Environmental Science Overview

Environmental Science Overview

• Environmental science studies interactions between physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment. It also examines relationships and effects of these components on organisms.
• This is an interdisciplinary field incorporating multiple disciplines like math, physics, biology, chemistry, geology, social sciences, humanities, geography, economics, political science, philosophy, and ethics.
• Environmentalism is a social movement aiming to protect the environment through activism and education.
• Environment is the sum total of surrounding physical, biological, social, and cultural conditions affecting the survival and development of organisms in a given space and time.

Types of Environment

• Environment can be broadly categorized based on nature and scope.
• Classification is also based on scale, with micro and global environments.

Importance of Environmental Science

• Guides understanding of how human development and daily activities impact the environment and vice versa.
• Helps create pollution-free environments through methods of prevention and control.
• Enables efficient use of natural resources with conservation and recycling strategies.
• Promotes environmentally friendly lifestyles through awareness of activities' implications and efficient resource utilization.

Components of Environment

• Atmosphere: A thin layer of gases surrounding the Earth.
• Hydrosphere: Water on Earth, including bodies of water, groundwater, glaciers, and ice.
• Lithosphere: Earth's outermost layer, composed of the crust and upper mantle. This includes soil and various minerals.
• Biosphere: Region of the Earth where life exists, encompassing all living organisms and their interactions.
  • Consists of three components: producers, consumers, and decomposers.
• Anthrosphere: The part of the environment modified by human activities.

Environmental Problems and their Sources

• Population Growth: Increased human population leads to higher resource demands and environmental strain.
• Intensive Agriculture: Modern agricultural practices have led to issues including dependence on fossil fuels, pesticide runoff, water depletion, and soil degradation.
• Deforestation: Clearing forests for agriculture, timber, and other uses.
• Mining: Extraction of minerals requires fuel energy and often creates environmental pollution.
• Transportation and Urbanization: Increasing transportation needs contribute to issues like air pollution and urban sprawl.
• Water: Scarcity, pollution, and allocation disputes affecting water quality and quantity.
• Air Quality: Air pollution impacting human and ecological health, including ozone layer depletion.
• Habitat Loss and Biodiversity: Human activities and pollution contribute to habitat destruction and species loss.
• Resource Loss: Degradation of lands and loss of productivity.
• Pollution: Different forms of contamination affecting soil, water, air, and ecosystems. Includes thermal, noise, and radioactive pollution.