Understanding Our Understanding Our EnvironmentEnvironment

GISAT 112GISAT 112

ObjectivesObjectives

Define EnvironmentDefine Environment Distinguish between environmental Distinguish between environmental

science and environmentalismscience and environmentalism Explore the interdisciplinary nature of Explore the interdisciplinary nature of

environmental problemsenvironmental problems Review scientific problem solving Review scientific problem solving

methods and critical thinking skillsmethods and critical thinking skills

EnvironmentEnvironment

Circumstances and conditions that Circumstances and conditions that surround an organism or group of surround an organism or group of organisms, INCLUDINGorganisms, INCLUDING

Social and cultural conditions that affect an Social and cultural conditions that affect an individual or communityindividual or community

What is YOUR environment?What is YOUR environment?

Human actions influence the Human actions influence the environmentenvironment

We depend on natural resources for our We depend on natural resources for our continued survivalcontinued survival

Human population growth has shaped Human population growth has shaped our relationship with natural resourcesour relationship with natural resources

Understanding environmental science Understanding environmental science may help to prevent or fix environmental may help to prevent or fix environmental problems problems

Environmental Science is Integrated Environmental Science is Integrated and Holisticand Holistic

Integrates all physical and natural Integrates all physical and natural sciences in understanding complex sciences in understanding complex phenomenaphenomena

Integrates all social sciences in Integrates all social sciences in understanding how to achieve solutions understanding how to achieve solutions to problemsto problems

Remedies are now well understood; the Remedies are now well understood; the problem is to make them socially, problem is to make them socially, economically, and politically acceptable.economically, and politically acceptable.

Environmental Problems need Environmental Problems need Interdisciplinary solutionsInterdisciplinary solutions

What’s in a Word?What’s in a Word?

EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism: a social movement : a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world from dedicated to protecting the natural world from undesirable changes brought about by human undesirable changes brought about by human choices.choices.

Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science: the pursuit of : the pursuit of knowledge about the workings of the knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interaction with it.environment and our interaction with it.

Environmental ManagementEnvironmental Management: using our : using our knowledge to protect and/or repair the knowledge to protect and/or repair the environmentenvironment

Environmental Problems are Environmental Problems are not not ““one size fits allone size fits all””

An environmental problem is perceived An environmental problem is perceived differently by different people.differently by different people.

Age, race, class, nationality, education Age, race, class, nationality, education level, and employment may affect how a level, and employment may affect how a problem is perceived and which solutions problem is perceived and which solutions are acceptableare acceptable

What is YOUR perception?What is YOUR perception?

Using DDT to control mosquitoes Using DDT to control mosquitoes Banning logging in old growth forests to Banning logging in old growth forests to

protect Northern Spotted Owlsprotect Northern Spotted Owls Requiring car manufacturers to put catalytic Requiring car manufacturers to put catalytic

converters on automobiles to reduce converters on automobiles to reduce emissionsemissions

Prohibiting ivory sale to preserve elephant Prohibiting ivory sale to preserve elephant populationspopulations

Scientific Thinking Scientific Thinking

Reduces tendency to rely on emotional Reduces tendency to rely on emotional reaction and unexamined assumptionsreaction and unexamined assumptions

Skeptical (without loss of curiosity)Skeptical (without loss of curiosity) Rooted in antiquityRooted in antiquity Based on cooperation and insight, shared Based on cooperation and insight, shared

resultsresults ReproducibleReproducible Experimental – through controlled Experimental – through controlled

experimentationexperimentation The The ““scientific methodscientific method””: make a hypothesis, : make a hypothesis,

design the experiment, collect data, interpret design the experiment, collect data, interpret the data, draw conclusions, repeat!the data, draw conclusions, repeat!

Assumptions behind the Assumptions behind the scientific methodscientific method

The behavior of the universe can be The behavior of the universe can be described by fixed described by fixed ““lawslaws”” (i.e. everything (i.e. everything is comprehensible)is comprehensible)

Everything has a cause and an effect.Everything has a cause and an effect. Our senses and reasoning allow us to Our senses and reasoning allow us to

detect and describe the laws which detect and describe the laws which underlie the causes and effects we underlie the causes and effects we observe. (Empirical analysis is possible)observe. (Empirical analysis is possible)

How do we DO science?How do we DO science?

ObserveObserve Ask questionsAsk questions HypothesizeHypothesize PredictPredict Test the predictionsTest the predictions Analyze and interpret your resultsAnalyze and interpret your results

Scientific Practice includes Scientific Practice includes othersothers

Repeatability—others try to get the same Repeatability—others try to get the same results that you do.results that you do.

Peer review—other scientists judge your work Peer review—other scientists judge your work before it is published.before it is published.

Conferences—talking about your work with Conferences—talking about your work with others exchanges ideas and challenges others exchanges ideas and challenges interpretations.interpretations.

Funding—the money you need to do your work Funding—the money you need to do your work comes when you convince others that it is comes when you convince others that it is worthwhile.worthwhile.

Steps in Critical ThinkingSteps in Critical Thinking

Identify and evaluate premises and Identify and evaluate premises and conclusions in an argumentconclusions in an argument

Acknowledge and clarify uncertainties, Acknowledge and clarify uncertainties, vagueness, equivocation, and contradictionsvagueness, equivocation, and contradictions

Distinguish between facts and valuesDistinguish between facts and values Recognize and assess assumptionsRecognize and assess assumptions Distinguish source reliability or unreliabilityDistinguish source reliability or unreliability Recognize and understand conceptual Recognize and understand conceptual

frameworksframeworks

Developing a good research questionDeveloping a good research question

What is the impact of global warming?What is the impact of global warming? How does global warming affect a forest?How does global warming affect a forest? How will the rising content of carbon How will the rising content of carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere affect trees?dioxide in the atmosphere affect trees? Are there other variables involved that Are there other variables involved that

could mask or enhance this effect?could mask or enhance this effect?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24738-2004Aug22.html