Environmental Studies
Lecturers/
Tutors:
Email:
Tel# :
Room:
Damian Nesbeth
Nikki Bramwell, Raymond Martin,
Debbie Devonish, Nadia Spence
dnesbeth@utech.edu.jm
nbramwell@utech.edu.jm
rmartin@utech.edu.jm
ddevonish@utech.edu.jm
nspence@utech.edu.jm
927-1680 Ext. 2364-5
3C1 / Biology Staff Room
Environmental Studies
General Objectives
1. Understand the way natural ecosystems
function.
2. Appreciate the ways in which human
populations disrupt the functioning of the
natural ecosystem and thus cause
environmental problems.
3. Propose and evaluate solutions to current
environmental dilemmas.
What is the Environment?
• Environment
- all living & non-living external factors
that affect an organism
What is Environmental Science?
• Environmental Science
- study of humanity’s relationship with
other organisms and the non-living
environment which integrates knowledge
from many disciplines, e.g., :
• engineering
• politics
• technology
Environmental Scientists
• Monitor the quality of the environment
• Interpret the impact of human activity on
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
• Develop strategies for restoring ecosystems.
• Help planners develop and construct buildings,
transportation corridors and utilities.
Studying Environmental Science
Helps Us to Understand:
1. How Earth works
2. How we affect Earth’s life support
systems
3. How we can help solve current
environmental problems
Natural Capital/Natural
Resources
Goods and services provided by the Earth
through natural processes are known as
natural capital or natural resources.
These support all economies and life.
Natural Resources
The 2 main types of natural resources are:
• Renewable – theoretically lasts forever
• Non-renewable – exhaustible, finite
Environmental Sustainability
- ability of the environment to function
indefinitely
Why is environmental
sustainability important?
• It means meeting the needs of humans at
present without endangering the welfare of
future generations of people
• Therefore it is relevant at the individual,
community, national, regional & global
levels
DO YOU THINK THERE IS
ANYTHING WRONG WITH
THE ENVIRONMENT WE
LIVE IN TODAY?
Current Unsustainable Human
Behaviours Include:
• Unchecked use of non-renewable
resources
• Renewable resources being used faster
than nature can replenish them
• Pollution of the environment
• Human population growth
Pollution
- an undesirable change that can adversely
affect humans or other living organisms
Persistence:
how long a pollutant stays in
air, water, soil or an
organism
Pollution cont’d
The 2 main types of pollutants are:
• Degradable
• Non-degradable
Environmental Issues
The following are some environmental issues facing Earth.
Species endangerment
and extinction
Land Degradation
Global Warming
Water Shortage
and Pollution
Acid Deposition
Ozone Depletion
Urbanisation
Improper Solid Waste
Disposal
What is the issue here?
What is the issue here?
What is the issue here?
Environmental Ethics
- a discipline that studies moral conviction
about or commitment to, one type of
behaviour over another as it relates to the
environment
Worldviews
There are two major environmental
worldviews.
These are:
•cornucopianism
•environmentalism
Cornucopianism
• stems from a western tradition
• anthropocentric (people-centred)
environmental philosophy
• man has dominion over the earth
• Earth’s supplies infinite
Environmentalism
• a response to the threat to the natural
environment
• ecocentric (the environment has intrinsic
value apart from its value to human ends)
• addresses environmental problems and
methods that can be employed to solve
them
Sustainable Development
• also called environmentally sustainable economic
development
• encourages economic growth in a way that meets
the needs of current and future generations
• discourages environmental harmful practices or
encourages sustainable economic growth
Environmental Law
• enactments that ensure that the
environment is protected
• provides legal basis for protecting
endangered species, critical habitat, other
natural resources and humans
National Environment & Planning Agency
- Established as a legal entity in 1991.
- Operates under the following acts:
-
NRCA Act 1991
Beach Control Act (1956)
Watersheds Protection Act (1963)
Wildlife Protection Act (1945)
- Provides policy framework for
environmental management.
National Environment & Planning Agency cont’d
Some NEPA activities are:
- environmental education
- environmental monitoring
- project planning and monitoring
- issuing environmental permits and
licences
http://www.nepa.gov.jm/
National Environment & Planning Agency cont’d
Management Tools Promoted by NEPA:
- Conservation
- Conservation Biology
- Environmental Management Systems
- Natural Resource Valuation
Conservation vs.Conservation Biology cont’d
• Conservation
- careful use of natural resources
- e.g., fuel wood, wild meat, wild plants
Conservation vs.Conservation Biology
• Conservation Biology
- multidisciplinary science that
investigates human impacts on biological
diversity
- attempts to prevent species extinction
- develops compromises between
species protection and human needs
Natural Resource Valuation
• Process of placing monetary values on
natural environmental resources, their
services and effects.
• Allows for more accurate representation of
the costs associated with development.
Environmental Management
Systems (EMS)
• Management tool that enables organisations,
institutions and businesses to address the impact
of their goods and services on the environment.
• An EMS may include:
– ways to recycle office paper;
– more efficient waste management systems
– plans to phase out or replace certain chemicals or
materials (NEPA, 2005)
Environmental Management
Systems (EMS)
• Example – Environmental Audits for
Sustainable Tourism (EAST) Project.
(1997; Funded by USAID)
• After instituting EMS five Jamaican hotels
reduced:
– Energy use by 12%
– Water consumption by 50,000,000 gallons
– Energy use by 1,665,000 kWh.
(Dollar value USD 330,000 per annum)