Intro to Environmental Science Chapter 1

What is Environmental Science? The study of how humans interact with their environment Goals: Solve environmental problems Use of resources (ex: water and plants) How our actions impact the environment Related Fields Ecology – how living and nonliving things interact Chemistry – role of pollutants in the environment Geology – how pollutants travel in underground Botany & Zoology – preservation of plants and animals Paleontology – study of Earth’s climate over eons Social sciences – interactions between humans and their impacts

Your Role as an Environmental Scientist Think you don’t make a difference? Well, YOU DO! Everyday citizens of communities are often the first to notice environmental problems Middle school and high school students all over the country (Minnesota, Ohio, New York…everywhere!) Notice environmental problems everyday On many occasions, these observations have lead to major changes in local legislation to clean up polluted environments or created stricter regulations for industry What are some pollution or environmental problems in your town?

Homework Check Chapter 1-1 Q 4 & 5 4) What is the difference between environmental science and ecology? 5) Propose a solution to prevent the environmental problems of the seaport of Troy described in the Ecofact The Fall of Troy: Environmental problems are nothing new. Nearly 3,000 years ago, the Greek poet Homer wrote about the ancient seaport of Troy, which was located beneath a wooded hillside. The Trojans cut down all the trees on the surrounding hills. Without trees to hold the soil in place, rain washed the soil into the harbor. So much silt accumulated in the harbor that large ships could not enter and Troy’s economy collapsed. Today, the ruins of Troy are several miles from sea.

Hunter-Gatherer Societies Hunter-Gatherers are people who forage for food and hunt wild animals These societies still exists all over the globe Amazon rainforests, African plains Generally small societies that move place to place when food runs out Sometimes these societies follow migrations or move when food becomes more available somewhere due to the time of year Impact on the environment: Native American tribes set fire to prairies to keep the plains open for bison hunting Spreading of plants by carrying seeds to new areas Overhunting and climate changes may have lead to animal extinctions

Agricultural Revolution Hunter-Gatherers eventually starting to save and plant seeds Seeds lead to growing, breeding and domesticating plants and animals for various uses Food Clothing Transportation Housing Etc. Started about 10,000 years ago all over the world Selective breeding was born when farmers saved and replanted seeds from the best plants they grew or bred animals with the best traits Ex: mustard gave rise to broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kale Impact on the Environment Forests were cut down to make room for fields Slash and burn practices were adopted in rainforest areas Habitats were destroyed Soil loss and infertility of soil with overuse, flooding, water shortage, water pollution

Industrial Revolution Began about 1700 Shifted energy source focus from animals, water and man power to fossil fuels such as coal and oil Lead to development of steam engines and machinery Large-scale production of goods and food became cheaper Allowed more people to live in a smaller area Cheap transport of goods began with use of fossil fuels and motorized vehicles Improved quality of life Sanitation, nutrition, medical care Impact on the Environment: Pollution, habitat loss increased, plastics, pesticides, fertilizers began to negatively impact the environment

The main issue: Population Growth Sun enters Earth’s atmosphere, heat leaves it and THAT’S IT! EVERYTHING else is stuck on this planet…good and bad alike Earth is a closed ecosystem As populations grow, the limited resources become more and more scarce Pollution becomes a greater problem (more waste is produced than recycled) Activities on one part of the globe can strongly impact another (pollution of a local lake can destroy a river’s ecosystem hundreds of miles away) Human growth is out of control Population QUADRUPLED over the last century 7 BILLION people by 2011 (it was 5 billion when I was in 5th grade and in 1950 it was only about 2.5 billion!) Impact on the Environment: Most of the environmental problems we face are a result of trying to feed our population via agriculture and industry

Other main problems Resource Depletion Pollution Loss of Biodiversity Natural Resources are natural materials used by man Renewable resources are replaced relatively quickly, for example, wood from trees Nonrenewable resources cannot be replaced for millions of years, for example, fossil fuels like coal or oil Depletion occurs when resources are either used up or used faster than they can be replaced Pollution Wastes are produced faster than they can be degraded Creates an “undesired change in air, water or soil that adversely affects the health, survival or activities of humans or other organisms.” Smog in L.A or Mexico City or barren lakes in the Adirondack Mountains from acid rain Biodegradable pollutants do go away over time, non-biodegradable pollutants don’t such as some plastics and heavy metals Loss of Biodiversity Decreasing of the number of species that live in areas usually through extinction

Homework Check Chapter 1 section 1 End Review Q 1,2,5 1) Explain how hunter-gatherers affected the environment in which they lived 2)Describe the major environmental effects of the agricultural revolution and the Industrial Revolution 5) Analyzing Relationships: how did the Industrial Revolution affect human population growth?