An Introduction to Environmental Science UNIT 1

What is our environment? Environment: is everything that affects a living organism. The environment includes: Biotic factors - living things Examples: Animals, plants, forests, fungi, etc. Abiotic factors - nonliving things Examples: Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks

Environmental Science the study of the air, water, and land surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere. Environmental science is defined as the interaction of humans with the environment.

Fields of Environmental Science Environmental science is an interdisciplinary science, which means that it involves many fields of study Important to the foundation of environmental science is ecology Ecology - the study of interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment

Environmental science is not environmentalism The pursuit of knowledge about the natural world Scientists try to remain objective Environmentalism A social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world

The Goals of Environmental Science A major goal of environmental science is to understand and solve environmental problems. To accomplish this goal, environmental scientists study two main types of interactions between humans and their environment: How our actions alter our environment The use of natural resources

1) Humans and the world around us We depend completely on the environment for survival Increased wealth, health, mobility, leisure time Natural systems have been degraded Ex: pollution, erosion and species extinction Environmental changes threaten long-term health and survival

2) The use of natural resources Natural resources - substances and energy sources needed and vital for survival Renewable resources: Always available: sunlight, wind, wave energy Renew themselves over short periods: timber, water, soil These can be destroyed Nonrenewable resources: Can be depleted Oil, coal, minerals

Renewable Resources Sustainable yield Environmental Degradation Highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply throughout the world or in a particular area. Environmental Degradation Depletion or destruction of a potentially renewable resource such as soil, grassland, forest, or wildlife that is used faster than it is naturally replenished. If such use continues, the resource becomes nonrenewable (on a human time scale) or nonexistent (extinct).

Non-Renewable Resources Resource that exists in a fixed amount (stock) in various places in the earth's crust and has the potential for renewal by geological, physical, and chemical processes taking place over hundreds of millions to billions of years such as: Energy, metals, and other minerals Examples are copper, aluminum, iron, salt, clay, coal, and oil. Any potentially renewable resource can become non- renewable if used improperly Theoretically, never exhaust due to economic feasibility for extracting.

Non-renewable resources and natural capital degradation Extracting, processing and use come at an environmental expense

Environmental science… can help us avoid mistakes made by past civilizations. Understand how the natural world works Understand how human and natural systems interact Accurately assess the status and trends of crucial natural ecosystems Establish long-term sustainable relationships with the natural world

What is an “environmental problem”? The perception of what constitutes a problem varies between individuals and societies Ex: DDT, a pesticide In developing countries: welcome because it kills malaria-carrying mosquitoes In developed countries: not welcome, due to health risks Environmental problems generally involve pollution, resource depletion, loss of biodiversity

Tragedy of the Commons Unregulated exploitation leads to resource depletion Soil, air, water Resource users are tempted to increase use until the resource is gone Solution? Private ownership? Voluntary organization to enforce responsible use? Governmental regulations?

The “ecological footprint” The environmental impact of a person or population Amount of biologically productive land + water for raw materials and to dispose/recycle waste Overshoot: humans have surpassed the Earth’s capacity We are using 30% more of the planet’s resources than are available on a sustainable basis!

Ecological footprints are not all equal The ecological footprints of countries vary greatly The U.S. footprint is almost 5 times greater than the world’s average Developing countries have much smaller footprints than developed countries

Population & consumption Human population growth exacerbates all environmental problems The growth rate has slowed, but we still add more than 200,000 people to the planet each day Our consumption of resources has risen even faster than our population growth. Life has become more pleasant for us so far However, rising consumption amplifies the demands we make on our environment.

Global human population growth More than 6.7 billion humans Why so many humans? Agricultural revolution Stable food supplies Industrial revolution Urbanized society powered by fossil fuels Sanitation and medicines More food

We face challenges in agriculture Expanded food production led to increased population and consumption It’s one of humanity’s greatest achievements, but at an enormous environmental cost Nearly half of the planet’s land surface is used for agriculture Chemical fertilizers Pesticides Erosion Changed natural systems

We face challenges in pollution Waste products and artificial chemicals used in farms, industries, and households Each year, millions of people die from pollution

We face challenges in climate Scientists have firmly concluded that humans are changing the composition of the atmosphere The Earth’s surface is warming Melting glaciers Rising sea levels Impacted wildlife and crops Increasingly destructive weather Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have risen by 37%, to the highest level in 650,000 years

We face challenges in biodiversity Human actions have driven many species extinct, and biodiversity is declining dramatically We are at the onset of a mass extinction event Biodiversity loss may be our biggest environmental problem; once a species is extinct, it is gone forever

Our energy choices will affect our future The lives we live today are due to fossil fuels Machines Chemicals Transportation Products Fossil fuels are a one-time bonanza; supplies will certainly decline We have used up ½ of the world’s oil supplies; how will we handle this imminent fossil fuel shortage?

Sustainable solutions exist We must develop solutions that protect both our quality of life and the environment: Organic agriculture Technology Reduces pollution Biodiversity Protect species Waste disposal Recycling Alternative fuels

Sustainability: a goal for the future How can humans live within the planet’s means? Humans cannot exist without functioning natural systems Sustainability Leaves future generations with a rich and full Earth Conserves the Earth’s natural resources Maintains fully functioning ecological systems Sustainable development: the use of resources to satisfy current needs without compromising future availability of resources

Will we develop in a sustainable way? The triple bottom line: sustainable solutions that meet Environmental goals Economic goals Social goals Requires that humans apply knowledge from the sciences to Limit environmental impacts Maintain functioning ecological systems

The Nature of Science Science: Science is essential A systematic process for learning about the world and testing our understanding of it A dynamic process of observation, testing, and discovery The accumulated body of knowledge that results from this process Science is essential To sort fact from fiction Develop solutions to the problems we face

Applications of science 1. Policy decisions and management practices 2. Technology Energy-efficient methanol-powered fuel cell car from DaimlerChrysler Restoration of forest ecosystems altered by human suppression of fire

Conclusion Environmental science helps us understand our relationship with the environment and informs our attempts to solve and prevent problems. Identifying a problem is the first step in solving it Solving environmental problems can move us towards health, longevity, peace and prosperity Environmental science can help us find balanced solutions to environmental problems