All Flashcards
What is a renewable resource?
Resources replenished quickly by nature.
What is a nonrenewable resource?
Resources formed slowly over millions of years; can be depleted.
Define sustainability.
Meeting present needs without compromising future generations.
What is environmental sustainability?
Using resources without depleting or damaging them.
What is economic sustainability?
Balancing economic growth with environmental protection.
What is social sustainability?
Creating a healthy, inclusive, and just society.
Define environmental determinism.
The belief that the environment shapes society.
What is the atmosphere?
Layer of gases regulating climate and protecting from radiation.
What is the lithosphere?
Earth's solid outer layer, source of minerals and resources.
What is the hydrosphere?
Earth's water system, essential for life.
What is the effect of burning fossil fuels on the atmosphere?
Releases greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.
What is the effect of mining on the lithosphere?
Habitat destruction and resource depletion.
What is the effect of damming rivers on the hydrosphere?
Alters water flow and affects ecosystems.
What is the effect of deforestation?
Loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
What is the effect of using fertilizers in agriculture?
Water pollution and soil degradation.
What is the effect of overfishing?
Depletion of fish stocks and disruption of marine ecosystems.
What is the effect of urbanization on the environment?
Habitat loss, increased pollution, and altered water cycles.
What is the effect of using renewable energy sources?
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and conservation of fossil fuels.
What is the effect of sustainable agriculture practices?
Improved soil health, reduced water pollution, and increased biodiversity.
What is the effect of water treatment plants?
Clean water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial processes.
Compare renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Renewable resources are replenished quickly; nonrenewable resources are finite and take millions of years to form.
Compare environmental determinism and possibilism.
Environmental determinism states environment dictates human actions; possibilism states humans have choices within environmental constraints.
Compare the impacts of humans on the atmosphere and the hydrosphere.
Humans impact the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, leading to climate change. They impact the hydrosphere by damming rivers, altering water flow.
Compare the goals of economic and social sustainability.
Economic sustainability balances economic growth with environmental protection. Social sustainability creates a healthy, inclusive, and just society.
Compare solar and wind energy.
Solar energy comes from the sun; wind energy harnesses the power of the wind, both are renewable.
Compare coal and natural gas.
Both are fossil fuels, but coal is a solid and generally dirtier to burn, while natural gas is a gas and burns more cleanly.
Compare the lithosphere and the geosphere.
The lithosphere is Earth's solid outer layer, while the geosphere is Earth's solid inner layer.
Compare the use of dams and aqueducts.
Dams store water and control its flow; aqueducts transport water over long distances.
Compare the impacts of mining and quarrying.
Both extract resources from the lithosphere, but mining often involves underground extraction while quarrying is typically surface-level.
Compare the use of water for drinking and irrigation.
Drinking water requires purification and treatment; irrigation uses large quantities of water for agriculture.