Agriculture- Practice of growing, breeding, and caring for plants and animals used for a variety of purposes

Ecology- study of how living things interact with each other and with their nonliving environments

“The Tragedy of the Commons”- conflict between short-term interests of individuals and long-term welfare of society

Loss of Biodiversity- declining number and variety of the species in an area

Environmental Science- field of study involving the physical, biological, and social sciences

Supply and Demand- Law describing the relationship between an item’s availability and its value

Developed Nation- characterized by low population growth rate, high life expectancy, and diverse industrial economies

Developing Nation- characterized by high population growth rate, low energy use, and very low personal wealth

Sustainability- state in which a human population can survive indefinitely

Renewable Resource- natural material that can be replaced quickly through natural processes

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sciences contribute to the field of environmental science- Physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and social sciences

Agricultural Revolution- The period of human history in which human populations grew rapidly because of advances in farming methods

Which major changes in human society and the environment occurred during the Industrial Revolution? Fossil fuel consumption, technological efficiency, and environmental pollution increased.

What did hunter-gatherers do to alter the environment? Overhunt large mammals

Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons” essay addressed the conflicts associated with which environmental challenge? Protecting shared resources

Attempts to create a sustainable society strive to achieve what? Stable resource consumption

A cost-benefit analysis balances the cost of an action against? The benefits one expects to recieve

Short Answer

Earth is considered a closed system because the only thing that enters the atmosphere is energy from the sun and the only thing that leaves the atmosphere is heat, what 2 problems are associated with this model?

Are environmental problems easily solved? Explain why or why not using an example of an environmental problem. No, they are a group effort that requires scientists, activists, and trust.