Environmental Science- Chapter 1 Test

What is overshoot?

Resource consumption exceeds earth's capacity to regenerate resources.

What is a nonrenewable resource? Know examples.

Natural resources that are present in limited supplies and are depleted as they are used. Examples: oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy.

What are common characteristics of a person living in poverty?

Poor nutrition , illiteracy, short life expectancy.

What is a renewable resource? Know examples.

Resources that are replaced by natural processes and that can be used forever, provided they are not over exploited in the short term. Examples: Wind Power, Solar power, water, Wind energy,

Define hypothesis.

based on what is believed to be true and based on prior scientific work

Who is the most significant agent to environmental issues?

humans

What does a highly developed country do when they run out of nonrenewable resources?

look for alternative locations like the ocean or less habitable countries and then use them.

What are two threats to our oceans?

- 70% of commercial fish species are depleted or nearing depletion - 50% of coral reefs worldwide= threatened by human activity. - overfishing - pollution - increased co2 emissions - global climate change - costal development

What are ways that we can reach sustainability?

- Stabilize human population - prevent pollution where possible - restore degraded enviroments - protect natural ecosystems - use resources efficiently - educate children and adults - prevent and reduce waste - Eradicate hunger and poverty

What is consumption?

- The use of material and energy - Linked to economic growth - expansion in output of a nations goods and services.

What are two facts about global poverty?

- globally, 3.3 billion people live in poverty , 1 in 4 people live in poverty

What classifies someone as living in poverty?

- unable to meet basic needs - earn less than $ 2/ day

What is deforestation?

-32 million acres of the forest lost annually - Loss of biodiversity - loss of habitat for plants and animals - slash and burn: areas release CO2 contributing to global climate change. - It also affects local climates - evaporative cooling, rainfall and temperatures.

What are the steps to the scientific process? Describe each one.

1. A scientist recognizes and states a problem or unanswered question. 2. The scientist develops a hypothesis or educated guess to explain the problem 3. an experiment is designed and used to test the hypothesis. 4. Data, the results obtained from the experiment, are analyzed and interpreted to reach a conclusion 5. The conclusion is shared with the rest of the scientific community.

What is an experimental group? What is a control group?

1. In scientific experiments those in the experimental group recieve whatever is being studied for that expiement. 2. Those in the control group recieves whatever is standard in that situation.

What percentage of the world is highly developed countries?

20%

When did the world's population reach 7 billion?

2011

What are three characteristics of highly developed countries?

Complex industry, Low rates of population growth, and high income.

How do you calculate the human impact on the environment?

I=PxAxT Imapact= # people x affluence x technology. I= enviornmental impact P= population/# of people. A= affluence (resources consumed). T= technology (used to obtain and consume resources).

How does population affect the environment?

Increase in the population increases the consumption of land, food, water, air, fossil fuels, and wildlife.

How would a country increase from a less developed country to a moderately developed country?

Increase their industry, decrease their growth rates and thereby increase their per person incomes.

How does the ecological footprint of an American teenager compare to the ecological footprint of an Haitian teenager?

The American teenager has more resources and will spend more resources by about 50 to 1. The Haitian teenager gets about 50 cents a day in resources.

What is sustainability?

The ability to meet humanity's current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

What are differences between highly developed countries and less developed countries?

The more developed countries have a more complex industry, low population growth rates, and high income. The less developed countries have an underdeveloped industry, high rates of population growth, and low income.

What is overpopulation?

The number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living.

What is Tragedy of the Commons? Describe in detail one example that we discussed in class.

The unregulated use of a public resource that results in this degradation. Examples: air, water, and soil.

What would happen if everyone in the world used resources at the same rate as Americans?

Then we would have to get resources from other planets or find new ways to create new resources on our planet.

What is an ecological footprint?

the amount of land and water needed to provide energy, housing, transportation, etc. per person.

What is environmental science?

the interdisciplinary study of humanity's relationship with other organisms and the physical environment