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

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 2: Resource Depletion Nonrenewable resource forms more slowly than it is used up Nonrenewable resource forms more slowly than it is used up –Examples: minerals like aluminum and fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. –Resource is said to be depleted when almost used up

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

Human’s Impact Over History Wherever humans have hunted, grown food, or settled we have changed the environment. How have those changes impacted the environment over human history? How have those changes impacted the environment over human history?

Hunter-Gatherers Most of human history Most of human history People who obtain food by moving around collecting plants and hunting wild animals. People who obtain food by moving around collecting plants and hunting wild animals. What are ways you think they had an impact on the environment? Why didn’t they have a large impact on the environment? What kind of life did they lead?

Agricultural Revolution Plants and animals were domesticated and population grew Plants and animals were domesticated and population grew 10,000 years ago 10,000 years ago Life got easier Life got easier Population grew Population grew Towns began forming Towns began forming Impact on environment grew Impact on environment grew More land used More land used Crash Course: Agricultural Revolution

Industrial Revolution Caused a shift to fossil fuels as an energy source Caused a shift to fossil fuels as an energy source Mid-1700s Mid-1700s Life got easier Life got easier Advances in technology Advances in technology People lived longer People lived longer People moved to cities away from farms People moved to cities away from farms Increased environmental impact WHY??? Increased environmental impact WHY???

Green Revolution Methods & technologies that increase crop output Methods & technologies that increase crop output –Large seed heads –Short (resist wind) –Resist disease –High yields –Monoculture – efficient harvesting & increased output Key to ending starvation in developing countries Key to ending starvation in developing countries

Green Revolution Methods & technologies that increase crop output Methods & technologies that increase crop output –Large amounts of synthetic fertilizer & chemical pesticides –Irrigating with lots of water –Using heavy equipment powered by fossil fuels –Pollution –Monoculture – reduced biodiversity & disease prone

What do the Pros of these time periods have in common? The Cons? PROS PROS CONS CONS

QUESTIONS Is it possible to have our needs met without impacting the environment? Is it possible to have our needs met without impacting the environment? Are humans the only organism to have an impact on the environment? Are humans the only organism to have an impact on the environment? What responsibility do we have to preserve the environment? Why? What responsibility do we have to preserve the environment? Why? Do people from all areas of the world impact the environment in the same way? Do people from all areas of the world impact the environment in the same way?

Population Growth Population is growing fast Population is growing fast Current World Population Current World Population Current World Population Current World Population Vast amounts of resources used to meet need for food Vast amounts of resources used to meet need for food Population expected to double in 21 st century, before it begins to stabilize Population expected to double in 21 st century, before it begins to stabilize

Spaceship Earth Earth is essentially a “closed system” Earth is essentially a “closed system” Energy from sun comes in and leaves as heat Energy from sun comes in and leaves as heat What we have IS IT… no more… One Earth, One Chance What we have IS IT… no more… One Earth, One Chance Became evident during missions to moon late 1960’s Became evident during missions to moon late 1960’s

DO NOW – Predict which 5 countries have the largest ecological footprints and which 5 have the smallest

Who uses most resources? Developed Countries like the U.S. (high personal wealth) have high consumption rates Developed Countries like the U.S. (high personal wealth) have high consumption rates –What are the “developed” countries of the world? Developing Countries: have high population growth, poverty and lower resource consumption Developing Countries: have high population growth, poverty and lower resource consumption –List several

Ecological Footprint The productive area of land needed to support a persons life The productive area of land needed to support a persons life Food, clothes, coal, oil, plastics, forest, etc. all needed to support your lifestyle Food, clothes, coal, oil, plastics, forest, etc. all needed to support your lifestyle Compare countries Compare countries Calculate Your Ecological Footprint Calculate Your Ecological Footprint Calculate Your Ecological Footprint Calculate Your Ecological Footprint

Sustainability is the Goal! Condition in which human needs are met without harming future generations. Condition in which human needs are met without harming future generations. Are we living sustainable today? Are we living sustainable today? What would need to change? What would need to change?

10 Areas of Critical Global Concern Water Water Food Food Transportation Transportation Health Health Economy Economy Education Education Energy Energy Shelter Shelter War War Waste Waste

SYSTEMS a combination of parts forming a complex or single whole: a combination of parts forming a complex or single whole: – a mountain system –a railroad system –solar system –ecosystem the sum of the parts may be greater than the whole the sum of the parts may be greater than the whole

ECOSYSTEMS BIOTIC BIOTIC –Living  Plants  Animals ABIOTIC ABIOTIC –Non living  Rocks  Water  Air  Energy source

How Science Works In order to satisfy our curiosity about why things are the way they are and about how things happen the way they do, we must… Make Observations: using our senses and tools to gather information Make Observations: using our senses and tools to gather information What are some tools a scientist may use? What are some tools a scientist may use? ptical_illusions_show_how_we_see.html

Observations Make some observations about this photo

Make some observations

Observation

Observation

OBSERVATION We will be observing a small section of wooded land – We will be observing a small section of wooded land – –What do you expect to see?  Biotic?  Abiotic? –Look for physical conditions, organisms, relationship among organisms

Collecting Data

Hypothesis and Predicting A testable explanation of an observation that can lead to further investigation A testable explanation of an observation that can lead to further investigation A logical statement about what will happen if the hypothesis is correct A logical statement about what will happen if the hypothesis is correct Can you give an example? Can you give an example?

Hypothesis

Hypothesis

Hypothesis Cholera is caused by people drinking contaminated water. Which pump appears to be causing the 1854 London Cholera outbreak? Spot Map See patterns in data How could you test this hypothesis?

Collecting Data To study the hypothesis data are collected and analyzed (experiment) To study the hypothesis data are collected and analyzed (experiment) Conclusions are drawn Conclusions are drawn Results must be repeatable Results must be repeatable Results are communicated Results are communicated Subject to peer review Subject to peer review

Correlation Used when experimentation is impossible or unethical Used when experimentation is impossible or unethical Reliable association between 2 or more events Reliable association between 2 or more events Not necessarily cause-and-effect relationship Not necessarily cause-and-effect relationship

Collecting Data

Drawing Conclusions

Repeating Experiments

Communicating Results

Community Analysis and Feedback – Peer Review Present their work and get feedback from other researchers at conferences Write papers about their study Submit papers for publication in a journal

Define environmental scienceDefine environmental science Discuss how human’s impact on the environment has changed over history – Revolutions?Discuss how human’s impact on the environment has changed over history – Revolutions? Classify environmental resourcesClassify environmental resources List the major environmental problemsList the major environmental problems How do we “do”science?How do we “do”science?