Chapter 1 Key Terms

Question 1

Environment

Answer 1

the circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or a group of organisms

Question 2

Environmental Science

Answer 2

the systemic study of our environment and the ways in which we both depend on & influence it

Question 3

Utilitarian Conservation

Answer 3

the philosophy that resources should be used for the greatest good for the greatest number of people for the longest time

Question 4

Biocentric Preservation

Answer 4

philosophy that emphasizes the fundamental right of living organisms to exist and to pursue their own goods

Question 5

Modern environmentalism

Answer 5

attention to environmental issues that includes concern for environmental resources & pollution

Question 6

Global environmentalism

Answer 6

a concern for & action to help solve global environmental problems

Question 7

Sustainable Development

Answer 7

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 8

Quality of life indicators

Answer 8

factors, such as infant mortality, life expectancy, income, sanitation, and education, that indicate quality of life in a country

Question 9

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Answer 9

a set of 17 goals adopted by the UN in 2015, which aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure property for all as a part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved between 2015-2030

Question 10

Millennium Development Goals

Answer 10

a set of goals established in 2000 by the UN that include ending poverty and hunger, universal education, gender equity, child health, maternal health, environmental sustainability, etc

Question 11

Throughput

Answer 11

the amount of material or resources that flow through a system

Question 12

Ecosystem services

Answer 12

services or resources provided by environmental systems

Question 13

Tragedy of the Commons

Answer 13

an inexorable process of degradation of communal resources due to the selfishness of “free riders” who use or destroy more of their fair share of common property

Question 14

Managing the Commons

Answer 14

systems for managing common resources

Question 15

Ethics

Answer 15

a person’s sense of what is right or wrong

Question 16

Moral value

Answer 16

value or worth of something based on moral principles

Question 17

Moral Extensionism

Answer 17

extending moral value to a larger circle of people, organisms, and objects

Question 18

Inherent value

Answer 18

intrinsic right to exist

Question 19

Stewardship

Answer 19

taking care of the resources we are given

Question 20

Instrumental value

Answer 20

usefulness to someone

Question 21

Environmental Justice

Answer 21

combines civil rights with environmental protection to demand a safe, healthy, life giving environment for everyone

Question 22

LULUs

Answer 22

locally unwanted land uses, such as toxic waste dumps, incinerators, smelters, airports, freeways, and other sources of environmental, economic, or social degradation

Question 23

Environmental Racism

Answer 23

inequitable distribution of environmental hazards based on race

Question 24

Toxic colonialism

Answer 24

the practice of targeting poor communities of color in the developing nations for waste disposal or experimentation with risky technologies

Question 25

Empiricism

Answer 25

we can learn about the world by careful observation of empirical (real, observable) phenomena; we can expect to understand fundamental processes and natural laws by observation

Question 26

Uniformitarianism

Answer 26

basic patterns and processes are uniform across time and space; the forces at work today are the same as those that shaped the world in the past, and they will continue to do so in the future

Question 27

Parsimony

Answer 27

when two plausible explanations are equally reasonable, the simpler (more parsimonious) one is preferable. This rule is known as Ockham's razor, after the English philosopher who proposed it

Question 28

Uncertainty

Answer 28

knowledge changes as new evidence appears, and explanations (theories) change with new evidence. Theories based on current evidence should be tested on additional evidence, with the understanding that new data may disprove the best theories

Question 29

Repeatability

Answer 29

tests and experiments should be repeatable; if the same results cannot be reproduced, then the conclusions are probably incorrect

Question 30

Proof is Elusive

Answer 30

we rarely expect science to provide absolute proof that a theory is correct, because new evidence may always undermine our current understanding

Question 31

Testable Questions

Answer 31

to find out whether a theory is correct, it must be tested; we formulate testable statements (hypotheses) to test theories