Chapter 1 Environmental Science

Tragedy of the Commons

the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain, using up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the entire community

nonrenewable resources examples

fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), diamonds, metals

Impact of fossil fuels

-Climate change -Air pollution -Acid rain -Water and land pollution (accidents and extraction).

Five stages in addressing an environmental problem

1) scientific assessment- the gathering of information of the environmental problem that is identified 2) risk analysis - analyze the potential effects of doing nothing or intervening 3) public education and involvement - 1 and 2 are put in public arena as a source of knowledge and values 4) political action - officials elected select and implement a course of action 5) long-term evaluation - results of action taken should be carefully monitored

scientific method

A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis through experiments with systematic observation and measurement, and stating conclusions; including formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment, like an ocean or coral reef

Variable

A factor that can change in an experiment

Thomas Henry Huxley once wrote, "The great tragedy of science—the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact." Explain what he meant, based on what you have learned about the nature of science.

A hypothesis is an educated guess, an explanation of a problem. A good hypothesis will make predictions about how the natural world works. These predictions can then be tested and possibly disproved. Sometimes a seemingly sound hypothesis is disproved by experimental data. Some people have strong beliefs about how the world should work but the scientific facts don't always support those beliefs.

Theory

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data. A well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations.

In the chapter, the term model is defined as a formal statement that describes a situation and can be used to predict the future course of events. On the basis of this definition, is a model the same thing as a hypothesis? *

A model is not the some thing as a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess that tries to explain the natural world. It breaks down complex systems into testable processes in order to explain the bigger picture. Many of models are computer simulations that represent the overall effect of competing factors to describe an environmental situation in numerical terms. Models help us understand how a present situation developed from the past or how to predict the future course of events.

nonrenewable natural resource

A natural resource that is not replaced (in a useful time frame). Limited supply, depleted by use

Systems

A set of components that interact and function as a whole. A natural system, consisting of a community of organisms and its physical environment, is known as an ecosystem. Ecosystems are organized into larger systems that interact with one another. Natural ecosystems are the foundation for our concept of environmental sustainability.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

positive feedback

A type of regulation that responds to a change in conditions by initiating responses that will amplify the change. Takes organism away from a steady state.

Negative Feedback

A type of regulation that responds to a change in conditions by initiating responses that will counteract the change. Maintains a steady state.

Environmental Science

An interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the environment of living and nonliving things. The study includes ethics that influence human behavior. Solutions to environmental problems include sustainable living

Renewable Resources

Any natural resource that can replenish itself in a relatively short period of time, usually no longer than the length of a human life. Can be used forever if not overly exploited

political action

Any organized attempt to influence the political process, from lobbying legislators, to seeking the election or defeat of particular candidates.

Why does a single child born in the United States have a greater effect on the environment than 12 or more children born in a developing country?

Because the US exploits and distributes natural resources way more than any other developing country, especially in regards to the automobiles and chemicals used by the US that pollutes the environment. So with our high industrial dependency, we have a bigger impact on the natural resources and environment than all the other developing countries

Fossil Fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.

Is consumption driven more by population than affluence in highly developed countries? Less developed countries? Explain the difference.

Consumption is the human use of materials and energy. In general the use of resources by consumers in highly developed countries is greatly out of proportion to their numbers. A single child born in a highly developed country may have a greater impact on the environment than 12 children born in developing countries. Many natural resources are required to provide automobiles, air conditioners, disposable diapers, cell phones, DVDs, computers, clothing, etc. in highly developed countries.

highly developed countries

Countries with complex industrial bases, low rates of population growth, and high per capita income rates and consumer rates. Determined by the GDP (gross domestic product/population, or level economic activity)

moderately developed countries

Countries with medium levels of industrialization and per person incomes lower than those of highly developed countries. Determined by the GDP (gross domestic product of a region/number of people)

LDC examples

DRC, Nepal, Bangladesh

sustainable development

Development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations

Give an example of an earth system

Earth's system includes the Earth's climate, atmosphere, land, coastal zones, and the ocean. Environmental scientists use a systems' approach to try to understand how human activities are altering global environmental parameters such as temperature, CP2, concentration in the atmosphere, land cover, etc.

IPAT equation

Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology

Explain the following ancient proverb as it relates to the concept of environmental sustainability: "We have not inherited the world from our ancestors; we have borrowed it from our children."

Environmental sustainability is the ability to meet the current human need for natural resources without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainability implies that humans can manage natural resources indefinitely without the environment going into a decline from the stresses imposed by human society on natural systems that maintain life. When the environment is used sustainably, humanity's present needs are met without endangering the wellbeing of future generations.

Greenhouse Gasses

Gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor that trap and radiate heat in the Earth's atmosphere and affect Earth's climate, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Control Group

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

In what ways do decisions about energy use and climate change that we make today limit the possibilities available to the next generation?

In order to live in a sustainable way, we must make smart choices about energy use. If we use energy in excess and exploit nonrenewable resources, the environment will be degraded and resources will run out for future generations. In order to not affect future generations, humans must manage natural resources in an effort to prevent an environmental decline due to our economic demands.

MDC examples

Mexico, South Africa, China

Do you think it is possible for the world to sustain its present population of 7.2 billion indefinitely? Why or why not?

Not indefinitely. When you look at the ecological footprint the Earth has about 11.4 billion hectares. Each person is allotted about 1.6, but instead we use about 2.7 hectares. From short-term results we see deforestation, degradation of crop lands, loss of biological diversity, declining ocean fisheries, local water shortages, and increasing pollution. If we don't change our way in the long-term than either per-person consumption will drop, population will decrease, or both.

unsustainable consumption*

Occurs when the level of demand on a country's resources damages or depletes the resource enough to reduce the quality of life for future generations

renewable resources examples

Plants, Water, Trees, Wind, Air, etc.

Tragedy of the Commons Broad Scope

Proposed by Garret Hardin. Postulates that inability to solve many environmental problems stems from struggle between short term individual welfare and long term environmental sustainability and societal welfare.

Some people want scientists to give them precise, definitive answers to environmental problems. Why is this not possible?

Science is a dynamic process, a systematic way to investigate the natural world. Science seeks to reduce the complexity of our world to general scientific laws. Scientific laws are then used to make predictions, solve problems, or provide new insights. There is no absolute certainty or universal agreement about anything in science. Science is an ongoing system, and generally accepted ideas must be reevaluated in light of newly discovered data. Scientific understanding changes, and with that, there is never a final answer. However, this must not prevent us from using current knowledge in environmental science to make environmental decisions.

Stewardship*

Shared responsibility for conserving and restoring the Earth's resources for future generations. A philosophy that holds that humans have a unique responsibility to sustain, care for, and improve nature.

Explain why economic well-being, environment, and ethics all contribute to sustainable development.

Sustainability implies that humans can have economic development and fair allocation of resources without the environment going into decline. When the environment is used sustainably, humanity's present needs are met without endangering the welfare of future generations. The goal of sustainable development is to ensure future economic development while protecting the environment. To ensure sustainability environmentally sound decisions, economically viable decisions, and socially equitable decisions must be thought of as a part of a complex and interlinked system.

Sustainability

The ability to keep in existence or maintain. A sustainable ecosystem is one that can be maintained. The use of Earth's renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that do not constrain resource use in the future, or the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

How are the concepts of ecological footprint and the IPAT model similar? Which concept do you think is easier for people to grasp?

The ecological footprint is an amount of productive land, fresh water, and ocean required on a continuous basis to supply that person food, wood, energy, water, housing, clothing, transportation, and waste disposal. The IPAT model is similar because it shows the mathematical relationship between environmental impacts and the forces driving it. The concept that I think is easier for people to grasp is the ecological footprint. This is because with the IPAT people often don't understand all the environmental impacts of a particular technology on complex environmental systems.

scientific assessment

The gathering of information. The problem is stated and defined. Data are then collected, and experiments or simulations are performed.

Experimental vs. Control Group

The group receiving the independent variable vs the group that does not receive anything, in order to act as a comparison

risk analysis

The process by which an organization evaluates the value of each asset being protected, estimates the probability that each asset might be compromised, and compares the costs of each being compromised with the costs of protecting it.

Ecology

The scientific study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

What are the three foundations of a sustainable development?

The three foundations of a sustainable development are environmentally sound decisions, economically viable decisions, and socially equitable

Explain why it might be difficult to make a decision about whether or not to allow farmers to spray pesticides even if we all agree about negative health effects of the pesticides.*

This is related to the economic impact on farmer and local community, importance of crop being grown, viability and availability of alternative crops that could be grown, availability and effectiveness of alternative pesticides or use of natural predators.

HDC examples

US, Canada, Japan

Less Developed Countries

a developing country with a low level of industrialization, very high fertility rate, very high infant mortality rate and a very low per capita income and relative consumer rates. Overall low level of economic development. Determined by the GDP

IPAT

a mathematical model showing the relationship between environmental impacts and the forces driving them, including population size, affluence, and the beneficial and harmful environmental effects of technologies. Used to determine the impact of human lifestyles on Earth.

Agenda 21

a statement of the UN of environmental action, produced at the 1992 Earth Summit, that outlines actions that should be taken to protect the planet and achieve sustainable development both environmentally and socially.

Inexhaustible (perpetual) resource

energy source that can't be used up by humans; natural resource that will not run out, no matter how much of it people use

Common Pool Resources

goods that are available to everyone, such as open ocean fisheries, the atmosphere and climate, fresh water, forests, wildlife; it is difficult to exclude anyone from using the common pool, but one user's consumption reduces the amount available for others. No single individual has responsibility.

Renewable resources vs nonrenewable resources

renewable resources can be replaced at the same rate in which they are used whereas nonrenewable is the exact OPPOSITE; they cannot be replaced at the same rate in which they are used

Experimental Group

the group in an experiment that is being tested, or that receives the independent variable

Ecological Footprint

the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources. An amount of productive land, fresh water, and ocean required on a continuous basis to supply that person food, wood, energy, water, housing, clothing, transportation, and waste disposal.

poverty*

the state of being poor