AP Environmental Science Chapter 1- Environment and Sustainability

What are some examples of renewable resources?

Air, Water, Soil, Plants, Wind, etc.

What are some examples of Least Developed countries?

Angola, Congo, Belarus, Nigeria, Nicaragua, etc.

What is the environment?

It is what's around us. It includes both living and nonliving things

The fifth reason we have environmental problems is- People have different views about environmental problems and their solutions. Why is this a problem?

It's hard to get laws passed when people disagree.

Why might the conversion of open-access resources to privatize ownership act as a solution to the tragedy of the commons?

This might work because if you own something, you are more likely to protect your investment.

Humanities work to...

describe how people process and document human experience.

Social Sciences work to...

describe humans.

Natural Sciences work to...

describe nature (outside of humans.)

In Least Developed Countries, per capita GDP PPP is...

steadily declining.

As developing countries become more affluent, they also want to live...

"The American Dream"

The problem is that many human activities degrade natural capital. What are some of the activities?

Deforestation, Burning Fossil Fuels, etc.

Briefly, name the five main reasons we have environmental problems.

1. Population growth 2. Poverty 3. Affluence 4. Hidden costs 5. Conflicting views

Developed countries have...

A high degree of industrialization and a high per capita GDP PPP

There are 5 main reasons why we have environmental problems. The first one is- Population growth puts extra stress on the environment. Why is this?

Because more people = more resources needed.

The second reason we have environmental problems is- Poverty has harmful environmental and health effects. Why is this?

Being an environmentalist is a luxury, and poverty can lead to rampant pollution.

What are some examples of natural sciences?

Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Geology, Hydrology, Physics, Zoology, Botany, Climatology, Geochemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Paleontology, etc.

What are some examples of Moderately Developed countries?

China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Jordan, Thailand, Mexico, etc.

What are some examples on nonrenewable resources?

Copper, Oil, Coal, Natural Gas, Fossil Fuels, etc.

97% of the projected increase in the world's population by 2050 is expected to take place in...

Developing Countries.

Other economists disagree, and want to use political and economic systems to discourage unsustainable forms of growth that degrade natural capital and encourage environmentally sustainable forms of development that sustain natural capital. This is called...

Environmentally Sustainable Economic Development.

What is regulation?

Establishing laws that limit annual harvest or other unsustainable practices. We can only do this internationally when by entering into agreements with other countries, otherwise it can only be done on smaller scales.

What are some examples of Natural Resources?

Fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, coal) Minerals (diamonds, gold, copper, silver) Natural vegetation, forests, timber. Animals (salmon, whales, deer, etc.) Air, wind. Water, water power, wetlands, watercourses, lakes. Soil, topsoil. Etc.

What are some examples of humanities?

History, Ethics, Philosophy, etc.

Environmental scientists search for scientific solutions to problems such as the degradation of natural capital. Who/what does implementing these solutions often fall to?

Implementing these solutions often falls to government laws and civilian actions.

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

Individual users of a shared resource acting in their own self interest behave contrary to the common good, depleting and spoiling the resource collectively.

What are Natural Resources?

Materials and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans.

What two groups can developing countries be divided into?

Middle Income (Moderately Developed) and Low Income (Least Developed)

What other sciences does Environmental Science integrate information and ideas from?

Natural Science, Social Science, and Humanities.

The fourth reason we have environmental problems is- Prices do not include the value of natural capital? Why is this a problem?

Often with reduced cost of goods there are externalities and increases in costs in negative effects that aren't payed for. Basically, externalities are hidden costs.

Not all currencies are equal, so what tool do we use to compare the economies of different countries?

PPP, or Purchasing Power Parity

What are some examples of Natural Services?

Pollination, Decomposition, Photosynthesis, etc.

What are some examples of social sciences?

Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Demography, etc.

What are some possible solutions to the tragedy of the commons?

Regulation and/or the conversion of open access resources to privatize ownership.

What is used to measure economic growth?

The GDP, or Gross Domestic Product.

What are some examples of places that are considered "developed?"

The United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, most of Europe, etc.

What are some examples or cultural changes that influence a society's ecological footprint?

The agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, and globalization.

What is an Ecological Footprint?

The amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply the people in a particular area with resources and to absorb and recycle the wastes and pollution produced by such resource use. Basically the impact people have on the environment, with impact being how much waste we make and how many resources we use per land that resources are supplied.

The third reason we have environmental problems is- Affluence (wealth) has harmful (and sometimes beneficial) environmental effects. Why is this?

Wealth can lead to over-consumption.

What is an Ecological Deficit?

When a country, or the world, has a total ecological footprint that is larger than its biological capacity to replenish its resources and absorb the resulting waste.

How does one live sustainably?

by protecting their capital and living off the income it provides. One can live sustainably by living off natural income.

Some economists call for continuing conventional economic growth as it has worked for developing countries. They believe such growth has...

increased food supplies, life spans, and industrialization. They also believe it is a cure for poverty, as wealth trickles down the economic ladder to the developing countries at the bottom.

What is Per Capita GDP PPP?

it is a measure of the number of goods and services that a country's average citizen could by in the U.S. (or in any chosen standardized currency.)

What are Nonrenewable resources?

it is a resource of economic value that cannot be readily replaced by natural means on a level equal to its consumption.

What are Renewable Resources?

it is a substance of economic value that can be replaced or replenished in the same or less amount of time as it takes to draw the supply down.

What is considered Economic Growth?

it is an increase in per capita GDP PPP.

What is Environmental Science?

it is an interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the environment.

What is Solar Capital?

it is energy from the sun. It supports natural capital.

What is natural income?

it is renewable resources such as plants, animals, and soil provided by natural capital.

What is Per Capita GDP?

it is the GDP divided by the total population at midyear.

What is sustainability?

it is the ability of the Earth's various natural systems and human cultural systems and economies to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely. Human and Earth's systems are sustainable when they can survive forever even when the environment changes.

What is GDP?

it is the annual market value of all goods and services produced in or by a country.

What is ecology?

it is the study of how organisms interact with one another and with their environment.

What is private property?

it is where individuals or firms own the rights to land, minerals, timber, etc.

What is common property?

it is where resource rights are held by large groups of individuals.

What is open access?

it is where there is no ownership and resources are available for use by anyone.

What does Natural Capital refer to?

it refers to the aspects of nature that support life.

Why is ecology different from environmental science?

one focuses on how humans interact with the environment, rather than how non-humans interact with each other and the environment.

What is the goal of Economic Development?

the goal of using economic growth to improve living standards.

What are Natural Services?

they are functions of nature which support life and human economies.