Semester 1 Objectives
Chapter 1: Intro to Environmental Science
1. Define exponential growth as related to human population growth.
a. Compare the concepts of exponential and linear growth.
b. Explain why exponential growth has been the pattern of population growth and
discuss why this type of growth may or may not be problematic.
c. Sketch a graph that illustrates human population growth and predicts future growth.
2. Define each of these terms and then write a paragraph using the words to illustrate the
distinction between them.
a. Environment
b. Environmental science
c. Ecology
d. Environmentalism
3. List and explain three reasons we are totally dependent on the sun for life on earth.
4. Explain the concept of sustainability.
a. relate the lottery example to sustainability
b. Environmentalists say we are living unsustainably. Others say human ingenuity,
economic growth and technology will overcome any problems this would cause. Give
examples that would support each view.
5. List several natural resources available on our planet.
a. List a perpetual resource
b. List several renewable resources
c. List two nonrenewable resources
d. Describe an “economically depleted resource”.
e. Explain how reuse and recycling are related to the above.
6. Distinguish between economic growth and economic development.
a. Give examples of developed countries, undeveloped and developing countries.
b. Compare developed and undeveloped countries based on the criteria in Figure 1-3,
page 8.
c. Develop a definition for “poverty” and describe the relationship between poverty and
environmental problems.
7. Define the term globalization.
a. Explain how air travel, telephones, mass media and the internet have contributed to
globalization.
b. Describe what you think is good about globalization and what is bad about it.
c. Describe how globalization has affected you and your peer group.
8. Describe the “Tragedy of the Commons” as defined by Garrett Hardin in 1968 and explain
how you are either a player or not.
9. Define the term pollution.
a. Add the terms anthropogenic, point source and non-point source to your definition.
b. Distinguish between pollution prevention and pollution clean-up and give an example
of each.
c. Identify a situation where pollution prevention makes more sense than pollution
clean-up.
10. List the “Big Five” environmental problems.
a. Identify the problem that you think is the most serious and explain why.
b. Identify the problem you think would be the easiest to tackle and explain why.
c. Identify the problem you think would be the most difficult to solve and explain why.
11. List the necessities poor people tend to lack access to as in Figure 1-11 on p. 13.
a. Explain why the lack of each necessity would contribute to a lower life expectancy.
b. Comment on your access to each of these basic necessities and how this affects your
life and lifestyle.
12. Describe the disease of Affluenza.
a. Explain whether you think this disease is a problem or not.
b. Comment on your personal level of infection (or lack of) with this
disease.
13. Explain the model I = P x A x T. Make sure to define each variable.
a. Compare I for the U.S. to I for an undeveloped country.
b. Explain how this model is oversimplified.
14. Contrast the “technical optimist” with the “environmental pessimist”.
a. Describe where your personal beliefs put you on this continuum.
b. Describe where your parents’ beliefs put them on this continuum.
15. Describe your personal worldview. Relate your answer to objective 14.
16. List the six greatest environmental problems we face as given on p. 17, in a table form.
Make a two column table.
a. Using figure 10 on page 13, match the problems with the causes. You may match
more than one cause with each problem.
b. Be prepared to justify your choices.
17. Describe the meaning of “environmentally sustainable economic development” with two
examples.
Chapter 2: History of Environmental Science
1. Describe how Native Americans depended on bison, yet did not disrupt the bison population.
Contrast that with the events that led to near extinction of this animal species.
2. State the three major human cultural changes that have led to changes in our natural
environment. Explain how each change impacted the environment.
3. Explain why most Native American groups had a low impact on their natural environment
and how the frontier environmental view differed from theirs.
4. Construct a timeline to order these environmentalists and briefly describe their
contributions to conservation and the environmental movement. Henry David Thoreau,
George P. Marsh, John Muir, Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford
Pinchot, Gaylord Nelson, Al Gore.
5. Construct a table to summarize the environmental legislation listed in chapter 2 of our text.
a. List the name of each act, year enacted and the basic protection.
b. Pick the act you think was the most important and support your choice.
6. Explain how the Depression may have been good for the environment. Describe the positive
actions of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
7. Describe the spaceship earth environmental worldview.
8. Compare and contrast the Sagebrush Rebellion with the Wise-Use Movement.
9. Construct a four column table to summarize the environmental contributions (or lack
thereof) of the U.S. presidents listed in text chapter 2.
a. List the president’s name
b.
c.
d.
e.
Years in office
Identify each man as “pro-environment or anti-environment”
Provide the reason for your identification as above.
Where does Barack Obama stand on environmental issues?
Chapter 3: Nature of Science
1. Retell the story of Easter Island and explain why the population could not be sustained,
according to Miller.
2. Understand the definition of science given in our text and explain why skepticism,
reproducibility, and peer review are important features of the scientific process.
3. Explain how culture, values, politics, and priorities can influence science.
4. Distinguish between a hypothesis, a theory and a natural law. Explain how some people
misinterpret the definition of a theory…for example the Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by
Natural Selection.
5. Review the components of good experimental design. Think about when scientists can
actually construct experiments and when investigation is more appropriate to solve a
problem or answer a question. Do you know what these words mean?
a. experiment
e. observation
b. data
f. inductive reasoning
c. variable
g. deductive reasoning
d. control
h. model
6. Science is not “set in stone” and it is not perfect or complete. Explain this idea; also
referred to as the Nature of Science.
7. Distinguish between Frontier Science, Sound Science and Junk Science.
8. Restate the questions Miller says you can ask to uncover “junk science”.
9. Explain the idea of a system with inputs, outputs, flow-throughs, feedback loops and time
delays.
10. Give an example of synergy.
11. Review these words and relate them to each other:
a. matter
d. atom
b. element
e. molecule
c. compound
f. ion
12. Describe atomic structure.
13. Compare an atom, ion and isotope.
14. Remind yourself how the periodic table is organized and what information we can find there.
15. Understand these chemistry terms in context of environmental science:
a. chemical formula, subscript, coefficient
b. chemical bond
c. covalent bond, covalent compound or molecular compound
d. ionic bond, ionic compound
e. atomic number, mass number
f. pH, pH scale
g. organic, inorganic compounds, synthetic compound
16. Understand these physics terms in context of environmental science:
a. states of matter
b. energy
c. work
d. heat, temperature
e. kinetic energy, potential energy
f. electromagnetic radiation, ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation
g. energy quality
h. Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy, First Law of Thermodynamics
i. Second Law of Thermodynamics
j. energy efficiency
k. radiation and nuclear changes, radioactivity, half-life
l. nuclear fusion and fission, chain reaction
17. Understand these biology terms in context of environmental science:
a. DNA, genes, chromosomes, genome
b. Polymers, monomers
18. Distinguish between high and low throughput economies. Explain how reuse and recycling
are related to this.
19. Distinguish between biodegradable, degradable and nondegradable pollutants. What are
persistent pollutants?
Chapter 4: Ecosystems
1. Describe the importance of insects to life on this planet. Explain what is meant by
“unintended consequences”.
2. Give an estimate of the number of species on this earth. Consider that humans are only one
species.
3. Define these words: ecology, organism, cell, prokaryotic, eukaryotic, microbe
4. Give examples of different microbes & explain how life on this planet is dependent on them.
5. Define these words: population, genetic diversity, biodiversity, habitat, distribution or range,
community, ecosystem, biosphere
6. Draw a diagram of the earth’s atmosphere and label the: troposphere, stratosphere,
hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. What are the important processes that go on in each
layer?
7. Describe the importance of the sun’s energy, cycling of matter and gravity to how the earth
functions.
8. Explain what a limiting factor is. What’s an example in a desert? What would be the limiting
factor for plants growing in your house?
9. Define these words: producer, consumer, autotroph, heterotroph, phytoplankton,
photosynthesis.
10. Write the summary, balanced equation for photosynthesis. Why is this a summary
equation?
11. Explain what chemosynthesis is. Who does it? Where? Why is this process important?
12. Define these words: decomposer, detritus, herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore. Give an
example of each as you define.
13. Describe how the natural greenhouse effect is different than global warming.
14. Write a paragraph to explain the importance of the sun to this planet.
15. More words to define: biome, biotic factor, abiotic factor, aquatic life zone, aerobic,
anaerobic
16. Explain how the Law of Tolerance would be related to pollution levels in a lake.
17. Explain why some scientists say “that the loss and degradation of biodiversity is the most
important environmental problem we face”.
18. Nature, AKA the web of life has evolved over millions of years on this planet with natural
cycles for recycling matter. We have disrupted just about every one of these biogeochemical
cycles. Explain why this is a problem.
19. Define these words: food chain, food web, trophic level, pyramid of energy flow, biomass,
and primary productivity
20. “Do you think we are on this list?” See page 68. Do you?
21. Miller refers to “life’s internet”. Explain this analogy.
22. Give your explanation as to why people are starving in the world today.
23. Describe the basic composition of soils.
24. Define these words: percolation, infiltration, leaching, soil texture, porosity, permeability, soil
horizon (soil is covered in a later chapter, in more detail)
25. Describe the following biogeochemical cycles and explain their importance to the steady state
or balance or equilibrium on earth.
a. Carbon
b. Oxygen
c. Nitrogen
d. Sulfur
e. Phosphorous
f. Water
26. Give examples of field research
a. Describe tools used
b. Explain the difficulties in field research compared to lab research.
c. Research in a lab is cheaper and more convenient, yet it must be viewed with
skepticism. Explain why this is so.
27. Explain the concept of baseline data.
28. Explain what a computer model is, and give examples. Compare the strengths and weaknesses
of computer models.
Chapter 17: Nonrenewable Energy Sources
1. Describe the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. What lessons were learned at
Chernobyl?
2. Distinguish between solar capital, indirect forms of renewable solar energy and commercial
energy. What is nonrenewable energy?
3. Draw a pie chart to show the different fuels we use for energy in the world and in the U.S.
4. Explain what biomass energy is and explain the “bad news” associated with using biomass as
a fuel source.
5. Explain why the U.S. (and the rest of the world) is concerned with looking for fossil fuel
substitutes.
6. Discuss Miller’s ideas of what questions should be asked as we determine the energy policy
in this country. Do you agree with his questions? Can you think of others?
7. Interpret the Net Energy ratios chart on page 354. What fuel sources have the highest net
energy ratios?
8. Describe petroleum as an energy source & raw material:
a. Where does it come from?
b. What is it?
c. What can we use it for?
d. Where are the reserves throughout the world?
e. What are estimates of how much we have left?
f. What problems are associated with its use?
9. Become familiar with the debate over drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
a. What are the pros and cons of drilling?
b. Who and what are likely to be affected by this? Why?
c. Who stands to gain from this? Who will lose?
d. This debate is ongoing (text from 2004). Why can’t we settle it once and for all?
e. And then there was the Gulf Oil Spill…summarize what happened. Do you think this
will influence energy policy?
10. Tell about oil that can supplement conventional oil supplies; oil sand, tar sand, shale oil.
What are these and what are the pluses and minuses of their use?
11. Explain what natural gas is.
a. What’s its composition?
b. Where does it come from & where is it found around the world?
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using it?
12. Coal! Tell about it.
a. What natural processes made coal? What’s its composition?
b. Where in the world are there coal supplies? Current estimate of world supplies?
c. What’s the good & bad about burning coal for its energy?
d. Mining coal and mountain top removal are described in Chapter 16; what about mining
and MTR as they relate to the pros and cons of using coal as an energy resource?
13. Explain how a nuclear fission reactor works.
14. Describe the nuclear fuel cycle and explain why this would be important in considering
whether nuclear power should be used or not.
15. Describe the history of nuclear power use in the world.
16. List and describe the advantages & disadvantages of using nuclear power. Some say if we
need to use less coal, let’s use more nukes. Explain your view on that suggestion.
17. Discuss the controversy over using Yucca Mountain for the storage of nuclear waste. What
will we do now? (Since the book was published the Yucca Mountain site is now dead).
18. State and defend your position on using nuclear power for electricity production.
19. Describe the process of nuclear fusion and give some detail on its development as a source
for electricity.
Chapter 18: Renewable Energy Sources
1. Explain the difference between a non-renewable and a renewable energy resource.
2. Describe the motivation to use renewable energy sources.
3. Discuss how energy conservation & energy efficiency could help us address the world’s energy
dilemma to some extent. Why aren’t we embracing this? Do you think things are changing?
4. Define “life cycle cost” and discuss why we must consider “cradle to grave” when talking about
fuel sources.
5. Explain what is meant by “cogeneration”. What’s the point of this?
6. Tell about these different types of solar energy.
a. passive vs. active solar heating
b. solar collectors, solar thermal systems
c. photovoltaic cells
You should be able to explain how these things work, why they look promising, and what their
drawbacks and/or problems are.
7. What about hydropower? Define and describe:
a. dams, tidal power, wave power, and ocean thermal currents to produce electricity.
b. Make sure to consider benefits and drawbacks of above.
c. Which technologies look promising? Which are far away from commercial use?
8. List the advantages and disadvantages of using wind to produce electricity.
a. Describe how this technology works.
b. Where is it being used today?
9. Burning biomass for its energy….what are we burning? What can we burn?
a. List the good and bad of using it to heat space and water, produce electricity, and propel
vehicles.
b. What about conversion of biomass to biofuels?
10. Consider ethanol as a fuel.
a. Where will the ethanol come from? Consider corn and other sources.
b. Benefits? Drawbacks? Food burned for fuel? What do you think?
c. E85 and flex fuel vehicles….good idea?
11. Explain how hydrogen can be used to heat space and water, produce electricity and propel
vehicles.
a. Why are people excited about using hydrogen as a fuel?
b. What are the drawbacks?
c. What’s a fuel cell?
12. How can geothermal energy contribute to our energy mix?
a. Describe steam, wet steam, and hot water sources.
b. What are the drawbacks of using geothermal energy?
13. What new ideas have been introduced? Pros? Cons? Feasibility?
14. Why has energy become such a worldwide problem? How are politics, economics, & science
entwined in this issue? How do you think the U.S. could build a more sustainable energy future?
Chapter 20: Air Pollution
1. Explain how lichens have been used to detect air pollution and why they are a good species
for this work.
2. Describe what atmospheric pressure is and explain why it decreases with increasing altitude.
Remind yourself of the pressure units you learned in chemistry.
3. Draw a diagram that shows the different layers of our atmosphere. Identify the unique
characteristics of each layer including the altitudes at which each layer exists.
4. List the major classes of air pollutants (see Table 20-1) and describe where these pollutants
are coming from. (See also Table 20-2)
5. Compare primary and secondary pollutants.
6. Describe air pollution problems in our early history as told in “Spotlight” p. 437.
7. List and describe the 6 major outdoor air pollutants as described in Table 20-2.
8. Explain why Miller says CO2 should be added to the “gang of six” air pollutants.
9. Describe photochemical smog. Compare it to industrial smog.
Explain how photochemical and industrial smog form and what factors can affect the
formation.
10. Define temperature inversion and explain why it leads to high air pollution levels.
11. In the U.S. and Europe we seem to have dealt with many of our air pollution problems.
Describe the problems Asia is experiencing. What can they learn from the U.S. and
European nations?
12. Explain the pollution problem known as of acid rain.
a. What is the source of acid rain?
b. Describe the effects of this air pollution problem.
c. Tell about progress that has been made to combat acid rain.
13. List common indoor air pollutants (IAP).
a. explain where each comes from
b. tell how we can reduce exposure to IAP
c. explain why IAP is a greater threat to human health than OAP
14. List some of the health problems associated with air pollution.
15. Describe the U.S. government’s activities with regard to regulating air pollutants.
16. What’s the meaning of PM 10, PM 2.5 (You might also see PM-10 & PM-2.5)?
17. Define “cap-and-trade”.
18. How have we reduced air pollution from coal-burning power plants?
19. Miller displays graphics for air pollution solutions on pages 456-459. Read them and decide
which solutions would seem to be easiest to implement. Which would be most expensive to
implement? Least practical to implement? Which solutions could you, yourself participate
in?
Chapter 21: Global Climate Change
Objectives:
1. Explain what is meant by “climate” and describe how earth’s climate has changed over
time. What is the difference between climate and weather?
2. Describe multiple methods scientists can use to study the earth’s past climate.
3. Become familiar with organizations that study climate and climate change such as: IPCC,
AGU, USGS, NOAA, WMO, National Center for Atmospheric Sciences.
4. Explain the importance of the greenhouse effect to life on this planet. Distinguish this
phenomenon from Global Warming.
5. List the major greenhouse gases in table 21-1 and note their origins. Also compare their
longevity in the atmosphere.
6. Explain the four human activities that have dramatically increased gh gases.
7. Discuss the U.S.’ role in producing gh gas emissions. Compare to China’s.
8. Tell why an increase in gh gases can raise temperatures in the troposphere.
9. List and describe evidence for global warming and global climate change.
10. Interpret the Keeling curve.
11. Describe predictions for a future, warmer earth; both possible benefits and negative
consequences. List possible effects on plants and animals and also land.
12. Explain what a computer model is. Tell how these models are used for prediction and what
their limitations are.
13. You may want to examine the writings of critics of Global Warming. Consider their
criticisms. U.S. Senator James Inhofe comes to mind. He stated a few years ago that
“Global warming is the greatest hoax perpetuated on the American people”.
14. List and describe factors that affect temperatures on earth.
15. Describe the uncertainties in our understanding of global climate. Why can’t we make better
predictions about just what will happen and when?
16. Compare the “Wait and See”, “Precautionary Principle” and the “No regrets” strategies that
Miller describes on page 478. Defend the strategy you think makes most sense.
17. List and describe ideas for reducing CO2 emissions. Comment on the feasibility of each.
18. List and describe ideas for sequestering CO2. Comment on the feasibility of each.
19. Tell what the Kyoto Protocol is; why Bush pulled out of it, and why Scott Barnett says it’s a
“badly thought out agreement that will not work”.
20. Explain what the Cancun 2010 conference is, and follow it through its completion.
21. Explain the idea of carbon footprint. List and describe steps you can take to reduce yours.
22. List and describe steps that can be taken to prepare for future global climate change.
23. Describe the problem of ozone depletion:
a. what is it?
b. why is it bad?
c. where is it occurring?
d. what has caused it?
e. what are we doing about it?
f. what is the Montreal Protocol? the Copenhagen Protocol?
g. How do people mistakenly link O3 depletion to global warming? How is O3 depletion
related to global warming? How can its solution possibly increase global warming?
Chapter 5: Evolution and Biodiversity
1. Think about the wonder of nature. Explain why Miller says earth is the “just right” planet.
2. Describe evolution as change over time and generally explain the changes over time on
this planet from its birth about 4.5 billion years ago.
3. List and describe the evidence we have for this change over time.
4. Distinguish between microevolution and macroevolution.
5. Use these terms to describe the scientific explanation for how life has changed over
time; i.e. how has evolution lead to the biodiversity on this planet?
gene
adaptation
niche
allele
coevolution
habitat
gene pool
survival of the fittest
geographic isolation
allopatric speciation
genetic variability
natural selection
reproductive isolation
sympatric speciation
6. Be aware of the ideas of Intelligent Design formerly called Creationism as an explanation
for the biodiversity of life on this planet. Understand that this explanation is best studied in
a philosophy or religion class as it is not based on scientific knowledge or the processes of
science.
7. Distinguish between background extinction, mass extinction and mass depletion.
8. Explain the concept of adaptive radiation.
9. Explain what is meant by artificial selection and give examples of organisms that have
been affected by this.
10. Define and describe these terms. Why the controversy?
genetic engineering
genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
clone
biopharming
gene therapy
11. How do evolutionary biologists explain the success of the human specie? And what’s the
Homo ignoramus thing all about?