Environmental Science Notes Outline Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

Introduction to Environmental Science

1. What is environmental science? 2. The environment includes:

3. Define these two concepts illustrated by the collapse of civilization on Easter Island:

a. The Law of Unintended Consequences & Unsustainability

4. What are some Major Environmental Problems?

Tragedy of the Commons

5. Anthropocentrism: 6. Ecocentrism:

7. What is a commons?

8. Give two modern examples of the Tragedy of the Commons:

Environmental History

9-10. Differentiate between each of these land designations made during the Progressive Era:
a. National Parks: b. National Forests: c. Wildlife Refuges:

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Environmental Science Notes Outline Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

11-13. Describe each of these designations of natural resources made during the Progressive Era:
a. Renewable resources: c. Inexhaustible
resources:

b. Nonrenewable
resources: d. Recyclable resources:

Economic Ideas

14. If the demand for a product or service increases what happens to the supply?

15. How was the Bhopal Pesticide Plant Disaster and remediation a product of cost/benefit
analysis?

Developed vs Developing Countries

16. Why are developing countries at greater risk for ecological disasters?

17. Why do you think the demographic divide data table shows these results?

18. What does ecological footprint measure?

a. What countries tend to have greater ecological footprints?

19. What is sustainability and why is it important?

20. The Earth is a closed system. What does this mean?