ESS unit 1 : foundation to ess

a particular world view that shapes the way an individual or group of individuals, evaluate environmental issues

diverse perspectives, behaviour, actions, beliefs and decisions

education, religion, economic factors, socio political factors, culture

release of methyl mercury into bays = contaminated food chain = birth defects

UN conference on the human environment = action plan for human environment and the environmental fund

union carbide released 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate

Black Saturday = 80 towns and communities charred and destroyed by the blaze = increased hyper-vigilance in australia about bushfire managemen

Author of silent spring. Book about the impact of DDT reducing bird of prey populations

author of Man and Nature, first to write that deforestation = desertification = loss of species = degradation of the ecosystem

educate the public and influence political decisions, also known as NGOs

They control the supply of goods in the market - can choose to be sustainable

puts ecology and nature central to humanity

believe humans must sustainably manage the global system

technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems.

a way of visualising a complex set of interactions which may be ecological or societal

reduces the systems to their parts and each part is studied

system is studied as a whole, and this allows us to see how the components relate to each other - used for ecological investigations

inputs, outputs and storages

exchange BOTH energy and matter across the boundaries

can exchange energy across a boundary, but not matter with its environment, very rare in nature

DO NOT transfer energy or matter and do not exist

simplified view of the real world, makes a concept easier to understand

helps visualise small objects, highlights patterns, can predict changes, easy to understand a complex system

accuracy can be lost, models predict into the future (could be false), environmental factors are very complex

proposes that the earth is self regulating by controlling the physical and chemical aspects of the environment

energy can neither be created nor destroyed

enters as light, converted into biomass, leaves as heat

the entropy of an isolated system not in equilibrium will tend to increase overtime

a measure of disorder of a system, referring to the dispersal of energy

HIGH - free flowing

as more energy is lost through heat it increases in entropy

more stable system

despite continuous inputs and outputs of energy and matter, the system as a whole remains the same

movement back and forth in a regular rhythm

predator prey relationships

when a system returns to the original equilibrium after a disturbance

a system that moves to a new equilibrium after a disturbance

results in a further decrease of the output that enhances the system, a permanent change

global warming melts ice caps, leading to reduction in the earth’s Albedo

reflection from the earth’s surface

stabilises the steady state equilibrium through counteracting change from equilibrium

negative feedback loops

the critical threshold where a small change can tip the equilibrium over a threshold, having a dramatic effect and causing a disproportionally large response in the overall system

positive feedback loops force systems to a new equilibrium

increase in CO2 levels above 450ppm would lead to increase in temperatures that will melt ice sheets and permafrost

reached when an ecosystem experiences a shift to a new state

delays in feedback loops

system’s ability to avoid a tipping point, respond to disturbances and maintain stability

size of storages contribute to the stability of the ecosystem

the greater genetic diversity, the greater the resilience

the use of natural resources in ways that do not reduce or degrade the resources so they are available for future generations

overpopulation, financial motives, ignorance, unsuitable use of soils, over grazing, over cultivation

inertia i.e. change is too difficult, tragedy of the commons i.e. individuals act in their own self-interest

natural goods and services which can be used for natural resources

money derived from natural resources

• first report released in 2005 showed:

  • 60% of world ecosystems have been degraded

  • over 25% of fish stocks are over harvested

  • 20% of corals have been lost in 20 years

• reduce subsidies in industries that harm the environment

• protect more areas from development

• encourage the management of property to enhance the supply of ecosystem services

the day where all the resource have been used BEYOND a point where they can renew on their own in a year

the area of land required to sustainably provide all resources for the population

a report prepared before a development project to change the use of the land outlining mitigation needed to protect the environment

application processes vary across countries, limited to the quality of the initial baseline study

the addition of a substance or an agent to an environment by human activity at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered harmless by the environment

contaminants released by human activities

organic & inorganic matter, energy (sound, light, heat), living organisms, invasive species,

• mining and quarrying: 27%

• Agricultural organic wastes: 20%

• industry waste: 17%

• dredging: 11%

• sewage sludge: 8%

a source of contamination that can be represented by a single point on a map.

the source is dispersed such as air pollution from cars

active upon emission e.g. fossil fuels

formed by primary pollutants undergoing a physical or chemical change

occur a long time after exposure e.g. mad hatter mercury poisoning

occur after short, intense exposure e.g. Hiroshima bombing

chemicals that cannot be broken down by living organisms and passed through the food chain

break down and are not stored or passed down the food chains

the retention or build up of biodegradable pollutants in the body

the process whereby the concentration of the chemicals increase at each trophic level

measures the amount of pollutant in the air, soil and water

measures the changes in abiotic & biotic factors

modern tech, human behaviour change, education, restoration

invest in renewables, reuse & recycle, regulate activities

the EPA set environmental standards for businesses