AP Environmental Science Chapter 6 week questions

1. A tribe is discovered in a remote rain forest that has no knowledge of modern civilization. The tribe has lived sustainably in this location for thousands of years. How would you explain how we approach sustainability, conservation, and the balance between growth and preservation?

Tribes living in remote rainforests should have rights to those tribal lands. If they have already managed to live sustainably there for generations, it makes no sense whatsoever to force our way of "taking care of the land" (deforestation, clearing for livestock, to name some) upon them. Furthermore, we should not try to assimilate these people into modern society; who are we to say that our notion of what civilization is is better? I believe it is best to let these people be; historical examples have shown that our Western society can cause harm with our lack of understanding to these tribes, even with the best of intentions.

2. Before the industrial revolution, the impact of man on nature was very limited. Consider the transitions in North America post contact, and draw parallels to other island civilizations.

The Industrial Revolution led to unprecedented growth in the realm of average income and population. Of course, fueling this growth was the extraction of natural resources; the Great Plains were cleared of natural grassland to become North America's breadbasket. Deforestation also occured throughout the continent as the demand for timber went up. The need for energy was met through the construction of dams and oil wells, severely disrupting the natural landscape. A similar trend could be observed with Hawaii, as the introduction of plantations to the islands led to clearing of many natural landscapes to make way for cattle ranching and agriculture.

3. Ecotourism is a recent blending of economic and environmental interests. Explain both sides of this, and whether it is a sustainable trend.

Ecotourism can serve environmental interests by providing funds for ecological conservation or to help the development of local communities. In that way, it can also serve environmental interests; this can bring awareness to the cause of many environmentalists who sought greater interest in their crusades, primarily through educating the visiting public. Whether or not it is sustainable remains to be seen; the primary deciding factor seem to be whether or not the cause of conservation can trump that of economics.

4. REDD is a movement based on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. What are the connections between deforestation and climate change?

Trees and forests help to remove carbon from the environment through taking in carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, during photosynthesis. Deforestation reduces the amount of plants available to do this, and if the method chosen is burning, the carbon stored in the plants get released back into the atmosphere.

5. Why might it be important to preserve even remote biomes from human impact? Use the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as an example.

Just because they are remote doesn't mean they are safe from human impact. When resources come into play (such as oil), no deterrent is too great for corporations to start building wells and refineries. There has been an ongoing controversy since 1977 with whether or not to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; tense debates still rage on as critics and supporters of the plan argue whether or not any oil recovered will have meaningful impact on the world markets, and just how much impact it will have on local wildlife.