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Environmental Sustainability Flashcards
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Environmental Sustainability Flashcards
Environmental Change and Management Flashcards
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1
Question
What is environmental sustainability and its main goal?
Answer
Environmental sustainability is using resources responsibly for the future without harming the planet. Its main goal is to ensure actions don’t pollute or deplete resources faster than nature can replace them.
2
Question
Name the three types of sustainability mentioned in the lesson.
Answer
Economic and political, social and cultural, and environmental sustainability.
3
Question
What are the two main types of environmental change, and how do they differ?
Answer
Natural changes, which occur in a short period and involve events like floods or volcanic eruptions causing adaptations; and human changes, which include activities like growing food, habitat building, or resource extraction and can be intentional, inadvertent, or negligent.
4
Question
Give examples of positive and negative human changes to the environment.
Answer
Positive: Infrastructure development, habitat creation, reforestation, pollution control. Negative: Biodiversity loss, deforestation, environmental degradation, strain on resources.
5
Question
What does the ecological footprint measure and why is it important?
Answer
It measures the supply and demand of nature, indicating how much natural resource area is needed to support human consumption. It's important as an indicator of environmental sustainability for countries, local leaders, and individuals.
6
Question
List the different land types used to measure the Earth's ecological footprint.
Answer
Carbon (forest land to absorb CO2), cropland (for food and fibre), built-up land (infrastructure), forest (timber and fuel wood), fishing grounds (for seafood), and grazing land (for livestock).
7
Question
What does 'global hectares (gha)' represent in ecological measurements?
Answer
One gha represents the productive capacity of one hectare of land with world average productivity, used to measure both ecological footprint and biocapacity.
8
Question
Define biocapacity and explain its significance.
Answer
Biocapacity is the productivity of ecological assets like cropland, grazing land, forest land, fishing grounds, and built-up land. It represents the environment's ability to provide resources and absorb waste, crucial for sustainability assessments.
9
Question
Which regions have the largest ecological deficits and what factors contribute to this?
Answer
USA, China, Japan, and India have large ecological deficits due to high population, high consumption rates, and industrialization.
10
Question
Which regions have ecological reserves and why?
Answer
Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay have ecological reserves because of conservation efforts, sustainable practices, and restoration initiatives.
11
Question
What is biodiversity and why is it important?
Answer
Biodiversity is the total variety of all life on Earth. It is important because it provides essential living requirements, such as coral reefs and mangroves that protect various organisms.
12
Question
Where are the regions with the most biodiversity and what factors influence this?
Answer
Africa, parts of South America, and parts of South-East Asia have the most biodiversity, influenced by factors like the Amazon rainforest and wetter climates in South-East Asia.
13
Question
Why do tropical rainforests have high biodiversity?
Answer
Because of warmer temperatures, consistent rainfall, and high amounts of sunlight, which create favorable conditions for many species.
14
Question
What defines a biodiversity hotspot?
Answer
A biodiversity hotspot is an area with a high number of species that cannot be found anywhere else.
15
Question
How do climate and geography influence biodiversity?
Answer
Temperature, precipitation, seasonal changes, and distance from the equator affect species diversity and distribution.
16
Question
What is land degradation?
Answer
Land degradation is the loss of productivity and decline in fertility of land-based environments.
17
Question
Describe the types of land degradation mentioned in the lesson.
Answer
Soil degradation (loss of soil fertility, compaction, or acidity), soil erosion (wearing away of soil by natural forces, worsened by human activities), and ecosystem decline (degradation of ecosystems like forests or streams through vegetation loss or invasive species).
18
Question
What is an environmental worldview?
Answer
An environmental worldview is a perspective based on values and assumptions about nature, shaping how individuals view the Earth's management and their role within it.
19
Question
What factors shape a person's environmental worldview?
Answer
Perceptions of how the world works, what an individual's role should be, and what constitutes correct environmental behavior.
20
Question
What causes climate change according to the lesson?
Answer
An increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.
21
Question
Explain the greenhouse effect and its consequences.
Answer
Greenhouse gases trap some of the sun’s energy in the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise. Consequences include ice melting, reduced snowfall, rising sea levels, and changing rainfall patterns.