Environmental science intro & chapter 1
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Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that studies how Earth systems function and how human activity impacts the planet. It addresses growing environmental concerns like population growth, resource depletion, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. Understanding science, sustainability, and our role as stewards of the planet can help us develop solutions to environmental problems and leave a habitable world for future generations.
Environmental science intro & chapter 1
- 1. Environmental Science Why study Environmental Science?
- 2. Environmental Science Environmental Science is… An interdisciplinary study of how the earth works How we interact with the planet How to deal with environmental problems It affects all aspects of your life
- 3. Interdisciplinary Biology Ecology Chemistry Physics Geology Meteorology Anthropology Economics Political Science Ethics
- 4. Global Environmental Concerns Population Growth Economic Development Decline of Vital Ecosystems Loss of Biodiversity Global Atmospheric Changes
- 6. Population Growth Human population today is approximately 7 billion Global estimates for the year 2050 could reach over 9 billion people
- 8. Population Growth Concernover economic growth in developing nations, e.g. China and India Most developing countries have the desire for a westernized middle class life style
- 9. Population Growth USA is the largest consumer of fossil fuels and largest producer of carbon emissions With rapid economic growth what is the impact on the environment?
- 11. Ecological Footprint What is your Ecological Footprint? The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It compares human demand with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate. Ecological Footprints measures humanities demands on Nature. Everything we do has consequences… www.myfootprint.org/
- 13. Vocabulary Definitions Resource: is anything obtained from the environment to meet our needs and wants Renewable Resources: can be replenished fairly rapidly Nonrenewable Resources: exist in a limited quantity
- 14. Vocabulary Definitions Conservation: the management of natural resources for future generations Environmental Degradation: occurs when resource demands exceed its replacement rate
- 15. Vocabulary Definitions Ecosystem: A group of plants, animals, and other organisms that work/interact with each other in a specific environment. Organism: Any living thing; plant, animal or microbe
- 16. Vocabulary Definitions Biodiversity: The variety of organism found within an ecosystem Species: A single kind of any plant, animal or microbe that can reproduce and have viable offspring
- 18. Decline of Ecosystems What is the importance of healthy ecosystems? Provides support for all life on this planet
- 19. Decline of Ecosystems How do you feel about habitat loss? What about animal extinction? Why should we care about the environment?
- 20. Easter Island
- 22. Loss of Biodiversity Endangered Species -every day one species goes extinct -there are thousands of animals on the Endangered Species List -this number increases every year -few animals ever get de-listed
- 26. Loss of Biodiversity Risks of losing biodiversity? -animal species once gone can never be replaced -stability within the environment decreases
- 28. Sustainable Future Sustainability A habitat that can continue indefinitely without depleting its resources
- 29. Stewardship What is Stewardship? -taking responsibility for our actions and how they effect the planet
- 30. Stewardship Transition Generation… Are you a part of the solution?
- 31. Science & Scientific Method Science: A way of gaining knowledge Scientific Method: 1. Problem/Observation 2. Hypothesis 3. Experiment 4. Theory/Solution Data:Information that is gathered from observations and measurements drawn from experiments
- 33. Science & Scientific Method Theories:An explanation of how things work Theory of Evolution Theory of Relativity Theory of Gravity
- 34. Science & Scientific Method What is scientific objectivity? -All information is considered when developing conclusions What is scientific rationality? -All information is considered and presented is a clear and logical fashion All scientific research is peer reviewed for accuracy, clarity and rationality.
- 35. Science & Scientific Method Sound Science: (reliable) is peer reviewed research that can be duplicated Junk Science: (unreliable) usually doesn’t have a solid scientific basis of reasoning, challenges other scientific data with the intent of causing confusion and damage to further their own interests
- 36. Science & Scientific Method Cause & Effect A cause is something that makes something else happen. Out of two events, it is the event that happens first An effect is what happens as a result of the cause. Of two related events, it’s the one that happens second or last -pollution and acid rain
- 37. Science & Scientific Method Correlation a statistical measure of a relationship between two or more variables, gives an indication of how one variable may predict another -Body versus Brain size
- 38. Science & Scientific Method Observation Interpretation -When looking at scientific evidence, you need to see thing objectively without emotional interpretation!