ge elect

• refers to the immediate surroundings of an individual. it is also a complex system that deals with a network of living and non-living entities


  environment
• 3 main components of the environment

  1. physical components

  2. biological components

  3. socio-economic components
• air, water, land, energy

  physical components
• plants and animals


  biological components
• people, communities, institutions, values


  socio-economic components
• is the basic functional unit of nature. it is the interaction of the community (living components) and the non-living environment

  ecosystem
• 7 environmental principles


  1.everything is connected to everything

  2. all forms of life are important

  3. everything must go somewhere

  4. ours is a finite earth

  5. nature knows best

  6. nature is beautiful and we are stewards of god's creation

  7. everything changes
• is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life

  ecosystem
• The intricate relationships of various elements of the ecosystem bind the components together into one functional unit


  everything is connected to everything else
• The trees in the forest are home to ferns, orchids, birds, insects, and mammals. When these plants and animals die, their products of decomposition contribute to soil fertility. Plants provide oxygen to animals for aerobic respiration while animals furnish carbon dioxide to plants for photosynthesis. The quality of the soil determines the type of vegetation that exists while vegetation contributes to the minerals of the soil when they die


  everything is connected to everything else
• Human interaction with nature often alters ecosystems. The waste we improperly dispose of brings about the deterioration of land and water quality

  everything is connected to everything else
• All living organisms were created for a purpose in relation to humans, other species on earth, and the global ecosystem in general. The variety of life forms, manifested by the different levels of biological diversity – community, species, and genes – contributes to the stability of the environment

  all forms of life are important
• Food webs, food chains, and ecological relationships link plants and animals together in the web of life. Even bacteria, insects, snakes, and rats have ecological functions even though humans perceive them as parasites or pests.


  all forms of life are important
• 3 types of diversity

  ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity
• interdependence with species


  ecosystems diversity
• basic unit of biological classification

  species diversity
• variation within species


  genetic diversity
• By-products of consumption go back to the environment. Everything that we throw away has to go somewhere

  everything must go somewhere
• Everything that we need is provided by nature in abundance – food, water, energy, minerals and air. However, some resources that we depend upon nowadays are extracted excessively but are slow to replace.


  ours is a finite earth
• Nature manifests certain processes that enable it to maintain balance and remain in a state of equilibrium


  nature knows best
• Creation presumes the existence of a Creator. The beautiful nature around us, perfect by itself, has deteriorated due to the negative impacts of human use. This principle suggests how a Human Creator relationship is translated in our attitude towards creation


  nature is beautiful and we are stewards of god's creation
• one of the most influential aspects that affect values and the environment

  religion
• Changes in the biophysical world occur naturally


  everything changes
• are cyclic changes that contribute to the diversity of flowers, fruits, vegetables and other crops during the year

  seasons
• provides a tool for the projection, planning and management of change brought about by industrialization and human settlement expansion


  environmental impact assessment (EIA)
• refers to the benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living

  ecosystems services
• is any positive benefit that wildlife or ecosystems provide to people. the benefits can be direct or indirect—small or large.

  ecosystem service
• is any type of benefit to people that can be extracted from nature

  provisioning services
• examples are fruits, vegetables, trees, fish, livestock, drinking water, timber, wood fuel, natural gas, oils, plants

  provisioning services
• is the benefit provided by ecosystem processes that moderate natural phenomena

  regulating services
• s include pollination, decomposition, water purification, erosion and flood control, and carbon storage and climate regulation

  regulating services
• is a non-material benefit that contributes to the development and cultural advancement of people, including how ecosystems play a role in local, national, and global cultures; the building of knowledge and the spreading of ideas; creativity born from interactions with nature (music, art, architecture); and recreation


  cultural services
• underlying natural processes, such as photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, the creation of soils, and the water cycle. these processes allow the Earth to sustain basic life forms

  supporting services
• is a branch of applied philosophy that studies the conceptual foundations of environmental values as well as more concrete issues surrounding societal attitudes, actions, and policies to protect and sustain biodiversity and ecological systems

  environmental ethics
• types of environmental ethics

  1.libertarian extension

  2. ecological extension

  3. conservation ethics

  4. anthropocentrism

  5. instrumental value

  6. intrinsic value

  7. aesthetic value
• Focuses on an individual’s right to do whatever they want with the environment and its resources

  libertarian extension
• This concept stresses that an individual should not impose their own values on others and should instead respect the choices of others

  libertarian extension
• Focuses on preserving the natural environment and its resources in order to maintain the balance and health of the ecosystem

  ecological extension
• stresses the importance of humans working with nature in order to sustain it for future generations

  ecological extension
• Focuses on preserving natural resources for future generations by ensuring that current resources are not depleted or damaged beyond repair

  conservation ethics