Environmental Science and Sustainability Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering environmental science themes, human population impacts, resource management, historical eras of conservation, and scientific methodology based on the lecture transcript.

Environmental Science

An interdisciplinary study of the human relationship with other organisms and the earth, encompassing subjects such as biology, geography, chemistry, economics, and politics.

Solar Capital

Energy provided by the sun, which is one of the two main types of natural resources provided by the Earth.

Natural Capital

The accumulation of all natural resources on Earth, excluding direct solar energy, that humans need for survival.

Highly Developed Countries (HDC)

Nations with complex industrialized bases, low population growth, and high per capita incomes, representing $17\%$ of the world population but using $88\%$ of its resources.

Less Developed Countries (LDC)

Nations with low levels of industrialization, very high fertility rates, and high infant mortality, representing $83\%$ of the world population and consuming $12\%$ of resources.

Globalization

The process of global social, economic, and environmental change that increases the integration and interconnectedness of the world.

People Overpopulation

A condition where there are too many people in a given geographic area, frequently observed in developing nations.

Consumption Overpopulation

A condition where each individual in a population consumes an excessive share of resources, typically a problem in highly developed nations.

Nonrenewable Natural Resources

Resources that are present in limited supplies and are depleted by use, such as metallic minerals (gold, tin), nonmetallic minerals (salt, phosphates), and fossil fuels.

Renewable Natural Resources

Resources that are naturally replenished, including direct solar energy, wind, tides, flowing water, fertile soil, and biological diversity.

Ecological Footprint

The average amount of land, water, and ocean required to provide an individual with all the resources they consume.

IPAT Model

A mathematical model used to measure environmental impact ($I$) as a product of the number of people ($P$), affluence per person ($A$), and the environmental effect of technologies ($T$).

Endocrine Disrupters

Industrial and environmental chemicals that mimic or interfere with the actions of the body's hormones.

Environmental Sustainability

The ability to meet current human needs for natural resources without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Planetary Management

A worldview that humans are in charge of nature, resources are unlimited, and all economic growth is positive.

Environmental Management

A worldview that nature does not exist solely for humans, resources are limited, and success depends on acting with environmental wisdom.

Agenda 21

An action plan focusing on sustainable development that balances economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially equitable decisions.

Frontier Ethic

A historical worldview that the wilderness should be conquered and brought under human control, often involving the transfer of public lands to private interests.

The Conservation Era

A period in US history (1832-1960) marked by alarm over resource depletion, resulting in the creation of the National Wildlife Refuge and National Park systems.

The Environmental Era

A period beginning in 1960 characterized by the modern environmental movement and goals to curtail pollution and protect pristine areas.

Tragedy of the Commons

A concept by Garrett Hardin describing the conflict between short-term individual welfare and long-term environmental stability regarding shared resources.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A steady state in Earth systems where the rate of change in one direction equals the rate of change in the other.

Negative Feedback

A system response where a change triggers a reaction that counteracts the changed condition, helping maintain stability.

Positive Feedback

A system response where a change triggers a reaction that intensifies or accelerates the changing condition.

Independent Variable

The factor in a scientific experiment that is purposefully altered to observe its effect, typically graphed on the $X$-axis.

Inductive Reasoning

A logical process that uses specific data points to discover general principles and seek a unifying explanation.

Deductive Reasoning

A logical process that proceeds from general rules or examples to specific conclusions.