Environmental Sustainability - Midterm Review Vocab

Systems Thinking

understanding a system by studying the connections between parts

• example: school community is a system, and the students, and teachers are parts of that system

Systems

• a group of interacting or interdependent parts that function together as a whole to complete a goal

• if a part is removed or added, the entire system changes

Trade-Off

• an exchange of one thing to another

• letting go of one benefit or advantage for a more desirable one

Sustainability

• community uses a method to harvest a material, so that the resource is not depleted or damaged

• ensures that resources are available for future generations

• meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their needs

Models

• visual, physical, mathematical, or computational representations of an object or phenomenon

• often used in the development of scientific theories or the engineering of artifacts 

Boundary

• a visible or invisible border that separates the system from the rest of the world

Components

• the elements/parts of a system/model

Resources

• the quantities that are exchanged between parts of a system OR between the system and the outside environment

Flows

the interactions that cause the transfer/exchange of resources within the system or across the system boundary

• Inputs = outside environment —> system

• Outputs = system —> outside environment

Input

• something (energy, money, information, etc.) that gets put into a system, so it can operate

Output

• something produced by man, another system, a machine, factory, or country

Open System

• allows for external interactions with the surrounding environment 

• such interactions can take the form of information, energy, matter, or force transferring across the system boundary

• example: ocean

Closed System

• isolated from its surroundings by a system boundary that does not allow any flows of resources

Sustainable Development

• the advancement of civilization in a way that does not harm the needs of future generations

Sustainable Development Goals

goals created by the United Nations to achieve a sustainable, inclusive, equitable, and resilient future

• equitable: fair and just, especially in a way that takes account of and seeks to address existing inequalities.

Safe Water

• a source of drinking water that does not have any pollutants in it and is safe for consumption

• does not contain diarrheal or water-related diseases

Malnutrition

• the unhealthy condition that results from not consuming enough food or not eating enough healthy food

Solar Energy

• energy from the sun

Greenhouse Effect

• the process where gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun, similar to a greenhouse, and re-radiate it back to the Earth’s surface

• increased concentration of greenhouse gases causes global warming

• human activities can increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Conservation

the process of controlling resources

examples:

• reducing sediment in waterways

• limiting soil erosion

• improving water quality

Exhaustible Energy

any source of energy that is limited and cannot be replaced when it is used

examples:

• oil

• coal

• natural gas

Biomass

• plants materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel

Biogeochemical Cycles

• the exchanges and transfers of chemicals and substances throughout the ecosystem

• heavily impacted by human pollution activity as it disturbs atmospheric chemistry and ecosystem functioning

• examples: nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle

Biological Diversity

the variety of life on Earth at all its levels

• Genetic Diversity: variety of genes within a single species

• Species Diversity: number of different species in a particular area

• Ecosystem Diversity: the variety of different habitats, communities, and ecological processes

Ecosystem Functioning

• the collective processes and interactions within an ecosystem, driven by the relationships between living organisms and their physical environment

Climate Variability

• the change of weather patterns and their impact on the human population as well as the environment and its organisms

Hydrologic Forecasting

• aims to develop a better understanding of what environmental or human factors change the composition of fresh water resources

Infectious Diseases and The Environment

emphasizes the viewpoint that diseases are organisms and have their own weak points

• this knowledge can assist in lowering pathogens’ population as well as decrease the amount of mortality rates from viruses

Virulence

• a pathogen's or microorganism's ability to cause damage to a host

Institutions and Resource Use

the understanding of how governments, markets, and rules that regulate waste deposit influence people’s usage of natural resources

• presents the need to recognize the effects these institutions have on resource and environmental sustainability

Land Use Dynamics

• focuses on being aware of changes in how a region utilizes their land, whether it be establishing residential homes or developing agriculture

• emphasizes the need to keep in mind that many parts of a region are habitats for multiple ecosystems and disrupting their land also disrupts native organisms

Reinventing the Use of Materials

• a challenge that highlights the positive impact of using environmentally friendly materials to produce goods

• important to understand how much of humanity uses a material, and how the material is made/recycled

Jugaad

• a flexible approach to problem-solving that uses limited resources in an innovative way

Stakeholder

• anything or any person who is impacted by the issue for the better or worse

Criteria

• the expectations that the project must meet

• non-negotiables

Constraints

• the limit of a solution

Prototype

• first test, trial, or draft of a solution

Design Process

a loose process that allows for more efficient problem solving

1. Define Problem

2. Generate Concepts

3. Develop a Solution

4. Construct and Test Prototype

5. Evaluate Solution

6. Present Solution

Engineering Notebook

• a book in which an engineer will formally document, in chronological order, all of their work that is associated with a specific design project

Ethics

• guidelines within a society that define what is considered good and bad

• these beliefs drive people’s behaviors and decisions

Environmental Health Ethics

• applies principles of honesty and responsibility to issues between citizens and the environment that disturb long-term sustainability

Principle of Sustainability

• “are we using all resources wisely and in a way that ensures their continuation?”

Principle of Beneficence

• “do the actions benefit those who are at risk?”

Principle of Non-Maleficence

• “do the actions avoid actively harming anyone?”

Principle of Justice

• “are costs and benefits spread equally amongst all who are involved?”

Principle of Community

• “are the actions aligned with the values of the community they are happening within?”

Principle of Precautionary Substitution

• “does the action avoid replacing something harmful with something else that is equally harmful or more harmful?”

Biosolids

• a powdery solid material made up of fecal matter that can be used as a fertilizer

Water Footprint

• a generalized measurement of how much water an individual uses to support their lifestyle

Direct/Domestic Water Usage

• the water a person uses for eating, drinking, bathing, and other household tasks

Indirect/Virtual Water Usage

• the water used to produce everything we use, both agricultural and industrial

Underdeveloped/Least Developed Countries

• experiencing lots of poverty

• have established low standards of living

• low human developmental index; civilians may not have access to basic human rights, clean water, electricity, food, and shelter

Developing/Emerging Countries

• have a lower amount of money and lower human developmental index (HDI) than developed countries

• slowly increasing

Developed/Advanced Countries

• have lots of money

• high standards of living

• high human developmental index

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)

• indicates the maximum amount of a contaminant legally allowed in public drinking water

Remediate

to provide a remedy or to make right

synonyms:

• rectify

• remedy

• repair

Coliforms

• bacteria that is always present in the digestive tracts of animals, including humans

• found in animal and human waste, plant material, and soil material

Turbidity

• the measurement of cloudiness in water due to particles like sand or silt

Physical Disinfection

• uses heat and UV light to kill microorganisms

Chemical Disinfection

• uses biocidal agents like chlorine or hydrogen peroxide to eliminate microorganisms

Biological Disinfection

• utilizes living organisms to break down or consume contaminants 

Radiological Disinfection

• uses high-energy radiation to kill microbes

Forest Clearing

• used to accommodate land development, natural gas drilling, and increasing populations

• trees and other vegetation are removed to create an open space

• alteration of the environment increases the probability of soil erosion and runoff

Stormwater Runoff

• precipitation that flows over surfaces instead of soaking into the ground

• scours dirt and sediment from river banks and washes it into surface water sources

Agriculture Runoff

• water from farms, such as rain or irrigation, that carries pollutants across land and into bodies of water

Spills and Accidents

occurs when a chemical leaks onto the surface of a body of water

examples:

• sewage leaks

• oil spills

Treated Wastewater Effluent

• the liquid that remains after sewage or other wastewater has been through a treatment process

• introduces pathogens and other contaminants to the water

Distillation

• water is heated until it vaporizes

• the solute does not change state and is left behind

Biological Filtration

• uses beneficial bacteria to break down harmful toxins in a water system

Groundwater

• water that is crammed in the tiny gaps between sediments, soils, and rocks under the ground

• one of the most abundant sources of water

Aquifers

• full bodies of groundwater

• “a lake under ground”

Unconfined Aquifer

rainwater or surface water is able to seep through sediment and replenish this type of aquifer

easily accessible

• no rock barriers covering it

Confined Aquifer

• groundwater that is trapped between a “rock sandwich”

Saturated Zone

• located below the water table

• an area of the ground that is completely soaked with water

Unsaturated Zone

• located above the water table

• an area of the ground that does not contain groundwater

Aquifer Recharge

• water seeps back into aquifers

Aquifer Discharge

• groundwater flows out of aquifers and into other sources of water

Well

• able to actively pump groundwater through electricity

Artesian Well

• actively shoots water out of it

• relies on water pressure to function without electricity

• disadvantage: can’t use it when groundwater begins to run out

Water Table

• the level underground where you first hit groundwater 

Springs

• any place where groundwater flows out onto the surface

Impervious Surfaces

restricts rainwater from recharging the underlying groundwater aquifers

includes:

• roofs

• sidewalks

• driveways

• parking lots