Environmental Issues Ch 1 Info

Why is it correct to say renewable resources are potentially renewable?

They must be used in a manner that allows natural processes time to replace or replenish them.

A factor as important as population size is a population's level of ___________. By definition, it is _____________and is intimately connected to a country's _______________. Why?

consumption, human us of material and energy, economic growth The more people there are the more demands there are for goods and services

Variation in consumption is associated with:

economic status, geography (especially whether people live in rural , suburban, or urban areas), culture, and other social and personal factors

Consumption is both an ____________and a ___________act. Why does a child born in a HDC have a greater impact on the environment than a child born in a LDC?

economic, social people from highly developed countries will deplete a lot more resources than someone who grew up in a less developed country.

What types of human conditions are associated with poverty? How do they influence global environmental issues? How do they influence solving environmental problems?

short life expectancy, illiteracy, and inadequate access to health services, safe water, and balanced nutrition. There are more people and consumption. We are unsure if Earth can support all of us very long. We will have to determine to sustain a large quantity of people.

There is a relationship between population growth, resource consumption and environmental degradation. Here are two generalizations:

1. Over population growth tend to deplete our resources, yet, the amount of resources that are essential to us is small. 2. In highly developed countries, the demand on natural resources is greater than the requirements for survival

Sustainability is based in part on the following ideas:

1. We must all think about economic, social and environmental well being 2. We must consider the effects of our actions 3. We must live within limits and let renewable supplies regenerate 4. We must understand product costs 5. All of us share a responsibility for living sustainablility

Which human behaviors threaten sustainability?

1. We use nonrenewable resources as if they were unlimited 2. We use renewable resources faster than they replenish 3. We are polluting as if the Earth's ability to absorb toxins were limitless 4. Over population 5. Our activities disrupt the ability of natural processes to regenerate

Population of India

1.2 billion

Population of China

1.3 billion

Highly developed countries represent less than __________% of the world's population, yet, they consume significantly more than _________of its resources. These countries also generate________% of the world'd pollution and waste.

20, 1/2, 75

Approximately how many people on Earth live in poverty?

3.3 billion

Population of US

322 million

Population of Earth

7.2 billion

Explain how resource issues are related to population size

A larger population consumes more resources and causes more environmental damage

Why are the effects of population growth on natural resources particularly critical in developing countries?

Developing countries are faces with the difficult choice to having to exploit natural resources to provide fore the demanding, expanding population. HDC now rely on importation of resources from LDC

Why must we minimize human impact on our planet and not ignore environment?

Future generations as well as ourselves depend on it.

How does the rate of resource consumption affect the environment in comparison to rapid population growth?

High rate of resource consumption affects the environment at least as much as the rapid population growth

What is the most significant factor impacting the health of Earth's environment? Why?

Over population. We consume large quantities of resources and use up a lot of energy and raw materials.

List the five stages in addressing an environmental problem. Why is it sometimes difficult to solve environmental problems?

Recognize a question, Develop a hypothesis, Experiment, Analyze, Share new knowledge Science is rarely straightforward and normally does not follow a living sequence of events

Our rapidly increasing population is overwhelming Earth's regenerative capacity. Give examples

We transform forests, prairies, and deserts to meet our wants and needs. We consume large amounts of Earth's abumdant but finite resources (soil, water, air)

List the global environmental issues from pages 14-15. Why are they considered global in scope?

global warming, deforestation, threatened oceans, desertification, polar ice cap, ozone depletion, pollution These issues occur locally at so many places around the planet that they are global in scope.

What is the job of an environmental scientist? Why is it sometimes difficult to develop viable solutions to environmental problems?

hey establish general principles about how the natural world functions They have to rely on scientific knowledge and sometimes cannot give precise answers

How did the economic growth and development of HDC come about?

through exploitation or destruction of their resources

The population is large and has grown this large in a very brief span of time Why?

lack of family planning

What is the most significant agent of environmental change on our planet?

the human species