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1 Introduction

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that draws on many disciplines to help understand pressing environmental problems and develop sustainable solutions. Some persistent challenges facing the environment include climate change, food and water security, energy resources, air and water pollution, and biodiversity loss. Science plays an important role in systematically analyzing these issues, while environmentalism aims to influence policies to protect the environment. Achieving sustainable development is crucial to meeting needs of the present without compromising the future.

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8 views

1 Introduction

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that draws on many disciplines to help understand pressing environmental problems and develop sustainable solutions. Some persistent challenges facing the environment include climate change, food and water security, energy resources, air and water pollution, and biodiversity loss. Science plays an important role in systematically analyzing these issues, while environmentalism aims to influence policies to protect the environment. Achieving sustainable development is crucial to meeting needs of the present without compromising the future.

Uploaded by

marquezwyna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO

ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE
Motivation
◻ Remember your most memorable holiday vacation!
🞑Where did it happen?
🞑Is it a beach vacation? Hiking in a mountain? Forest
park/ nature park? Island hoping? Province-feels?
🞑Do you remember what were your surroundings then?
Picture it in your mind.
Motivation
◻ How about your dream vacation in the Philippines?
🞑Sagada? Siargao? Cebu adventures? Coron?
Camiguin? Batanes? Mindoro? Davao?

🞑Why do you want to visit the place? Is it because of


nature immersion?

🞑Do you agree that the environment is an amazing work


of art?
Understand our Environment
◻ The field of environmental
science is interdisciplinary
🞑draws on many disciplines
(science and technology,
social science, politics,
business, etc.)

🞑to help us understand pressing


problems of resource supply,
ecosystem stability, and
sustainable living.
We live in a Marvelous Planet!
◻ Mild and relatively
constant temperatures
◻ Supply of air, water, fertile
soil, and rich biodiversity
◻ Humans are part of the rich
biodiversity!
🞑What do you think is your
role?
Environmental Science
◻ Environment – composed of
the natural world and the
“built” world
◻ Environmental Science is the
systematic study of our
environment and our place in it
🞑 Multidisciplinary
🞑 Mission oriented: understand
the environmental problems and
offer effective solutions to them
Persistent Challenges of Today
◻ Climate change
🞑Increase in global average temperatures due to natural
and anthropological activities
🞑Severe droughts and heat waves, population decline in
species, rising sea levels
Persistent Challenges of Today
◻ Hunger
🞑Uneven distribution of food resources
🞑Degradation of agricultural lands
🞑Expensive technology for poor farmers
Persistent Challenges of Today
◻ Clean Water
🞑Lack of access to safe drinking water
🞑Water pollution
Persistent Challenges of Today
◻ Energy Resources
🞑Renewable and non renewable energy sources
🞑“Cleaner” technology
Persistent Challenges of Today
◻ Air quality
🞑Worsening air quality, toxic haze, air pollutants
Persistent Challenges of Today
◻ Biodiversity Loss
🞑Habitat destruction, overexploitation, pollution,
introduction of foreign species
Human Dimensions
◻ Affluence and environmental costs
🞑Resource consumption and waste disposal
Interventions and Signs of Hope
◻ Population and pollution
◻ Health
◻ Renewable energy
◻ Information and
Education
◻ Conservation of Forests
and Nature Preserves
◻ Protection of Marine
Resources
The Role of Science
◻ Systematic method of analyzing environmental
problems

◻ Science
🞑a process for producing empirical knowledge by
observing natural phenomena
🞑refers to the cumulative body of knowledge produced
by many scientists
The Role of Science
◻ Science should be
methodical and unbiased
and it employs a peer-
review process
◻ The scientific method is
an orderly way to
examine problems
◻ Science is a cumulative
process
◻ Employs critical thinking
The Role of Science
Environmentalism
◻ Is it the same as
Environmental Science?
🞑Scientific method to study the
processes and systems in the
environment
🞑Action to influence attitudes
and policies that affect our
environment
Responses to Environmental Changes

◻ Stage 1: Resource waste


triggered pragmatic resource
conservation
🞑Excessive grazing and
deforestation » establishment
of natural forest reserves
🞑“utilitarian conservation”
🞑Resources should be used “for
the greatest good, for the
greatest number, for the longest
time.”
Responses to Environmental Changes

◻ Stage 2: Ethical and


aesthetic concerns inspired
the preservation movement
🞑Nature deserves to exist for
its own sake
🞑Preservation emphasizes
the fundamental right of
nature to exist
🞑National Parks
Responses to Environmental Changes

◻ Stage 3: Rising pollution levels


led to the modern
environmental movement
🞑Undesirable effects of pollution
■ Air pollution in cities
■ Expansion of chemical industries
🞑Modern environmentalism
■ concerns extended to include both
natural resources and
environmental pollution
Responses to Environmental Changes

◻ Stage 4: Environmental
quality is tied to social
progress
🞑Social justice and
environmental equity
🞑Land stewardship for farmers
and fishers
🞑The poorest are the most
vulnerable to environmental
degradation
🞑Global environmentalism
Sustainability
◻ Sustainability is a search for ecological stability
and human progress that can last over the long term

◻ Sustainable development
🞑“meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs”
🞑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfsWI8XgQyo
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Summary
◻ Environmental science is interdisciplinary and
mission-oriented
◻ We are facing persistent environmental challenges
such as climate change, food security and hunger,
clean resources, energy consumption, and
biodiversity loss
◻ Science has a role in understanding and helping the
environment
◻ We must partake in the movement for sustainable
development

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