introduction to environmental science. what is environmental science? environmental science is the...
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Environmental Science
What is environmental science? Environmental science is the study
of the impact of humans on the environment
Goals of env sci – to understand and solve environmental problems
Many fields of study contribute to environmental science: Biology, earth science, physics,
chemistry, social sciences
Let’s brainstorm – some problems in the world today and their solutions:
Environmental Problems
Solutions to Problems
In your opinion, why have people let the environment suffer??
What is causing so many of our environmental problems? Agricultural revolution and industrial
revolution have allowed the human population to grow much faster than it had ever grown before.
Medicine and sanitation helped increase population
Increased population increased demand for Earth’s resources!
About 7.2 billion people in world today!
Let’s think…….What happens when there are
too many people:In class?In Livingston?In the U.S.?In the world?
3 main environmental problems1. resource depletion – we are using up too many of our natural resources!2. pollution- undesired change in air, water or soil that adversely affect health, survival or activities of humans or other organisms3. loss of biodiversity- a decrease in number and variety of species
Resource DepletionResources are depleted when a
large fraction has been used upCan we deplete renewable
resources?
As the world’s population increases, what happens to its resources?
Problem 1 – Resource Depletion Natural resource – any material that is used by
humans Non-renewable resource – forms at a much
slower rate than it is consumed; once supply is used up, it will take millions of years to replace it
Fossil fuels minerals
Renewable resource – resource that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes Air, water, soil, trees and crops
Problem 2 – PollutionWhat is pollution?
AIR LAND WATER
Problem 3 – Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity – number and variety of species
Why is there a loss of biodiversity?What are some animals that are
endangered or extinct? (remember our projects!)
The Tragedy of the Commons Garrett Hardin said that the main
difficulty in solving environmental problems is the conflict between the short-term interests of individuals and the long-term welfare of society
Look at the diagrams of grazing sheep….When land was held in common,
individuals tended to graze as many animals as possible. Overgrazing led to destruction of land.
When commons were replaced by enclosed fields owned by individuals, people tended to graze only the number of animals that the land could support.
Tragedy of commons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTuri
hxSTnI Great pacific garbage clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5y1
W5xduiE Gpgp clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP1nzCqoT9g
Ecological footprint video clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFkUeleHPYTragedy of the commons animation
Ecological Footprint Ecological footprint- productive area
of earth needed to support one person in a particular country
How much of the Earth’s resources a person/country uses
Look at table, which country has largest ecological footprint?
Why? Which countries have larger ecological
footprints, developed or developing? Why?
Developed countries
Higher average incomes
Slower population growth
Diverse industrial economies
Stronger social support systems
US, Canada, Japan
Developing countries
Lower average incomes
Simple and agriculture-based economies
Rapid population growth
HOW IS THE US WASTEFUL?
WHAT ARE SOLUTIONS?
What can YOU do to reduce your ecological footprint???
What is poverty? Poverty - state of being poor; the state
of not having enough money to take care of basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing
People that live in poverty have
__________ (great/little) healthcare
__________ (great/little) education
__________ (great/little) access to food
__________ (great/little) access to water
__________ (few/many) children
An __________
(increase/decrease) in
population creates an
___________ (increase/decrease)
in resources which creates an
(increase/decrease) in poverty
sustainabilitySustainability – the condition in
which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely
Are we living in a sustainable world right now?
Sustainability is the balance between the humans and the environment!