AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CHAPTER 1
Science and the Environment
NAME: __________
The first chapter is a survey of many of the environmental issues to be covered and the context
(sustainability, sound science, and stewardship) in which they will be discussed. We also discuss
the historical perspective and the bias and misrepresentations of junk
science.
1. Who is Rachel Carlson?
a. She writes about an imagined tragedy! What real
environmental tragedies do you know of that have
occurred since she wrote Silent Spring?
b. What were the two important qualities that Rachel Carson brought to her work?
c. Create a timeline of the effects of Carson’s work, from the time that she published
her book to the banning of DDT in 1970, highlighting important events that
occurred in that time frame.
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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Key Terms and Vocabulary:
Environmentalist's paradox, gross domestic product (GDP), Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), goods, services, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (ME), environmental science,
environmental movement, environmentalists, environmentalism, sound science, sustainability,
stewardship, scientific method, natural sciences, observation, facts, experimentation, atomic
theory, hypothesis, theory, natural laws, concepts, instruments junk science, sustainable yields,
development, equity, environmental racism, environmental justice movement
2. Define a paradox and explain the environmentalist's paradox.
3. State the four hypotheses that the scientists at McGill advanced.
We will have a class discussion at this point!
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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Ecosystem Services (Refer to table 1-1 on page 6)
What are ecosystem services?
How long has it taken for humans to profoundly degrade ecosystem services more now
than at any other time in history?
In your opinion and from examining the table 1-1 which services are most at risk?
Choose any two from your list above and explain the consequences of the degradation of
these ecosystem services!
What have scientists identified as having the most serious effect on ecosystems?
As a class we will take a look at four important global trends.
1. Increasing Population Growth and Declining Human Well-Being
2. The Decline of Ecosystem Goods and Services
i. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
3. Global Climate Change
4. Loss of Biodiversity
i. Risks of Losing Biodiversity
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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Use 1.2 Environmental Science to begin your list of Environmental Laws. This is a good section
to read through to reinforce your understanding and to set the scene for future study.
4. The text suggests three themes essential to a sustainable environment/future. Very briefly
explain each of these.
a. Sustainability:-
b. Sound Science:-
5. Controversies arise in science, mainly for the following reasons:
i. New information can be gained from better observations and instrumentation.
The ozone hole and the Hubble telescope are examples. Thus information
changes.
ii. Complex phenomena are hard to conduct experiments with. Examples
include enhanced greenhouse gases and global warming as well as the effects of
ozone depletion on ecosystems.
iii. Multiple perspectives get involved because many issues have social,
economic, or political ramifications.
iv. Bias from individuals with vested interests comes into play. For example, the
tobacco industry and cancer, the chemical industry and ozone depletion, and
agriculture and GMOs.
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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6. What basic questions should be asked when evaluating issues and scientific conclusions?
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a. Stewardship – (what is this?)
What environmental racism are you aware of?
7. Why are the following needed if we are to move toward a Sustainable Future?
a. Social change
b. Environmental change
c. A new commitment.
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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Complete review questions 5, 8,9,11,13.
5. What are the concepts behind each of the three unifying themes—sound science,
sustainability, and stewardship?
8. Define sustainability and sustainable development. What is a sustainable society?
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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9. List five transitions that are necessary for a future sustainable civilization.
11. What is an ethic and what are some of the difficult questions confronting the stewardship
ethic?
13. How does justice become an issue between the industrialized countries and the developing
countries?
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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Thinking Environmentally: Possible Answers
1. Imagine a class debate between people representing the developing countries and
people representing the developed countries. Characterize the arguments of the
two sides in terms of the issues surrounding population growth, energy use,
resource use, and sustainable development. Then describe what should be the
common interests between the two.
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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2. Some people say that the concept of sustainable development either is an oxymoron or
represents going back to some kind of primitive living. Develop an argument contradicting this
opinion, and give your own opinion on sustainable development.
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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4. Set up a debate between proponents and opponents of building a new coal-fired power plant.
Use the strategies of sound science and junk science to conduct the debate, and show how a
perverted use of these terms can help to obscure the real issues. Other interesting debate
options include the “ozone hoax” and global warming; the Internet can provide ample
material for both sides of the debate.
APES: Chapter 1 Wright and Boorse – Introduction
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