Introduction to Environmental Science

In every deliberation, we must consider our impact on the next seven generations.
- The Iroqouis Confederacy
1
 Instructor Resources
• Fillable student notes outline:
http://www.aurumscience.com/environmental/1_introduction/notes_outline.html

• Study guide:
http://www.aurumscience.com/environmental/1_introduction/studyguide.html

• Other worksheets and assignments:

http://www.aurumscience.com/environmental/1_introduction/index.html

➢ Next Unit: Principles of Science

http://www.aurumscience.com/environmental/2_science/index.html

Written by James Dauray

2
 Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite National Park is a national park

directly east of San Francisco that was
created in 1890.

Images taken from

http://www.nps.gov
3
 San Francisco
• The city of San Francisco experienced a
tremendous population boom in the 19th
century due to the gold rush.
• A powerful earthquake struck the city in
1906, followed by a devastating fire.
• The city’s water pipes were so damaged by
the earthquake, that firefighters were not
able to tap fire hydrants.

4
 Earthquake of 1906

• The economic and structural damage to the city is

comparable to that of Hurricane Katrina and New
Orleans.
• As part of the rebuilding process, the city applied to
the federal government to construct a reservoir in
the Hetch Hetchy valley of Yosemite National Park. 5
 Hetch Hetchy Valley

Image taken from

http://www.sierranevada
photos.com

• San Francisco city officials wanted to dam the Tolumne river

for a clean and dependable long-term water source for a
growing city.
• An act of Congress and President Woodrow Wilson’s
approval were needed for the dam and reservoir to be
6
constructed.
 Environmental Science

• Environmental science is defined as the

interaction of humans with the environment.
• The environment includes all conditions that
surround living organisms:
❖ Climate

❖ Air and water quality

❖ Soil and landforms

❖ Presence of other living organisms

7
 Environmental Science

• What is Environmental Science?

❖ How humans interact with nature

• What is the Environment?

❖ Conditions that surround living organisms

including climate, soil, and other

organisms.

8
 Environmental Science Cont’d

• Environmental science and

the issues that it studies
are complex and
interdisciplinary.
❖ Includes concepts and

ideas from multiple fields

of study.
❖ What fields are covered

by the Hetch Hetchy Image taken from Principles of

Environmental Science,
debate? Cunningham, 2005.

9
 Basic History of Humans and the Environment

• Hunter-Gatherers (10,000 B.C.)

❖ Obtain food by collecting plants and

hunting wild animals.

❖ Effects on the environment were limited.

- Hunting of some animal species.

- Picked up and spread plants/seeds to

new areas.

10
 Basic History of Humans and the Environment

• Agricultural Revolution (6000-7000 B.C.)

❖ Humans first developed the process of

breeding, growing, and harvesting plants

for food as well as animal domestication.
❖ Effects on the environment:

- Human population grew more quickly

- Natural habitats (grasslands, forests)

replaced by farmland and villages.

- New breeds of animals and plants were

created.
11
 Basic History of Humans and the Environment

• Industrial Revolution (1800s)

❖ Shift in the source of energy to fossil fuels

❖ Effects on the environment:

- More efficient farming

- Faster human population growth

- Increased burning of fossil fuels.

- Introduced synthetic plastics, fertilizers,

pesticides.
- Higher amounts of pollution.

12
 Spaceship Earth

• The Earth is a closed system.

❖ The only thing that enters or leaves the Earth in
large quantities is heat.
❖ Resources are limited, but the population
continues to increase.
❖ Wastes do not go away. 13
 Major Environmental Problems

• Resource Depletion
❖ Resources can be renewable (water) or

nonrenewable (oil).
❖ The supply of nonrenewable resources like

fossil fuels and minerals will eventually run

out.
• Pollution
❖ Undesired change in air, water, or soil that

affects the health of living things.

14
 Major Environmental Problems

• Loss of Biodiversity
❖ The number and variety of species is

decreasing.
❖ Extinction, or the complete loss of a

species, is a natural event that can be

accelerated by human actions.

The Tasmanian tiger is the only known mammal to become

extinct in the past 200 years on the island of Tasmania.

During the same period of time, on nearby Australia,

23 birds, 4 amphibians, and 27 mammal species have become extinct.

15
 Environmental Ethics

• Environmental ethics is the discipline that

studies the moral relationship of human
beings to the environment.
❖ What is the value of the environment?

❖ What moral responsibility do we have?

❖ Which needs should be given the highest

priority in our decision making?

• Different types of ethics have emerged in
human culture in modern history.

16
 Types of Environmental Ethics

• There are five main historical stages of

environmental ethics.
❖ Anthropocentric

❖ Pragmatic Resource Conservation

❖ Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation

❖ Modern Environmentalism

❖ Global Environmental Citizenship

17
 Anthropocentrism

• Anthropocentrism literally means “human-

centered”.
❖ This set of ethics protects and promotes of

human interests or well-being at the

expense of all other factors.
❖ Often places an emphasis on short-term

benefits while disregarding long-term

consequences.

18
 Pragmatic Resource Conservation
• Advocated by President
Theodore Roosevelt.
• Conservationists believe the
environment should be used
in a planned way to benefit
everyone.
• The correct policy will create
the greatest good for the
greatest number, for the
longest time.
19
 Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation

• Advocated by John
Muir, first president of
the Sierra Club.
• Preservationists
believe that nature
deserves to exist for its
own sake regardless
of degree of
usefulness to humans.

20
 The Hetch Hetchy Debate

• The Hetch Hetchy decision was the most

famous debate between the conservationist
and preservationist philosophies.
• Eventually the law was passed that granted
the state of California permission to
construct a dam and reservoir in the Hetch
Hetchy valley.

21
Before and After

22
 Modern Environmentalism

• Rachel Carson wrote a book

entitled Silent Spring about the
effects of pesticides on birds.
❖ Awakened the public to

threats of pollution and toxic

chemicals to humans as well
as other species.

23
 Global Environmentalism

• Increased travel and communication enables

people to know about daily events in places
unknown in previous generations.
❖ Issues and problems are explored on a

global scale instead of a local one.

24
 Tragedy of the Commons

• An ecologist named Garrett Hardin wrote an

essay describing the source of environmental
problems as a conflict:
❖ Short-term interests of individuals

versus…
Long-term interests of civilization and the
Earth itself

25
 Tragedy of the Commons

• Each villager owns a small

herd of sheep.
• The only place for the sheep
to graze is a commons in the
center of the village.
• A commons is an area that
belongs to an entire village.
❖ Likely outcome: Villagers

obtain as many sheep as

possible, allow to graze in
the commons.
26
• What if the commons was instead divided into
sections that was owned by each villager?
❖ Because the land is owned, individuals are much

more likely to plan and use it for the long-term.

“In the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rental car.”
❖ Larry Summers, Chief Economic Advisor to President Obama
27
 Economics and the Environment
• Supply and Demand – The
greater the demand for a
limited resource, the higher the
price.
❖ Examples:

- Increasing price of

oil/gasoline
- Consistently low price of

corn in U.S.

28
 Economics and the Environment
• Cost/Benefit Analysis – Is the cost of doing
something worth the price?
❖ Ex: Pollution cleanup of Waukegan Harbor

Waukegan harbor

Annual fish sampling

Dredging 29
 Economics and the Environment
• Risk Analysis – The probability that something will
cause injury or death.
❖ Ex: Nuclear power

30
 Bhopal and Dow Chemical
• In December of 1984, a pesticide factory
located near the town of Bhopal, India leaked
a large amount of toxic chemicals into the air.
• The chemicals resulted in an immediate
death toll of about 3,000 people, with 8,000
more dying of long-term health ailments.
❖ A total of 558,125 injuries were reported to

the Indian government.

❖ No legal settlement was reached with

Union Carbide, now owned by Dow

Chemical. 31
 Ethics and Economics

• To properly compensate and treat all

individuals affected by this disaster, Dow
Chemical would have to pay several billion
dollars in settlements.

• Dow Chemical has a yearly profit of over $2

billion, with total assets worth nearly $70
billion.

32
 The Demographic Divide:
Developed and Developing Nations

33
 Developed and Developing Countries

• Environmental issues faced by different

countries varies depending on their
economic status.
• Developed – Higher incomes, longer life
span, lower growth rate.
❖ Ex: United States, Japan, France, U.K.

34
 Developing and Developed Countries

• Developing – Have lower

incomes, shorter life span,
rapid population growth.
❖ Ex: India, Afghanistan,

most of sub-Saharan
Africa

35
 Population and Consumption

• Developing countries tend to have severe

overpopulation. This leads to:
❖ Deforestation

❖ Bare soil

❖ Native animals driven to extinction

❖ Malnutrition, starvation, disease

• About 80% of the world’s population falls in

this category
❖ Only use 25% of the world’s resources

36
 Population and Consumption

• Developed countries, while smaller in size

and growth, consume resources at a greater
rate.
• About 20% of the world’s population uses
75% of its resources.

37
 Developing and Developed Countries

Source: Holt Environmental Science, Arms, 2007

38
 Ecological Footprint

• An ecological footprint is one

measurement of a person’s
resource use.
❖ Includes the amount of

space needed to support

each person in a nation,
including forests, farms,
cities, etc.

39
 The Goal: A Sustainable World

• Sustainability
❖ Human needs are met so that the

population can survive

indefinitely.
❖ “Meeting the needs of the

present without
compromising the ability of
future generations to meet
their own needs.”
- Brundtland Commission, 1987 40