Introduction to Environmental Science

The study of how living organisms interact with their non-living surroundings, focusing on how human activities impact these interactions.

Interconnected networks of living and nonliving components that exchange energy and matter.

The variety of life on Earth, encompassing genes, species, and ecosystems.

The study of how living organisms interact with each other and their non-living environment within a specific area.

The process of adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, primarily due to human activities, leading to a warming effect.

The focus on developing and sustaining practices that meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.

The study of the Earth's atmosphere and its properties, including air pollution and its effects.

A system where the amount of input equals the amount of output, leading to no change in the size of the pool over time.

The total amount of a substance entering a system.

The total amount of a substance leaving a system.

The difference between input and output. A positive net flux means more is entering than leaving.

A measure of the amount of a substance within a defined area or volume.

A balance analysis where the amount of a substance entering and leaving a system is tracked.

A balance analysis where the energy entering and leaving a system is tracked.

A balance analysis where the monetary value of inputs and outputs is tracked.

The challenge of understanding how human activities have altered Earth's original state, making it difficult to determine baseline levels of environmental variables like lead concentration or species diversity.

The presence of lead in the Greenland ice sheet, a consequence of smelting during the Roman Empire, demonstrates the long-lasting and widespread impact of human activities on the environment.

Using different units of measurement (like gallons, kilowatt-hours, watts, BTUs) for different forms of energy makes it challenging to assess our overall energy consumption accurately.

When trying to make environmentally sound choices, we often have to compare different substances with varied impacts, making it hard to definitively conclude which is 'best' due to the subjective nature of weighing those impacts.

The challenge of determining the 'best' environmental choice is influenced by our values and personal preferences, as comparing the environmental effects of different options (like paper or plastic bags) involves subjective judgment.

The accumulation of PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) in penguin fatty tissue due to human activity reveals the interconnectedness of the environment, as pollution can travel long distances and affect even seemingly remote regions.

The introduction of non-native species to remote islands by human transportation has disrupted local ecosystems, highlighting the global consequences of human actions.

The complexity of analyzing environmental impacts, considering factors like different substances with diverse effects on the environment, makes it challenging to assess the true environmental consequences of our choices.

The average time a substance or a portion of the system (like a bucket of water) remains within a specific system, like a lake, before being flushed out.

A state where the input and output rates of a system are equal, meaning the overall amount of the substance in the system remains stable.

The amount of a particular substance present in a defined system, like the volume of water in a lake.

The rate at which substance enters or leaves a system, measured as the amount per time.

A system where the flow of a substance, like water, can be tracked and analyzed, with inputs and outputs.

The process of calculating the mean residence time (MRT) by dividing the pool (total amount) of a substance by the rate at which it enters or leaves the system (flux).

The Mono Lake example demonstrates how understanding how systems like lakes work can help solve environmental problems.

Knowing the mean residence time (MRT) helps determine how long it will take for a pollutant to be flushed out from a lake, and for the lake to recover from pollution.

Changes in a system's behavior in response to events or actions, acting as adjustments to maintain balance or move away from a stable point.

A feedback loop where changes in a system's variable bring it back to its initial state, restoring balance.

A feedback loop where changes in a system's variable amplify the changes, driving the system further away from its initial state.

The process where warmer temperatures at the Earth's surface lead to increased evaporation, resulting in more heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, leading to further warming.

The amount of incoming energy that is reflected back into space by clouds, particularly those formed by increased evaporation.

Factors that disrupt a system's balance, causing it to move away from its stable point.

The stable value of a system parameter that is maintained through the operation of feedback loops.

A natural cycle where carbon moves between Earth's systems, like the atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms, at different rates.

A process where a system continuously loses or gains material, disrupting its equilibrium state.

A gas, like methane or carbon dioxide, that traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere, contributing to warming.

The process of water changing from a liquid to a gas, rising into the atmosphere.