Sustainability Unit

List and give examples of the three pillars of sustainability

Social, environmental, and economic. 

What were the 4 root causes of unsustainability?

The 4 root causes of unsustainability are extracitng large flows of materials from the Earth’s crust, accumulation of substances created by society, physically inhibit nature's ability to run cycles, and creating barriers to people meeting their basic needs worldwide.

List some principles of sustainable agriculture (plants and animals).

Sustainable agriculture involves avoiding certain types of fertilizers, pesticides, and spacing the plants out to where if a disease comes, it won’t kill all the crops. 

List the principles of sustainable aquaculture.

The principles of sustainable aquaculture are choosing the correct plants or fish, using the correct feed, and not using fertilizers.

What is the difference between land use, land development and urbanization?

Land use is how the land is being used. Land development is building houses, farms, etc. on land. This requires zoning. Urbanization is building homes or communities on land. People move from the country to the city.  

How does urbanization have a negative impact on air quality?

Urbanization means more people. More people drive cars. Cars release emissions into the air. These emissions are harmful to the environment. This would increase the use of fossil fuels. 

What are sustainable solutions to resource consumption? Think in general, what is their purpose?

Sustainable solutions to resource consumption are community composting programs, electric cars, recycling more, and using one-use plastics.

How do humans influence the occurrence of wildfires and floods?

Humans influence the occurrence of wildfires and floods by climate change. Longer dry seasons and increasing temperatures play a key role in the influence of wildfires. Building roads has an impact on floods. When it rains hard, the roads cannot absorb the water. This causes flooding. 

What conditions are landslides most likely to occur during?

Raining or stormy weather is when landslides are most likely to occur.

How could an urban area prevent becoming a heat island?

Less heat is reflected back to the atmosphere. Changing land surface is the main cause. Trying not to use as much fossil fuels is another way.

What is aquaponics and how does it connect agriculture and aquaculture together?

Aquaponics combines agriculture by using different types of plants. These plants are like seaweed or seagrasses. It combines aquaculture by using different types of fish that will benefit off of the different types of plants being used. This creates a continuous cycle for aquaponics.

List tradeoffs for Hydropower.

Causes land displacement, soil erosion, and loss of fertile land. Does not emit pollutants.

List tradeoffs for Wind Energy.

Causes erosion and habitat disruption. Requires no water and produces zero emissions.

List tradeoffs for Solar Power.

Causes habitat destruction and soil degradation. It requires land clearing. It has minimal water impact and does not cause air pollution.

List tradeoffs for Geothermal Energy.

Environmental concerns, high costs, and the risks of earthquakes. Drilling and operating can cause air or water pollution.

List tradeoffs for Nuclear Energy.

Improper disposal of radioactive waste can lead to soil contamination. Nuclear plants do not produce emissions. Accidents in the factories can lead to tons of emissions (Chernobyl).

Pesticides

Put on crops to try to make bugs and pests stay away. Some bugs and pests can become resistant to pesticides and damage the whole crop. 

Crop rotation

Rotating crops to get the nutrients in the soil. Farmers may do this every other year. 

Monoculture

An area of land that only grows a large amount of one crop.

Polyculture

Planting many different crops in one large area.

Deforestation

Destroying forests to build urban areas.

Heat Islands

Heat being reflected back onto the Earth. This happens because of urbanization. This also causes climate change.

Albert wants to practice conservation. He has decided to examine his lifestyle in order to identify areas in which he can reduce the resources he consumes, reuse resources he already has, and recycle resources that he cannot reuse. In which of the following ways can Albert best reduce the resources he currently consumes?

Ride a bike to work instead of taking his car

There is an increase in risk when people move to these two places. (a) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

coastlines and cities

All of the following are benefits of pesticide use EXCEPT

genetic resistance

Which statement best explains a cause-effect relationship between droughts and wildfires?

Drier weather conditions produce more fuel for a wildfire.

The energy of nuclear reactions between atoms that creates heat and turns turbines is _________.

Nuclear

Growing different crops in succession in the same field. This helps replenish soil nutrients.

crop rotation

Australian government pays any household that will choose to use solar panels instead of using coal power. Which pillar of sustainability does this example belong to?

environment

Aluminum is a natural resource that is mined from the ground. After it is made into cans it can be recycled once used. There are tradeoffs to recycling. Which explains the tradeoff that is MOST LIKELY to have a positive impact on modern life?

New aluminum is not needed to make cans.

Aquaponics is important to the future of food production because it allows a grower to produce a large quantity of food in a small space using minimal resources.

True

What number should the replacement rate be for the population to neither increase or decrease?

2