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How much should it How much should it cost?cost?
Rank the following items in order of Rank the following items in order of their importance to you. Then, next their importance to you. Then, next to each item, write down how much to each item, write down how much you would be willing to pay for it.you would be willing to pay for it.
Fresh, clean drinking waterFresh, clean drinking water Clean air to breatheClean air to breathe An endangered plant containing a An endangered plant containing a
substance that can cure cancersubstance that can cure cancer Gas for your family carGas for your family car
What Is What Is Environmental Environmental
Science?Science?What do you think this class What do you think this class
will be about? will be about?
What will you learn?What will you learn?
What do you What do you wantwant to learn? to learn?
Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science The study of how we and other species interact The study of how we and other species interact
with one another & with the nonliving with one another & with the nonliving environment (matter & energy)environment (matter & energy)
Includes:Includes: Physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, Physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, geology,
meteorology, geography, resource technology, meteorology, geography, resource technology, engineering, resource conservation & engineering, resource conservation & management, demography, economics, politics, management, demography, economics, politics, sociology, psychology, ethicssociology, psychology, ethics
The environment The environment is difficult!is difficult!
The environment is difficult to study The environment is difficult to study because…because…
A hypothesis must be testableA hypothesis must be testable
VARIABLES must be controlled and isolatedVARIABLES must be controlled and isolated Too many interactions – known & unknownToo many interactions – known & unknown
More problemsMore problems
Scale is often a problemScale is often a problem Populations over timePopulations over time Environmental factors over centuriesEnvironmental factors over centuries
Measurement is difficultMeasurement is difficult Species, pollutants, tons of soilSpecies, pollutants, tons of soil
We do our best…We do our best… At best, we provide trends & estimatesAt best, we provide trends & estimates
Rely on models Rely on models
CorrelationsCorrelations Example: BPA findings (1:34) Example: BPA findings (1:34)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94699105http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94699105
ModelsModels
A representation or simulation of a A representation or simulation of a system being studiedsystem being studied
Can be mental, physical, graphical, Can be mental, physical, graphical, mathematical, conceptualmathematical, conceptual
CorrelationCorrelation Relationship between two separate Relationship between two separate
eventsevents More CO2 and higher global More CO2 and higher global
temperaturestemperatures
Correlation DOES NOT Correlation DOES NOT mean causation…mean causation…
More lemons imported causes more traffic More lemons imported causes more traffic accidents?accidents?
SYSTEMS & FEEDBACK LOOPS
System Vocabulary• INPUT
matter, energy, information entering a system
• THROUGHPUT rate flow of matter, energy, or information
through a system
• OUTPUT matter, energy, information leaving a system
Stuff goes inStuff is
processedStuff comes
out
Input Throughput Output
FEEDBACK LOOPS
Change induces change
Stuff goes inStuff is
processedStuff comes
out
Feedback Loop
Negative Feedback Loops
• The change counteracts the situation
Examples:
What happens when you’re hot?
What happens when you’re cold?
Positive feedback Loops
• The change compounds the situation = Snowball Effect!
Example:
As long as there are more human births than deaths, population will continue to
increase.
Pesticides:
Urban Sprawl
Positive or Negative
• 1 person in a group of 10 has cold.
• That person passed the cold to another and soon 5 people now have the cold.
• Those 5 students then each pass the cold to another.
Feedback Loops in Context
Global warming hypothesizes that the average temperature of Earth is increasing. During analysis, scientists have identified possible positive and negative feedback loops to explain atmospheric climate change.
• http://science.howstuffworks.com/global-warming.htm
Radiation and Reflection
Positive or Negative?
• The warming of the oceans causes
dissolved CO2 to bubble out into the
atmosphere. This atmospheric CO2 helps
to trap heat near the earth. This trapped
heat continues to warm the ocean.
Positive or Negative?
• Warmer water temperatures cause greater
water evaporation, which increases the
formations of clouds. A lot of water vapor
in the air also traps heat inside the
atmosphere.
Positive or Negative?
• The increased cloud cover from example 2
might also act to reflect sunlight back into
space, preventing it from entering our
atmosphere. This might cool the earth.
Positive or Negative?
• Sunlight striking the earth is absorbed by
dark colors and reflected by light colors.
The polar ice caps act like huge mirrors,
reflecting sunlight back into space.
Warmer water temperatures are melting
these ice caps and decreasing these big
“mirrors,” leaving dark water behind.
Positive or Negative?
• Warmer temperatures cause greater water
evaporation, which falls to earth as
precipitation. Therefore global warming
may cause increased snow fall in the polar
regions, leading to increased ice
formation.
How did you do?
• 1. Positive
• 2. Positive
• 3. Negative
• 4. Positive
• 5. Negative
Contemplate this…• What would Earth look like if there weren't
any greenhouse effect at all?
• It would probably look a lot like Mars.
• Mars doesn't have a thick enough atmosphere to reflect enough heat back to the planet, so it gets very cold there.
Hmmmmm….• Some scientists have suggested that we
could terraform the surface of Mars by sending "factories" that would spew water vapor and carbon dioxide into the air.
• If enough material could be generated, the atmosphere might start to thicken enough to retain more heat and allow plants to live on the surface.
Just like early Earth…• Once plants spread across Mars, they
would start producing oxygen.
• After a few hundred or thousand years, Mars might actually have an environment that humans could simply walk around in
-- all thanks to the greenhouse effect.