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Human Sustainability
NYS Earth & Space Sciences
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Q: What are natural resources | A: Materials or substances that occur naturally in the environment and are used by humans to fulfill their needs, including minerals, fossil fuels, timber, fresh water, fertile soils, and wildlife. |
| Q: What are natural hazards | A: Naturally occurring phenomena or processes that pose a threat to human life or property, caused by geological or atmospheric events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and droughts. |
| Q: How do changes in climate affect human activity | A: Climate changes impact agriculture, settlement patterns, and economic activities by altering the distribution and productivity of ecosystems, changing water availability, and increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. |
| Q: Give examples of how natural resources influence human development. | A: The distribution of resources like water, minerals, and fossil fuels affects where and how societies develop, with civilizations historically growing near water sources, mineral deposits, and fertile agricultural land. |
| Q: How do natural hazards shape human activity | A: Natural hazards shape infrastructure design, emergency planning, building codes, and settlement patterns as societies adapt to minimize risk and damage from earthquakes, hurricanes, and other disasters. |
| Q: What are cost-benefit ratios used for in resource management | A: To compare the economic, environmental, and social costs of various resource management strategies against their benefits to determine the most effective and sustainable solutions for resource use. |
| Q: What costs are considered in energy and mineral resource development | A: Financial costs of extraction, processing, transportation, and distribution, as well as environmental costs of habitat destruction, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Q: What benefits are considered in energy and mineral resource development | A: Creation of jobs, economic growth, increased energy security, and provision of materials needed for modern society. |
| Q: Why are conservation, recycling, and reuse important strategies | A: They minimize the impact of resource development on the environment by reducing waste production, extending the lifespan of resources, and reducing the need for new resource extraction. |
| Q: Give examples of energy and mineral resources. | A: Coal, tar sands, oil shales, petroleum, natural gas, metals, and minerals used in manufacturing and construction. |
| Q: What is biodiversity | A: The variety of living organisms present in an ecosystem, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. |
| Q: Why is biodiversity important for human sustainability | A: It provides important ecosystem services such as soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and water purification, and supports human industries such as agriculture and medicine. |
| Q: What is the management of natural resources | A: The processes of extraction, use, and disposal of natural resources in ways that minimize environmental impacts and ensure sustainable availability for future generations. |
| Q: What is human population sustainability | A: The ability of human populations to meet their needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs by balancing social, economic, and environmental factors. |
| Q: How do computational simulations help understand these relationships | A: They model how different resource management strategies impact ecological systems, human societies, and species diversity, helping visualize the balance needed to maintain both biodiversity and human needs. |
| Q: What are examples of negative human impacts on natural systems | A: Pollution (air, water, soil), habitat destruction (deforestation, urbanization), climate change, and biodiversity loss that harm both natural systems and human populations. |
| Q: How can technological solutions reduce human impacts | A: Clean energy technologies like wind and solar power can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while wastewater treatment systems can reduce water pollution and improve environmental quality. |
| Q: Why must technological solutions be evaluated and refined | A: To ensure they are effective and do not cause further harm to the environment by considering their entire life cycle, including production, use, and disposal phases. |
| Q: What types of data are used to evaluate human impacts | A: Quantities and types of pollutants released, changes to biomass and species diversity, and areal changes in land surface use to inform policy decisions and design solutions. |
| Q: Give examples of local efforts to limit future impacts. | A: Reducing, reusing, and recycling resources, energy conservation measures, sustainable transportation choices, and supporting local sustainable agriculture. |
| Q: What is the purpose of computational representations in studying Earth systems | A: To understand and predict the behavior of Earth systems, illustrate relationships among systems, and show how they are being modified by human activities. |
| Q: What are the five major Earth systems | A: Hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), cryosphere (ice), geosphere (solid Earth), and biosphere (living organisms). |
| Q: How are Earth systems interconnected | A: Changes in one system can have far-reaching impacts on others; for example, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can lead to ocean acidification and sea level changes in the hydrosphere. |
| Q: What is the cryosphere | A: The frozen water portion of Earth, including ice sheets, glaciers, snow cover, sea ice, lake ice, river ice, and permafrost. |
| Q: How do human activities impact the cryosphere | A: Greenhouse gas emissions cause warming that melts glaciers and ice sheets, reduces snow cover, and thaws permafrost, contributing to sea level rise and climate change. |
| Q: What is the biosphere | A: The sum of all ecosystems on Earth, including all living organisms and their interactions with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. |
| Q: How do human activities impact the biosphere | A: Deforestation, pollution, habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, and climate change that reduce biodiversity and disrupt ecosystem functions. |
| Q: What is the relationship between atmospheric CO₂ and ocean acidification | A: Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves into ocean water, forming carbonic acid that lowers ocean pH and makes the water more acidic, affecting marine ecosystems. |
| Q: Why do we need to understand multiple concepts to understand human sustainability | A: Understanding the relationships between natural resources, hazards, climate change, biodiversity, and Earth systems helps develop strategies to meet human needs while protecting the environment for future generations. |
| Q: Why is systems thinking important in environmental science | A: Environmental problems are complex and interconnected, requiring understanding of how changes in one area affect multiple systems to develop effective solutions that don't create unintended consequences. |
Created by:
PRO Teacher
etucci
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