Summary of Living in the Environment by Miller - H1, 2, 6, 7, 23 / Decentrale selectie GSS
36 views 0 purchase
Course
Global Sustainability Science
Institution
Global Sustainability Science
Book
Living in the Environment
Summary of the substance for the selection test for GSS. I achieved the 8th highest rank out of 380 applicants.
Summary of the substance for the selection test for GSS. I made the 8th place out of 380 applicants.
Test Bank for Living in the Environment 20th Edition by Miller & Spoolman
Living in the Environment 20th Edition Test Bank by Miller & Spoolman, All 25 Chapters Covered, Verified Latest Edition
Test Bank For Living in the Environment - 20th - 2021 All Chapters - 9780357142202
All for this textbook (4)
Written for
Global Sustainability Science
All documents for this subject (1)
Seller
Follow
Jorndeg
Reviews received
Content preview
Inhoud
,1. The Environment and Sustainability
Sustainability= capacity of natural systems to adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely.
Biomimicry= understand, mimic, catalog natural processes. Pioneered by Janine Benyus.
1.1 Key principles of sustainability
1A Life has been sustained by solar energy/biodiversity/chemical cycling.
1B We depend on energy from the sun/natural resources/ecosystem services.
1C We could live more sustainably by following six principles of sustainability:
- Dependence on solar energy
- Biodiversity
- Chemical cycling
- Full-cost pricing
- Win-win solutions
- Responsibility to future generations
Environmental science is a study of connections in nature
Environment= everything around you.
Environmental science= study of connections nature. Interdisciplinary study of:
- how the earth works
- how humans interact with the environment
- how we can live more sustainably.
Ecology= branch of biology, focuses on interaction living organisms - living/nonliving environment.
Species= group of organisms with unique set of characteristics that set it apart from other groups.
Ecosystem= set of organisms within a defined are of land or volume of water that interact with one
another and with their environment.
Environmentalism/environmental activism= social movement dedicated to protecting life/resources.
Focused towards politics/ethics instead of science.
Learning from the earth: three scientific principles of sustainability (see top 3
of 1C)
- Dependence on solar energy= the sun’s energy warms the planet and provides energy for plants to
produce nutrients= chemicals that plants& animals need to survive.
- Biodiversity= variety of genes/species/ecosystems/ecosystem processes.
- Chemical/ nutrient cycling= circulation needed to sustain life from the environment back to the
environment. In nature, waste = useful resources. It is a ecosystem service.
Key components of sustainability
1. Natural capital= natural resources& ecosystem services. Natural resources= materials& energy
provided by nature. Three categories:
- inexhaustible (solar, wind, geothermal energy)
- renewable (trees, topsoil, freshwater)
- nonrenewable/exhaustible resources (fossil fuels, iron and copper).
, Sustainable yield= highest rate of indefinite renewable resource use without available supply reduction.
Ecosystem services= natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life and human
economies at no monetary cost.
2. Human activities can degrade natural capital.
3. Creating solutions to environmental problems.
4. Individuals matter
Three additional principles of sustainability
- Full-cost pricing= including harmful environmental/health costs in market prices.
- Win-win solutions
- Responsibility of future generations
Countries differ in their resource use and environmental impact
More-developed countries (17% of world population) use 70% of the earth’s natural resources.
Less-developed countries (83% of world population) use 30% of the earth’s natural resources.
1.2 How are our ecological footprints affecting the earth?
1.2A Humans dominate the earth with the power to sustain/add to/degrade natural capital.
1.2B As our ecological footprints grow, we deplete/degrade more of the earth’s natural capital that
sustains us.
Good news: many people have a better quality of life
Life spans increasing, infant mortality decreasing, rising education, diseases conquered, population
growth rate slowed and poverty decreased.
We are living unsustainably
Environmental / natural capital degradation= waste/depletion of life-sustaining natural capital.
Degrading commonly shared renewable resources: the tragedy of the
commons
Degradation caused by lack of responsibility when using open-access renewable resources. Solutions:
- Reducing usage to level below the sustainable yield.
- Converting shared renewable resources to private ownership.
Our growing ecological footprints
Amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply a population with renewable
resources and to absorb and recycle the wastes and pollution such resource use produces.
Biocapacity= ability of ecosystems to regenerate used renewable resources + absorb resulting wastes
and pollution indefinitely. Per capita ecological footprint= average footprint of an individual in a given
country/area. We need 1,5 earths to sustain rate of renewable resource use indefinitely.
IPAT is another environmental impact model
Impact (I) = Population (P) x Affluence (A) x Technology (T)
China’s growing number of affluent consumers
Shows that their growing economy has immense pollution as a side effect.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Jorndeg. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $6.95. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
