Environmental Science

Environmental Scientists – study how the natural world works and how humans and the environment affect each other. Environment –includes all the living and nonliving things with which organisms interact.

Discussion question: Explain how the way humans affect the environment differs from how other species affect the environment.

Natural Resources: Renewable – sun, wind, wave energy, geothermal energy Nonrenewable – oil, coal, natural gas, minerals

Sustainable resource – can continue at same rate of use into the foreseeable future Examples: fresh water, timber, soil, crops The current water shortage in California is due to overuse of fresh water, low snowfall, low snowmelt, and low rainfall.

Human Population Growth 1.Agricultural Revolution – 10,000 years ago, increased food supply, people lived longer 2. Industrial Revolution – machinery used fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) » Increased food supply » Improved sanitation » Improved health care

Video Discussion questions: YouTube video: 7 billion How did we get so big so fast 1.At what number will we level off? 2.What 3 things does our survival depend on?

Ecological footprint: The environmental effects of an individual or population in terms of the total amount of land and water required to: 1.Provide the raw materials they consume 2. Dispose of the waste they produce

Discussion questions: According to the map on page 10: 1. Which 5 nations have the largest ecological footprint? US, Spain, UK, Italy, Japan 2. How does the wealth of a nation relate to its ecological footprint?