1. “Alone in space, alone in its life- supporting systems, powered by inconceivable energies, meditating them to us through the most delicate adjustments, wayward, unlikely, unpredictable, but nourishing, enlivening, and enriching in the largest degree – is this not a precious home for all of us? Is it not worth our love?” -- Barbara Ward and Rene Dubos.

2. What is Environmental Science? Use the template below to define these words on note cards or paper: 1.Resources 2.Sustainable 3.Renewable 4.Nonrenewable Word and dictionary definition Picture of what it is SynonymPicture of what it is NOT

3. Questions for Notes What is Environmental Science? What is Sustainability? What is an Ecological Footprint What are the four Major Environmental World Views?

4. What is Environmental Science? Environmental Science is a study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth, and how to deal with environmental problems. –Deals with both the living and the nonliving –Interdisciplinary (Bio/Chem/Geol/Social Science; Humanities (ex. ethics)) –Ecology-driven NOT environmentalism – POLITICAL

5. Fig. 1-2, p. 7 Philosophy Biology Ethics Chemistry Physics Political science Geology Economics Geography Demography Anthropology Ecology

6. What is Sustainability? Sustainability, the central theme of this class, is built on the sub themes of: –Natural capital (Natural resources and services) –Natural capital degradation –Solutions –Trade-offs –How individuals matter. The ability of the earth to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions.

7. What is Sustainability? How do we achieve a sustainable environment? –Three themes Solar energy Biodiversity Chemical cycling –Sound Science is the foundation! The ultimate human goal is an environmentally sustainable society!

8. My Ecological Footprint One way to promote Sustainability is to understand your Ecological Footprints. Ecological Footprints –Amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply an area with resources and to absorb pollution and waste. –www.myfootprint.orgwww.myfootprint.org

9. Environmental Worldviews Most people disagree on how serious different environmental problems are and what we should do about them. There are Four Primary Environmental Worldviews. –Planetary Management Worldview –Stewardship Worldview –Environmental Wisdom Worldview –Deep Ecology Worldview

10. Planetary Management Worldview Human-centered We are apart from the rest of nature and can manage nature to meet our needs and wants. Due to our technology and ingenuity, we will never run out of resources The potential for economic growth is essentially unlimited.

11. Planetary Management Worldview Three variations: –No-problem school of thought –Free-market school –Spaceship Earth school

12. Stewardship model We have an ethical obligation to be caring managers, or stewards, of the earth. We probably won’t run out of resources, but we shouldn’t be wasteful. We must protect the earth for our children, and our children’s children. We borrow from the earth, we must pay back occaisionally.

13. Environmental Wisdom Worldview Earth-centered We are a part of and totally dependent on nature, and nature exists for all. Resources are limited and should not be wasted. We need to learn from the earth on how to live with it. It is futile to try to save the earth, because it does not need saving. –We must save our species and culture.