Intro to Environmental Intro to Environmental ScienceScience

Awareness and Awareness and Sustainability ?Sustainability ?

Chapter 1Chapter 1Our Our

Changing Changing EnvironmeEnvironme

ntnt

An example of a building using green architecture, integrating wind turbines, photovoltaic panels and solar hot water generation.

Objective 1Objective 1

Define environmental science Define environmental science and explain why environmental and explain why environmental sustainability is an important sustainability is an important concern of environmental science.concern of environmental science.

What is SUSTAINABILITYWhat is SUSTAINABILITY

• Environmental Sustainability – the ability Environmental Sustainability – the ability of the environment to function indefinitely of the environment to function indefinitely without going into a decline from the without going into a decline from the stresses imposed by human society on stresses imposed by human society on natural systems (soil, water, air) that natural systems (soil, water, air) that maintain life.maintain life.

Humans are Humans are currently: Using currently: Using non-renewable non-renewable resources as resources as

renewable, using renewable, using renewable renewable

resources faster resources faster than they can be than they can be

replenished replenished naturally, polluting naturally, polluting the environment, the environment, and experiencing and experiencing

uncontrollable uncontrollable population growth.population growth.

EnvironmentaEnvironmental Sciencel Science – – The The interdisciplinarinterdisciplinary study of y study of humanity’s humanity’s relationship relationship with other with other organisms and organisms and the nonliving the nonliving physical physical

environment.environment.

Drawing a bridge of Drawing a bridge of InformationInformation

Where do we go from Where do we go from here…here…Coverage of environmental issues is now daily in the press.

Legislators are now expected to have sophisticated platforms on a variety of environmental issues.

Virtually every profession has input into environmental policies, ethics, management.

Americans remain under-equipped to deal with environmental information because of poor training in science.

Overview of Overview of Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science

What are the problems?What are the problems?

The Challenge…The Challenge…• Regardless of your reasons for taking this Regardless of your reasons for taking this

course, my challenge to you is to think for course, my challenge to you is to think for yourself. Within this course, you not only will yourself. Within this course, you not only will learn a lot about science, you will learn about learn a lot about science, you will learn about the complex issues facing our environment. the complex issues facing our environment. You will explore different points of view and You will explore different points of view and be exposed to a variety of differing opinions. be exposed to a variety of differing opinions. Don’t feel that you have to accept any Don’t feel that you have to accept any particular opinion as your own. As your particular opinion as your own. As your knowledge and skills in environmental knowledge and skills in environmental science grow, so will your ability to draw your science grow, so will your ability to draw your own conclusions.own conclusions.

• What do you hope to get out of this What do you hope to get out of this class?class?

Objective 2Objective 2

Summarize human Summarize human population issues, including population issues, including population size and level of consumption.population size and level of consumption.

Thousands of years Thousands of years to reach 1 billion, to reach 1 billion,

130 years to reach 130 years to reach 2 billion, 15 years 2 billion, 15 years to reach 4 billion, to reach 4 billion,

12 years to reach 5 12 years to reach 5 billion, and 12 billion, and 12

years to reach 6 years to reach 6 billion.billion.

Population GrowthPopulation Growth

Sciences Involved with Sciences Involved with Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science

Environment Through Environment Through Time…Time…• Hunter – GatherersHunter – Gatherers

– Collecting and scavengingCollecting and scavenging

• Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution– Growing, breeding, caring for plantsGrowing, breeding, caring for plants– Population grow at high ratePopulation grow at high rate

• Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution– Energy shift – animal, water, fossil fuelEnergy shift – animal, water, fossil fuel– Factories – Less farmingFactories – Less farming– Quality of life improvedQuality of life improved

Environmental ProblemsEnvironmental Problems• Resource DepletionResource Depletion

– Natural resourcesNatural resources– Renewable to NonrenewableRenewable to Nonrenewable

• PollutionPollution– Air, water, soil (Biodegradable/Non-Air, water, soil (Biodegradable/Non-

BiodegradeableBiodegradeable

• Loss of BiodiversityLoss of Biodiversity– Natural Resource (Food, oxygen, Natural Resource (Food, oxygen,

resources)resources)

Resource DepletionResource Depletion

The Tragedy of the Commons –The Tragedy of the Commons –Short Term vs. Long Term Short Term vs. Long Term Society WelfareSociety Welfare

Economics and the Economics and the EnvironmentEnvironment

• Supply and DemandSupply and Demand– Greater demand limited supply / more Greater demand limited supply / more

worthworth•Oil supply decrease, then what?Oil supply decrease, then what?

• Cost and BenefitsCost and Benefits– Bias – Who pushes for environmental Bias – Who pushes for environmental

regulationsregulations

• Risk AssessmentRisk Assessment

Supply and DemandSupply and Demand

Indicators of DevelopmentIndicators of Development

The Ecological FootprintThe Ecological Footprint

• A measure of how much a person A measure of how much a person consumes, expressed in area of consumes, expressed in area of land.land.