1 Study Guide -- ENV 2100 Exam #1 -- Chapters 1-4 (Part I) To be Given on Friday, 17 September 2010 Chapter 1: Introduction to Environmental Science Environmental science is indeed a science. It is also interdisciplinary. List some of the disciplines that may be called upon by an environmental scientist in order to solve environmental problems. Science takes two approaches -- the discovery approach and hypothesis testing. Which of the two involves inductive reasoning? Which involves deductive reasoning? Which derives generalizations, and which derives details? Vocabulary (be familiar with a formal definition or explanation): science environmental science renewable resources environment environmentalism nonrenewable resources Be familiar with examples of renewable and nonrenewable resources. What are the fundamental steps (i.e., observe nature, question, etc.) in the scientific method? Be familiar with a formal definition of an experiment and the criteria (e.g., one or more treatments, controls, etc.) that distinguish experiments from non-experimental studies. What is a hypothesis? The human population grew little in size until the advent of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. Even so, exponential growth of the human population did not really occur until the advent of industry during the 1700s. More specifically what key breakthroughs or changes in society enabled the human population to expand rapidly? Which nation of the world has the greatest per capita ecological footprint? Which nation has the total greatest ecological footprint? What is meant by living sustainably? Chapter 2: Environmental Ethics and Economics Why did the Mirrar people of northern Australia oppose construction of a uranium mine at Jabiluka? Vocabulary (be familiar with a formal definition or explanation): worldview ethical perspectives: economics ethics anthropocentric economy biocentric ecocentric ENV 2100 Environmental Science, Dr. L. Kelly2 The U.S. has a mixed economy. Of what two economies is it a mixture? Much of current economic thought in the U.S. is neoclassical, which includes some harmful assumptions. Why is it harmful to assume that all costs are internalized? What about the assumption that all resources are infinite or replaceable? Can you think of a situation that invalidates the last assumption? One way to reduce the impacts of human activities on the environment is to assign monetary values to resources and ecosystem services. How has this been done n practice and what are ecosystem services? Environmental ethics in the United States has its roots in three philosophical movements: romantic-transcendental ethic, resource conservation ethic, and the ecological-evolutionary land ethic. What are the chief differences among these philosophies? Which one is most ecologically sound and contributes most to environmental ethics today? Which philosophy includes the multiple use concept? Why does this concept often have negative environmental impacts? The Exxon Valdez oil spill increased the U.S. GDP. Explain how this was possible when the disaster cost the lives of many marine organisms and sea birds. Chapter 3: Environmental Policy What is meant by environmental policy and what are its goals? What are the three branches of the federal government? Which president (1970s) first created key laws and administrative agencies to address environmental problems? Prior to this legislation, what key events during the mid 1900s triggered a major response to pollution? Ethics, economics, and science influence our decisions about the environment. In recent years, some top government officials have been caught politicizing science. What is meant by "politicizing" science? Which international agency has the most "clout" in requiring nations to comply with environmental laws? What are NGOs? Can you recognize the major steps, via the House and Senate, required in creating environmental laws? Command-and-control versus “carrots”. What positive incentives are sometimes in use of regulation in order to encourage activities that are environmentally friendly? Chapter 4: From Chemistry to Energy to Life Remember that 92 elements are natural. How many are essential for life? Which four are the most abundant elements in life forms? Remember that atoms typically have equal numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Which of these are energy particles? Which can vary between atoms of3 the same element, the atomic number or the atomic mass? Thus, which subatomic particle located within the nucleus can vary from between atoms of the same element? Which atoms tend to react with other atoms, those having full outer shells, or those with vacancies in their outer shells? Vocabulary (be familiar with a formal definition or explanation): element isotope (& radioisotope) hydrogen bond atom chemical bond cohesion proton molecule solvent neutron compound solute electron ionic bond solution nucleus ion acidity atomic number covalent bond acid atomic mass polar covalent bond base Remember that atoms must either share or transfer electrons in order to form chemical bonds. Table salt (NaCl) and methane (CH4) are both compounds. Additionally, methane is a molecule, but table salt is not. Why not? The pH scale is used to measure acidity. What range of values is included in the pH scale? Which pH value is most acidic? Which is least acidic (or most alkaline)? Which pH value is neutral? At which pH value is the concentration of H+ in solution equal to the concentration of OH- in solution? Remember that chemical reactions rearrange