Environmental Problems Do Not Necessarily Coincide With

Question: environmental science

Answer: Is the study of scientific and social aspects of human impact on the world

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Question: environment

Answer: everything that affects an organism during its lifetime

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Question: science

Answer: a method for gathering and organizing information that involves observation, asking questions about observations, hypothesis formation, testing hypotheses, critically evaluating the results, and publishing information so that others can evaluate the process and the conclusions

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Question: ecosystems

Answer: a group of interacting species along with their physical environment

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Question: Why is environmental science more than just science?

Answer: Because humans are organized unto complex societies, environmental science also must deal with politics, social organization, economics, ethics, and philosophy. Thus, environmental science is a mixture of traditional science, individual and societal values, economic factors, and political realities that are important to solving environmental problems.

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Question: When was Earth Day founded?

Answer: April 22, 1970

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Question: Why is interrelatedness a core concept in environmental science? Know the example of Yellowstone wolves.

Answer: Interrelatedness is a core concept in environmental science because within an ecosystem there is a complex network of interrelationships. For instance, weather affects plants, plants use minerals in the soil and are food for animals, animals spread plant seeds, plants secure the soil, and plants evaporate water, which affects weather.
The absence of wolves led to an increase inn elk and coyotes but to a decrease in beaver, streamside stands of willow and cottonwood, and habitat for some birds. The return of wolves resulted in a decrease in elk numbers and changes in elk behavior that allowed the vegetation to rebound and for beaver to increase in numbers. However, there is an important human-dominated drama that correlates with bringing the wolves back. Many biologists believed it was important to bring back the wolves for biological reasons, others like ranchers opposed the idea because wolves killed their cattle. After many hearings, it was concluded that wolves will be reintroduced to Yellowstone. Thus, the interrelatedness theme with the wolves applies social, economic, and political activities of humans.

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Question: Why are some ecosystem boundaries defined and others not?

Answer: The difficulty in defining concrete boundaries of ecosystems is derived from the fact that an ecosystem can encompass any area. An ecosystem can be the entirety of the Amazon forest, or it can be your tongue and all the microorganisms that live on it. Ecosystems do not end abruptly, there are zones in which certain organisms in the system can survive but not others, because of differences in precipitation, temperature, exposure, altitude, and other abiotic factors.

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Question: Why do environmental problems not coincide with artificial boundaries? Give examples?

Answer: Most social and political decisions are made with respect to political jurisdictions but environmental issues do not necessarily coincide with these artificial political boundaries. For example, Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming. Therefore, the citizens of the bordering states- Montana and Idaho- as well as the citizens of Wyoming were involved in arguing for or against the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone.

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Question: What is the Brundtland Commission? Why have changes in environmental governance been slow?

Answer: "Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable"

Addresses the links between development and environment, and interrelationships when it comes to solving global problems

Sustainability: using only what you need without compromising future generations

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Question: Why are human well-being and the environment interrelated? Define the parts of human well-being.

Answer: ¼ of all diseases are caused by environmental exposure = 13 million people

Examples:
Air pollution: urban air pollution a widespread problem - 6 million
Water pollution: not enough clean water - 2 million
Cancer: smoke, radiation, chemicals - 4 million
Malaria: common infectious disease - half million
Accidents: traffic - 1 million
Emerging diseases: since 1980, more than 35 infectious diseases have emerged or taken a new role

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Question: What are the health concerns related to environmental quality?

Answer: It means having stable and reliable access to resources and the ability to be secure from natural and human disasters. Environmental resources are a critical part of the livelihoods of millions of people, and when these resources are threatened through environmental change, people's security is also threatened making conflict and social instability common.

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Question: Why is security important in environmental science?

Answer: The Earth Summit, Climate Change and

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Question: What are examples of international activities related to the Earth's natural systems? Hint: There are 3 examples.

Answer: Global demand for energy keeps growing, placing an ever increasing burden on natural resources and on the environment.

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