0
Q
What is the life expectancy in the world as a whole today?
A
Total. University
70 years. 30%. 20%
1
Q
In the year 2000 the total number of children (age 0-14) in the world reached 2 billion. How many do UN experts estimate there will be by the year 2100?
A
Total. University
2 billion. 6%. 6%
2
Q
What % of adults in the world today are literate, I.e. Can read and write?
A
Total. University
80% of adults. 8%. 4%
3
Q
In the last 30years the proportion of the world population living in extreme poverty has?
A
Total University
Decreased 10% 12%
4
Q
What % of total world energy generated comes from solar and wind power? Is it approximately
A
Total University
2% of world energy 30% 37%
5
Q
What is the life expectancy in Bangladesh today?
A
Total University
70years 8% 6%
6
Q
How many babies do women have on average in Bangladesh?
A
Total University
2.5 babies 12% 10%
7
Q
What are Environmental Issues?
A
The are events and processes on Earth that impact us & our much smaller personal sphere.
8
Q
Name two reasons why environmental issues are ignored or dismissed?
A
The is due to “Amnesia” & “Culture”
-even rapid environmental change is slow on a human time scale, and there is a human tendency to forget or to not be aware of things that happened before our lifetime
-We all filter what we hear through processes and constructs from our social and economic background
9
Q
It is difficult for humans to grasp changes we are making to the earth due to what some call “ENVIRONMENTAL AMNESIA”
What is environmental amnesia?
A
- it means that we intellectually register change only if it occurs over relatively short time frames
- It is easy to forget or diminish change that occurs over decades or slightly longer
EX. I can see a corn field, but it is hard to grasp that it couldve been something totally different 1hundred years prior.
10
Q
What is the definition of Environment?
A
The Conditions that affect the behavior and development of somebody/something;that physical conditions that somebody/something exists in
11
Q
What is the Definition of The Environment?
A
The natural world in which people, animals and plants live.
12
Q
Which definition of Environment is most important to people and how they intertwined?
A
- People care about the one that affects the behavior and development.
- They are intertwined because our smaller, personal environment is embedded in the larger world.
13
Q
Astronomers are finding new planets all the time, but why do some astronomers contend that we are at least effectively alone?
A
- Most new planets have inhospitable orbits, sizes,distance from their sun, or unusual stars
- We are constrained from communication by the speed of light, and thus we have only a relatively small sphere of space that we can access during reasonable numbers of human generations
- thus, we are effectively alone in space.
14
Q
What was so momentous about the Apollo 8 mission in 1968(from the way humanity stated to view the limits to our resources?
A
Earth=”The Pale blue dot”
The limitations of our resources became visual.
15
Q
Astronomers are finding new planets all the time, but why do some astronomers contend that we are at least effectively alone(as a plant with intelligent life) in the universe?
A
- Most new planets have inhospitable orbits, sizes, distance from their sun, or unusual stars.
- We are constrained from communication by the speed of light, and thus we have only a relatively small sphere of space that we can access during reasonable numbers of human generations.
- thus, we are effectively alone in space
16
Q
We now, on an annual basis, use more than “one planet`s” resources(called Ecological Overshoot). What does this mean?
A
- Sustainability,in a planetary perspective, means using only the “interest” or the natural annual production, of the planet
- If we use more than annual production, we(in financial terms) are eating into our natural “principal”
ex. we cut down more forest than can be sustainably regrown
ex. 2 we fish more than the oceans can regenerate
ex. 3we mine fuels (produce by the sun over millions of years) faster than they are regenerated.
ex. 4We extract metals and ores faster than geological processes can replace them
ex. 5 We erode soils faster than processes can rebuild them
-We now “overshoot” our planet`s resources in later summer or early fall, and live on principle the rest of the year.
17
Q
What makes the Earth so special?
A
- It is geologically alive and has life!
- moving rock
- Moving air and water and is the only known place with it.
18
Q
We are Stardust…?
A
-The periodic table of elements is a record of time, with the lightest elements existing(fewest proton & neutrons) from the beginning of time, and the heavier elements forming in stars and in supernovas.
19
Q
THE UNIVERSE
At the time of the BIG BANG
A
- At the time of big ban, universe was 100%H(hydrogen) and He(helium)
- Stars combine H and He to form more complex element(up to iron)
- Supernovas(exploding stars) have enough energy to make iron and heavier elements
20
Q
We all need(as responsible citizens) a sense of time,space, and our place in it. Geology is a natural history, and the chapers are divided up by the great changes in life(and stars). Our abridged “book” has the following…
A
- pg. 0: the Big Bang~13 billion years ago
- We skip the chapters where stars form, explode in supernovas, and then repeat
- We re-enter the story about 4.6 billion years ago, when after a supernova(that created many of the elements in all of us and that are around us)the dust and matter condensed to form our solar system.
- Our Earth is one of a family of 4 inner planets that are called the terrestrial planets because they are relatively low in H, He,etc, but are rocky(Jupiter, in contrast, is a “gas giant”)
- Our planet has the cosmic jackpot for life because: 1) it is the right distance from our sun(the so-called habitable zone which allows liquid water to exist), 2) has plate tectonics that cycle carbon and soils, maintaining planetary habitability, and 3) we have a well functioning system of are and ocean circulation that spreads the sun’s heat around the globe
21
Q
What is Precambrian?
A
-It is most of earths history, billing of years: and a period where life was dominated largely by microorganisms
22
Q
What is Paleozoic age?
A
“Old life”:organisms got larger, diversified in an explosion, and spread out over land.
23
Q
What is Mesozoic age?
A
“mid life”: the dinosaur age
24
What is Cenozoic Age?
"recent life":The mammals and us
25
How many great Eras of earth`s geological history are there?
Their are four
- Precambrian(microorganisms)
- Paleozoic(organisms got larger, diversified over land in explosion)
- Mesozoic(Dinosaurs)
- Cenozoic(the mammals and us)
26
What is the Pleistocene epoch?
-Beginning about 2 million years ago up to 10,000 years ago, the earth was in a time of glacial & interglacial cycles(mostly in glacial)
27
What is Holocene?
It is when the global climate went into its present inter-glacial state, which allowed us to blossom
28
What is the Anthropocene?
Known as the "The age of human driven Global Change"
-Over the past few hundred years, we have launched the "sixth global extinction", changed climate, changed the landscape, to such an extent it rivals geological cataclysms of the past.
29
How do most transitions from one Geological era or epoch occur?
-Most era or epoch changes occur because of a global catastrophe.
30
What are Plate tectonics?
- It is the movement and circulation of molten magma beneath the solid crust.
- It is a series of "plates" of crust that slide against each other, collide, and slide over or under each other.
31
How are volcanos created and how do they help?
- Hot rock rises, heated by the earths core,near the surface the rock spreads, going sideways, beginning to lose heat. Eventually, the much cooler rock sinks back down.Through this process, the surface is split apart, causing the continents to move.
- Where the rocks collide, the seafloor that slides down contains carbon from the dead plankton, is carried deep into the earth, which melts and is pushed back into the surface, causing gas to be RETURNED back into the earth through an eruption.
- This helps maintain a light greenhouse blanket over the planet.
- The subduction of plates carries with it carbon in sediments, keeping the C02 from building up in the atmosphere(steady state: carbon additions=carbon removals).
- The constant movement of rock & erosion rejuvenates the earth`s soils, which sustains productive ecosystem.
32
Why are plate tectonics so important to the Earth?
- Fresh rock & sediment is continuously added and cycled on the surface to maintain fertile soils
- The cycling of the crust provides a long term control on the earth`s carbon cycle and climate.
33
How long will the sun glow?
-The sun will probably glow steadily for some billions of years more. It helps supply us with a steady stream of "clean" energy.
34
How much energy from the sun reaches the Earth?
- The amount that reaches the Earth's atmosphere is 1.97 calories/(cm2xmin)
- =(9.15 kcal/inch2 over 12 hrs)
35
Who gets most of the heat from the sun on an annual basis?
The equator gets most of the heat on an annual basis, setting up the movement of air and water to move it to areas of lower heat, which is "the poles"
36
What is the "tea pot" concept? Where does heat rise, sink?
- The concept states that, as the sun heats the equator, heat rises/expands/cools outward because it hits the stratosphere, and subsides/condenses, warms and flows toward low pressure and rises again.
- Heat rises expands and cools at equator(0 degrees)
- Subsides condenses and warms, picking up mosture and heat(30 degrees North & south)
37
Where does precipitation preferentially form? where are latitudes of deserts?
- Near the equator air rises, losing its ability to hold moisture, getting a band of high rainfall and low pressure because air is leaving the equator
- where air sinks(belts 30 degrees) you get high pressure sinking air, making clear skies and desert climates.
38
When heat rises at equator and is pushed outward around 30degrees N/S it creates huge spinning circles of air. What are they called?
Hadley Cells
39
Why are Hurricanes called "heat engines"?
- Natural heat engines because they redistribute equatorial heat poleward.
- Estimates cyclones release heat at up to 200 trillion joules per day. Same as exploding a 10 megaton nuclear bomb every 20 min.
40
Why do scientists suspect that Hurricanes may become stronger in this century?
- Hurricane destructiveness is "highly correlated with sea surface temperatures, which are increasing because glaciers are melting, which cause the sea levels to warm and rise.
- Also more destructive because people are moving closer to the coast.
41
Why is stable climate important to us?
- Human society in any location is built on expected windows of weather.
- We have inhabited coastlines assuming coastal stability(Major cities are near coastlines).
42
How does the ocean circulate water?
- Cold salt water(denser) sinks & warmer and fresher water(less dense) rises, driving the cycles.
- Currents bring warm water along coast of Europe, keeping it relatively warm for its latitude.
43
What does rapid melting of ice water into North Atlantic cause?
-From past records(ice core records) thatrapid melting of ice water into North Atlantic can rapidly alter the ocean circulation(which can plunge the world back into cold period for a while).
44
What is the concern about the Greenland ice sheet melting?
-It is capable of raising the level of globals seas about 6m if it completely melts.
45
What services are provided by Climate systems?
- It helped set the stage for agriculture and complexity of human society.
- Climate stability is an essential component of stable agriculture and society.
- Sets limits to what a given society must be able to deal with(diseases, water, buildings)
46
What other human services are provided by a living earth?
- Stabilization of global climate on geological time scales.
- Helps to concentrate metal and materials of human interest(Gold, silver, copper)
- It provides fresh rock which produces nutrient rich soil.
47
The Earth's history is defined by changes in biology and humans are causing one of those great events, known as...?
The Anthropocene
48
Eath is in the solar system "sweet spot" because...?l
- Right distance from sun
- Has plate tectonics
- Resulting ocean and atmosphere that moderate heat
- It is geologically alive!
49
What is the IPAT Equation?
this equals
Impact(I)=Population(P) x Affluence(A) x Technology(t)
ex. I=person x $ spent/person x environment effect/ $ spent
50
What does the I=P x A x T show?
- It shows that our impact is affected by 3 variables, and at least theoretically we can impact these individually in ways to to reduce impact.
- It knows how the units cancel out to arrive at a measure of impact.
51
IPAT Equation:
Population(P) is a balance between...?
- A balance between birth & death.
| - Demographers have shown that there are 5 stages of human population change over time. They are........
52
IPAT Equation:
What is Affluence(A)?
- Affluence varies by nation, and within many nations. Thus buying/consuming power is very uneven.
- As Friedman writes, the world has "too many Americans" in terms of the A"power and money" that is socially unacceptable.
53
IPAT Equation:
What is Technology?
-In terms of this equation, it is that advancement of technology,medicines, etc., which enhance life.
54
What was Hans Rosling's survey about?
-The point of the survey was to show how deep and how widespread the public ignorance of major global development trends is in different countries was.
55
Some increase in resources and consuption by the worlds poorest results in life improvements that...?
- In turn reduce fertility rates(#children per women)
- Importance of Bycycles
- Importance of electricity(the real difference between the have and have-nots on earth)
56
Recent polls shows that concern for environmental issues globally is declining, why?
-Possibly due to a "fatigue" driven by continuous negative messages.
57
What is the "Rebound Effect"?
-A concern that a large improvement in the "T" term of the IPAT equation results in more or a bigger "A"(increased use due to lower cost, etc.)
58
Four ways of the "Rebound Effect"?
1-Drop in price increases demand
2-Money saved in one area is used to purchase high impact products in another consumer area(buying a phone with money save,causing indirect rebound effect if extra energy is used to make the phone.)
3-A national "T" improvement may lower the price of a high impact T, and other countries increase their consumption(ex. Lowering gas prices could cause people in other countries to drive more)
4-Increases in T efficiency in one area of the economy spur large increases of high impact T in other areas of the economic sector.( improvement of cars could cause improvements in areospace)
59
What did Hans Roslings data suggest?
- We have pre-conceived ideas duet to rapid human change
- The importance of some wealth
- Importance and burden of too much wealth(Wealth inequality)
- The largest populations will likely have the smallest planetary impact.
60
What issues did "Cultivated Planet" raise?
- The need for improved management of existing cropland in order to avoid the loss of remaining habitat for biodiversity
- To alert science and the public on how important the imprint of agriculture is on the surface of the planet(20% is intensively cultivated and at least 50% of the planet is heavily managed as fields, pasture, and forests)
61
What is the story behind the "Seas: The Global Commons"?
-Basically, the sea is an open space shared and used by local groups, as it became clear that the the planet was a commons in the 1960's, Garrit hardin wrote about the "Tragedy of the commons".
EX. Chinese fishermen "finning sharks" for enormous value per fin, while the global oceanic ecosystem, where they play a huge role, is devastated.
62
The Oceans: The great global "commons" is a...?
-It is a resource owned and shared by all members of a community.
63
What are problems with the managment of a commons?
-People tend to act rationally in their own self interest, depleting the common resource.
EX. An individual gains all the bebefit by harvesting or using some common resource, but the negative effect is shared by everyone.
64
What are Externalities?
-parts of the world that are external(Oceans & atmosphere) to economic systems(producer-consumer). Effects on these are not factored into the cost of the products.
65
What are issues of the Global Ocean Commons?
- Garbage
- Acidification/warming: coral reefs(reefs create colonies of life in relatively low nutrient waters:"Rainforests of the sea")
- Over fishing
- Hunting of whales
66
Effect of garbage in our Biology?
- Physically lodge in digestive system of fish
- Absorb chemicals and are then eaten and move up the food chain(to humans)
- Cause hormone disruption via endocrine system
67
What are Anticipated impacts of Acidification?
- Demise of phytoplankton that drive ocean food chains(have a calcium carbonate frame)
- Demise of clam,shellfish populations
68
What are personal impacts that are being done to the ocean?
- The depopulation of the oceans
- Shark finning
- sealing
- whaling
69
what are some effects of Shark finning?
- Tens of millions of sharks are slaughtered every year to satisfy the demand.
- Fishermen report that sharks are getting smaller because they are not given time to mature
- 20 species of sharks are listed as endangered
70
What is one of the underlying themes of science?
-It is to question, and to test your questions, honestly, to the best of your ability.
EX. What did the person who cut down the last tree on Easter Island think?
71
Scientists govern themselves. What are 3 of the ways?
- Apart of the priciple of Academic Freedom, which recognizes that members of the science community are best positioned to review and govern themselves.
- Peer review is a key part of this process
- Academic Freedom began in the middle ages, and has been upheld in several US court rulings over the years.
72
What is Science?
-It is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
73
Scientists are after money...?
Science is expensive(pay student & post doc salaries, pay lab expenses)
- Funding comes through competive grants(about a 10 to 20% sucess rate)
- Scientists in universities don't really personally "get rich" from the fund.
74
Scientists don't teach or discuss all ideas...?
- Science specifically can only work with ideas that are empirically testable(ex.Many astrophysicists have pointed out, what happened before the Big Bang is outside of the realm of science
- Many socially advocated ideas are not testable, and therefore are not science.
75
What is the public perception of Science?
-Perception is that science commonly includes ideas that are too hard or too boring. However, it involves colorful and creative people(Richard Feynman)
76
What does "Science involves serendipity" mean?
-You need knowledge and a little bit of luck
| EX. Russell Wallace's discovery of natural selection while suffering from a fever.
77
Is Science all the same?
-NO. Darwin always regretted never being able to really get math.
78
Is there a Scientific Method?
-Yes, but the method is not a cookbook recipe, nor is it followed in the same way in different studies.
The General framework:
- Develop a hypothesis(guess)
- Make experimental observations
- Test results against guess
- repeat
equally important followup steps:
- Submit results to a journal for peer review
- Include data and methods so that others can test your work
79
What are big ideas in Sciense called?
-Known as Paradigms(Thomas Kuhn). Agrued that big ideas will work well for a period of time, but as new instruments and observations are made, they may no longer fully predict all observations. Thus, a new theory is develpoed, replacing the old one, and Kuhn called this a "Scientific Revolution"
80
In Geology:The acceptance of the plate tectonic theory...?
- mid ocean ridges(volcanos)
- The age of the ocean crust increased with distance from volcanoes
- One plate can slide beneath another
81
In Biology: Darwin's(and Wallace) theory of natural selection Key "test" of hypothesis:
-Darwin opened his book with a chapter on how we have served as agents of natural selction through the domestication of animals and plants
82
What are the 3 key steps in evolution?
- Mutation(heritability)
- Natural selection
- Change in populations genetics(this repeated over generations would create a population change)
83
Kevin Padian's interview established 3 things....
- Science doesn't believe "experts", but the results that they can garner to support their data
- Publishing in a science journal is very different than publishing a book: a journal article is sent to 3 or more anonymous reviewers to examine.
- A scientist only has expertise and research experience in a certain area, and may not be up to date in another field. Thus, in the constan barrage of info, we have to determine if they are providing new, peer reviewed data to support their view, or providing an opinion.
84
The History of Universities began with the....?
-Rediscovery and teaching of the works of Aristotle.
85
For many centuries, largely the transmission of knowledge: scientist, researchers, inventors largely operated outside the university supported by...?
-supported by wealthy people, the church or other means.
86
In early 19th century, Von Humboldt and the Germans changed the university from the transmission of knowledge to...?
-Changed the university to include the discovery of knowledge.
87
When did Berkeley begin?
-By the end of the 19th century, Berkeleyl was already one of America's top research universities, where professors were evaluated on both research and teaching.
88
What type of university is Berkeley now considered?
-We are now considered a "Research 1 University"
89
What are 10 reasons to go to a Research University?
- Top researchers can also be teachers
- Courses often incorporate the latest research
- Faculty can be more energized
- Possibility of internships and research experience
- 5There tend to be more majors
- 6Large library system
- 7You get contact with graduate students
- 8You may be able to take a graduate course
- 9Advantages for admission to professional/grad progams
- 10You can develop a high level network
90
While science is not infallible(it is self correcting) its tentative conclusions are supported by observation and experiment. yet?
-yet, the transmission of the results is wonderously complicated.
91
SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC ARENA:
| While not exhaustive, wh have difficulty transferring this knowledge because of:
- 1.our own cognitive framework
- 2.a barrage of misinformation by motivated parties
- 3. a change in the role and nature of the press
92
T OR F
| People in the United States engage in whaling activities.
TRUE
93
TRUE OR FALSE
The world’s oceans are becoming less acidic because of melting polar ice caps.
FALSE
94
TRUE OR FALSE
| Bottled water is more expensive than oil on a per volume basis.
TRUE
95
TRUE OR FALSE
| The definition of a system at steady state is one where no processes are occurring.
FALSE
96
TRUE OR FALSE
| The Anthropocene is now believed to have begun about 10000 years ago.
FALSE
97
TRUE OR FALSE
| The discovery of oil in most countries commonly leads to greater prosperity and
increased freedom
FALSE
98
What did the article about the Rebound effect prove?
-It showed that although it creates a negative impact, it does not create a big enough impact to create a negative footprint.
99
What is an example of vigilantism?
-Since nobody is enforcing the treaty about whaling, the Sea Shepard's are trying to indeed force the law.
100
Plate Tectonics is due to...?
The movement and circulation of molten magma beneath the solid crust.
101
What drives disease?
Climate fluctuations or extremes
102
Water availability hinges on...?
Climate stability
103
As new instruments and observations are made, they may no longer fully predict all observations, thus, a new theory is developed, replacing the old one. This is referred to as...?
-A scientific Revolution or paradigm shift.
104
T or F
| Fortunately, humans no longer suffer from the diseases that result from the domestication of animals.
False
105
How many Earths are needed if we all lived like Americans?
3-5
106
What are the keys to successful scientific communication about environmental issues?
- Present facts in a way that validates, rather than threatens, peoples values
- Try to work with a diverse set of experts to develop broad concensus
107
Which single country provides the US with most of its oil?
Canada
108
What does Pickens Plan support?
- Fracking
| - Using natural gas for transportation
109
What is the most abundant element in the Universe?
Hydrogen
110
How old is the Earth?
4.5 Billion years
111
What is the most significant difference between the Earth and Mars that impacts their ability to support life?
-Earth has plate tectonics, Mars doesn't
112
What agents help distribute the heat over the Earth's Surface?
- Ocean currents
| - Cyclones
113
Increased implementation of family planning practices leads to what types of population trends?
- Stationary
| - Contracting
114
Thomas Friedmans use of the term "Global weirding" is referring to:
-Climate change
115
In the field of economics, "eternalities" are:
-Costs that are not incorporated into the market price
116
Discuss the proposal in Friedmans Hot, Flat and Crowded chapter seven that ending "energy poverty" is key to healing third-world populations
- Improves health by reducing smoke
- Improves Education
- improves health through water and sanitation
Environmental Studies
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