front 1 Science | back 1 is a way of knowing about the world around us. (Exploring and Explaining the world) |
front 2 Environmental science | back 2 focuses on gaining an understanding of how the environment, with all of its biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components, functions as well as how humans impact it or are impacted by it. |
front 3 environmental science | back 3 examines the science-related implications of environmental issues |
front 4 sustainability | back 4 worldview acknowledges that humans must have access to vital resources, but the exploitation of those necessities should be governed by appropriate ecological, intrinsic, and aesthetic values. |
front 5 Sustainibilty form (The spaceship worldview) | back 5 The sustainability world view can assume various forms. The spaceship worldview is quite anthropocentric. It focuses only on sustaining resources needed by people, and it assumes that humans can exert a great degree of control over natural processes and can safely pilot “spaceship Earth.” |
front 6 ecological sustainability | back 6 In contrast, ecological sustainability is more ecocentric. It considers people within an ecological context and focuses on sustaining all components of Earth’s life-support system by preventing human actions that would degrade them. In an ecologically sustainable economy, natural goods and services should be utilized only in ways that do not compromise their future availability and do not endanger the survival of species or natural ecosystems. |
front 7 renewable resource | back 7 can regenerate after harvesting, and if managed suitably, can provide a supply that is sustainable forever. However, to be renewable, the ability of the resource to regenerate cannot be compromised by excessive harvesting or inappropriate management practices. Examples of renewable resources include fresh water, the biomass of trees and agricultural plants and livestock, and hunted animals such as fish and deer |
front 8 non-renewable resource | back 8 A non-renewable resource is present in a finite quantity. As these resources are extracted from the environment, in a process referred to as mining, their stocks are inexorably diminished and so are available in increasingly smaller quantities for future generations. Non-renewable resources include metals and fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. |
front 9 keystone species | back 9 A keystone species is one whose presence has inordinate influence in maintaining the prevalence of various species in an ecosystem, the ecological community’s structure, and sometimes its biodiversity. Pisaster ochraceus, the intertidal sea star, is a keystone species in the northwestern portion of the United States (Figure below). Studies have shown that when this organism is removed from communities, mussel populations (their natural prey) increase, which completely alters the species composition and reduces biodiversity. Another keystone species is the banded tetra, a fish in tropical streams, which supplies nearly all of the phosphorus, a necessary inorganic nutrient, to the rest of the community. The banded tetra feeds largely on insects from the terrestrial ecosystem and then excretes phosphorus into the aquatic ecosystem. The relationships between populations in the community, and possibly the biodiversity, would change dramatically if these fish were to become extinct. |
front 10 Social, Economic, and Environment. | back 10 Are the three pillars of sustainability. |
front 11 Impact | back 11 If the population and technology stays the same, but affluence increases world-wide, what happens to impact? It goes up |
front 12 Why does the sun's energy matter to us? | back 12 We're solar powered. Our plants our solar powered. Weather and climate depend on solar energy. |
front 13 How does our sun "make" energy | back 13 By combining atoms in the core (nuclear fusion) |
front 14 What happens to an ecosystem if a keystone species is removed? | back 14 The ecosystem is completely changed |
front 15 What changed dramatically during the Industrial Revolution? | back 15 Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere increased. Human energy consumption dramatically increased. Extraction of fossil fuels increased. |
front 16 What is climate change? | back 16 Long-term changes in precipitation and temperature and impacts |
front 17 Why are electric cars not a simple solution to climate change? | back 17 Because most electricity is still made from fossil fuels |
front 18 What was the largest use of water for most folks in the water calculator? | back 18 Food |
front 19 Slightly more than 50% of the oil we extract is used to manufacture things instead of for energy. | back 19 True |
front 20 As of 2024, where do most humans live? | back 20 Urban Areas |
front 21 Why is meat considered "resource-intensive"? | back 21 A lot of resources are needed to produce meat |
front 22 Technically, we do produce enough food to feed every human on Earth 2,000 calories per day. | back 22 True |
front 23 Why does biodiversity matter? | back 23 Because loss of biodiversity impacts our air. Because all life on Earth is connected. Because loss of biodiversity impacts |
front 24 What does sustainability mean? | back 24 Balance of resources |
front 25 Resources | back 25 anything that is useful or valued by humans |
front 26 IPAT Equations | back 26 Impact (on the planet or ecosystem being considered) = Population (number of individuals using resources) x Affluence (how much and what types of resources) x Technology (which fuels, transportation type) |
front 27 What causes populations to grow | back 27 Number of People Born > Number of People Dying. Agricultural and Industrial Revolution and Public Health Measures |
front 28 How does the sun make energy | back 28 Through a process called Nuclear fusion. Hydrogen atoms are combined to form helium atoms and energy, in the form of ligiht |
front 29 Foundation Species | back 29 an organism that forms the base of eosystem. Usually at the bottom of the Foo Web and very abundant in that ecosystem |
front 30 Alternative fuels to oil | back 30 Natural gas and coal |
front 31 Biome | back 31 large scale community of organisms,, primarily defined on land by the dominant plant types that exists in geographic regions of the planet with similar climatic conditions |
front 32 Biodiversity | back 32 a balance between speciation and extinction |
front 33 Threats to biodiversity | back 33 Habitat loss, urban sprawl, hydro electric dams, clearing land for farming & overharvesting |
front 34 Why does loss to bio diversity matter | back 34 Loss affects critical habitats, because of harmful pollutions and habitat safety and restoration of native species |
front 35 How does the sun's energy get to Earth | back 35 Solar radiation (electromagnetic waves) is the source of energy that drives most environmental processes acting at the surface of the Earth |
front 36 First human energy innovation | back 36 Fire |
front 37 Does the word have enough oil to meet our future needs | back 37 The global supply of crude oil, otherliquid hydrocarbons and biofuels is expected to be adequate to meet the world's demand for liquid fuels through 2050. |
front 38 What is climate? | back 38 Long term patterns of weather for a location. |
front 39 Why are we worried about a changing climate | back 39 Melting glaciers, intense storms, longer periods of drought |
front 40 How to we get oil from the Earth | back 40 We drill wells and use pressure to extract oil from deep underground, Sometimes we might inject pressurized water underground to help force oil or natural gas out (fracking) |
front 41 What do we use freshwater for | back 41 To live, to produce food, electricity, and clothing. For hygiene and to make things. |
front 42 How does human activity lead to algal blooms | back 42 Fossil fuels, agriculture, Urban sources, Industry |
front 43 What is the difference between Urban and Rural | back 43 no data |
front 44 Which model matches human population growth | back 44 no data |
front 45 How is the world doing with gender equality | back 45 no data |
front 46 Why do people move to cities | back 46 no data |
front 47 What things do cities need to develop | back 47 no data |
front 48 Why is urban sprawl a problem we need to address | back 48 no data |
front 49 Why do we still have hungry people | back 49 no data |
front 50 What are the requirements for organic farming | back 50 no data |
front 51 Why is organic farming a more sustainable approach to farming than conventional agriculture | back 51 no data |
front 52 What does the IPAT equation tell us | back 52 no data |
front 53 Is | back 53 no data |