DO NOW Journal Entry – answer the following: Journal Entry – answer the following: What is environmental science?

Environmental Science Chapter 1 Science and the Environment Objectives: Discuss the importance of environmental science. Analyze the importance of environmental science from a social and economic context. Investigate how humans impact on the environment has changed over the course of history.

Section 1 Understanding Our Environment Goals Define environmental science Define environmental science List the five major fields that contribute to environmental science List the five major fields that contribute to environmental science Discuss how human’s impact on the environment has changed over history Discuss how human’s impact on the environment has changed over history Classify environmental problems Classify environmental problems

Environmental Science Devoted to studying the impacts humans have on the environment Devoted to studying the impacts humans have on the environment NYC Today and 400 yrs ago

Goals of environment science To understand and solve environmental problems Ecosystem functions Air Pollution Water Pollution Toxic Chemicals Climate Change Resource usage Newer field of study

What are the environmental consequences of choosing these types of energy sources? What are the benefits and costs of these energy sources? Why does 50% of our current electricity come from coal?

Foundation of Environmental Science Ecology: the study of how living organisms interact with each other and their nonliving environment

Ecology studies how all of these living and nonliving things interact

Fields of Study that Contribute to Environmental Science Biology: the study of living organisms Biology: the study of living organisms Chemistry: the study chemicals and their interactions Chemistry: the study chemicals and their interactions Physics: the study of matter and energy Physics: the study of matter and energy Earth Science: the study of earth’s nonliving systems Earth Science: the study of earth’s nonliving systems Social Sciences: the study of human populations Social Sciences: the study of human populations

Environmental science: how does the natural world work? Environment  impacts  Humans It has an applied goal: developing solutions to environmental problems It has an applied goal: developing solutions to environmental problems An interdisciplinary field An interdisciplinary field –Natural sciences: information about the world  Environmental Science programs –Social sciences: values and human behavior  Environmental Studies programs

DO NOW List as many environmental problems that you can think of. List as many environmental problems that you can think of.

What are our main environmental problems?

Problem 1: Tragedy of the Commons Conflicts arise when people share resources Conflicts arise when people share resources If no one takes responsibility for the resource it will get overused and become degraded. If no one takes responsibility for the resource it will get overused and become degraded. Examples? Examples?

Problem 2: Resource Depletion Resource depletion: using up resources before they can be replenished Resource depletion: using up resources before they can be replenished Renewable resources like trees cut faster than they grow Renewable resources like trees cut faster than they grow –What are some other example of renewable resources? –Theoretically can last forever

Problem 3: Pollution Pollution: an undesirable change in the air, water or soil that affects humans or other organisms Pollution: an undesirable change in the air, water or soil that affects humans or other organisms Biodegradable - broken down by natural processes Biodegradable - broken down by natural processes  Sewage, paper Non-biodegradable - cannot be broken down Non-biodegradable - cannot be broken down  Heavy metals, plastics Air & water pollution Air & water pollution Land pollution Land pollution Can you give examples? Can you give examples?

Problem 4: Loss of Biodiversity Biodiversity: the number and variety of species that live in an area Biodiversity: the number and variety of species that live in an area Why is loss of biodiversity a bad thing? Why is loss of biodiversity a bad thing? –Higher biodiversity = healthier ecosystem –Organisms can be considered natural resource