Environmental Science and Sustainability PDF

CHAPTER 1 Environmental Science and Sustainability: What’s the Big Idea? Copyright © 2023 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Chapter 1 Outline 1.1 What Is the Environment, and What Is an Ecosystem? 1.2 What Is Sustainability? 1.3 What Is Environmental Justice? 1.4 What Is Science? 1.5 What Are Chal...

CHAPTER 1 Environmental Science and Sustainability: What’s the Big Idea? Copyright © 2023 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Chapter 1 Outline 1.1 What Is the Environment, and What Is an Ecosystem? 1.2 What Is Sustainability? 1.3 What Is Environmental Justice? 1.4 What Is Science? 1.5 What Are Challenges to Good Science? 1.6 What Shapes Our Decisions on the Environment?  Chapter Objectives: This chapter will help you… describe the range of ways in which humans affect the environment. summarize how the scientific method works. describe the various methods of observation and testing involved in scientific inquiry. identify ways in which values influence our individual and collective responses to environmental issues.  1.1 What Is the Environment, and What Is an Ecosystem? (1 of 2) Environment is a collection of systems including all living and nonliving things on Earth that sustain all life. A system is made up of interacting components that produce patterns of behavior over time, like a household. A car is made up of many components. Each by itself will not get you from one place to another Only when all parts put together to can use the car to get around This is called an emergent property of the whole system. The environment is made up of many natural systems called ecosystems, like a coral reef. A coral reef is an ecosystem made up of marine organisms and nonliving factors like sunlight and minerals. The root of the prefix eco- in the words ecosystem, ecology, and economics is the Greek word oikos, which means household What Is the Environment, and What Is an Ecosystem? (2 of 2) Using resources to survive modifies the environment and affects complex ecosystem relationships. ecosystem has many interacting parts such as a forest. A forest ecosystem has many interacting parts such as organisms that live both above and below the ground. Humans use ecosystem services or Earth’s natural resources, such as oxygen, water, and energy, to survive. Environments cycle nutrients, break down waste, and provide climates conducive to our survival. Indigenous knowledge such as the idea that “if you take care of the environment, the environment takes care of you” helps us understand and appreciate these connections. Where Do Humans Fit in the Environment? What’s Our Impact? With more than 8 billion people on Earth, humans dominate the planet. We call the current epoch of Earth’s history the Anthropocene (the prefix anthro- means “human”) because of realizations about our impacts. Even from space, we can see human impact as cities light up the night. Before urban sprawl and subsequent habitat loss, the land was composed of natural systems like forests and wetlands. Human Environmental Impacts Are NOT Confined to Land Terrestrial habitat loss and human impact on oceans One way that human environmental effects are This map shows that ALL areas of the oceans becoming apparent is through tracking human have also experienced at least medium impact activities, such as urbanization, agriculture, and due to human effects—such as pollution and the forestry, that have transformed the landscape— harvest of sea creatures-on marine ecosystems. causing the loss of habitat for other species. AT A GLANCE Major Human Actions Affecting the Environment Take-Home Message The environment is made up of living and nonliving things that sustain life on Earth. Humans rely on natural resources for everything, which is having a large negative impact on Earth’s natural resources 1.2 What Is Sustainability? (1 of 4) The ways humans make their living in today’s world affect all life. Historically, native peoples protected natural populations such as Pacific salmon, which are integral to their cultures and diets. Managing natural resources that allow them to be used but not destroyed for future generations reflects a philosophy of sustainability. Sustainability means managing natural resources in ways that do not diminish or degrade Earth’s ability to provide them in the future. Using less-polluting forms of energy (such as solar power) and harvesting fish at levels that allow for stable populations in the future are two examples of sustainable practices. What Is Sustainability? (2 of 4) Sustainability is the management of natural resources in ways that do not diminish or degrades Earth’s ability to provide them in the future. On a planetary scale, sustainable practices maintain natural processes such as nutrient cycling and climate systems. Creating specific goals that lead to sustainable systems requires making decisions that help us meet those goals. Addressing questions such as the following may allow us to meet our goals: What kind of uses and benefits are we trying to sustain? What sorts of factors affect the continuation of those uses and benefits? At what rate should we allow, for ex., trees to be cut, or fish harvested? How much forest, or fish stock, should we leave standing? How should we manage other uses of the forest or fisheries?  What Is Sustainability? (3 of 4) In 1987, the United Nations (UN) defined the term sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The UN report considered the environmental effects of human actions as well as the economic and social effects, known as the 3Es (environment, economy, and equity) or 3Ps (planet, profit, and people). In 2016, the UN released 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) that cover the 3Es on a global scale. For each of the 17 goals, specific indicators were identified to measure progress over time; for example, marine pollution levels are used as indicators to track progress with sustaining ocean ecosystems What Is Sustainability? (4 of 4) One of the sustainable development goals is combating climate change, which are the long-term changes in climate conditions such as temperature and precipitation. Scientists conduct studies and communicate important results that help us understand current environmental problems and their drivers. Ecological Resilience A healthy ecosystem can usually withstand natural and human-caused events. Wildfires, hurricanes, overfishing, deforestation, etc. Sustainable ecosystems display ecological resilience How well systems recover after disruption. It is important to understand the processes that contribute to ecosystem resilience For ex., coastal cities, such as New York after Superstorm Sandy, are now preserving shoreline ecosystems that will help resist future storm damage. Take-Home Message Sustainability is the management of natural resources in ways that do not diminish or degrades Earth’s ability to provide them in the future. It aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations The ecological resilience to recover from damage is a key factor in sustainability 1.4 What Is Science? (1 of 2) Developing sustainable goals requires understanding ecosystems and science, which is our way of asking and answering questions, and testing ideas about the natural world through evidence- gathering. Science involves inquiry and is an ongoing process that uses steps called the scientific method. What Is Science? (2 of 2) Following observation of a problem or natural phenomenon, scientists formulate a hypothesis, a proposed explanation or answer to a scientific question. Observation of a problem sometimes occurs while examining a different problem. For example, in the 1950s, Caltech geochemist Clair Patterson “accidentally” discovered the problem of lead in urban areas from automobiles while he was studying lead levels in rocks. His research resulted in the banning of lead additives to gasoline in 1986. Ways of Observing and Testing (1 of 2) The hypothesis is a statement that attempts to explain a phenomenon or answer a scientific question. The hypothesis is tested in a controlled experiment. In a controlled experiment, researchers compare two situations, one situation with one aspect intentionally manipulated and another situation unmanipulated (the control), to determine if that singular aspect changes the results. Experiments are designed with predicted results that provide evidence that either supports or refutes a hypothesis. In order for a scientific discovery to be accepted, it must be methodically documented, shared, and demonstrated so that other scientists can replicate the investigation in a way that the discovery is reproducible and open to the public. Ways of Observing and Testing (2 of 2) Scientists had two hypotheses about what caused coral bleaching and developed controlled experiments to test them. Their hypotheses were as follows: 1. Increasing ocean temperature is the environmental stressor causing coral bleaching. Comparing tanks with water at high temperature to control tanks (normal ocean temperature) showed that higher temperature causes bleaching 2. Ocean acidity due to increase of atmospheric CO2 concentrations causes coral bleaching. Comparing tanks with water of higher acidity than normal ocean temperature showed that higher temperature causes bleaching Models To understand natural phenomena, a simplified representation of a complex process, called a model, is often created. Models assemble data and attempt to simulate what actually happens or what will happen. Weather models run globally and are constantly revised when new data are provided. 1.5 What Are Challenges to Good Science? Evaluating sources of information is important. Some sources make claims that lack integrity and do not properly use the scientific method. Purposely deceiving people by presenting findings that are false is called fraud. Other claims may not intend to deceive but have not used the scientific method and are called pseudoscience. Bias and Misinformation All humans are prone to biases—unreasonable weighting of source information, inclinations, and/or prejudices—that lead to errors and misunderstandings. Sometimes, our understanding of the natural world is a product of misinformation, which is false or incorrect information that may be spread intentionally or unintentionally.  Take-Home Message Science asks and answers questions about the natural world by testing hypotheses against evidence from the natural word. The scientific method uses observations to test and sort through alternative explanations. Models assemble observations to simulate what happens in the world, helping to show interactions of different factors 1.6 What Shapes Our Decisions on the Environment? Sustainability requires more than scientific inquiry. Science alone cannot determine what should be done about a particular environmental issue. A solution involves values, which reflect our understanding of how we want things to be or what we desire, aim for, or demand. Should I bike to school or ride a car? Should I catch 2 or 5 fish? Should I wear clothes that are made with natural coloring or not? Trade-Offs and Incentives When we consider the pros and cons, or benefits and costs, of alternative courses of action, we are considering trade-offs. Public agencies and businesses may use communication strategies that intend to raise our cost-and-benefit awareness, which may alter our decisions based on our cost-benefit analysis. Here, science tells you that using mass transportation is more eco-friendly However, science can’t tell you to choose riding a bus and not using your own car Likewise, science can’t tell you walk or use a scooter rather than ride the bus to go around campus Other strategies may include positive or negative incentives meant to influence our choices. Using the university bus for rides between campus and home is free-positive Add expensive parking meters, and farther parking lots-negative Making Sense of Our Environmental Effects Our individual choices and actions add up to significant environmental effects. To measure our personal impact on the environment, ecological footprint analysis translates our actions into an estimate of total natural resources needed to support our current lifestyles. Carbon footprints can also be measured to estimate levels of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Global footprints can be measured in standard units of land called global hectares (gha), which measure how much land it takes to support individual or national lifestyles. The United States, China, and India are the countries with the largest ecological footprints. Ecological Footprints of Different Nations https://www.footprintnetwork. org/resources/footprint- calculator/ Groups and Organizations We all gain influence when we collaborate within social networks. On college campuses, environmental organizations can link together networks of individuals with common goals. There is power in numbers, as organizations can often accomplish more than individuals. Take-Home Message What we value often determines any actions taken as a result of scientific inquiry, especially when it comes to decisions about the environment. Values reflect what we desire or demand. They are what we use to assign relative worth, merit, or importance to different things One might think I is better to keep a forest for enjoyment and ecological value; another may think it is better to cut the trees for timber that we can use in construction Question 1 An example of ecosystem services would include _______________. A. agricultural fertilizers B. energy companies C. municipal wastewater treatment plants D. wetlands that naturally purify water E. sunlight Question 2 How would you describe the Anthropocene Epoch? A. It is an era in Earth’s history when dinosaurs roamed Earth. B. It is a time in Earth’s history when there were only sea-dwelling organisms. C. It is marked by conspicuous human effects on the planet and is happening now. D. It is a time in Earth’s history when all continents were connected in a large landmass. Question 3 Which of the following are the 3Es of sustainable development? A. essential, entrepreneurial, and excessive B. environment, economy, and equity C. ephemeral, exclusive, and emerging D. exhaustive, empowering, and expensive Question 5 Which statement accurately describes the scientific method? A. It is a formal process of inquiry designed to test problems and ideas. B. Scientists never repeat the scientific process being investigated. C. Observations of a scientific problem never happen by accident. D. Scientists do not develop a hypothesis until the investigation is completed. E. The scientific hypothesis is always accepted at the end of the investigation.