CSS Environmental Sciences Foundations of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development Syllabus

Foundations of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Foundations of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development in CSS Environmental Sciences, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   History of Environmental Thought

   4 topics

   • Environment and Sustainable Development
   • History of Environmental Movements
   • Landmark Conferences and Summits
   • Global Development Goals
2. 2

   Sustainable Development Issues

   7 topics

   • Population Growth and Poverty
   • Biodiversity Loss and Conservation
   • Energy Security
   • Urbanization and Sustainable Cities
   • Carrying Capacity and Ecological Footprint
   • Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
   • Ecological Restoration
3. 3

   Interdisciplinary Nature of Environmental Science

   2 topics

   • Natural Science Foundations
   • Applied and Social Science Linkages
4. 4

   Principles of Ecology

   4 topics

   • Ecosystem Structure and Function
   • Biogeochemical Cycles
   • Population and Community Ecology
   • Biomes and Habitats

Foundations of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development flashcards for CSS Environmental Sciences

19 of 50 cards from the Foundations of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the Brundtland Commission's definition of sustainable development?

   Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (from 'Our Common Future', 1987).

2. What are the three interdependent pillars of sustainable development?

   Economic (growth/prosperity), Social (equity/well-being), and Environmental (ecological integrity) pillars — often shown as overlapping circles.

3. Define 'environment' in environmental science.

   The sum total of all biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) conditions, factors, and surroundings that affect the growth, development, and survival of organisms.

4. What two key principles of equity does sustainable development emphasize?

   Intra-generational equity (fairness among people of the present generation) and inter-generational equity (fairness to future generations).

5. What year and book popularized the term 'sustainable development', and who chaired the commission?

   1987, in 'Our Common Future' by the World Commission on Environment and Development, chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland (Norway).

6. Which 1962 book by Rachel Carson is credited with launching the modern environmental movement?

   'Silent Spring' (1962), which exposed the dangers of DDT and other pesticides to ecosystems and human health.

7. When was the first Earth Day observed, and what did it catalyze?

   22 April 1970; it mobilized mass environmental awareness in the US and led to the creation of the EPA and key environmental laws.

8. What is the Chipko Movement, and where did it originate?

   A 1970s non-violent forest conservation movement in Uttarakhand, India, where villagers (notably women) hugged trees to prevent logging.

9. What was the focus of the 1972 Club of Rome report 'The Limits to Growth'?

   It modeled exponential growth of population, industrialization, and resource use against finite planetary limits, warning of overshoot and collapse.

10. What was significant about the 1972 Stockholm Conference?

    The UN Conference on the Human Environment — the first major UN environmental summit; it created UNEP and put environment on the global agenda.

11. What body was established as a result of the 1972 Stockholm Conference?

    The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

12. What were the main outcomes of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (UNCED)?

    Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration, the UNFCCC, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Forest Principles.

13. What is Agenda 21?

    A non-binding action plan adopted at the 1992 Rio Summit for global, national, and local sustainable development in the 21st century.

14. What did the 1997 Kyoto Protocol require, and when did it enter into force?

    It legally bound developed (Annex I) countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; it entered into force in 2005.

15. What is the central goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement?

    To limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, pursuing efforts to keep it below 1.5°C, via nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

16. What did the 2002 Johannesburg Summit (Rio+20 precursor, WSSD) focus on?

    The World Summit on Sustainable Development reaffirmed Agenda 21 and emphasized implementation, poverty, water, sanitation, and partnerships.

17. What is the Montreal Protocol (1987) and what does it regulate?

    An international treaty to phase out ozone-depleting substances (e.g., CFCs); regarded as the most successful environmental agreement.

18. What were the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and over what period did they run?

    8 global goals adopted in 2000 to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, and inequality, targeted for 2000–2015.

19. How many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are there, and what is their target year?

    17 SDGs with 169 targets, adopted in 2015 under the 2030 Agenda, to be achieved by 2030.

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