1. Science and the Environment 1. Understanding Our Environment 2
Science and the Environment 1. Understanding Our Environment 2. The Environment and Society
p.5-23

2. Key Terms Environmental Science Ecology Agriculture Natural resources
Pollution
Biodiversity
Law of supply and demand
Ecological footprint
Sustainability

3. Understanding our Environment
Define environmental science, and compare environmental science with ecology
List five major fields of study that contribute to environmental science
Describe the major environmental effects of hunter-gathers, the agricultural revolution, and the Industrial Revolution
Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Classify environmental problems into three major categories

4. How do you define Environment?
Rain-forest
Backyard or neighborhood
Everything around us
Both natural and manmade
Complex web of relationships that connects us with the world we live in (interconnectedness)

5. What is Environmental Science?
The study of how humans interact with the environment.
Goals:
To understand and solve environmental problems by studying humans and their environments
How we use natural resources (water and plants)
How our actions alter our environment

6. Many Fields of Study
Ecology- study how living things interact with each other and their nonliving environment
Biology- study of living things (Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Ecology)
Earth Science- is the study of the Earth’s nonlving systems and the planet as a whole (Geology, Paleontology, Climatology, Hydrology)
Physics- study of matter and energy (Engineering)
Chemistry- study of chemicals and their interactions (Biochemistry, Geochemisty)
Social sciences- study of human populations (geography, anthropology, sociology)

7. Our Environment Through Time
Manhattan was a place where Native Americans hunted and fished (Hunters-Gathers)
The Native American set fires to burn prairies to prevent succession (growth of trees) keeping them as open grasslands so they could hunt
Gathers spread plants to areas they didn’t normally grow in
Over hunting- lost of species

8. Agricultural Revolution
10,000 years ago
The practice of growing, breeding and caring for plants and animals that are used for food, clothing, housing, transpiration and other
Growth of human populations (500x times support than HG)
Changed food we ate
Caused soil loss, floods, water shortages, non fertile soils, loss of habitats

9. Industrial Revolution
1700’s shift from animal muscle and running waters to fossil fuels (coal and oil)
Increased the efficiency of agriculture, industry and transportation
Large scale productions of goods became less expensive then manmade
Light bulbs, sanitations, nutrition and medical care pollution and habitat loss more common
Artificial products makes life easier but just starting to see environmental problems it caused

10. Spaceship Earth
Earth is like a spaceship traveling that cannot dispose of its waste
Earth is a Close System (large amounts of energy enter and large amounts of heat leave)
Resources are limited and produces more waste than we can dispose of
IR and AR allowed for human populations to grow to large too fast
Major problems- habitat loss, pesticide pollutions and feeding the world

11. Main Environmental Problems
Resource Depletion (non and renewable)
Natural resources- any natural material that is used by humans
Pollution- undesired change in air, water, soil that adversely affects the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living things (bio and nondegradable)
Loss of Biodiversity- number and variety of species that live in an area (extinction)

12. The Environment and Society
Describe the “Tragedy of the Commons”
Explain the law of supply and demand
List 3 differences between developed and developing countries
Explain what sustainability is, and describe why it is a goal of environmental science

13. The Tragedy of the Commons- Hardin
Take human societies and how they act before we can solve problems
Short term interest of the individual and the long-term welfare of society
Overuse and depleting- someone hast to take responsibility for maintaining a resource
Community gardens

14. Economics and the Environment
Supply and Demand- greater the demand for a limited supply of something, the more that the things is worth (oil- pay higher prices, use less, find new resources)
Cost and Benefits- the cost of the action against the benefits one expect from it. Who does the analysis can change the outcome)
Risk Assessment- perception of the risk, used to protect our health and environment

15. Developed and Developing Countries
World choices affect us ALL !!
Unequal distribution of wealth and resources around the world influences the environmental problem
Developed- higher incomes, slower population growth, diverse industries and strong social support (US, Canada and Japan)
Developing- lower incomes, simple agriculture based economies, rapid pop growth ( Mexico, Brazil and Malaysia)

16. Population and Consumption
Local population pressures- populations grows rapidly and may not be enough natural resources for everyone to live healthy
Consumption Trends-
75% of worlds resources used by developed nations that make up 20% of world pop which also creates more waste and pollution per person than developing countries
Ecological footprints- shows the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country

17. Critical Science in Context
Critical Thinking and your Environment- no easy solution to the problem, people feel passionately about their cause
Be critical thinkers about what you see and hear on TV, Radio and internet. Often information maybe be miss interpreted or over simplified
Who is to gain? Is there bias? (new energy resources – fracking)

18. Sustainable World
Sustainability- is the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely
Does not mean it cant be a changing world
All parts of society – individuals, industry, and government cooperate
Bald Eagles are no longer endangered species because we reduces the use of DDT WW