envi sci quiz 1

QUIZ 1 Class Notes

Human population growing exponentially :: * it might level off, or it might crash.

Poverty affects people + how they interact w/ environment: gap between rich + poor countries

^^highly developed countries (HDCs)::^^ * more * more energy production + usage * more industrialization * less agriculture * service industry dominates * more international trade * more urbanization * more technology
^^moderately developed countries (MDCs)::^^ * somewhere between HDC/LDC
^^less developed countries (LDCs)::^^ * less * less energy production + usage * less industrialization * more agriculture * production of goods dominates * less international trade * less urbanization * less technology
overpopulation vs. overconsumption * ^^overpopulation::^^ * “too many” people * tends to be in LDCs * ^^overconsumption::^^ * people using “too many” resources * tends to be in HDCs
types of resources * ^^potentially renewable^^ :: resources that replenish naturally in a reasonable amount of time for humans * ex: clean water, clean air, soil, living things * ^^nonrenewable^^ :: resources that don’t replenish naturally or take too long to do so * ex: fossil fuels, metals (aluminum, uranium, etc.) * ^^perpetual^^ :: resources that are always available * ex: sunlight, tides (controlled by moon), wind + waves (controlled by sun)
how scientists measure effects of humans on the environment * ^^ecological footprint^^ :: how our resource use + waste production affect land (how much land is needed to provide resources + absorb/deal with waste) * could be per person, for country/region, for whole world * ^^IPAT model^^ :: looking at whole population’s environmental impact * I = P x A x T * I = environmental impact * P = population size (# of people) * A = affluence (resources consumed per person) * T = technology (environmental impacts of tech could be good or bad) * Direct relationships: * P up, I up * P down, I down * A up, I up * A down, I down * T: it depends
environmental sustainability * ^^environmental sustainability^^ :: ability to meet current needs without compromising ability to meet future needs * ^^Tragedy of the Commons^^ :: people don’t take good care of a common resource because they prioritize their own short-term interests * Tend to take better care of privately owned resources * Short-term needs take priority over long-term consequences * Environmentally: land, water, air, etc. * ^^sustainable development^^ :: economic progress that considers environmental impact (is sustainable) * ^^true sustainability ::^^ a compromise between 3 things: * environmental issues * economic issues * social issues
ideas about how we should use/view the environment * preservation vs. conservation * about land use * ^^preservation^^ :: belief in not using or minimally using natural land, keeping it pristine * ^^conservation^^ :: belief in using natural land carefully so humans can keep using it * environmental worldviews--on spectrums * frontier ethic vs. environmental ethic * ^^frontier ethic::^^ earth has unlimited resources (or we can replace them) for human use * ^^environmental ethic::^^ resources can run out, humans just part of nature * anthropocentric vs. biocentric * ^^anthropocentric::^^ human-centered (humans are #1) * ^^biocentric::^^ all life centered (all life equal) * utilitarian value of nature vs. intrinsic value of nature * ^^utilitarian::^^ nature is useful to humans * ^^intrinsic value of nature::^^ nature for nature’s sake * ^^environmental justice^^ :: every person has right to protection from environmental hazards + to participate in decisions about environmental laws, protection, development, etc. * ^^precautionary principle^^ :: if there is a potential threat to human health or environment, something must be done to correct it or stop/prevent it, even if cause + effect not fully understood or supported