ENV200H1 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Denitrification, Surface Tension, Capillary Action
Document Summary
Environment (french environner = to encircle or surround) = the natural world and the built or technological, social, and cultural world. E. g. , to promote public health by reducing water contamination without necessarily being interested in nature or biodiversity. Environmentalism = working to influence attitudes and policies that affect our environment. The most amazing feature of our planet is its rich diversity of life: millions of species populate the earth and help sustain a habitable environment, creates diverse, self-sustaining ecosystems. There are over 7 billion people on earth, about twice as many as there were 40 years ago: about 80 million people added each year, between 8 and 10 million people by 2050. Climate change: atmosphere normally captures heat near the earth"s surface, human activities have greatly increased concentrations of greenhouse gases (e. g. , co2) Atmospheric co2 concentrations have increased 30% in the past 200 years. Global mean temperatures will increase by 2-6 c compared to 1990.