Human impacts

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The study of the interaction between humans and the environment

environmental science

Human activites change _____ and ______ environments

local and global

______ are the most important source of environmental change on the planet

humans

Humans depend upon Earth’s ______ and ______ cycles.

nutrient and energy cycles

The ______ of resources and the production of _____ can cause disruptions in the energy and nutrient cycles of Earth

the overuse of resources and the production of waste

The maximum population size that an environment can consistently support

carrying capacity

The Earth cannot support an _______ amount of people, yet the human population keeps growing.

infinite

The carrying capactiy of an environment can change as the _________ changes

environment

_______ developed by humans have allowed Earth to support our increasing population

• agricultute

• transportation

• medical advances

• sanitation

technologies

___ and ____ currently support the majority of our country’s energy use.

oil and coal

Oil and coal are the result of natural processes and are considered __________ resources because they are used faster than they form.

nonrenewable

other nonrenewable resources include natural ___ and ______ energy

gas and nuclear

All together, these nonrenewable energies are called “_____ ______”

Ex:

• oil

• coal

Fossil fuels

_______ resources. (ex. wind energy, solar, energy, water, plant materials (biomass), etc.)

renewable

As long as these resources are ______ faster than they are used they are are considered renewable.

replenished

meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

sustanibility

Earth’s carrying capacity depends on how much ____ is needed to support each person on earth

land

The amount of land necessary to produce and maintain enough food, water, shelter, and energy and waste is called an _________ ________

ecological footprint

What does the size of an ecological footprint depend on?

• # of resources used

• ______ of resources use

• amount of _____ produced

efficiency, waste