ESC110 Chapter One Understanding our Environment Principles of Environmental Science - Inquiry and Applications, 2nd Edition by William and Mary Ann Cunningham

Chapter One Some Key Terms McGraw-Hill Course Glossary logical thinking paradigms  positivism  reflective thinking  remediation  restoration ecology  scientific theory  sustainability  sustainable development  analytical thinking  creative thinking  critical thinking  deductive reasoning  environment  environmental science global environmentalism hypothesis  inductive reasoning

Chapter 1 Understanding Our Environment; Science as a Way of Knowing; A Brief History of Conservation and Environmentalism; and Current Environmental Conditions Human Dimensions of Environmental Science.

Understanding Our Environment The Planet Earth Unique in the universe (?); Mild, relatively constant temperatures; Biogeochemical cycles; Millions of species; and Diverse, self-sustaining communities.

What is Environmental Science?? The Natural World biosphere (plants & animals), lithosphere (soils & rocks), atmosphere (air), and the hydrosphere (water) Humans – social institutions and their artifacts (eg, political orgs, science, technology, etc) Interaction Negatively?? so the more we learn about the environment the better we can develop solutions Environmental Science

Environmental Science Environment is the circumstances and conditions that surround organism(s) as well as the complex of social & cultural conditions that affect an individual or community; Environmental science is the systematic study of our environment and our place in it.

What's Happening to the Frogs? In some places, up to sixty-percent of frogs and salamanders have abnormal limbs, digits, eyes, or internal organs. Environmental science allows us to explore the possible causes of such problems. (observational &/or experimental)

Science as a Way of Knowing Modern science has its roots in antiquity; Greek philosophers; Arabic mathematicians and astronomers; and Chinese naturalists.

Scientific Investigation Hypothesis - a conditional explanation that can be verified or falsified; and Scientific theory - an explanation that is supported by an overwhelming body of data and experience

Experiments and Models Natural Experiments Gathering of historic evidence; and Conducted by scientists who can't test their hypotheses directly. Manipulative Experiments Manipulate environment Gather data on effects - quantification Use statistics (tools) and determine probabilities Models Simulate real environmental systems; Can be physical or mathematical; Provide heuristic information (suggestions of how things MIGHT be); and Are influenced by researchers' assumptions. Develop ‘paradigms’-overarching models of the world that guide our interpretation of events

Applied Science Many environmental scientists want to use their knowledge to repair ecological systems that have been damaged by humans.

The Kissimmee River - the focus of an ambitious $8 billion Restoration Ecology Restoration - the re-creation of species composition and ecosystem functions in areas disrupted by human actions The Kissimmee River - the focus of an ambitious $8 billion restoration project.

Artificial Ecosystems Example: human-designed wetlands can be used to treat sewage effluent

History of Conservation and Environmentalism Stages of Activism Pragmatic resource conservation Moral & aesthetic nature preservation Growing concern about health & ecological damage cause by pollution (modern environmentalism) Global environmental citizenship

Pragmatic Resource Conservation 1864 George Perkins Marsh wrote Man & Nature “We are never justified in assuming a force to be insignificant because its measure is unknown, or even because no physical effect can now be traced to it as its origin” Influenced President Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot (his chief conservation advisor) Roosevelt created Forest Service w/ Pinchot as chief Their policies were utilitarian conservation (save forests for utility not aesthetics or ecology)

Preservation - moral & aesthetic John Muir (first president of Sierra Club) opposed Pinchot’s utilitarian policies Nature deserves to exist for its own sake-regardless of its usefulness Biocentric preservation – fundamental right of other organisms to exist and pursue their own interests (spiritual values & aesthetics)

Modern Environmentalism 1962 Rachel Carson wrote Silent Springs (about pollution & the threat of toxic chemicals to humans & other species) Mostly considered local, regional or maybe even national effects to environment A fusion of conservation of natural resources and preservation of nature with concerns about pollution, environmental health, and social justice.

Global Environmentalism International travel and communication today has created a - Global Village or Spaceship Earth Earth Summits (eg Rio de Janeiro) or Earth Days or …. Have created all of us into a Global Citizen (whatever we do locally may influence someone/something around the world!!!)

Current Environmental Conditions Half the world's wetlands were lost in the last 100 years. Land conversion and logging have shrunk the world's forests by as much as 50%. Nearly three-quarters of the world's major marine fish stocks are over fished or are being harvested beyond a sustainable rate. Soil degradation has affected two-thirds of the world's agricultural lands in the last 50 years.

Major Causes of Environmental Degradation (1) Population Growth More than 6 billion people now occupy the earth, and we are adding about 85 million more each year. In the next decade, most population growth will be in the poorer countries - countries where present populations already strain resources and services.

(2) Resource Extraction and Use Burning of fossil fuels Destruction of tropical rainforests and other biologically rich landscapes Production of toxic wastes

Acid Deposition

Human Dimensions of Environmental Science More than 1.3 billion people live in acute poverty, with an income of less than $1 (US) per day. These people generally lack access to an adequate diet, decent housing, basic sanitation, clean water, education, medical care, and other essentials. Four out of five people in the world live in what would be considered poverty in the US or Canada. The world's poorest people are often forced to meet short-term survival needs at the cost of long-term sustainability.

The American Lifestyle To get an average American through the day takes about 1000 pounds of raw materials, including 40 pounds of fossil fuels; 22 pounds of wood and paper; and 119 gallons of water. Every year, Americans throw away some 160 million tons of garbage, including 50 million tons of paper; 67 billion cans and bottles; and 18 billion disposable diapers.

Obviously, if everyone in the world tried to live at consumption levels approaching ours, the results would be disastrous.

Sustainability How can the nations of the world produce the goods and services needed to improve life for everyone without overtaxing the environmental systems and natural resources on which we all depend? Sustainable development: progress in human well-being that we can extend or prolong over many generations, rather than just a few years. To be truly enduring, the benefits of sustainable development must be available to all humans, not just to the members of a privileged group.

Conservation/ Preservation Modern Environmentalism Global Citizen (McKinney & Schoch)

Basic Causes of Environmental Problems

A = affluence or average resource-use per person Fig 1-11. Simplified model of how three factors – population, affluence, and technology – affect the environmental impact of population in developing countries and developed countries. P = number of people A = affluence or average resource-use per person T = technology or the beneficial & harmful environmental effects of the technologies used to provide & consume each unit of resource

Obviously, if everyone in the world tried to live at consumption levels approaching ours, the results would be disastrous.

Fig 1-8. Relative ecological footprints of the United States, the Netherlands, and India.

Fig 1-13. Types of decision making in traditional and sustainable societies. The traditional decision making in most societies involves treating social, economic, and environmental issues separately (left). Environmentally sustainable development calls for integrating social, economic, and environmental issues and concepts to find sustainable solutions to problems (right).

Environmental Science looks at these complex interactions Fig 1-12. Major components and interactions within and between the earth’s life-support system and the human sociocultural system (culturesphere). The goal of environmental science is to learn as much as possible about these complex interactions.

Signs of Hope Many areas have made progress in controlling air and water pollution and reducing wasteful resource uses. Population has stabilized in most industrialized countries, and even in some very poor countries. We have discovered many new resources and invented more efficient ways of using existing supplies. Increased media coverage has made people more aware of environmental issues. Young people are showing a great deal of interest in environmental science!