AP Environmental

Science Test

Test Format

• 100 multiple

choice questions

• 90 minutes

• 60% of score

• 4 Free Response

questions (FRQ)

• 3 types

– Data analysis

– Document based

– Synthesis &

evaluation

• Worth 1-10 each

• 40% of score

Topics Covered

• Earth Systems & Resources

• The Living World

• Population

• Land & Water Use

• Energy Resources & Consumption

• Pollution (25-30%)

• Global Change

Introduction to AP

Environmental Science

The Environment

• Living & nonliving

• Sum total of surroundings

• Explore interaction between

humans & world around us

Environmental Science

• How Earth works

– How we interact with Earth

– How we deal with environmental

problems

• Interdisciplinary

– Chemistry

– Geology

– Biology

– Economics

– Politics & public policy

Sustainability

• A society in balance with natural

world

– No resource depletion

– Not exceeding sustainable yields

– Not producing pollutants in excess of

nature’s capacity to absorb them

Factors to Consider

• Human Population

– 6.7 billion +

– Annual growth rate of 1.2%

– 84 million people added in a single

year

• India 1.4%; Europe 0.7%; US 0.6%

• Correlation between poverty & growth

• Resources

– Food, water, shelter, metals, oil

– Renewable, nonrenewable, perpetual

• Eco-footprint

– Biologically productive land & water

needed to supply an area with

resources

– Capability of absorbing wastes

– US, Europe, China, India & Japan use

74% of Earth’s eco-capacity

– US, Europe, China & India have

footprints 2x as large as their

capacity

– Japan’s footprint is 5x its capacity

– At this rate of consumption

• Will take 1.39 Earths to support our

current production & consumption

• Pollution

– Chemicals in air, water, soil

– Natural

– Human activities

– Prevention & clean-up

• Environmental Problems

– Shrinking forests

– Degradation of soils

– Falling water tables

– Warming atmosphere

– Oceans over fished

– Amt of pollution is rising

• World views

– Experts disagree on seriousness of

problems & how to deal with them

– 3 strategic themes:

• Sustainability

• Stewardship

• Science

Homework

• Calculate your eco-footprint

• Www.footprintnetwork.org

– Due on Friday, August 26

• Get into groups of 3-4

– Discuss questions 2 & 3 under

“Projects” on page 27

– Turn in one paper per group

– Due at the end of the period