1. Understanding our Environment CHAPTER 1

2. What is environmental science? Growing need to ___________________________________________________ Environmental Science is the study ________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________. This ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere. It includes the study of the impact of humans on the environment

3. Goals of Environmental Science The goal is to : __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________. To accomplish this goal, environmental scientists study two main types of interactions between humans and their environment: 1. 2.

4. Many fields of study…. So much to choose from!!! Environmental science is an interdisciplinary science, which means that it involves many fields of study. ◦Think of it Think of it as a science umbrella! One of the main pillars of Environmental Science is _____________. Ecology is _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________.

5. Other major fields of study… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. Scientists as Citizens, Citizens as Scientists… Governments, businesses, and cities recognize that studying our environment is vital to _______________________________________. Thus, environmental scientists are often asked to share their research with the world. We are popular people! NBD… However it’s ____________________________________that get the ball rolling!

7. What are some environmental problems that you can think of? Hold on to these thoughts…… let’s go back and see a little history of how this all started…

8. Hunter-Gatherers Where ever humans are they change the environment… Before there was New York City there were Native Americans that hunted game and gathered food…….it’s changed a little since then…right? So let’s go back….. For most of human history we were ______________________________. They obtained food by _______________________ and by ________________________or _________________________.

9. The Fall of Troy A story….. 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 the sea.

10. Agricultural Revolution Agriculture is _________________________________ _____________________________________________ Started over 10,000 years ago. The agricultural revolution allowed human populations to _____________________________. As populations grew, they began to concentrate in smaller areas placing increased pressure on the local environment

11. Many habitats were _____________ as grasslands, forests, and wetlands were replaced with farmland. The ______________________was one of the earliest ways that land was converted to farmland. Plants that exhibited the qualities farmers desired, such as large kernels, were then planted and harvested again. Overtime, the domesticated plants became ___________________________ _______________________________________. Much of this converted land was ____________ and __________________.

13. Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution involved a _______________________such as _____________________to _____________________such as coal and oil. This increased use of fossil fuels changed ___________________ and greatly increased the efficiency of __________________,____________________ and ______________________. In factories, the large-scale production of goods became ___________________than the local production of handmade goods.

14. Agricultural ______________ increased, and sanitation, nutrition, and medical care vastly improved. Overall, it improved the ____________________tremendously. However, the Industrial Revolution also introduced many new ______________________such as _____________and ____________________…….dun dun

15. Population Growth The Industrial Revolution, modern medicine, and sanitation all allowed the human population to grow faster than it ever had before. Producing enough food for large populations has environmental consequences such as habitat destruction and pesticide pollution. The human population almost ___________________ in the 20 th century. We can expect the pressure on the environment will continue to increase and the human population and its need for food and resources grow.

17. What are our main environmental problems? 1. Resource Depletion: ◦Renewable resource- ◦Nonrenewable resource - ◦Depleted- 2. Pollution: ◦Biodegradable pollutants - ◦Non-biodegradable pollutants - 3. Loss of Biodiversity: ◦Mass extinctions -

18. “Tragedy of the Commons”

19. “Tragedy of the Commons”- READ ME The commons, were the areas of land that belonged to the whole village. It was in the best interest of the individual to put as many animals in the commons as possible. However, if too many animals grazed on the commons, they destroyed the grass. Once the grass was destroyed, everyone suffered because no one could raise animals on the commons. The commons were eventually replaced by closed fields owned by individuals.

20. Economics and the Environment The Law _________________is a law of economics that states as the demand for a good or service increases, the ______________________________ also increases. A cost-benefit analysis balances the cost of the action against ____________ one expects from it. Often, environmental regulations are passed on to the ____________________. Risk assessment is a tool that helps us create cost effective ways to protect ______________________. The public must be able to perceive the risk _____________.

21. Population and Consumption Almost all environmental problems can be traced back to two root causes: The human population in some areas is _______ too quickly for the ___________________to support. People are using up, ___________, or _____________ many natural resources faster than they can be renewed, replaced, or cleaned up.

22. Local Population Pressures When the population in an area grows __________, there may not be enough natural resources for the everyone to live a ______________________________ In these areas, ______________,_____________, and __________ can be constant threats. Food ______________, _____________, and job creation cannot keep pace with the __________________, so each person gets fewer resources as time goes by.

23. Consumption Trends Developed nations use about __________of the world’s resources, although they make up only ____________of the World’s population. This rate of consumption creates more ______________________ per person then in developing countries.

24. Ecological Footprints Ecological footprints are ____________ that show the productive area of Earth needed to ____________ one person in a particular country.

25. Environmental Science in Context Remember a few things as you explore environmental science further: First, be prepared to _________ to many ______________ over a particular issue. Second, _______________ the source of the information you encounter. Third, gather all the information you can before drawing a _______________. For these reasons and others you must use your _________________ when making decisions about environmental issues.

26. A Sustainable World ________________ is the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a ___________________can survive indefinitely. A sustainable world is not_____________. It requires everyone’s participation including __________________, _______________, and ______________