Download Environmental Science 101

Environmental Science 101
Chapter 1
Environmental Science and Sustainability
1-11-16
This lecture will help you understand:
• The meaning of the term
environment
• The importance of natural
resources
• That environmental science is
interdisciplinary
• The scientific method and how
science operates
• Some pressures facing the
global environment
• Sustainability and sustainable
development
Environment: the total of our
surroundings
• All the things around us with which
we interact:
• Living things
• Animals, plants, forests, fungi, etc.
• Non-living things
• Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks
• Our built environment
• Buildings, human-created living centers
• Social relationships and institutions
• Urbanization, Cars
Humans exist within the
environment
• Humans exist within the environment and are
part of nature.
– Our survival depends on a healthy, functioning
planet.
• The fundamental insight of environmental
science is that we are part of the natural world.
– Our interactions with its other parts matter a great
deal.
Science
• Definition: Human effort to understand how the natural world
works by making observations, measurements and experiments.
• Success depends on 5 Factors
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Curiosity
Skepticism
Reproducibility
Peer Review
Critical Thinking
The scientific method
• A technique for testing ideas
• A scientist makes an observation and
asks questions of some phenomenon.
• The scientist formulates a hypothesis, a
statement that attempts to answer the
question.
• The hypothesis is used to generate
predictions: specific statements that
can be tested.
• The results support or reject the
hypothesis.
3 Limitations to Science
• Can’t prove or disprove anything 100%
• Biased
• Natural Systems are very complex
Sustainability
• Definition: capacity of the earths natural systems and humans
systems to survive, flourish, and adapt.
Earths Natural Systems
-Atmosphere
-Hydrosphere/Cryosphere
-Geosphere/Pedosphere
-Biosphere
-Anthrosphere
2 Reasons to Care
• Self-Interest
• Ethical Views
Natural Capital
• Definition: resources and ecological services provided by nature that keep
us alive and support human economies
– Resources: matter and energy
• Life, Land, Air, Water, Soil, Minerals, Fossil Fuels
– Ecological Services: natural cycles that allow us to survive
• Top-soil, air, water purification, pollination
• Renewable resources:
– Perpetually available: sunlight, wind, wave energy
– Renew themselves over short periods of time: timber, water, soil
• Non-renewable resources:
– Can be depleted (fixed/limited quantity)
– Examples: Oil, coal, minerals
Environmental Degradation
• Definition: Use of a Natural Resource faster than it can be renewed or
decreasing the effectiveness of a Natural Service
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Tropical Deforestation
Drought
Topsoil Erosion
Water pollution
Air pollution
Extinctions
Ecological Footprints
• Definition: a rough measure of our
environmental impact on earth’s
renewable resources and life support
system.
– More-Developed vs Less-Developed
Countries
– Per Capita ($)
Ecological Footprints II
Are We Living Sustainably?
What Can Be Done?
Three Scientific Principles of Sustainability
- Solar energy
- Chemical cycling
- Biodiversity
Solar (?) Energy
Definition: Renewable (nearly limitless) supply of energy
– Powers Technological Solutions
– Decreases Pollution
• Power Plants
• Transportation – Cars (Airplanes?)
– Wind
– Nuclear
– Ch. 5/6
Chemical Cycling
Definition: Continuous cycling of chemical required for life from the
environments Soil (Ch. 4/9) , Water (Ch. 10/11) , and Air (Ch. 12)
– Required for Life
– Rate of Consumption vs Rate of Regeneration
– Figure 1.18, 1.19, 1.20
Biodiversity
Definition: Variety of genes, species,
and ecosystems are required for the
life-sustaining processes of energy
flow and chemical cycling
– Key Role in Cycling
– Examples: Water Purification,
Soil Regeneration, Fishing
– Currently in the 6th great
extinction?
3 Social Science Principles of Sustainability
Economics: Full-Cost Pricing
 Price resources/pollution better
 *Wealth Equality
Political Science: Win-Win Solutions
 Solve environmental issues without economic harms
 Benefit the largest number of people
Ethics: Responsibility to Future Generations
 That’s you! (and your kids)
 Leave the Earth like we found it (or better!)
*We only need 5-10% of the people to care to bring about change
What Can We/You Do?
Big/Hard Questions!
– Environmental Century
– Can’t predict everything
– Reduce Ecological Footprint
vs Expand Resources
Available ?
Environmental Science  Environmentalism
Environmental Science
• The pursuit of knowledge
• Remain objective
Environmentalism
• A social movement
• Environmental activism
Environmental Science
How the natural world works and how
humans interact with it
Environment   Impacts   Humans
Exam
1
Environmental Science
and Sustainability (1)
Population (2)
Urbanization (3)
Exam
3
Final
Exam
Environment
Exam
2
Extinctions (8)
Climate Change (13)
Exam
4
Water (10)
Food (4)
Mineral Resources (7)
Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (5)
Nonrenewable Energy (6)
Exam
5
Land Degradation (9)
Water Pollution (11)
Air Pollution (12)
Waste (14)