HW1:9219

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Revision as of 18:59, 30 January 2006

The Ecological Footprint is a measure of the 'load' imposed by a given population on nature. It represents the land area necessary to sustain current levels of resource consumption and waste discharge by that population.

Any resource, such as wood or solar energy, that can or will be replenished naturally in the course of time.

The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) is a composite index tracking 21 elements of environmental sustainability covering natural resource endowments, past and present pollution levels, environmental management efforts, contributions to protection of the global commons, and a society's capacity to improve its environmental performance over time.

Sustainable development is a process of developing (land, cities, business, communities, etc) that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" according to the Brundtland Report, a 1987 report from the United Nations. One of the factors which it must overcome is environmental degradation

Advocacy for or work toward protecting the natural environment from destruction or pollution.
The theory that environment rather than heredity is the primary influence on intellectual growth and cultural development.

It is well known that emission of carbon dioxide is the main cause of green house effect, for example the global warming. However other gases also take part in this effect. Older refrigerators and air-conditioners used chloro-fluoro-hydrocarbons, which are more dangerous than carbon dioxide.

The different effect of gases on the environment caused that somehow we have to compare their effects. So scientists created multipliers for gases compared to carbon dioxide.

Environmental ethics or environmental philosophy considers the ethical relationship between human beings and the environment in which they live. It exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including law, sociology, theology, economics and geography. There are many ethical decisions that human beings make with respect to the environment.

Environmental impact statement, analysis of the impact that a proposed development, usually industrial, will have on the natural and social environment. It includes assessment of long- and short-term effects on the physical environment, such as air, water, and noise pollution, as well as effects on employment, living standards, local services, and aesthetics. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as well as many state and local laws enacted during the late 1960s and early 1970s mandate that these statements be completed before major development projects can begin.\\

Apr. 22, a day to celebrate the environment. The first Earth Day was organized in 1970 to promote the ideas of ecology, encourage respect for life on earth, and highlight growing concern over pollution of the soil, air, and water. Earth Day is now observed in 140 nations with outdoor performances, exhibits, street fairs, and television programs that focus on environmental issues.

A city of north-central Ukraine near the border of Belarus. It was evacuated and remains uninhabited as a result of a major nuclear power plant accident nearby on April 26, 1986.