Enger & Smith: Chapter 1 Ms. Craig

1.1: The Nature of Environmental Science 1.2: Emerging Global Issues 1.3: Human Well-Being and the Environment Vicki Craig 20142

1.What do you think Environmental Science means? 2.Why is this field important? 3.What does the word Environment mean? Vicki Craig 20143

Environmental science- an interdisciplinary field that includes both scientific and social aspects of human impact on the world. – Must also deal with politics, social organization, economics, ethics and philosophy Vicki Craig 20144

Environment- everything that affects an organism during its lifetime, both living and non-living. – People exist within the environment and are part of nature Science- an approach to studying the natural world that involves formulating hypotheses and testing them. Vicki Craig 20145

Environmental science- is also the study of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us, and how we affect our environment Aim is to comprehend how Earth’s natural systems function and devise ways to solve issues Vicki Craig 20146

Many ancient cultures revered nature Henry David Thoreau- Walden Rachel Carson- Silent Spring John Muir- naturalist Aldo Leopold- environmentalist, his beginnings with wolves… Vicki Craig 20147

Tug on anything and you’ll find it connected to everything else in the universe. – John Muir Quick write: Do you agree or disagree with the above quote? Explain, give examples. Vicki Craig 20148

High degree of interrelatedness among seemingly unrelated factors. Examples: – Darwin’s ideas on red clover and cats – Wolves in Yellowstone National Park Biology, ethical obligation, ranchers opposed Explain what Darwin meant, and how wolves are important to the ecosystem based on reading the chapter (Pgs. 2-3) Vicki Craig 20149

The Yellowstone wolves are connected to social, economic, and political realms of human activity. It was important to environmentalists and biologists to restore the wolf to its former habitat. Ranchers could lose money if wolves killed livestock. The farm lobby fought long and hard in Congress to prevent the reintroduction. A fund was developed to pay ranchers for cattle killed by wolves. Vicki Craig

Explain how apex predators are a vital component to every ecosystem giving specific examples, and should humans have the right to exterminate a native species because they cause them personal or financial harm? Vicki Craig

How does the chapter define ecosystem? Describe some ecosystems in Marion County. Describe some ecosystems in Florida. Describe some ecosystems in the U.S. Vicki Craig

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Ecosystem- a region in which the organisms and the physical environment form an interacting unit – Living and non-living components – Some ecosystems have boundaries – Large ecosystems always include smaller ones Ex: large watershed and several lakes & rivers Forest may include swamps, streams, dry areas – Environmental scientists must understand interactions Vicki Craig

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Why are environmental issues a challenge with respect to political jurisdictions? Environmental problems may not coincide with artificial political boundaries. – Ex. Air pollution in China can affect air quality in coastal US regions – Any other ideas not mentioned in the book??? Vicki Craig

Environmental change threatens people’s health, physical security, material needs, and social cohesion. Oil, timber, land use, & overfishing Areas can work together

Quick write: list some global issues you can think of and their causes. Vicki Craig

Droughts & floods Extreme temperatures & storms Species extinction worst in history of the world Fresh, safe drinking water very limited Vicki Craig

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The World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) concluded 25 years ago that “humanity has the ability to make development sustainable.” Do you agree with this? Explain.

Development strategies need to maintain the ecosystem needs on which long-term development goals depend. – Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demonstrated the link between destruction of coastal wetlands and vulnerability to storms.

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The end point of development is human well- being. Human well-being and the quality of the environment are strongly interrelated. – Environmental changes have impacts on human wellbeing.

Resources people have, such as money and other assets. The environment is seen only as a means to promote economic growth. How people feel about their lives, including the cultural importance that environment has for life satisfaction. What people are able to be and to do. This multidimensional view focuses on what the environment allows individuals to be and to do.

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Ecosystem services include – Provisioning services: food, water – Regulating services: flood control, disease control – Cultural services: spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits – Supporting services: nutrient cycling The world’s poorest people depend primarily on environmental goods and services for their livelihoods.

The World Health Organization estimates that 13 million deaths worldwide could be prevented every year by environmental improvement. – Cancer – Malaria – Coronary Heart Disease – Diarrhea

Urban air pollution affects health in almost every region of the world.

Security means having stable and reliable access to resources and the ability to be secure from natural and human disasters. Scarcity of water or other resources can lead to armed conflicts. Water could become the new gold…

29% is too deep 1% available 70% is frozen About 97.5% of all water on Earth is Salt water

China India Iraq Highest Populations Russia Water surplus

The first worldwide meeting of heads of state directed toward the environment took place at the Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio de Janeiro in – Most countries at the conference signed agreements on sustainable development and biodiversity.

In 1997, representatives from 125 nations met in Kyoto, Japan for the Third Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. – The Kyoto Protocol is viewed as one of the most important steps to date in environmental protection and international diplomacy, GHG emissions – Interesting fact: the United States and Canada REFUSED to comply…

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The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was completed in – As the human population grows, it puts pressure on the natural ecosystems of the world. – Most ecosystems are being negatively affected. – Food production has increased at the expense of soil loss due to erosion, conversion of natural ecosystems to managed systems, and overconsumption of water.

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Vicki Craig This was at 8:00 pm on 8/26/15

Global increases in carbon dioxide emissions are primarily due to fossil fuel use. – Fossil fuels met 82% of the world’s energy demand in 2010.

1.Reduce driving 2.Save electricity 3.Recycle 4.Conserve water 5.Safely dispose of hazardous waste

6. Eat locally 7. Donate reusable items 8. Buy in bulk 9. Learn how to avoid the use of insect repellants 10. Be an informed and active citizen