11:375:101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Environmentalism, Ecosystem Services, Natural Capital
Document Summary
Environmental science - interdisciplinary study of how the earth works and has survived, how humans interact with the environment, and how we can live more sustainably. Ecology - a key component of environmental science; branch of biology that focuses on how living organisms interact with the living and nonliving parts of the environment. Species - a group of organisms having a unique set of characteristics that set it apart from other groups. Ecosystem - a set of organisms within a defined area of land of volume of water that interact with one another. Environmentalism / environmental activism - a social movement dedicated to protecting the earth"s life and its resources. Biodiversity - the variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes. Chemical cycling - the circulation of of chemicals nutrients needed to sustain life from the environment through various organisms and back to the environment. Full cost pricing - some economists urge us to find ways to include the harmful.