Name: ____________________________ Date: _____________ Period: _______

Midterm Study Guide Chapter 1-4

Chapter 1 - Intro to Environmental Science

Vocabulary: Know the defentions of each term.

 Renewable resource-Resource that can be replenished rapidly (hours to

several decades) through natural processes as long as it is not used up faster
than it is replaced

 Nonrenewable resource- A resource that is formed much more slowly than

it is used.

 Sustainable- able to meet the current demand for a resource without

depleting the future supply

 Fossil fuel- a carbon-containing fuel formed over millions of years from the
remains of living things

 Ecological footprint- the environmental impact of an individual or

population in terms of the total amount of land and water required

 Hypothesis- a testable idea that attempts to explain a phenomenon or

answer a scientific question

 Independent variable- the variable that manipulated or changed in an

experiment

 Dependent variable- the variable that changes response to the condition set
in an experiment

 Theory- A well-established explanation of observations and experimental

findings
  Prediction- A statement of what a scientist expects to observe if a
hypothesis is true

Our Island, Earth 1.1

The process by which the scientific community examines a paper before its
publication is called peer review.

The “commons” refers to a public pastureland that was shared by villagers in 19th-
century England.

The Ozone is a naturally occurring molecule that absorbs and redirects harmful UV
radiation.

At the start of the Agricultural Revolution, about 10,000 years ago, humans began
planting crops and domesticating animals.

 What does our environment contain? Both living and nonliving things
 Which of the following is an example of a natural resource? Timber, coal
and sunlight

 Which of the following is ALWAYS a non-renewable natural resource? Oil

The Nature of Science 1.2

 A control in an experiment or observational studies only has one variable is

manipulated.

 Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with good, bad, right, and
wrong.

 What is the primary difference between a theory and a hypothesis?

A theory is broader than a hypothesis, dealing with a wider range of
situations and observations
Chapter 2 Economics and Environmental Policy
Lesson 1: Economics (pages 35- 41)
Vocabulary: Know the definitions of each term.

 Economics – the study of how resources are converted into products&

services & how those products & services are distributed and used.
 Supply – the amount of a product or service offered for sale at a given price.
 Demand – the amount of a product or service people will buy at a given
price if free to do so.
 Cost-benefit analysis – a method in which decision-makers compare what
will be sacrificed and gained by taking a specific action.
 Ecological economics – the field of economics that recognizes the
relationships between ecosystems and economic systems.
 Environmental economics – the field of economics that links environmental
and economic costs.
 Non-market value – the value that is not included in the price of a product or
service
 Market failure – a situation in which a free economy, operating on its own,
does not distribute resources fairly
 Ecolabeling – a labeling system that tells consumers which brands are made
with processes that do not harm the environment.

A. What is Economics? (p.36) Guided Reading:

1. What does economics have a lot to do with? Has a lot to do with human
behavior and how people interact with nature.
 2. What are goods? services? Goods – manufactured materials
Services – work done for others as a form of business.

3. List and briefly describe three types of economies.

a. centrally planned – government decides what is made, how, & who.

b. free market – individuals decide

c. mixed economy – both government & individuals decide

4. What is the expected outcome of the relationship between supply and

demand? Equilibrium is reached when the amount produced = the demand.
5. What is the goal of a cost-benefit analysis? Compares what is sacrificed &
gained by a specific action.
B. Economics and the Environment (p. 37) Guided reading:

6. What are natural resources? Give examples cited. Substances & forces
people need to survive. Ex: sun, H2O, trees, rocks and fossil fuels

7. What happens to a vacation destination when a local sewage

treatment facility can’t keep up with the waste generated? Waste pollutes

H2O, swimming is closed, no tourists, businesses suffer.

8.Describe four assumptions traditionally made in economics that can

negatively effect the environment.

a. Internal costs & benefits – consider external

b. Short-term effects – watch environment
c. Endless resources – do not run out, need to replant
d. Growth – needs to be sustainable
C. Economics and Sustainability (p. 39)

9. What is the new trend in economics regarding the environment? Need to

consider conserving resources and reducing harm to the environment.

10. What do many ecological economists advocate? Economies that don’t grow or
shrink but are stable and sustainable.

11. Name three non-market values. Aesthetic, cultural, scientific

12. When smokestacks from factories emit harmful chemicals that harm trees and
pollute water sources what has occurred? Market failure

13. What are two benefits achieved by operating a business in an environmentally

sustainable way? Make money and improve your image

Lesson 2: United States Environmental Policy (pages 42-47)

Vocabulary: Know the definitions of each term.

 Policy – a formal set of general plans & principles that guides problem
solving & decision making in specific instances.
 Environmental policy – a general plan & principle related to the interactions
between humans and the environment.
 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – a description of the effects a
proposed project will have on the environment, such as a new dam or
highway

A. What is Environmental Policy? (p.42) Guided Reading:

14. What is the aim of modern day environmental policy? Protect

environment, our natural resources
 15. The three branches of our government are listed below. Include what each
is made up of.

Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judicial Branch

A law is proposed to If President approves it Supreme Court and
Congress – House of becomes enacted. If lower courts interpret
Representatives & vetoed, it is rejected. laws
Senate). If both Houses Enacted legislation
pass, it goes on to the becomes law.
President.

B. History of U.S. Environmental Policy (p. 44) Guided Reading:

16. Laws making up U.S. environmental policy can be divided into three
periods. List them and give a brief description.

 1st – 1780’s – 1800’s laws to manage public lands

 2nd – late 1800’s – mid 1900’s laws to reduce environmental problems
 3rd – mid to late 1900’s technology era EPA
17. Who is Rachel Carson and what was her contribution to environmental
science? Wrote Silent Spring – brought attention to DDT, pesticides and health
effects

C. Modern U.S. Environmental Policy (p. 46) Guided reading:

18. What improvements have occurred due to environmental policies enacted

in the late twentieth century? 1977 – Clean H2O Act, Environmental Impact
Statement
19. When was the first Earth Day? What do you think is its intent? April 22, 1970

20. What is the EPA and its responsibilities? Regulating H2O, air and solid wastes,
conduct and evaluate research, monitor the environment, and enforce quality
standards.

21. What is the purpose of the Clean Water Act? Clean H2O Act 1972 – regulate
the discharge of wastes especially from industry into rivers. It protects wildlife and
grants permits to discharge pollutants on a limited basis.

22. Why did so many major environmental advances occur in the ‘60’s and 70’s?
Public opinion – evidence of environmental problems. Political climate was
supportive.

23. When did the backlash against these environmental policies occur and why?
1980’s – many felt laws put too much of an economic burden on businesses

24. What problems are now leading the U.S. and other nations to a new era of
environmental policy? Global warming and climate change

25. What is the new focus of our government in relation to environmental issues?
Cleaning up toxic chemicals, achieving sustainability, conserve energy, develop
renewable energy, and reduce carbon emissions

Lesson 3: International Environmental Policy and Approaches (p. 48-55)

Vocabulary: Know the definitions of each term.

 Command-and-control approach – government sets rules and threatens

punishment for violations

  Subsidy – governments give cash or public resources to encourage

something or lower the price. May be a tax break for environmentally

friendly practices.

 Green tax – taxes imposed on companies that harm the environment

 Cap-and-trade – A government decides on an acceptable amount of pollution

a factory can emit. If a factory is efficient and pollutes less it can trade (sell)

some of its permits to another factory that pollutes more.

 Lobbying – trying to influence an elected official to support your interests.

A. International Environmental Policy? (p.48) Guided Reading:

26. What is meant by the statement “environmental problems are not restricted
to the national borders drawn on maps”? Cite examples from the reading. Laws of
one nation have no weight in another. Ex: Tijuana River, air pollution carried by
winds, migrating animals.

27. What is the purpose of the United Nations? Helps to shape international
environmental policy, promote peace, and solve economic, social, cultural &
humanitarian problems.

28. What is the main objective of the European Union? Promote Europe’s
economic & social progress. Produce current environmental data & analyze to
guide policy.

29. What does the World Trade Organization promote? Promotes free trade,
can impose monetary penalties on nations not complying. Ex: cleaner burning
gasoline in US cities required by EPA. Brazil & Venezuela said rules discriminated
against their petroleum products so EPA caved.

B. Approaches to Environmental Policy? (p.50) Guided Reading:

29. Why might a business or individual be given a tax break by the

government? If they participate in ecofriendly actions by reducing emissions.

30. List some examples of local incentives. Financial, may charge residents for
waste disposal, give rebates for water efficient toilets & other appliances.

C. The Environmental Policy Process (p.53) Guided Reading:

31. Outline the six steps of the process given.

 Identify the problem

 Identify causes of the problem
 Generate a solution
 Get organized
 Gain access to influential people – lobby

Chapter 3.1 – Earth’s Environmental Systems

Vocabulary: Know the defentions of each term.

 Atoms- basic unit of matter

 Nucleus- contains protons and neutrons

 matter- any material that has mass and occupies space

 element- a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances

 molecule- Two or more atoms joined by covalent bonds

 compound- substance composed of atoms of two or more different elements

 lipid- chemically diverse compound that does not dissolve in water

 hydrocarbon- an organic compound combining hydrogen and carbon

 solution- a mixture in which all the ingredients are evenly distributed

 macromolecule- a large organic molecule that includes, proteins, nucleic

acid, carbohydrates, and lipids

 protein-an organic compound made up of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen,

nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur

 nucleic acid-the macromolecule that carries hereditary information

including DNA and RNA

 carbohydrate-a organic compound that consists of atoms, hydrogen,

hydrogen and oxygen

 pH- a measure of the acidity or alkalinity

Atoms and Elements

 Atoms are the basic unit of matter.
 Nucleus: Contains protons and neutrons
 Electrons: Move around the nucleus and have a negative charge.
 An element is a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances.
 Ion:  An atom loses or gains an electron and becomes charged (+ or -)

Bonding
 Covalent bonds: Electrons are shared.
 Ionic bonds: A positive ion attracts a negative ion.
 Molecule: Two or more atoms joined by covalent bonds
 Compound: Substance composed of atoms of two or more
different elements

Organic and Inorganic Compounds

 Organic compounds: Consist of covalently bonded carbon atoms and
often include other elements, especially hydrogen
 Hydrocarbons: Organic compounds, such as petroleum, that contain
only hydrogen and carbon
 Inorganic compounds: Lack carbon-to-carbon bonds
 Organic compounds include natural gas, petroleum, coal and gasoline

Water 
 A mixture is a combination of elements, molecules, or compounds that are
not bonded chemically. 
 Solutions are mixtures in which all ingredients are equally distributed.
 Mixtures can be solids, liquids, or gases.
 Hydrogen bonding gives water many unique properties:
 High specific heat: Resists temp changes
 Much energy needed to break water bonds
 Helps to maintain a constant body temp
 Adhesion: polar water sticks to other molecules
 Cohesion – water sticks to itself
 Resistance to temperature change
 Less dense when frozen
 Ability to dissolve many other molecules

Acids, Bases, and pH

 The separation of water molecules into ions causes solutions to be acidic,
basic, 
or neutral.
 pH of 7—Neutral: Equal concentrations of H+ and OH-
 pH below 7—Acidic: Relatively high concentration of H+
 pH above 7—Basic: Relatively high concentration of OH-
Earth Systems and Patterns 3.2-3.3

1. Name the 5 Earth’s spheres that work together to keep Earth in balance
Geosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere

2. Which Earth system is most impacted by weathering and erosion?

Geosphere

3. How does the atmosphere interact with the biosphere? A bird flying in the
sky

4. Which two spheres are interacting when ocean waves break on the beach?
Hydrosphere and Geosphere

5. Give an example of each of the Earth’s spheres:

Geosphere- Dirt, rocks, land
Atmosphere- Air, gases
Biosphere- Living, non-living things, plants, animals, people
Hydrosphere- Oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, groundwater, clouds
Cryosphere- Ice, snow, hail

6. Name the two Earth sphere that interact in the following situations:
A plant receiving water Biosphere and Hydrosphere
A glacier moving over land Cryosphere and Geosphere
People breathing oxygen Biosphere and Atmosphere
Ocean waves breaking down rocks Hydrosphere and Geosphere
Ants building an underground nest Biosphere and Geosphere
Aquifers forming in limestone Hydrosphere and Geosphere
Plants growing in soil Biosphere and Geosphere
Study Guide 4.1-4.2 Population Ecology
Levels of Ecological Organization-Scientists study ecology at various levels of
organization. They are organized smallest to largest: Individuals, Population,
Community, Ecosystems and Biosphere

Individuals- Ecologists study life above these levels, the most basic is an
individual organism.

A population is a species that live together in the same area.

Community- All of the populations in a specific area, includes plants, fungi, other
animals.

Ecosystem-is the study the living and nonliving things of a system together.

The Biosphere includes all the organisms and the parts of earth that hosts life.

Ecology-the study the living and nonliving things of a system together.

Biotic factors- Parts of an ecosystem that are living or used to be living

Abiotic factors- Parts of an ecosystem that have never been living

Habitat- provide an organism with resources—anything an organism needs to

survive and reproduce, including food, shelter, and mates.

There are 3 types of Population distribution:

(Random Distribution)- Organisms arranged in
no particular pattern
Uniform Distribution)- Organisms evenly spaced
Clumped Distribution)- Organisms grouped near resources; most common
distribution in nature
Animal extinction is due to human impact by means of hunting, pollution,
destroying animal homes as well as other predatorial species.

Species- are similar organisms that can reproduce with each other.