Introduction to Science, Ecology and Environmental Science
What is science?
• Science is a process for producing knowledge
– Orderly and methodical
• Science depends on making precise observations of natural phenomena and
on formulating rational theories to make sense of those observations
• Science reduces our tendency to rely on emotional reactions and unexamined
assumption
Science
• Science searches for testable evidence that cultural and religious traditions do
not
• Scientists do not accept proposed explanations until there is substantial
evidence to support them
Scientific design
• Scientific studies are well thought-out
• Reproducibility is a key test of any data set
Hypothesis and theory
• An hypothesis is a conditional explanation
• After systematic testing, scientists either accept or reject the hypothesis
• When a large amount of evidence and many tests support a hypothesis and a
majority of experts have reached general consensus, we call it a scientific
theory
Statistics
• Statistics are numbers, mathematical tests and models that evaluate and
compare things
• Statistics are widely used in science and ecology in particular
Pseudoscience
• A common tactic in combating scientific evidence is to use scientific
uncertainty as a an excuse to postpone or reverse an action supported by the
current scientific evidence
What is ecology?
• Greek Oikos = the home or household
• -ology = study of
Human ecology
• The study of the interactions of humans with each other and with their
environment
Environmental science
• Environmental science is a systematic study of our environment, and
humanity’s place in it
– Interdisciplinary and integrative
– Usually Mission-oriented – Implies that we have a responsibility to get
involved and solve the problems we have created
Now a bit more about this class…
How can I be successful in this course?
Answer: It’s up to you!
• Develop good study habits
• Use textbook and online resources effectively
• Practice critical thinking
• Ask questions!
Environmental ethics next time
Environmental ethics
• Ethics is a branch of philosophy:
– Morals: Distinction between right and wrong
– Values: Ultimate worth of actions or things
• Environmental ethics deals with the moral relationships between humans and
the surrounding world.
Values, rights, and obligations
• Moral Agents - Beings capable of acting morally or immorally, and who can
accept responsibility for their acts
– Humans
• Moral Subjects - Beings who are not moral agents, but who have moral
interests and can be treated rightly or wrongly
– Children
Values, rights and obligations
• Moral Extensionism - Widening definition of who is considered ethically
significant
– Animal rights
Environmental justice
• Environmental justice combines civil rights and environmental protection to
demand a safe, healthy environment for all people
– People of color around the world are subjected to a disproportionately high
level of environmental health risks
• Environmental racism
Environmental justice
• Toxic colonialism - Targeting poor communities in areas or countries for waste
disposal and/or experimentation
– Native American Reservations
– Moving operations to countries where environmental regulations are lax
Intrinsic and instrumental value
• Intrinsic (Inherent - Innate) - Worth or value simply because of existence
– Humans
• Instrumental (Conferred) - Worth or value only because they are valued by
someone who matters
– Tools
Does nature have intrinsic or instrumental value to you?
Religious and cultural Perspectives
• Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Hinduism
– Biocentricism - All living things have intrinsic value
Religious and cultural perspectives
• Christianity, Judaism and Islam
– Anthropocentric - Human-centered
• Genesis 1:28 (Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl
of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”)
– Stewardship viewpoint - Custodian of resources
Environmental science: past and present
Historical perspective
• Four distinct stages:
– Pragmatic resource conservation
– Moral and aesthetic nature preservation
– Modern environmentalism
– Global environmentalism
Nature protection is not new!
• Habitat destruction noted by Aristotle and Plato in classical Greek period
• Conservation management practiced by agrarian societies
• Private game management, royal preserves and private manor lands
History of American resource management
•
•
American Indians
American colonists
– nature as economic resource
– nature as “evil”
Pragmatic resource conservation
• George Perkins Marsh - Man and Nature
• Influenced Theodore Roosevelt and his chief conservation advisor
Gifford Pinchot
– Pragmatic Utilitarian Conservation
» “Greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time”
» For people that live here now, not in the future
» Multiple Use Policies of USFS came out of this ethic
– Roosevelt, Pinchot and others are responsible for creating framework
of national park, wildlife refuges and forests
Moral and aesthetic nature preservation
• John Muir - President of Sierra Club
– Nature deserves to exist for its own sake - regardless of degree of
usefulness to humans (Biocentric Preservation)
– Disagreed with Pinchot about damming of river
Modern environmentalism
• Industrial explosion of WW II added new concerns to the environmental
agenda
– Rachel Carson - Silent Spring (1962)
Modern environmentalism
• Environmental agenda expanded in 1960’s and 70’s to include:
– Human population growth
– Atomic weapons testing
– Fossil fuel issues
– Air pollution
– Wilderness protection
Global environmentalism
• Increased technology has greatly expanded international awareness
• Recognizes that we are a global village
• Includes social justice
Environmental issues are complex
– Chemical contamination
– UV radiation
– Solar radiation
– Parasite infection
Current conditions
• Human Population > 6 Billion
• 85 million added per year
– Food shortages and famines
– Water quantity and quality issues
– Fossil fuel burning
• Air and water pollution
• Global climate change
– Landscape destruction
• Loss of biodiversity
A divided world
• Poor countries tend to be located in Southern Hemisphere
• World Bank estimates1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty of < $1 per day
– Daily survival necessitates over-harvesting resources thus degrading
chances of long-term sustainability
• Poor are often victims and agents of environmental degradation
A divided world
• Wealthy countries tend to be located in the Northern Hemisphere
• About 1/5 of world population live in countries with per capita income >
$25,000.00 (U.S.)
– Poor people exist here as well
• Gap between rich and poor continues to increase
– Wealthiest 200 people in the world have combined wealth of $1 trillion more than total wealth of poorest half of the world’s population
A fair share of resources
• Affluent lifestyles of richer countries consume inordinate share of natural
resources and produces high proportion of pollutants
– Takes approximately 450 kg of raw materials to get an average American
through the day
– US annually throws away 160 million tons of garbage
– “Ecological Footprint” is one way to measure resource consumption
Sustainable development
• “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”
– Benefits must be available to all humans, not just sub-set of privileged
group
Sustainable development
– Many economists see continual economic growth as essential in providing
more resources to more people
– Most ecologists view continual growth as impossible in the long-run due to
non-renewable resources and limited ecological waste-disposal capabilities
Indigenous people
• Indigenous (native) people are often least powerful, most neglected people in
the world
– At least half the world’s 6,000 distinct languages are dying
– Indigenous homelands may harbor vast percentage of world’s biodiversity
– Indigenous people possess valuable ecological knowledge and remain
caretakers of little-disturbed habitats
Your homework – Living in Pakistan