ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The study of the impact of humans on the
environment.
Examples of most significant environmental
problems in the world today:
 Habitat destruction
 Global warming
 Pollution
 Resource depletion
 overpopulation

GOALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Understand and solve environmental problems
- how we use natural resources
Ex. water, plants
- how our actions alter the
environment
Ex. Habitat destruction, pollution

FIELDS OF STUDY
Interdisciplinary – involves many fields of study
 Ecology – the study of how living things interact
with each other and with the non-living
environment.
Ex. Animal behavior
 Chemistry – pollutants
 Geology – how materials travel through earth

FIELDS OF STUDY, CONT’D
Botany, Zoology – preservation of species
 Earth sciences – hydrology,geology, climatology,
palentology
 Physics-engineering, ex. Landscape, petroleum

SCIENTISTS AS CITIZENS

Studying the environment is vital to maintaining
a healthy and productive society

Scientists share research with the world
through publications and conferences
SCIENTISTS AS CITIZENS
CITIZENS AS SCIENTISTS
Citizens have an obligation to make
observations of their surroundings and report
changes that could affect a species or society
as a whole
Ex. Appearance of new species
Ex. Disappearance of a species
Ex. Change in habitat or species
Ex. Water quality

MAN’S EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH
TIME
Wherever humans have hunted, grown food, or
settled, they have changed the environment
I. Hunter-Gatherers
A. over-hunting of a species (bison)
B. burning prairies to prevent tree growth
C. Combination of climate change and over hunting by huntergatherers led to loss of species including giant sloths, giant bison,
mastodons, cave bears, and saber-toothed cats
HUNTER-GATHERERS
MAN’S EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH
TIME CONT’D
II. The Agricultural Revolution
a. agriculture – the practice of growing, breeding, and
caring for plants and animals that are used for food, clothing,
housing, transportation, and other purposes.
B. The dramatic impact of this change on human societies and
their ennvrironment is called the agricultural revolution
C. Effect: exponential human population growth, populations
concentrated in smaller areas.
MAN’S EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH
TIME CONT’S
Agricultural Revolution
D. Domesticated plants we eat today are very different from
wild ancestors
E. Habitats destroyed to make farm land (slash and burn)
MAN’S EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH
TIME CONT’D
III. Industrial Revolution
A.
B.
C.
D.
A shift from energy sources such as animal muscle and
running water to fossil fuels
Greatly increased the efficiency of agriculture, industry, and
transportation
Large-scale production of goods mass produced in factories
became less expensive
Machinery reduced the amount of land and human labor
needed for farming
III. INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION CONT’D
E. Populations in urban areas steadily grew
F. Motorized vehicles allowed food and other goods to be transported cheaply
across great distances.
G. Inventions and technology (light bulb, traffic light, cooling car, telephone)
flourished and improved.
H. sanitation, nutrition, medical care improved
I. Negative consequences:
Environmental problems resulting from the use of
artificial substances such as plastics and other non-biodegradable items as
well as pollution
III. INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION CONT’D
SPACESHIP EARTH

Earth is a closed system – the only thing that enters earth’s
atmosphere in large amounts is energy from the sun, the only thing that
leaves is heat. No new matter enters or leaves Earth’s systms.



Resources used up quickly
Waste produced more quickly than it can be disposed of
Environmental problems are local (landfill), regional(oil spill), or global
(ozone depletion)
MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
I.
Resource depletion –
a. natural resource – any natural material that is used by humans
b. renewable resource – can be replaced within a lifetime
c. nonrenewable resource – forms at a slower rate than it is being
consumed
D. resources are said to be depleted when a large fraction of a resource
has been used up.
EX. Renewable depleted resource – trees, water
Nonrenewable depleted resource – copper mine
MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CONT’D
II. Pollution
A. main effect of Industrial revolution – waste produced faster than it is
disposed of.
B. pollution – an undesired change in air, water, or soil that adversely
affects the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms.
Types: Biodegradable – can be broken down by natural processes Ex.
Human sewage, food wastes.
Non-biodegradable – cannot be broken down by natural
processes Ex. Mercury, lead, plastic
POLLUTION
MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CONT’D
III.Loss of Biodiversity
A. biodiversity – the number and variety of
species that live in an area.
benefits – food, genetic diversity, natural
resources of medicines and other goods
B. extinction – loss of a species. At the end of
the Permian period, 95 million years ago, as
much as 95 percent of all species lost.
QUIZ (THEY ARE DUE 7 MIN. AFTER TARDY BELL
Use your book to answer these questions in
complete sentences:
1) Use a Venn Diagram to contrast the environmental effects of
the hunter-gatherer stage and the Industrial Revolution
2) Explain how environmental problems can be local, regional or
global and give one example of each not mentioned in notes or
book.
3) Is water considered renewable or non-renewable? Support
your answer.
Ch.1 Sec.2 The Environment and Society
I.
“Tragedy of the Commons’
A. Essay describe conflict between short term interests of
individuals and the long-term welfare of society.
B. Someone or group has to take responsibility for
maintaining a resource. If no one takes that responsibility,
the resource can be overused and become depleted.
Ch.1 Sec.2 The Environment and Society
II. Economics and the Environment
A. Supply and demand – the greater the demand for a limited
supply of something, the more that thing is worth.
Economics and the Environment
B. Costs and benefits – balances the cost of the action against
the benefits one expects from it.
•
•
•
The cost of environmental solutions can be high.
Ex. Increase in taxes for clean water, recycling program, habitat
restoration and preservation.
Consumer choices: light bulbs, more expensive products that
meet environmental regulations.
Economics and the Environment
C. Risk Assessment – involved in cost-benefit analysis. The
cost of any action is the risk of an undesirable outcome.
•
The public does not always perceive the risk
accurately.
•
Ex. Nuclear power
III. Developed and developing countries
•
•
classified by the United Nations
Developed countries have higher average incomes,
slower population growth, diverse industrial economies, and
stronger social support systems Ex. U.S.A., Canada,
Japan,countries of western Europe.
•
Developing countries – lower average incomes, simple and
agricultural based economies,and rapid population growth
•
Each (see pg.19) has different consumption patterns
III. Population and Consumption

In some areas, human population is growing too quickly for the
local environment to support it

When population grows too quickly there may not be enough
natural resources for everyone in the area to live a healthy
productive life.

Developed countries use about 75% of world’s resources even
though they make up only about 20% of the world’s population
Economics and the Environment cont’d
Ecological footprint – shows the productive area of Earth
•
needed to support one person in a particular country.
Estimates the land used for crops, grazing, forest products, and
housing, ocean for seafood, forest area needed to absorb the
air pollution.
Economics and the Environment
Sustainability – the condition in which human
needs are met in such a way that a human
population can survive indefinitely.
•
•
NOT happening now!
Developed countries have higher standard of
living because they are using resources faster
than they can be replaced.
What will your Impact on the Environment Be?