Philosophy%20and%20Fundamental%20Concepts

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Philosophy and Fundamental Concepts
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So whats this class about?
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Learning Objectives

• Introduction to Environmental Geology
• What Environmental Geology means/involves
• Fundamental concepts (8)
• Key Principles/Issues

• Scientific Method
• Environmental Ethics
• Environmental Crisis?
• Concept of sustainability
• Systems
• Uniformitarianism
• Some others

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Eight Fundamental Concepts

• 1. Overpopulation 1 environmental problem
• 2. Environmental objective sustainability
• 3a The earth is (essentially) a closed system
  with respect to materials
  
• 3b Solutions to environmental problems include
  understanding of feedback and rates of change in
  systems
• 4a. The earth is the only sustainable habitat we
  have
• 4b. Its resources are limited
• 5. Todays physical processes are modifying our
  landscape (and environment), and have operated
  throughout geologic time but magnitude and
  frequency are subject to natural and man-induced
  changes
• 6. Earth processes that are hazardous to people
  have always existed
• 7. An understanding of our environment requires
  an understanding of the earth sciences (and
  related disciplines)
• 8. The effects of land use tend to be cumulative.
  Thus, we have an obligation to those who follow
  us.

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Some Definitions

• Geology Study of the earth (all aspects)
• Environment various definitions
• Surroundings
• Physical
• Chemical
• Biological
• Social cultural definitions, each with
  implications

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Some Definitions cont

• Environmental Geology Applied Geology
• Earth materials
• Geologic processes
• Hydrologic processes
• Landscape
• Natural hazards
• Natural resources energy
• Anthropogenic (man-made or man-influenced)
  impacts on any of the above
• Effects of the above on man, society, the
  environment

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The Scientific Method"It has often been said
that the greatest discovery in science was the
discovery of the scientific method of discovery."
-- Dr. James K. Feibleman, author of Scientific
Method (1972)

• Scientific Method vs. Methods
• Method(s) for understanding how the world works
• Identify, understand, solve problems
• Thinking/problem solving skills
• Objectivity
• Traditional http//teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_
  labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.html
• SM-14 http//www.scientificmethod.com/b_index.
  html

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Theories

• Are hypotheses that withstand the scrutiny of
  experiments/testing (to establish/confirm e.g.,
  consistency, repeatability, predictability)
• A strong scientific statement that the hypothesis
  behind the theory is likely to be true, but has
  not been conclusively proven
• Absolute proof of scientific theory is often not
  possible
• What kind of proof is required (or necessary)?

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Examples

• Gravity
• Solar system model (seasons)
• Atomic theory
• Electricity
• Nuclear physics

What is the prevailing theory for the conditions
(environment) necessary for life?
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Deep Sea Vents Smokers

• Restricted to mid-ocean ridges
• 2 miles deep
• Ambient temperature 2oC
• Temperature at vents gt750o F (gt400oC)
• Anomalous concentrations of sulfides Cu, Zn, Fe,
  Ba, Si, H2S
• Chemosynthesis-based life (bacteria higher
  forms)
• Regulates thermal and chemical balance of oceans
  and atmosphere

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What is Important

• Objectivity, keep an open mind
• Appreciation of
• what we do, or think we know, AND
• what we dont, or may not know
• Healthy sense of curiousity/skeptism dont be
  afraid to question the status quo

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Culture and Environmental Awareness

• What is this? What is its significance?
• Present conditions and the way we perceive and
  respond to our physical environment are developed
  from cultural and social institutions
• Political
• Economic
• Ethical
• Religious
• Aesthetic
• Solution to environmental issues/problems require
  change in how society works (e.g, similar to
  industrial revolution)

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Environmental Ethics

• What does this mean?
• Environmental consciousness
• Existence of relationships between the physical
  environment and civilization
• Motivation for concept? e.g., The Quiet Crisis
• Land Ethic Responsibility to the total
  environment as well as society
• Meaning / scope?
• Limits?
• Perspective

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Environmental Crisis

• Meaning?
• Increasing demands on diminishing resources
• Demands accelerate as the population grows
• Increasing production of wastes
• Factors
• Overpopulation
• Urbanization
• Industrialization
• Low regard for environmental/land ethics
• Inadequacy of institutions to cope with
  environmental stresses

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Environmental Crisis Examples

• Deforestation
• Mining of resources (e.g., metals, coal,
  petroleum)
• Development/damage to groundwater and surface
  water resources

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Eight Fundamental Concepts

• 1. Overpopulation 1 environmental problem
• 2. Environmental objective sustainability
• 3a The earth is (essentially) a closed system
  with respect to materials
  
• 3b Solutions to environmental problems require
  understanding of feedback and rates of change in
  systems
• 4a. The earth is the only sustainable habitat we
  have
• 4b. Its resources are limited
• 5. Todays physical processes are modifying our
  landscape (and environment), and have operated
  throughout geologic time but magnitude and
  frequency are subject to natural and man-induced
  changes
• Earth processes that are hazardous to people have
  always existed
• An understanding of our environment requires an
  understanding of the earth sciences (and related
  disciplines)
• The effects of land use tend to be cumulative.
  Thus, we have an obligation to those who follow
  us.

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Population Growth

• Greatest environmental problem
• Exponential growth

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Exponential Growth
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Growth Rate Calculations

• As a percentage (e.g., 2 per year)
• E.G. for a population of 100,000 (105)
• After yr-1, increase 0.02 x 105 2,000
• Total population now 102,000
• After yr-2, increase 0.02 x (102,000) 2,040
• Population now 104,040
• Doubling Time
• Roughly 70 growth rate
• E.G. for a growth rate of 2
• Doubling time ? 70 2 35 years
• Standard growth equation NNoekt
• see pg. 16

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Sustainability

• Concept of sustainability ?
• Sustain environmental resources so they can
  continue to provide benefits to people and the
  environment
• Ensuring equal opportunity to resources for
  future generations
• Types of development that
• Are economically viable
• Do not harm the environment
• Socially just
• Sustainable global economy (of planet its
  resources)

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Systems

• System Any part of the universe selected for
  study
• Concept of systems
• Earth as a system (w/ component systems)
• Atmosphere (air)
• Hydrosphere (water)
• Lithosphere (rock, soil)
• Biosphere (life)
• Interactions of these parts conditions of the
  environment
• Changes in magnitude or frequency of processes in
  one part causes changes in other parts, e.g., ?

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Earth Cycles
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Systems Principle of Environmental Unity

• Everything affects everything else, e.g.
• Mountain building affects atmosphere, weather,
  which affects hydrosphere, which affects
  biosphere, which affects environment, and
  eventually the lithosphere (e.g., erosion)
• Gaia Hypothesis (later also see pg. 18)

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System Factors/Components

• Type of system (open, closed, etc.)
• Stock (reservoir) quantity of stuff there
• Fluxes (e.g., flow rate)
• Input
• Output

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Types of Systems

• Open Allows matter and energy in and out (e.g.,
  environment)
• Closed Allows only energy in and out
• Isolated Allows neither matter or energy to
  enter or leave

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Input-Output Analysis

• Dynamic systems have inputs outputs
• System parameters
• Stock/pool
• Rates (fluxes)
• Input
• Output
• Others

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Main ways stocks can change
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Residence Time

• Measure of time required for the total stock or
  supply of material to be cycled through a system
• Calculation of average residence time (ARD)
• Assumming constant size, rates, etc.
• ARD (size of stock) avg. rate of transfer
• e.g., For a 100-million m3 reservoir with equal
  input output rates of 1 m3/sec
• ARD 100x106 m3/(1 m3/sec) 1.0 x 108 sec 3.2
  yrs

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Significance?

• Recognition of earth systems, cycles, processes
• Magnitude of cycle times
• Rates of natural processes

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Features of Systems

• Most earth systems would appear to be open, and
  dynamic
• BUT, natural cycles more closely represent
  combinations of closed systems, because
  materials are continuously recycled (water,
  gases, chemicals, etc.)
• Most dynamic systems tend toward steady state
  (balanced dynamics pseudo equilibrium)
• What are some examples of systems in, or that
  influence, the environment?

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System Feedback

• Negative System adjusts to changed conditions to
  reestablish steady state, e.g., river
• Positive Changes in a system that cause
  significant modifications of a system, and result
  in amplification of the changes

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Feedback Examples
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Off-road vehicle erosion what type of feedback?
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Slope modification, erosion, stability what
type of feedback?
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Earth System Science

• Typically involves complex systems
• Systems interact with one another
• Interactions generally result in a balance of
  nature (steady state)
• Types of changes
• Disturbances (flood, earthquake)
• Threshold (resistance of a river bank)
• Complex response (flood erosion)
• Examples of complex systems, feedback, etc.?

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Gaia Hypothesis

• Life significantly affects the planetary
  environment, i.e., has dynamic vs. passive
  effects (feedback)
• Life affects the environment for the betterment
  of life (regulation processes, e.g., plankton
  controls of atmospheric O2 and CO2)
• Life controls the global environment (e.g.,
  regulation via and - feedback)

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Resource Limitations?

• The earth is the only place we can live that is
  now available/accessible to us
• The earths resources are limited
• Some are renewable others arent
• Two Views
• Issue of resources is mainly one of our ability
  to figure out how to optimize our utilization of
  them
• We are in a resource crisis because finite
  resources cannot sustain an exponential
  population growth
• Logical extrapolations?

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Uniformitarianism

• The past is the key to the present
• We can gain understanding of geologic processes,
  systems, etc. in the past by understanding how
  they work today
• Examples
• Mountain building/topography/landscape
• Erosion
• Water cycles
• Climate
• Relationships between life environment

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Uniformitarianism cont

• Key concept in interpreting geologic
  observations, e.g.,
• Glacial processes
• Marine fossils on mountain tops
• Volcanism elsewhere in the solar system
• Ore, petroleum deposits
• Key for using geologic knowledge to understand
  natural earth processes in historical and
  predictive modes

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Hazardous Earth Processes

• Examples
• Flooding
• Earthquakes
• Volcanism
• Landslides / mudslides
• Dealing with natural hazards requires an
  understanding of the processes, factors, and
  their relationships to other earth systems

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Geology as a Basic Environmental Science

• All geology can be considered environmental
• The environment and our understanding of it, is
  rooted in geology (together with biology,etc.)
• Understanding our environment requires a
  broad-based comprehension and appreciation of the
  earth sciences
• Main factors in interdisciplinary environmental
  science
• Physical
• Biological
• (Chemical)
• Human use and interest

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Fundamental Concepts

1. Population Growth
2. Sustainability
3. Systems
4. Limitation of Resources
5. Uniformitarianism
6. Hazardous Earth Processes
7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science
8. Obligation to the Future

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Obligation to the Future

• Effects of land use tend to be cumulative
• This use, and what mankind continues do, have
  important implications for those who follow us
• Example Ducktown, Tenn.

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Ducktown, TN
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Chapter Summary

• Environmental Geology ?
• Consideration of time in geologic sciences
• Cultural basis for environmental degradation
  (explain)
• Ethical
• Economic
• Political
• Religious
• Environmental problems not confined to any one
  political or social system
• Land ethic ?
• Immediate cause of environmental crisis
• Overpopulation
• Urbanization
• Industrialization
• (what do these mean whats the relationship?)

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Chapter Summary cont

• Environmental Problems mean what?
• Solutions to environmental problems require what?
• Scientific understanding (of what?)
• Fostering social, economic, and ethical behavior
  to allow implementation (Explain)

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Eight Fundamental Concepts

• 1. Overpopulation 1 environmental problem
• 2. Environmental objective sustainability
• 3a The earth is (essentially) a closed system
  with respect to materials
  
• 3b Solutions to environmental problems include
  understanding of feedback and rates of change in
  systems
• 4a. The earth is the only sustainable habitat we
  have
• 4b. Its resources are limited
• 5. Todays physical processes are modifying our
  landscape (and environment), and have operated
  throughout geologic time but magnitude and
  frequency are subject to natural and man-induced
  changes
• 6. Earth processes that are hazardous to people
  have always existed
• 7. An understanding of our environment requires
  an understanding of the earth sciences (and
  related disciplines)
• 8. The effects of land use tend to be cumulative.
  Thus, we have an obligation to those who follow
  us.

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Learning Objectives

• Meaning of Environmental Geology
• Scientific Method
• Cultural/Environmental Awareness
• Environmental Ethics
• Environmental Crisis?
• Sustainability
• Systems Environmental Unity
• Uniformitarianism

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