BIOL-103 Study Guide - Winter 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Greenhouse Gas, Fossil Fuel, Canada
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
BIOL-103
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Causes of Environmental Problems
Major Causes of Environmental Problems.
Human population growth.
• 200 years ago, population was smaller than now (7 billion).
Where do people live? How do they feed? What resources do they have/use?
Population.
• We’ve overwhelmed Earth’s natural pollution cycle.
Over Consumption of resources and natural systems.
• Natural systems are processes on Earth that happen naturally.
• (Example:) Production of oxygen to the atmosphere = photosynthesis from plants. Leaves
absorb carbon dioxide into tissues. Their “waste” byproduct is something other organisms
need. Cutting down forests include less oxygen and more carbon dioxide.
Poverty.
• A result of growing human population and lack of resources.
Environmental Cost.
• Not including environmental cost of economic goods/services in market prices. There is
always a value/cost economically/ecologically.
Simplify Nature.
• Trying to manage/simplify nature with too little knowledge about how it works.
Natural Capital.
• The Earth’s natural resources/processes (ecosystem services) that sustain life on the
Earth and our economies.
Air.
I. Air purification.
II. Climate control.
III. UV protection (ozone layer).
Water.
I. Purification.
II. Waste treatment.
Non-renewable minerals (iron, sand).
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Soil.
I. Renewal.
Renewable energy (sun, wind, water).
Life (biodiversity).
I. Population control.
II. Pest control.
Land.
I. Land production.
II. Nutrient recycling.
Ecological Footprint.
• Measure of human demand on Earth’s ecosystems.
• Measures of how much of Earth’s natural capital we use.
• The differences are due to standard of living and not just population numbers.
• Per capital is much more accurate and significant.
• If we continue to use the resources at the same, escalating and dangerous
heights/amounts, we eventually have to pay the “consequences” and it’ll take 2 and a half
planets to make up for the resources used.
Developing countries: Consumption per person (affluence)
X
Technological impact per unit of consumption (T)
=
Environmental impact of pop. (I)
What is science?
• A process used to investigate the world around us.
• Must be objective/unbiased (following a “process”).
• “Scientica" = to know.
• Following a process helps to minimize bias.
Hypothesis: Question based on observation.
• A prediction backed with knowledge/prediction.
• An explanation that is based on testable observations and experiments that can be
accepted until disproved.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Human population growth: 200 years ago, population was smaller than now (7 billion). Population: we"ve overwhelmed earth"s natural pollution cycle. Over consumption of resources and natural systems: natural systems are processes on earth that happen naturally. (example:) production of oxygen to the atmosphere = photosynthesis from plants. Their waste byproduct is something other organisms need. Cutting down forests include less oxygen and more carbon dioxide. Poverty: a result of growing human population and lack of resources. Environmental cost: not including environmental cost of economic goods/services in market prices. Simplify nature: trying to manage/simplify nature with too little knowledge about how it works. Natural capital: the earth"s natural resources/processes (ecosystem services) that sustain life on the. If we continue to use the resources at the same, escalating and dangerous heights/amounts, we eventually have to pay the consequences and it"ll take 2 and a half planets to make up for the resources used.
