Chapter 1 APES Study Guide
LEAPES Summer Assignment- Outline
Chapter 1: Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability
I. Human Impacts on the Environment
A. Life has existed on Earth for about 3.8 billion years.
1. About 800,000 years ago, humans appeared in Africa.
B. Humans are altering the Earth and not always in a good way.
1. We are transforming forests, prairies, and deserts and consuming large amounts of Earth’s finite resources such as rich topsoil, clean water, and breathable air.
2. Global warming is increasingly becoming a larger and larger problem.
C. Increasing Human Numbers
1. There are over 6 billion people on the Earth.
2. Almost 400 cities worldwide have a population of at least 1 million.
3. There are 16 megacities with populations greater than 10 million currently.
4. Overpopulation is becoming a very big concern because no one knows how many people Earth can hold. The quality of life is decreasing because feeding the world population is destroying the planet.
D. The Gap Between Rich and Poor Countries
1. Highly developed countries (HDCs- United States, Canada, Japan, and most of Europe) are countries that have complex industrialized bases, low rates of population growth and high per capita incomes.
2. About 80% of the world population lives in poor countries
a. Poor countries fall into two subcategories: moderately developed countries (Mexico, Turkey, South Africa, Thailand) and less developed (LDCs- Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia, Laos).
b. Relative to highly developed countries, LDCs have low levels of industrializations, high fertility rate, high infant mortality rate and very low per capita income.
II. Population, Resources, and the Environment
A. Types of Resources
1. Nonrenewable resources, include minerals (aluminum, tin, and copper) and fossil fuels, are in limited supply and are depleted by use
2. Renewable resources (include trees, fishes, fertile agricultural soil and fresh water) are replaced by nature rapidly on a scale
Chapter 1: Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability
I. Human Impacts on the Environment
A. Life has existed on Earth for about 3.8 billion years.
1. About 800,000 years ago, humans appeared in Africa.
B. Humans are altering the Earth and not always in a good way.
1. We are transforming forests, prairies, and deserts and consuming large amounts of Earth’s finite resources such as rich topsoil, clean water, and breathable air.
2. Global warming is increasingly becoming a larger and larger problem.
C. Increasing Human Numbers
1. There are over 6 billion people on the Earth.
2. Almost 400 cities worldwide have a population of at least 1 million.
3. There are 16 megacities with populations greater than 10 million currently.
4. Overpopulation is becoming a very big concern because no one knows how many people Earth can hold. The quality of life is decreasing because feeding the world population is destroying the planet.
D. The Gap Between Rich and Poor Countries
1. Highly developed countries (HDCs- United States, Canada, Japan, and most of Europe) are countries that have complex industrialized bases, low rates of population growth and high per capita incomes.
2. About 80% of the world population lives in poor countries
a. Poor countries fall into two subcategories: moderately developed countries (Mexico, Turkey, South Africa, Thailand) and less developed (LDCs- Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia, Laos).
b. Relative to highly developed countries, LDCs have low levels of industrializations, high fertility rate, high infant mortality rate and very low per capita income.
II. Population, Resources, and the Environment
A. Types of Resources
1. Nonrenewable resources, include minerals (aluminum, tin, and copper) and fossil fuels, are in limited supply and are depleted by use
2. Renewable resources (include trees, fishes, fertile agricultural soil and fresh water) are replaced by nature rapidly on a scale