Env and Hum Exam #1

the study and practice of making and using maps

lines that run E to W and are measure N to S

Equator: Think “latitude flatitude”

lines that run N to S and are measured E to W

Prime Meridian and International dateline

precise location on a stretched projection of the globe

precise location within a local area defined by a baseline and meridian

minimize the distortions of area -- distance and direction

the earth is an oblate ellipsoid

the circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or group of organisms. the complex of social and cultural conditions that affect an individual or community

the systematic study of our environment which is interdisciplinary and is a broad holistic study of the world around us

• integrating natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities

geology, biology, astronomy, limnology, water resources, meteorology, agronomy, world geography

physics, math, chemistry

engineering, food science, and space exploration

anthropology, archaeology, economics, human geography, linguistics, management and political and communication science

history, philosophy, and the arts

law: the regulations, rules, and guidance’s humans need to follow and abide by

started in the days of Aristotle (384 BCE)

father of the scientific method = Francis bacon 1561

• observations

• questions

• hypothesis

• predictions

• test

  • results

• deduction reasoning: based on deductions from the facts

• inductive reasoning: based on a model that is later tested

• testability and accuracy

• communication and science literacy

• probability and statistics

• experimental design

• models based on real data

Good sources: .gov and .edu

Gordon Pinchot-- develop the land well rather then letting it be “wasted”

John Muir: no development: preserving life for its own sake

Aldo Leopold-- preserving life for ethical reasons and beauty

Aldo, the Quakers-- preserving life because humanity is stamped with the Imago Dei (biblical text relationship between the world and man)

nature can repair damage and provide abundance

the basis of the United Nations stating that we all share one planet

the natives knowledge of the land they inhabited is lost when they are marginalized or worse (fon du lac tribe)

Nt = N0r^t

N= number population

R= rate of growth per time period

T= time or time steps

dN/dt= rate of chance = Nr

assuming an annual growth rate of 3%

• how long will it take for a population to double

  • good for small growth rates like human population

a species hits the carrying capacity and naturally stops producing (its density-dependent)

• rate slows as population density increases

those that produce a large number of offspring and contribute few resources to each individual offspring

• plants and flowers

posses relatively stable populations that fluctuate near the carrying capacity of the environment

• humans and animals

describes a populations growth when an upper growth is assumed

dN/dt = rN (K N/K)

births, immigration, emigration, deaths, natality, mortality, and lifespan

biotics causes: density-dependent -- crowding, disease, and starvation

abiotic causes: independent of density -- fires, droughts, and floods

predation and compeition

competitions for food and establishment of territories

• small and isolated populations are vulnerable

  • genetic diversity may help a population survive -- genetic drift (darwin’s finches)

• founder effect: smaller population as a colonizing group

• demographic bottleneck: when animals are under stress and only a few mating pairs remain

• the hardy-Weinberg principal: the ration of genetic traits seems to remain constant from one generation to the next

ecologists are concerned that our ecological life support systems will degrade

progress with agriculture, engineering, commerce, and medicine may make it possible to support more people

I = PAT

I: environmental impact

P: population size

A: affluence

T: technology

• 55 % clean energy by 2035

• 100% clean energy by 2040

• energy production must meet two standards

  • renewable

  • carbo free

    • hydropower

    • no nuclear or incineration

The way we calculate growth

BIDE= births + immigration - death - emigration

encompasses the vital statistics about people such as births, deaths, distribution and population size

• BIDE

  • fertility rate: average number of children born to a woman (rates are falling)

• replacement fertility rate: occurs when birth rates compensate for deaths

• development: promote demographic transition

• life expectancy

• age distribution

• social factors: family planning and birth control

• improved standard of living, children survival rates, women status, birth control

focuses on external factos that cause disease

illness

death

calculates the disease burden of a population

attempts to understand how environmental changes threaten our own health and the natural communities on which we depend on for ecological services

poisons

substances that activate the immune system

foreign, recognized by the white blood cells and stimulate the production of specific antibodies

proteins that recognize and bind to foreign cells or chemicals

chemicals that affect hormone production

a specific class of metabolic POISONS that attack nerve cells (neurons)

agents that damage or alter genetic material (DNA) in cells

cause birth defects (fetal alcohol syndrome)

substances that cause cancer

invasive and our of control cell growth that results in tumors

fast food and processed foods with refined sugar and flour

famines usually have political and social causes

developing countries meat consumption has risen 160%

US meat consumption has risen 50%

regulated animal feed lots and associated lagoons --- large number of animals in small/confined area

seafood is our only commercial wild caught protein source

• aquaculture in China makes up for 90% of farmed fish

  • trawling and longlining are the most popular methods

antibiotics are overused in intensive production

Denmark and Netherlands discontinued use of antibiotics

US is considering curtailing use

China and Russia are considering using more

selective breeding, fertilizing and irrigating

GMOs: engineered for pest resistance and herbicide intolerance

• bt toxin: natural bacteria found in soil whose DNA is commonly clipped for GMOs (becoming common)

  • GMO example -- broccoli

Govt has provided:

• land grant institutions that assist with agricultural education, research, and development projects that support irrigation systems and transportation projects

• crop insurance

  • direct subsidies

have declined everywhere except some countries in sub Sahara Africa

• world’s total fertility rate is 2.4%, lowest rate since WWII

• nutrition

• water

• sanitation

  • pharmaceuticals (NOT INCLUDED)

development is seen as the main path to slower growth

migration is a potential disruptor