CHAPTER ONE: SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Environmental Science: the study of the impact of humans on the environment  Goals of Environmental Science Understand and solve environmental problems We accomplish this goal through examining how we use natural resources and how our action change the environment

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Enivironmental science is interdisciplinary.  Ecology: the study of how living things interact with each other and with their non living environment

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Environmental scientist are vital advisors to governments, businesses, and cities.  They work with these groups to maintain a healthy environment for everyone.  In addition, citizens work closely with environmental scientist to identify environmental problems.

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Our Environment Through Time  Hunter-Gatherers  The Agricultural Revolution  The Industrial Revolution

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Hunter-Gatherers  Early humans hunted and gathered their food from the environment  What affect did they have?

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  The Agricultural Revolution  Agriculture: the practice of growing, breeding, and caring for plants and animals that are used for food, clothing, housing, transportation, and other purposes.  Allowed human population to grow  Habitats began to be destroyed

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  The Industrial Revolution  Fossil fuel usage as main energy source  Increased the efficiency of agriculture, industry, and transportation  Improved the our quality of life  More problems for the environment Ex. Plastics and Air Pollution

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Main Environmental Problems  Resource Depletion Natural Resource: any natural material used by humans Renewable Resource: a resource that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes Nonrenewable Resource: a resource that forms at a much slower rate then the rate at which it is consumed

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Main Environmental Problems  Pollution: an undesired change in air, water, or soil that adversely affects the health, survival, or activities of humans of other organisms. Biodegradable and Nondegradable

Section One: Understanding Our Environment  Main Environmental Problems  Loss of Biodiversity Biodiversity: the number and variety of species that live in an area

Section Two: The Environment and Society  Garrett Hardin and “The Tragedy of the Commons”

Section Two: The Environment and Society  Economics and the Environment  Supply and Demand The Law of Supply and Demand: the greater the demand for a limited supply of something, the more that thing is worth

Section Two: The Environment and Society  Economics and the Environment  Costs and Benefits Cost-benefit analysis: balances the cost of the action against the benefits one expects from it.

Section Two: The Environment and Society  Economics and the Environment  Risk Assessment

Section Two: The Environment and Society  Developed vs. Developing Countries  Unequal distribution of wealth and resources  Developed: higher average incomes, slower population growth, diverse industrial economies, and stronger social support systems  Developing: lower average incomes, higher population growth, simple and agriculture based economies

Section Two: The Environment and Society  Population and Consumption  Local Population Pressures Rapid growth in a small area  Consumption Trends More resources used in developed areas 75% percent of resources for 20% of the worlds population  Ecological Footprints Ecological footprint: the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country

Section Two: The Environment and Society  A Sustainable World  Sustainability: the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely.