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Environmental Interrelationships

Chapter 1

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The Field of Environmental Science

• Environmental Science is interdisciplinary, and includes applied and theoretical aspects of human impacts on the world.– A mixture of traditional science, individual

and societal values, and political awareness.

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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems

• Environment is everything that affects an organism during its lifetime.

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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems

• Most social and political decisions are made with respect to political jurisdictions.– Environmental problems do not

necessarily coincide with artificial boundaries.

Forest fires in Mexico affecting air quality in Texas.

Air pollutants from U.S. causing acid rain in Canada.

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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems

• International agencies such as the International Joint Commission have major bearing on environmental quality over broad regions.– Established in 1909, in part, to protect

boundary waters between the U.S. and Canada.

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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems

• First worldwide meeting of heads of state directed towards the environment took place at the Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.– Most countries have also signed

agreements on sustainable development and biodiversity.

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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems

• In 1997, representatives from 125 nations met in Kyoto, Japan for the Third Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.– Kyoto protocol is viewed as one of the

most important steps to date in environmental protection and diplomatic diplomacy.

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An Ecosystem Approach

• Ecosystem - Region in which the organisms and the physical environment form an interacting unit.– The task of an Environmental Scientist is

to recognize and understand natural interactions that take place, and then integrate these with the uses humans must make of the natural world.

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Regional Environmental Concerns

• Most regions tend to focus on specific, local issues that apply directly to them.– In most metropolitan areas, the problem of

endangered species is purely historical, as the construction of cities has destroyed previously existing ecosystems.

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Regions of North America

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Wilderness North

• Much of Alaska and Northern Canada can be characterized as “wilderness” - areas with minimal human influence.– Much of this land is owned by

governments, thus governmental policies have a large effect.

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Wilderness North

• These areas have important economic values in their trees, animals, scenery, and other natural resources. – Resource exploitation involves significant

trade-offs as these ecosystems are sensitive to insults and take a long time to repair damage caused by exploitation.

Many short-term political and economic decisions have failed to look at long-term environmental implications.

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Wilderness North

• Native peoples in this area are sensitive to changes in land use or government policy that would force changes in traditional ways of life.– Increasingly sophisticated in negotiations.

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Agricultural Middle

• Middle of North America is dominated by intensive agriculture.– Original, natural ecosystems have been

replaced by managed agriculture.

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Agricultural Middle

• Tremendous economic value.– Mostly private land - large economic risks.

• Major non-point pollution source.– Soil erosion and groundwater

contamination.Fertilizers and Pesticides

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Dry West

• Characterized by areas where rainfall is inadequate for agriculture, but adequate enough to allow livestock production.

• Because much of western U.S. is of low economic value, most is still controlled by the U.S. government. – Encourages use by providing cheap water

for livestock and irrigation, cheap grazing fees, and access for industrial development.

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Dry West

• As cities grow, conflict arises between urban dwellers and ranchers and farmers.– Increased demand will result in shortages

and resulting trade-off decisions.Low population density areas tend

towards wilderness character. Economic livestock vs. wilderness

preservation.

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Forested West

• Coastal and mountainous regions of western United States and Canada receive sufficient rainfall to allow coniferous forests to dominate the landscape.

• Government and commercial timber companies own large sections of land. – Historically, much of this timber has been

sold at a loss.

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Forested West

• In 1993, USFS was directed to stop below-cost timber sales. – Timber officials claim access to public land

is necessary to remain in business and support the economy; conservationists argue ecological and intangible values outweigh economic values.

Northern Spotted Owl has become a symbol of conflict between logging and preservation.

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Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast

• Great Lakes and Northeast are dominated by large metropolitan complexes with large, complex resource demands.– Many older cities have declined, leaving

behind abandoned sites and environmental problems.

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Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast

• One of the greatest problems is water contamination from toxic materials.– Bioaccumulation in food chain.

Fish Advisories

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The Diverse South

• Microcosm of all other regions.– Extremely rapid population growth in some

areas such as coastal regions.Pockets of extreme poverty.

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