Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental
Science
Chapter 1 Section 1:
Understanding our Environment
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Environmental Science
•
Environment (def):
 Circumstances and conditions that
surround an organism or group of
organisms.

Including social and cultural conditions that
affect an individual or community.
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Environmental Science
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Environmental Science is the systematic
study of our environment and our place in it.
 Highly Interdisciplinary
 Inclusive
 Holistic
 Mission-Oriented
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Goals of Environmental Science
•
•
To understand and solve environmental
problems.
Environmental scientists study two main
types of interactions between humans and
their environment:
1) How our actions alter our environment.
2) The use of natural resources.
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Environmental Science
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Many Fields of Study
Environmental science is an
interdisciplinary science, which
means that it involves many
fields of study:
Ecology is the study of
interactions of living
organisms with one another
and with their environment.
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Scientists as Citizens, Citizens as Scientists
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Governments, businesses, and cities
recognize that studying our environment is
vital to maintaining a healthy and productive
society.
Thus, environmental scientists are often
asked to share their research with the world
Often, nonscientists’ observations are the
first step toward addressing an
environmental problem.
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What is Environmental Science
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“For an increasing number of environmental
issues the difficulty is not to identify remedies.
Remedies are well understood; the problem
is to make these remedies socially,
economically and politically acceptable.”
Barbara Ward Economist
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Remember
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What is our proper place in nature?
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What ought we do and what can we do to
protect the irreplacable habitat that produced
us and supports us?
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Criteria for Environmental Literacy
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Awareness and appreciation of natural and
built environments.
Knowledge of natural systems and ecological
concepts.
Understanding of current environmental
issues.
The ability to use analytical and problemsolving skills on environmental issues.
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