es 1 > es1 final > Flashcards

es1 final Flashcards

(121 cards)

Study These Flashcards
1
Q

The Environment

A

The surroundings and conditions that affect living organisms, including natural, built, social, and economic systems.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Nature

A

The physical world and living systems, often imagined as “non-human,” but in ES 1 includes human-influenced environments too.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Ontology

A

How we categorize what exists in the world (species, ecosystems, types of nature). A way of organizing reality.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Cycles and the Eternal Return

A

The idea that nature repeats in cycles rather than moving in a straight line.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Balance of Nature

A

Old belief that ecosystems naturally stay stable unless disturbed. Modern science shows nature is dynamic and not always balanced.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Great Chain of Being

A

Historical hierarchical ranking of existence (God → humans → animals → plants → minerals). Used to justify human dominance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Cyclical Change vs Directional Change

A

Cyclical change repeats (seasons); directional change moves one way (evolution, climate warming).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Earth System Science

A

Study of Earth as an interconnected system (climate, oceans, land, life, humans all interacting).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Gaia Hypothesis

A

Idea that Earth’s living and nonliving components interact to regulate conditions that support life.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Chaos Theory

A

Small changes in certain systems (like weather) can lead to big, unpredictable outcomes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Anthropocene

A

Proposed new geologic era where humans are the dominant force shaping Earth systems.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Environmental Kuznets Curve

A

Theory that pollution rises then falls as countries become wealthier.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Essentially Contested Concept

A

A concept people will always debate, like “nature,” “justice,” or “sustainability.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Hobbes

A

Believed that without government, life would be chaotic and violent. Supports strong order and authority.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Malthus

A

Argued population grows faster than food, causing resource limits, famine, and collapse.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Darwin

A

Proposed evolution by natural selection. Species change over time based on survival and reproduction.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Marx

A

Saw capitalism as harmful to workers and nature due to constant pressure to exploit resources.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Marsh

A

Early environmental thinker who argued humans reshape and often damage ecosystems.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Carl Linnaeus

A

Created the modern scientific classification system for species.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Utilitarianism

A

Ethical theory that the right action is the one that produces the greatest good for the most people.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Natural Rights

A

Rights people have simply for being human (life, liberty, property).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Social Contract

A

Idea that people give up some freedoms to government in exchange for protection and order.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Enlightenment Era

A

Period emphasizing reason, science, rights, and progress.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

John Rawls

A

Philosopher focused on fairness and justice.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Veil of Ignorance
Rawls’ idea to design society as if you did not know your own race, class, or status.
26
Garrett Hardin
Proposed the Tragedy of the Commons, arguing shared resources get overused.
27
Elinor Ostrom
Showed communities can successfully manage common resources through cooperation.
28
End of History
Claim that liberal democracy and markets are the final form of government.
29
Uniformitarianism
The idea that slow, ongoing processes shape Earth over long time periods.
30
Catastrophism
The idea that sudden, rare events also shape Earth.
31
Succession
The ecological recovery process after a disturbance, where species return in stages.
32
Climax States
Old idea that ecosystems eventually reach a stable “final” community. Largely rejected today.
33
Disturbance
Any event that disrupts an ecosystem (fire, flood, storm, human activity).
34
Tipping Points
Thresholds where small changes cause major, often irreversible shifts in ecosystems.
35
Phase Change
When an ecosystem moves into a new stable state (for example, forest → grassland).
36
Mass Extinctions
Times when large numbers of species disappear in a relatively short period.
37
The Sixth Mass Extinction
Ongoing, human-driven extinction event.
38
Timescale
The length of time over which environmental processes occur.
39
Pleistocene Megafauna
Large Ice Age animals like mammoths and giant sloths.
40
Spatial Scales
The size of the area being studied.
41
Temporal Scales
The length of time being studied.
42
Emergent Properties
Complex patterns that arise from simple interactions (ecosystems, flocking birds).
43
Climate Change
Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns, driven largely by human emissions.
44
Feedback Loops
Processes where change leads to more change.
45
Positive Feedbacks
Amplify change (melting ice → more warming).
46
Negative Feedbacks
Stabilize change (cloud formation reflecting solar radiation).
47
Carbon Budget
How much CO₂ humanity can emit while keeping warming under limits like 1.5°C.
48
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)
Major ocean system transporting heat from tropics to poles.
49
Uncertainty
The range of possible outcomes in scientific predictions.
50
Ensembles
Many climate model runs showing a range of future possibilities.
51
Attribution
Determining how much climate change contributes to specific events.
52
Empiricism
Knowledge based on observation and evidence.
53
Parsimony
The simplest explanation that fits the data is preferred.
54
Replicability
The ability for results to be reproduced by others.
55
Falsifiability
A claim must be testable and disprovable to be scientific.
56
Logical Fallacies
Errors in reasoning that weaken arguments.
57
Evidence
Data supporting or challenging a claim.
58
Interdisciplinary
Using multiple academic fields together.
59
Pluralism
Accepting multiple valid ways of knowing and studying problems.
60
Direct Sources
Data collected firsthand (interviews, measurements).
61
Indirect Sources
Data collected through other layers (articles, maps, satellite images).
62
Indicator Species
Species that reflect ecosystem health.
63
Proxies
Indirect measures of past conditions (tree rings, ice cores).
64
Quantitative Methods
Numerical data and statistics.
65
Qualitative Methods
Descriptive, narrative, or observational data.
66
Driving Forces
Large underlying factors causing change.
67
Proximate Causes
Immediate events triggering outcomes.
68
Correlation
Two variables move together but do not necessarily cause each other.
69
Causation
One variable directly influences another.
70
Type I Error
False positive.
71
Type II Error
False negative.
72
Biodiversity
Variety of life at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.
73
Biodiversity Hot Spots
Areas with high endemism and high threat.
74
Conservation
Protecting and managing natural resources.
75
Changes Underway in Conservation
Modern approaches emphasize community involvement, Indigenous knowledge, and dynamic ecosystems.
76
Democracy
Government where people hold political power.
77
Federalism
Shared power between national and state governments.
78
States’ Rights
Powers reserved for states.
79
Enumerated Powers
Powers specifically given to the federal government.
80
Supremacy Clause
Federal law overrides state law.
81
Commerce Clause
Federal power over interstate commerce (used for environmental regulation).
82
Judicial Review
Courts can strike down unconstitutional laws.
83
Police Power
State authority to regulate for health, safety, and welfare.
84
Public Trust
Government must protect certain resources for public use.
85
Treaty Power
Federal authority to make international treaties.
86
Property Power
Federal authority over public lands.
87
Types of Regulatory Approaches
Command and control, market based tools, and information based tools.
88
Administrative State
Government agencies that create and enforce rules.
89
Progressive Era
Early reform era focused on public health, conservation, and regulation.
90
New Deal Era
Era of large federal intervention and major public works.
91
Period of Post-war Environmental Laws
1960s–1970s creation of EPA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act.
92
Deadlock and Green Drift
Political gridlock but slow environmental progress through small policy moves.
93
NIMBYism
Support for projects as long as they are not near one’s home.
94
Deconstruction of the Administrative State
Efforts to weaken federal agencies and environmental regulation.
95
Jevons Paradox
Efficiency can increase resource use rather than decrease it.
96
Social Democracies
Economies combining markets with strong social safety nets.
97
Communist Governments
Economies controlled by the state rather than markets.
98
The Elephant Curve
Graph showing uneven global income growth.
99
Environmental Economics
Uses markets and incentives to address environmental problems.
100
Ecological Economics
Sees the economy as dependent on the environment and ecological limits.
101
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)
Maximum harvest that does not reduce long term population size.
102
Natural Capital
Ecosystems and resources that provide valuable services.
103
Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)
Programs paying landowners or communities to protect ecosystem functions.
104
Degrowth
Movement arguing for reduced consumption and focus on well being rather than GDP growth.
105
Just Transition
Ensuring workers and communities are supported during the shift to a green economy.
106
Reparations
Compensation for past or ongoing harm, including climate damage.
107
Risk
Probability and severity of harm.
108
Risk Assessment
Scientific analysis of how harmful a hazard may be.
109
Vulnerability
How easily a population or system can be harmed.
110
Vulnerability Index
Tool measuring which areas or groups are most at risk.
111
Resilience
Ability to withstand and recover from disturbances.
112
False Dichotomy
Presenting only two options when more exist.
113
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)
Areas where homes meet fire prone wildlands.
114
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
Indigenous knowledge developed through long term interaction with local ecosystems.
115
Deindustrialization
Decline of industrial activity in a region.
116
Loss and Damage
Climate harms that cannot be avoided or adapted to.
117
“Dilution is the Solution to Pollution”
Old idea that spreading pollutants makes them harmless. Often untrue.
118
“The Dose is the Poison”
Toxicity depends on the amount of exposure.
119
Zero threshold Substance
A substance with no safe exposure level (for example, lead).
120
Environmental Justice
Fair distribution of environmental harms and benefits across all communities.
121
Climate Justice and Reparations
The idea that countries least responsible for emissions deserve compensation for climate impacts.
es 1
flashcards
Decks in class (1)
# Cards
Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2026 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions