GES 120 Exam Elaborations
1. What is an environment: all the living and nonliving things around us
2. What is science?: Knowledge and process for building that collection of knowl- edges
3. What is environmental science: Study of environmental processes and how to solve problems
caused by human changes
4. abiotic vs biotic: abiotic is non living, biotic is living
5. Tragedy of the commons: Garret Hardin. users focus on their own selfish short term gain,
environmental degradation of openly shared renewable resources.
6. sustainable use: rate of resource use allows for replenishment indefinitely
7. Environmental degradation: rates of resource use is higher than natural replen- ishment --
depletion of resource
8. What is Natural Capital: Ecosystem services + Natural resources
9. Ecosystem services: services that arise from normal functioning natural re- sources such
as trees purify air, water, cycle nutrients.
10.What impacts natural capital: Agricultural revolution (stable food supplies) and industrial
revolution (fossil fuels)
11.IPAT Model: I = P * A * T I=
Environmental Impact
P = Population Size
A = Affluence Of Population T =
Technology Influence
12.Paul Ehrlich: IPAT Formula, sad world will go into famine, population bomb
13.julian simon: population is a solution to resource scarcity and environmental problems as
people and markets innovate
14.simon-ehrlich bet: Both bet different opinions stating an item would be lower than the time
they bet. Ehrlich lost, Simon won
15.Ecological Footprint: amount of biologically productive land and water need to supply people
in an area indefinitely with renewable resources
16.Ecological deficit: Total ecological footprint is greater than biological capacity for resource
renewal and absorption of wastes and pollution
17.Natural Capital: Earths total wealth of resources.
18.What should be living off: Earths natural interest (replenishable resources)
19.Hypothesis: a statement that can be tested
20.Theory: widely tested and accepted hypothesis
21.Law: consistent predictive description of many observations
, GES 120 Exam Elaborations
22.Hypothesis Testing: Confirmed by repeated observations, controlled experi- ments. Must
be tested using real-world observations
23.Frontier vs. Consensus Science: Consensus is data theories and law widely known. Frontier
is some tests and models, but nothing repeatedly certified.
, GES 120 Exam Elaborations
24.Atom Qualities: 6 protons, 6 neutrons, 6 electrons
25.Changes to Matter: Physical - no change to chemical composition Chemical-
Chemical reaction forces change
Nuclear- Change in nuclei of atom
26.Physical change in matter: Change in phase or physical properties.
Ice to water to water vapor
27.Chemical changes to matter: Changing one or more substances to create different
substances
28.Law of Conservation of Matter: When matter experiences physical or chemical change, no
atoms are created or destroyed
29.Energy: capacity to change the position or temperature of matter
30.Potential energy: energy of position (wood in a fire-pit- stored in molecular bonds of
wood)
31.Kinetic energy: energy of motion (flames out of fire- heat and light) Any matter that is
moving has kinetic energy. (rolling ball, swinging rope, moving particles)
32.Chemical energy: potential energy held in the bonds between atoms
33.First law of thermodynamics: energy can change forms, but cannot be created or destroyed
34.Second law of thermodynamics: energy changes from a more ordered to less ordered state
35.Entropy: increasing state of disorder (burnt wood on the ground)
36.High energy quality vs low quality energy: Concentrated, high capacity- high temperature vs
dispersed heat or heat in ocean
37.Energy conversion efficiency: ratio of useful energy output to amount needed to be input
38.Three Big Ideas: There is no away - Law of conservation
You cannot get something for nothing -- 1st law
You cannot break even -- 2nd law of thermodynamics
39.net energy: Energy returned - energy invested
40.EROI: Energy returned/energy invested. Higher ratios mean we receive more energy than
we invest
41.4 Types of coal: anthracite (Highest carbon content), bituminous, subbitumi- nous, lignite
(lowest rank)
42.most trafficked animal: pangolin
43.Peat: partially decayed plant matter found in bogs; it is used as fuel
1. What is an environment: all the living and nonliving things around us
2. What is science?: Knowledge and process for building that collection of knowl- edges
3. What is environmental science: Study of environmental processes and how to solve problems
caused by human changes
4. abiotic vs biotic: abiotic is non living, biotic is living
5. Tragedy of the commons: Garret Hardin. users focus on their own selfish short term gain,
environmental degradation of openly shared renewable resources.
6. sustainable use: rate of resource use allows for replenishment indefinitely
7. Environmental degradation: rates of resource use is higher than natural replen- ishment --
depletion of resource
8. What is Natural Capital: Ecosystem services + Natural resources
9. Ecosystem services: services that arise from normal functioning natural re- sources such
as trees purify air, water, cycle nutrients.
10.What impacts natural capital: Agricultural revolution (stable food supplies) and industrial
revolution (fossil fuels)
11.IPAT Model: I = P * A * T I=
Environmental Impact
P = Population Size
A = Affluence Of Population T =
Technology Influence
12.Paul Ehrlich: IPAT Formula, sad world will go into famine, population bomb
13.julian simon: population is a solution to resource scarcity and environmental problems as
people and markets innovate
14.simon-ehrlich bet: Both bet different opinions stating an item would be lower than the time
they bet. Ehrlich lost, Simon won
15.Ecological Footprint: amount of biologically productive land and water need to supply people
in an area indefinitely with renewable resources
16.Ecological deficit: Total ecological footprint is greater than biological capacity for resource
renewal and absorption of wastes and pollution
17.Natural Capital: Earths total wealth of resources.
18.What should be living off: Earths natural interest (replenishable resources)
19.Hypothesis: a statement that can be tested
20.Theory: widely tested and accepted hypothesis
21.Law: consistent predictive description of many observations
, GES 120 Exam Elaborations
22.Hypothesis Testing: Confirmed by repeated observations, controlled experi- ments. Must
be tested using real-world observations
23.Frontier vs. Consensus Science: Consensus is data theories and law widely known. Frontier
is some tests and models, but nothing repeatedly certified.
, GES 120 Exam Elaborations
24.Atom Qualities: 6 protons, 6 neutrons, 6 electrons
25.Changes to Matter: Physical - no change to chemical composition Chemical-
Chemical reaction forces change
Nuclear- Change in nuclei of atom
26.Physical change in matter: Change in phase or physical properties.
Ice to water to water vapor
27.Chemical changes to matter: Changing one or more substances to create different
substances
28.Law of Conservation of Matter: When matter experiences physical or chemical change, no
atoms are created or destroyed
29.Energy: capacity to change the position or temperature of matter
30.Potential energy: energy of position (wood in a fire-pit- stored in molecular bonds of
wood)
31.Kinetic energy: energy of motion (flames out of fire- heat and light) Any matter that is
moving has kinetic energy. (rolling ball, swinging rope, moving particles)
32.Chemical energy: potential energy held in the bonds between atoms
33.First law of thermodynamics: energy can change forms, but cannot be created or destroyed
34.Second law of thermodynamics: energy changes from a more ordered to less ordered state
35.Entropy: increasing state of disorder (burnt wood on the ground)
36.High energy quality vs low quality energy: Concentrated, high capacity- high temperature vs
dispersed heat or heat in ocean
37.Energy conversion efficiency: ratio of useful energy output to amount needed to be input
38.Three Big Ideas: There is no away - Law of conservation
You cannot get something for nothing -- 1st law
You cannot break even -- 2nd law of thermodynamics
39.net energy: Energy returned - energy invested
40.EROI: Energy returned/energy invested. Higher ratios mean we receive more energy than
we invest
41.4 Types of coal: anthracite (Highest carbon content), bituminous, subbitumi- nous, lignite
(lowest rank)
42.most trafficked animal: pangolin
43.Peat: partially decayed plant matter found in bogs; it is used as fuel
