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Introduction To Environmental Science

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18 views37 pages

Introduction To Environmental Science

Uploaded by

Kieth Zamira Romano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

An Introduction
What is Environmental Science?
• an interdisciplinary science
which involves many other
field of study (history, social
science, earth science)
• the foundation is ECOLOGY
Major Goal:

Understand and
developing solutions to
environmental
problems
Is more concerned on HUMAN IMPACT ON
THE ENVIRONMENT

Environment  impacts ➔ Humans


Environment: the totality of our
surroundings

All the things around us with which we


interact:
• Living things
Animals, plants, forests, fungi, etc.
• Nonliving things
Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks
• Built environment
Buildings, human-created living
centers
• Social relationships and institutions
Environmental science vs
Environmentalism

Environmental science
- The pursuit of
knowledge about the
natural world
- Scientists try to
remain objective
Environmentalism
- A social movement
dedicated to
protecting the natural
world
Natural resources: vital to human
survival
Humans and Environment
• Humans change the environment, often
in ways not fully understood
• We depend completely on the
environment for survival
- Increased wealth, health, mobility,
leisure time
- degradation
(pollution, erosion and
species extinction)
• Environmental changes threaten long-
term health and survival
Global Human Population Growth
• More than 8,114,291,961 people in the
world as of Sunday – June 9, 2024
• In the Philippines: 118,987,237 as of
Saturday – June 8, 2024 (Worldometer)
Aim: Stable food supplies
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
• Urbanized society powered by fossil
fuels
• Sanitation and medicines
• More food
What is an “environmental problem”?

- It depends on the perception of what


constitutes a problem since it varies
between individuals and societies
Ex.: DDT, a pesticide
• In developing countries: welcome
because it kills malaria-carrying
mosquitoes
• In developed countries: not
welcome, due to health risks
Population & Consumption

- Human population growth exacerbates


all environmental problems
- Our consumption of resources has risen
even faster than our population growth
(making our life comfortable and
easier)
- Rising consumption amplifies the
demands we make on our environment.
Ecological Footprint

- measures how fast we consume


resources and generate waste
compared to how fast nature can
absorb our waste and generate
resources.
- ecological footprints of countries vary
greatly
- developing countries have much
smaller footprints than developed
countries
Challenges in Agriculture
• It is one of humanity’s greatest achievements
but at an enormous environmental cost
- Nearly half of the planet’s land surface is
used for agriculture
- Chemical fertilizers
- Pesticides
- Erosion
- Changed natural systems

• Increase in population and consumption lead


to expanded food production
Challenges in Pollution

• Waste products and artificial


chemicals used in farms, industries,
and households
• Brings millions of death each year
Challenges in Climate

• Changing the composition of the


atmosphere which causes warming
of the earth’s surface
- Melting glaciers
- Rising sea levels
- Impacted wildlife and crops
- Increasingly destructive weather
Challenges in Biodiversity

• Human actions have driven many


species extinct, and biodiversity is
declining dramatically
• We are at the onset of a mass
extinction event

Biodiversity loss may be our biggest


environmental problem; once a species is
extinct, it is gone forever
Biodiversity
The Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment (2001)
Major findings:
• Humans have drastically altered
ecosystems
• These changes have contributed to
human well-being and economic
development, but at a cost
• Environmental degradation could get
much worse
• Degradation can be reversed, but it
requires work
Our energy choices will affect our
future
• The lives we live today are due to
fossil fuels
- Machines
-Chemicals
- Transportation
- Products
• Fossil fuels are a one-time bonanza;
supplies will certainly decline
Sustainable Solutions

• We must develop solutions that


protect both our quality of life and
the environment
1. Sustainable Engineering
• Creating and using methods that
minimize environmental damage
and provide sufficient food,
water, shelter.
2. Sustainable Architecture
• Creating design to minimize negative
environmental impact of buildings by
designing efficient and moderate use
of material, energy, development
space and the ecosystem as a whole.
• Using environmental preferable
products (manufactured from
recycled and from local sources)

• Design and construction of green


spaces
3. Organic Farming
4. Green Technology

- The use of Science and Technology to


create products that are more
environmentally friendly to conserve
the natural environment and
resources, and to curb the negative
impacts of human involvement
5. Alternative fuels
- Use of non-conventional and
advanced fuels

Conventional fuels:
- fossil fuels
- nuclear materials (uranium and
thorium)
- artificial radioisotope fuels that are
made in nuclear reactors
Sustainability: a goal for the future

• Leaves future generations with a rich


and full Earth
• Maintains fully functioning ecological
systems
• Conserves the Earth’s natural
resources
How can we achieve
SUSTAINABLILITY?

• The triple bottom


line: sustainable
solutions that
meet
- Environmental
goals
- Economic goals
- Social goals
Sustainability

• use of resources to satisfy current


needs without compromising future
availability of resources
• Requires that humans apply
knowledge from the sciences to
- Limit environmental impacts
- Maintain functioning ecological
systems
Conclusion

• Environmental science helps us


understand our relationship with the
environment and informs our
attempts to solve and prevent
problems.
• Identifying a problem is the first step
in solving it
Conclusion

• Solving environmental problems can


move us towards health, longevity,
peace and prosperity
• Environmental science can help us
find balanced solutions to
environmental problems

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