Scribd
Upload
169 views

Unit 1: Introduction To Environmental Science

This document provides an introduction to environmental science, outlining key concepts and learning objectives. It defines environmental science as the interdisciplinary study of human interactions with the environment and natural systems. The goals are to understand how nature works, how humans impact the environment, and find sustainable solutions. It also discusses issues like pollution, sustainability, and the tragedy of the commons dilemma regarding shared resources.

Uploaded by

Sara
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
169 views

Unit 1: Introduction To Environmental Science

This document provides an introduction to environmental science, outlining key concepts and learning objectives. It defines environmental science as the interdisciplinary study of human interactions with the environment and natural systems. The goals are to understand how nature works, how humans impact the environment, and find sustainable solutions. It also discusses issues like pollution, sustainability, and the tragedy of the commons dilemma regarding shared resources.

Uploaded by

Sara
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 23

Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental

1
Science
CHAPTER 1 SECTION 1: UNDERSTANDING OUR ENVIRONMENT

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1.DEFINE : WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
2.DESCRIBE
HOW THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IS USED TO TEST
HYPOTHESES
3.COMPAREAND CONTRAST RENEWABLE AND NONRENEWABLE
RESOURCES AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF EACH
4.IDENTIFY
THE PRINCIPLE TYPES OF POLLUTION (AIR, WATER, SOIL,
AND FOOD POLLUTANTS) AND COMPARE POINT AND NONPOINT
SOURCES OF POLLUTION
5.COMPARE AND CONTRAST POLLUTION PREVENTION AND POLLUTION
CLEAN UP
6.DESCRIBE WHAT IS MEANT BY THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
7.DISCUSS
SUSTAINABILITY AND WHY MANY CURRENT PRACTICES ARE
NOT CONSIDERED SUSTAINABLE
Concept Map 2

 Explore all
3

• Environmental Scienceenvironment everything around us


including the
living and non-living things with which we
interact
• Goals of environmental science
• learn how nature works
• understand how we interact with the environment
• find ways to deal with environmental problems and
live more sustainably
Environmental Science 4

 Environment (def):
 Circumstances and conditions that surround an organism or
group of organisms.

 Including social and cultural conditions that affect an


individual or community.
Environmental Science 5

 Environmental Science is the systematic study of our


environment and our place in it.
 Highly Interdisciplinary
 Inclusive
 Holistic
 Mission-Oriented
Goals of Environmental 6

Science
 To understand and solve environmental problems.
 Environmental scientists study two main types of
interactions between humans and their environment:
1) How our actions alter our environment.
2) The use of natural resources.
7

• Environmental ScienceInterdisciplinary science


ecology, geology,
chemistry,
• environmental studies focuses on politics,
engineering, economics, and ethics
• Connections and interactions between humans and
the rest of nature
• Validity of data questioned many variables
(hard to perform controlled experiments)
Environmental Science 8
Many Fields of Study 9

Environmental science is an
interdisciplinary science, which
means that it involves many
fields of study:

Ecology is the study of


interactions of living
organisms with one another
and with their environment.
Scientists as Citizens, Citizens 10

as Scientists
 Governments, businesses, and cities recognize that studying
our environment is vital to maintaining a healthy and
productive society.
 Thus, environmental scientists are often asked to share their
research with the world
 Often, nonscientists’ observations are the first step toward
addressing an environmental problem.
What is Environmental Science 11

 “ For an increasing number of environmental issues the


difficulty is not to identify remedies. Remedies are well
understood; the problem is to make these remedies socially,
economically and politically acceptable.”

Barbara Ward Economist


12

• Environmental Issues
• Population growth
• Increasing resource use
• Destruction and degradation of habitat
• Premature extinction (loss of biodiversity)
• Poverty
• Pollution
• Our top three Climate Change/Global warming
Radioactive wastes and increase in human
population
13

• Tragedy of the Commons- Garrett HardinOver use of common


property (exploiting common
resources)
• if I dont use this resource someone else will
• I dont take enough to matter
• the amount I pollute is not enough to cause a
problem
• its a renewable resource...it will come back
• Clean air, open ocean and its fish, wildlife
species, publicly owned land, gases of lower
atmosphere, space
• How do we manage these resources on a global
level? Who is responsible for enforcing
compliance?
14

• SustainabilityAbility of a specified system to survive and


function over a period of time
• Sustainable living Meeting present needs without
preventing future generations from meeting theirs
15

• SustainabilityThree principles of sustainability..how can we


live more wisely and understand how the earth has
sustained itself?
• Reliance on solar energy
• drives energy cycling in ecosystems
(photosynthesis and cell respiration)
• Biodiversity
• ability to adapt to changes and provide natural
services
• Chemical (nutrient cycling)
• movement and renewal of chemicals in an ecosystem
16

• Ecosystem ServicesEcosystems provide services that arent


easy to
quantify
• reasons for protecting and preserving our natural
resources
• purifying air and water, pollination, providing
oxygen, providing food
17

• SustainabilityComponents of Sustainability
• natural capital, natural resources and natural
services work together in ecosystems to provide
us with the resources we need to survive
• being sustainable and managing our resources
allow us to ensure these services for future
generations and indefinitely
• Sustainable yield how much we can take without
depleting the resource for the future
18

• Ecological footprint or environmental impactAmount of land needed to produce the resources


needed by an average person in a country
•
13
Ecological FootprintThe area of land and ocean required to support
your consumption of food, goods, services,
housing, and energy and assimilate your wastes.
• Your ecological footprint is expressed in "global
hectares" (gha) or "global acres" (ga), which are
standardized units that take into account the
differences in biological productivity of various
ecosystems impacted by your consumption
activities.
• Your footprint is broken down into four
consumption categories carbon (home energy use
and transportation), food, housing, and goods and
services.
• Your footprint is also broken down into four
ecosystem types or biomes cropland, pastureland,
forestland, and marine fisheries.
• www.myfootprint.org
19

• Global AveragesEcological Footprint


There are only 15.71 acres available per person
(renewable basis). We are overshooting the
biological capacity by almost 50!!
15myfootprint.org
• Click on Go
• Dont enter email address.
• When finished..let me know and well print
results.
• Complete Pledge Card (see example)
20

• Living in the environment


17
Cultural changesHunter gatherers 12,000 years ago
• Agricultural revolution 10,000-12,000-
• Industrial revolution-275 years ago
• Technological revolution 50 years ago
21

• Advanced Industrial societies (1914 --- Present)increase in


agricultural products
• lower infant mortality
• improved health
• increase in longevity
• net population increase
• Environmental impacts globalize
Remember 22

 What is our proper place in nature?

 What ought we do and what can we do to protect the


irreplacable habitat that produced us and supports us?
Criteria for Environmental Literacy 23

 Awareness and appreciation of natural and built


environments.
 Knowledge of natural systems and ecological concepts.
 Understanding of current environmental issues.
 The ability to use analytical and problem-solving skills on
environmental issues.

You might also like