“Alone in space, alone in its lifesupporting systems, powered by
inconceivable energies, meditating
them to us through the most delicate
adjustments, wayward, unlikely,
unpredictable, but nourishing,
enlivening, and enriching in the largest
degree – is this not a precious home
for all of us? Is it not worth our love?”
-- Barbara Ward and Rene Dubos.
What is Environmental Science?
Use the template below to define these
words on note cards or paper:
1.Resources
Word and
Picture of
dictionary
what it is
2.Sustainable
definition
3.Renewable
Synonym
Picture of
4.Nonrenewable
what it is
NOT
Questions for Notes
•
•
•
•
What is Environmental Science?
What is Sustainability?
What is an Ecological Footprint
What are the four Major
Environmental World Views?
What is Environmental Science?
• Environmental Science is a study
of how the earth works, how we
interact with the earth, and how to
deal with environmental problems.
– Deals with both the living and the
nonliving
– Interdisciplinary
(Bio/Chem/Geol/Social Science;
Humanities (ex. ethics))
– Ecology-driven
• NOT environmentalism –
POLITICAL
Ethics
Philosophy
Biology
Political
science
Ecology
Economics
Chemistry
Demography
Physics
Anthropology
Geology
Geography
Fig. 1-2, p. 7
What is Sustainability?
• Sustainability, the central theme of
this class, is built on the sub themes
of:
– Natural capital (Natural resources and
services)
– Natural capital degradation
– Solutions
– Trade-offs
– How individuals matter.
• The ability of the earth to survive and adapt
to changing environmental conditions.
What is Sustainability?
• How do we achieve a sustainable
environment?
– Three themes
• Solar energy
• Biodiversity
• Chemical cycling
– Sound Science is the foundation!
• The ultimate human goal is an
environmentally sustainable
society!
My Ecological Footprint
• One way to promote Sustainability
is to understand your Ecological
Footprints.
• Ecological Footprints
– Amount of biologically productive
land and water needed to supply an
area with resources and to absorb
pollution and waste.
– www.myfootprint.org
Environmental Worldviews
• Most people disagree on how
serious different environmental
problems are and what we should
do about them.
• There are Four Primary
Environmental Worldviews.
– Planetary Management Worldview
– Stewardship Worldview
– Environmental Wisdom Worldview
– Deep Ecology Worldview
Planetary Management Worldview
• Human-centered
• We are apart from the rest of nature
and can manage nature to meet our
needs and wants.
• Due to our technology and ingenuity,
we will never run out of resources
• The potential for economic growth is
essentially unlimited.
Planetary Management Worldview
• Three variations:
– No-problem school of thought
– Free-market school
– Spaceship Earth school
Stewardship model
• We have an ethical obligation to
be caring managers, or stewards,
of the earth.
• We probably won’t run out of
resources, but we shouldn’t be
wasteful.
• We must protect the earth for our
children, and our children’s
children.
• We borrow from the earth, we
must pay back occaisionally.
Environmental Wisdom Worldview
• Earth-centered
• We are a part of and totally
dependent on nature, and nature
exists for all.
• Resources are limited and should
not be wasted.
• We need to learn from the earth on
how to live with it.
• It is futile to try to save the earth,
because it does not need saving.
– We must save our species and
culture.