UNIT 1: CHAPTER 1

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UNIT 1 CHAPTER 1

• SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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Section 1 Understanding our Environment

• Environmental science studies the impact of
  humans on the environment.
• goals understanding and solving environmental
  problems
• 2 focus areas (1) how we use natural resources
  and (2) how our actions alter our environment
• branches/fields of study (w/i env. science)
  ecology, geology, chemistry, botany, zoology,
  paleontology, social sciences...INTERDISCIPLINARY!

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ENVIRONMENT...A LOOK THROUGH TIME

• Hunter-Gatherers
• fires, overhuntingstrategies!
• Led to Agriculture (collecting seedsartificial
  selection, domesticating animals) began 10,000
  years ago in various parts of the world.
• Dramatic impact on societies and the
  environmentcalled the agricultural revolution.

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Lasting Effects

• Due to the replacement of forests, grasslands,
  and wetlands with farmlands, long-lasting effects
  resulted
• Habitats were lost
• Soil loss (due to replacement of forests with
  farms)
• Floods (due to replacement of forests with farms)
• Water shortages (due to irrigation)
• Infertile soil (due to overfarming)

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NextIndustrial Revolution

• Up until the mid 1700s, societies were powered
  primarily by the work of humans or animalsthen
  began the switch to fossil fuels (coal and oil).
• Result increased efficiency and productivity of
  agriculture, industry, and transportation
• Less land needed for agriculturefewer people
  grew their own food and urban populations
  increased
• Positive changes in quality of life invention
  of the light bulb, telephone and the portable
  computer sanitation, nutrition and medical care
  improved
• Negatives replacement of natural animal and
  plant products with artificial substances (ex.
  plastics, pesticides) most of environmental
  science is concerned with the problems associated
  with the IR.

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Earths Problems?

• Earth is a closed system only energy from the
  sun can enter and only heat energy can leave.
• b/c some resources are limited, as the population
  grows, resources will be used
• more wastes are produced more quickly than we can
  dispose of them (i.e. pollution)
• Different scales of env. problems local
  (property owners dispute about land use or pest
  problem), regional (polluted drinking water), or
  global (ozone depletion)

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3 Main Environmental Problems

• Resource depletion occurs when a large fraction
  of natural resources has been used up (renewable
  vs. nonrenewable)
• Pollution an undesired change in air, water, or
  soil that negatively affects the health,
  survival, or activities of humans OR other
  organisms (biodegradable vs. non-degradable)
• Loss of biodiversity extinction, species are
  considered to be a non-renewable resource
• Biodiversity the number and variety of species
  in a given area.

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Section 2The Environment and Society

• The Tragedy of the Commons by ecologist Garrett
  Hardin published in 1968
• The problem in solving environmental issues is
  the conflict that results from short-term
  interests and long-term interests
• Someone/group has to take responsibility for
  mainatining a resource---otherwise the
  resource(s) can become overused and then
  depleted.
• Long-term solutions and improvements have to take
  precedence

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Economics and the Environment

• Factors that influence how we use resources
• Social Pressures
• Supply and Demand (ex. production of oil and
  pricechoices increase price, decrease use,
  find new sources of energy)
• Costs and Benefits
• risk assessmentimportant that the risk is
  perceived accurately

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Developed vs. Developing

• Developed countries having higher avg. incomes,
  slower population growth, diverse industrial
  economies, and stronger social support systems
  (UN)
• US, Canada, Japan, and the countries of Western
  Europe
• Use about 75 of the worlds resources but only
  make up about 20 of the worlds population!
  Why?...support quality of life
• Developing countries having lower avg. incomes,
  simple and agriculture-based economies, and rapid
  population growth (UN)
• Haiti, India, Chile, Mexico, Libya, Thailand
• 5.2 billion people live in developing countries
  fewer than ½ have access to enough food, safe
  drinking water, and proper sanitation. Result
  malnutrition, starvation, disease, soil
  infertility, animal extinction.