Environmental Science

Geology

• Geology comes from "Geo," meaning Earth, and "logos," meaning discourse.
• Geology studies Earth materials, the processes acting on these materials, and the resulting products.
• It also covers the history of Earth and its life forms since its origin.

Environment

• The environment includes all circumstances surrounding an individual or community.
• Physical conditions include air, water, gases, and landforms.
• Social and cultural conditions encompass ethics, economics, and aesthetics.

Environmental Geology

• Environmental geology applies geologic principles to address problems stemming from human occupancy and exploitation of the natural environment.
• Considers Earth processes, resources, structures, society, and culture.
• It studies natural hazards, landscape evaluation, earth materials, hydrologic processes, and geological processes.
• The applications help resolve land-use conflicts, minimize environmental degradation, and maximize the beneficial results of using our natural and modified environment.

Environmental Geology: Awareness and Ethics

• Environmental awareness shapes how we perceive and respond to our natural environment.
• Environmental ethics assumes humans are land's citizens/protectors, not conquerors (Aldo Leopold).
• There is a moral duty to preserve and protect the environment for current and future Earth inhabitants.

Environmental Crisis

• Environmental crises arise from demands on diminishing resources due to increasing populations and escalating waste production.
• Causes include overpopulation, urbanization with little regard for the land, industrialization, as well as, inadequate institutions to cope with environmental stress.

Environmental Crisis: Literature

• Books in the 1960's addressed the unfolding environmental crisis.
• "The Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson (1962) discussed the risks of synthetic pesticide use.
• It significantly impacted pesticide policies in the US and worldwide.
• It inspired environmental movements and increasing awareness of environmental health.
• "The Quiet Crisis" by Stewart Udall (1963) reiterated the urgency of the environmental crisis.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Population Growth

• Excessive population growth is seen as a primary environmental problem.
• Human population is growing at an exponential rate, deemed a "Population Bomb."
• The population increases by approximately 94 million per year.
• Garret Hardin determined that roughly 10,000 people are added each hour.
• Environmental impact = Impact per person x Population
• This impact is not evenly distributed.
• Implications include shortages of food and mineral resources, changes such as deforestation and desertification, pollution, as well as global warming and ozone depletion.
• Earth's current world population estimated at 8,202,125,224 as of 2025.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Population Demographics

• Country populations in 2024:
• India: 1,450,935,791
• China: 1,419,321,278
• United States: 345,426,571
• Indonesia: 283,487,931
• Pakistan: 251,269,164
• The Philippines is estimated to have 115,843,670 people in 2024.
• Top regions in the Philippines, and their estimated populations:
• Region IV-A (Calabarzon): 16,195,042
• National Capital Region (NCR): 13,484,462
• Region III (Central Luzon): 12,422,172
• The human population has gone through 4 stages:
• Hunters and gatherers
• Early, preindustrial agriculture
• Early industrial age
• The modern era
• The Black Death (bubonic plague) was global pandemic from 1346 to 1353 throughout Europe and Asia.
• Bacteria called Yersinia pestis, which lives in rodents and their fleas, caused it.
• Symptoms included painful, swollen lymph nodes, or 'buboes', in the groin or armpit.
• It was historically called the Black Death because gangrenous blackening and death of body parts can result from the illness.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Sustainability

• Sustainability is Sustainable development meets present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs. (UN, 1987).
• It ensures that future generations have equal opportunity to the planet's resources.
• This refers to types of development that are economically viable, environmentally friendly, and socially just.
• The 1990's slogan was "SAVE OUR PLANET".
• Sustainable global economy means careful management and wise use of the planet and its resources.
• Attributes of sustainability:
• Human and other organisms must coexist harmoniously within natural support systems.
• Energy policies should be implemented that reduce pollution and combat climatic changes.
• There should be utilization plans for renewable and non-renewable resources alike.
• Legal, social and political systems must be dedicated to a just global economy.
• To reach these goals:
• Population control strategies must be created and initiated.
• Energy programs must be restructured.
• Social, legal, political and educational changes should maintain a high quality environment.
• Policies (economic, tax, etc.) that encourage population control and wise resource management.
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015; it provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity.
• At its core are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are an urgent call to action for developed and developing countries.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Systems

• 'Systems' are any defined part of the universe selected for study most contain component parts that mutually adjust .
• Understanding Earth's systems and their changes, including the Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Lithosphere, is key to addressing environmental issues.
• Open systems exchange energy or material into or out of the system.
• Closed systems only allow energy to move into or out of it.
• The principle of Environmental Unity is "Everything affects everything else".
• Feedback analyzes changes in systems.
• Feedback is a system response wherein the output causes changes to system.
• Positive feedback amplifies change.
• Negative feedback moderates or decreases the change until the system is in a steady state.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Resource Limitations

• Earth is the only know suitable habitat and its resources are limited.
• Fundamental truth, it is the only place that's accessible now, while has a limited amount of resources.
• There are two major views on this limitation:
• Resources are not so much a problem as the techniques to use them effectively.
• Resources can be "where you find them" such as a garbage.
• Efficient/intelligent use of materials, knowledge extraction, or recycling techniques.
• Finite resources unable to support population increase forever.
• Improvements in medical technology can lead to overpopulation.
• A GNP based on obsolescence/waste, with a finite of accessible minerals.
• Increased risk of irreversible damage due to these processes.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Uniformitarianism

• "The present is the key to the past".
• The magnitude and frequency of geologic processes are subject to natural and artificially induced change.
• Geologic events occur from natural Earth processes, as well as effects of Human Activities (HA).
• "The present i is the key to the future" is true.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Hazardous Earth Processes

• There have always been Earth processes that are hazardous.
• They must be recognized and avoided to minimize threat to life/property.
• To recognize a natural process and its effects one must look at climatic, biological, and geologic conditions.
• Earth processes cause loss of life/property (Geohazards).
• Flooding
• Earthquakes
• Volcanic activity
• Mass wasting

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Aesthetic Considerations

• Land- and water-use planning should balance economic considerations with aesthetics.
• Scenery is now considered a natural resource.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Future Obligations

• Land use effects are cumulative.
• The entire surface of the planet has been changed by human activity like agriculture, urbanization and mining.
• There is a higher rate of soil/rock movement per year by humans compared to natural processes (40-45 billion tons).
• Soil conservation practices support future well being.
• Humans are becoming an urban species.
• 75% of developed countries live in urban areas -40% of developing countries live in urban areas
• Cities are becoming megacities which are urban area with at least 10 million inhabitants.

Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology: Geology Basica

• Geology is a basic environmental science.
• The geologic component is a fundamental piece of every environment.
• Understanding requires broad comprehension of Earth sciences/related disciplines.
• All geologic disciplines are environmental.
• Environmental geology is interdisciplinary.
• Key points:
• Humans are geological change agents.
• Earth's physical structure/chemical composition affects our lives.
• Geo logic processes/human beings operate on different time scales.
• Hazardous geologic processes are natural.
• "Away" doesn't exist for garbage/pollution.
• Managing and mitigating these issues means managing behaviors.