Environmental Science

Environmental Science

The study of how the natural world works, how the environment affects us, and how we affect it.

Renewable Resources

Resources that can be replenished naturally, such as sunlight, wind, and water.

Non-renewable Resources

Resources that form slowly and are finite, such as crude oil and coal.

Ecosystem Services

Contributions ecosystems provide for human well-being, like water purification and flood prevention.

Agricultural Revolution

The period when humans began to grow crops and domesticate animals, leading to population growth.

Industrial Revolution

A period that significantly increased population growth due to urbanization and advancements in medicine and agriculture.

Ecological Footprint

A measure of the land and water area needed to support a person's consumption and waste generation.

Overshoot

The use of more resources than are sustainably available, leading to environmental degradation.

Sustainability

A way of living that ensures Earth's resources can support future generations.

Scientific Method

A systematic process for gaining knowledge about natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis, and testing.

Descriptive Science

The gathering of basic information about organisms or systems.

Hypothesis-driven Science

Constructing explanations for phenomena based on hypotheses.

Independent Variable

The variable that is changed in an experiment to measure its effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment, which depends on the independent variable.

Control Variable

Conditions kept constant in an experiment to ensure valid results.

Geology

The study of Earth's physical features, processes, and history.

Plate Tectonics

A theory explaining the movement of Earth's plates and the formation of landforms.

Pangaea

A supercontinent that existed millions of years ago, where current continents were joined.

Rock

A solid aggregation of minerals, classified into igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types.

Minerals

Naturally occurring solid elements or compounds with a crystal structure and distinct properties.

Anthropocentrism

A human-centered view that values human welfare above nonhuman life.

Biocentrism

A perspective that ascribes intrinsic value to all living beings, human and nonhuman.

Ecocentrism

A viewpoint that considers the ecological systems' health and integrity in decision-making.

Cost-benefit Analysis

A method comparing the costs and benefits of an action to determine its feasibility.

Environmental Economics

A model integrating environmental considerations into economic systems for sustainability.

Ethics

A set of moral principles guiding judgments about right and wrong.

Tragedy of the Commons

A situation where shared resources are overexploited, leading to their depletion.

External Costs

Negative impacts suffered by individuals not involved in the actions causing them.

Free Rider

A person who benefits from resources or services without contributing to their cost.

Major U.S. Environmental Protection Laws, 1963–1980

Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean

Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Toxic Substances, Control Act, Soil and Water

Conservation Act, C E R C L A (“Superfund”)