An Introduction to Environmental Science PDF

An Introduction to Environmental Science UNIT 1  What is our environment? Environment: is everything that affects a living organism. The environment includes: Biotic factors - living things Examples: Animals, plants, forests, fungi, etc. Abiotic facto...

An Introduction to Environmental Science UNIT 1  What is our environment? Environment: is everything that affects a living organism. The environment includes: Biotic factors - living things Examples: Animals, plants, forests, fungi, etc. Abiotic factors - nonliving things Examples: Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks. Environmental Science Environmental Science is the study of the air, water, and land surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere. Environmental science is defined as the interaction of humans with the environment.  Fields of Environmental Science Environmental science is an interdisciplinary science, which means that it involves many fields of study. Important to the foundation of environmental science is ecology Ecology: the study of interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment.  Environmental science is not environmentalism Environmental science The pursuit of knowledge about the natural world Scientists try to remain objective Environmentalism A social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world The Goals of Environmental Science A major goal of environmental science is to understand and solve environmental problems. To accomplish this goal, environmental scientists study two main types of interactions between humans and their environment: How our actions alter our environment The use of natural resources 1) Humans and the world around us We depend completely on the environment for survival Increased wealth, health, mobility, leisure time Natural systems have been degraded Ex: pollution, erosion and species extinction Environmental changes threaten long-term health and survival  2) The use of natural resources Natural resources: substances and energy sources needed and vital for survival Renewable resources: Always available: sunlight, wind, wave energy Renew themselves over short periods: timber, water, soil These can be destroyed Nonrenewable resources: Can be depleted Oil, coal, minerals  Renewable Resources  Sustainable yield Highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply throughout the world or in a particular area.  Environmental Degradation Depletion or destruction of a potentially renewable resource such as soil, grassland, forest, or wildlife that is used faster than it is naturally replenished. If such use continues, the resource becomes nonrenewable (on a human time scale) or nonexistent (extinct).  Non-Renewable Resources ❑ Resource that exists in a fixed amount (stock) in various places in the earth's crust and has the potential for renewal by geological, physical, and chemical processes taking place over hundreds of millions to billions of years such as:  Energy, metals, and other minerals Examples are copper, aluminum, iron, salt, clay, coal, and oil.  Any potentially renewable resource can become non- renewable if used improperly  Theoretically, never exhaust due to economic feasibility for extracting. Non-renewable resources and natural capital degradation Extracting, processing and use come at an environmental expense  Environmental science… can help us avoid mistakes made by past civilizations.  Understand how the natural world works  Understand how human and natural systems interact  Accurately assess the status and trends of crucial  Natural ecosystems  Establish long-term sustainable relationships with the natural world What is an “environmental problem”? The perception of what constitutes a problem varies between individuals and societies Ex: DDT, a pesticide In developing countries: welcome because it kills malaria-carrying mosquitoes In developed countries: not welcome, due to health risks Environmental problems generally involve pollution, resource depletion, loss of biodiversity  Tragedy of the Commons Unregulated exploitation leads to resource depletion Soil, air, water Resource users are tempted to increase use until the resource is gone Solution? Private ownership? Voluntary organization to enforce responsible use? Governmental regulations?