APES Intro
Anthropocentrism
"human centered". protects and promotes of human interests or well being at expense of all other factors. often places emphasis on short term benefits while disregarding long term consequences
what is the normal background extinction rate for mammals
1 every 200 years
What percent of the worlds populations uses what percent of its resources?
20%, 75%
how many mammal extinctions did Australia experience and why?
27 mammal extinctions due to the influence of European settlers
what happened in the most recent major extinction?
65 million years ago, 75% of all species disappeared from the earth. believed to have been caused by a meteor impact
what are the two main categories of ethics
Anthropocentrism and Ecocentrism
The Union Carbide is now called...
DOW Chemical
who justified the building of the Hetch Hetchy Valley
Gifford Pinochet, first man in charge of US Forest Service
what was one of the factors that led to the Bhopal disaster and lack of cleanup
India was a developing country
which two countries are the top coal producers?
Russia and the united states
Anthropocentrists view on Hetch hetchy Debate
San Francisco needed the water, and this was by far the most viable option
What did Rachel Carson publish
Silent Spring, which was about the effects of pesticides on larger predatory birds, particularly the bald eagle
Resource depletion
a great deal of resources are needed to support the human population, and they are being used up
Coal is a ________ resource, and why?
a nonrenewable resource. Over time, it will become more difficult and expensive to extract
What was needed for the reservoir to be constructed?
an act of congress and President Woodrow Wilson's approval
What is a commons
an area that belongs to no individual; it is shared by the entire society
what did Garret Hardin write?
an essay called the TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
background rate
assuming no catastrophic events occur, extinctions that normally occur at a pretty slow rate
modern examples of the Tragedy of the Commons?
atmosphere and oceans
interspecies
between two species
biodegradable pollution
break down naturally over time
renewable resources
can be replenished within a human lifetime.
three examples of nonrenewable resources
coal, oil, minerals
extinction
complete loss of a species. natural event that can be accelerated by human actions
what did people plan to do in Hetch Hetchy Valley
construct a reservoir
outcome of Hetch Hetchy Debate
dam was constructed
Pollution
degradation or an undesired change in air, water, or soil that affects the health of living things
which type of country has a larger footprint, and what does it represent?
developed countries, shows a larger use of resources
Where are many products in developed countries produced and why?
developing countries because working conditions and pay in these countries are often at levels that would be unacceptable elsewhere
nondegradable pollution
does not break down
Why did the Cuyahoga river in Ohio catch fire?
due to all of the pollution that had accumulated in it
what has a huge influence on environmental decision-making?
economics
what does pollution affect, regardless of whether it is in air or water?
ecosystems far away from the sources because it can move
How many major extinction events occurred in Earths history
five
Developed countries
higher incomes, longer life spans, slower growth rate. Economically stable, educated, more environmental protections. consume resources at a greater rate
what was the result of the Bhopal Pesticide Plant
immediate death toll of 3000 people with 8000 more dying of long term health ailments
environment
includes all conditions that surround living organisms: climate, air and water quality, soil and landforms, prescence of other living organisms
Global Environmentalism
increased travel and communication enables people to know about daily events in places unknown in previous generations. explores issues and problems over the entire world, not just within the local community
what was the effect of Rachel Carson's book?
it began a public awakening to threats of pollution and toxic chemicals to humans as well as other species, called MODERN ENVIRONMENTALISM
environmental science is INTERDISCIPLINARY, which means..
it includes concepts and ideas from multiple fields of study. decisions have impacts in all fields of study (Economics, geology, engineering, chemistry, meteorology, ecology, politics)
Ecocentrists view on Hetch Hetchy Debate
it violated the very purpose of the Federal Parks that needed to be protected
why was the settlement for the Bhopal Pesticide Plant unsatisfactory?
it was not sufficient to treat all of the long term health issues stemming from the disaster. the site itself was also not remediated
What did planners try to do as they rebuilt San Francisco?
look for ways to address some of the issues with the city's infrastructure, including water supply
developing countries
lower incomes, shorter life spans, rapid population growth
Yosemite National Park
national park directly east of San Francisco
ecocentrism
nature deserves to exist for its own sake regardless of degree of usefulness to humans. the preservation of ecosystems or other living things take priority over human needs
Ecological Footprint
one measurement of a person's resource use. includes the amount of space needed to support each person in a nation, including forests, farms, cities, etc.
what would DOW Chemical have to do to properly compensate and treat all individuals affected by the disaster?
pay billions of dollars in settlements
Bhopal Pesticide Plant
pesticide factory that leaked a large amount of toxic chemicals into the area
San Francisco Earthquake
powerful earthquake struck the city in 1906, followed by a devastating fire
Cost/benefit analysis
questions whether the benefit of doing something justifies the economic cost
nonrenewable resources
replenished extremely slowly, if at all. these can be used up
Teddy Roosevelt advocated what idea?
resource conservationalism
3 major environmental problems
resource depletion, pollution, loss of biodiversity
What does the Tragedy of the Commons compare?
short term interests of individuals vs long term interests of civilization and the Earth itself
Why couldn't the firemen put out the fire due to the San Francisco Earthquake
the city's water pipes were so damaged by the earthquake, that firefighters were not able to tap fire hydrants
Hetch Hetchy Debate
the debate about whether to build a dam in the Hetch Hetchy valley, one of the biggest debates between the two philosphies
environmental ethics
the discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings to the environment
the more forms of life within a community...
the more stable that ecosystem will be
supply and demand
the most basic principle of economics
what do scientists believe we may be in due to human influences
the next major extinction event
biodiversity
the number of different species present in one specific ecosystem and diversity within one species
loss of biodiversity
the number of species on the Earth is unknown, but estimated to be in the tens of millions
What is discussed in Garret Hardin's essay?
the source of environmental problems as a conflict. Likelness of a commons area being exploited for short term economic gain
Environmental Science
the study of the interaction of humans with the natural environment
What effect do developing countries have on the environment and why
they have less regulation on their industries and fewer environmental protections because they are overpopulated and desperate for economic gain
2 examples of renewable resources
timber, water
Resource Conservationalists
wanted to protect open land. Created National Parks System and National Forest System
Which questions are considered in environmental ethics
what is the value of the environment? What moral responsibility do we have in dealing with the major environmental problems that result from our resource consumption? which needs should be given the highest priority in our decision making?
introspecies
within one species