all together to be efficient with space that you're using 

   2. Being able to walk to work, shopping promoting more time outside 

2. Urban design offers benefits of more walking, social contract, and surrounding including vegetation can promote health businesses 

What is conservation development/ cluster development / open - space zoning? 

Trying to preserve open space and natural areas. Preserving more than half the area where you want to develop to leave open space, results clustering houses closer together to preserve more space

What is the definition of economics - how are economic decisions determined?

1. A social science that deal with production, distribution, and consumption of good and services to satisfy people's needs and wants

2. Economic decisions are determined by 

   1. Supply: the among of a good or service that is available 

   2. demand : the amount of a good or service that people want 

   3. price : however your supply and demand fall will determine this. Market value/ market equilibrium 

what is capital

any form of wealth that allows us to produce more wealth. Financial capital is generally money. 

what is natural capital

natural resources (forest, trees) ecosystem services that overall support human life 

what is human capital

Talking about people and the talents/intellect that people have and can provide labor/ management skills/innovation 

what is built/ manufactures capital

infrastructure that is build from natural capital, materials, factories, roads 

what is social capital

networks or relationships, community buildings (ex. In college, you are building human and social capital)

What's the difference between neoclassical economics and ecological economics? 

•  view the eats natural capital as part of the human economic system/ The potential for economic growth is unlimited and we can find substitutes for any resource or ecological service that is depleted or degraded 

• there are no substitutes for many natural resources - including clean water, clean air, fertile soil, biodiversity and they provide important ecological services 

Why turn natural capital into monetary values? 

1. Can assist in the assessment of cost - benefit analysis 

2. Cost benefit analysis: compare estimated costs and benefits of actions such as implementing pollution control regulation, building a dam, preserving a forest, etc. 

   1. They are going to turn the nature preserve on campus into a parking lot and the administration is going to do a cost - benefit analysis. 

define market price

involves setting product or service costs based on prices of similar offerings from competitors. Aims to align pricing with market expectation and maintain competitiveness 

define full price

 method of selling price of a product or service is determined by adding all relevant costs, including both direct and indirect expenses plus a desired profit margin 

what are economic tools that can be used to address environmental problems (specifically indicators and examples we talked about with green business)

Use of environmental indicators (carbon footprint, ecological footprint) to measure the performance and the promoting of green business that adapt sustainable practices and products