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Science & the EnvironmentSection 1: Understanding Our Environment
Miss Napolitano/Mrs. RodriguezEnvironmental Science
What is Environmental Science?
• Environmental science – the study of the air, water, & land surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere.
• Includes the study of the impact of humans on the environment
Many Fields of Study
• Envi Sci is interdisciplinary – involves many fields of study
• Includes:• Ecology – study of interactions of living organisms with
one another and with their environment
• Biology – the study of living things
• Chemistry – the study of chemicals and their interactions
• Physics – the study of matter and energy
Contributing Fields of Study
Scientists as Citizens, Citizens as Scientists• Studying the environment makes a healthy,
productive society
• Observations of nonscientists are the first steps toward addressing an environmental problem
Our Environment through Time• Humans change their environment!• Ex: Manhattan
news.nationalgeographic.com
First Impact: Hunter-Gatherers
• Hunter-gatherers – people who obtain food by collecting plants & hunting wild animals• Example: Native Americans• Hunted buffalo• Burned prairies to prevent tree growth
• May have led to disappearance of large mammal species in North America, including:• Giant sloths• Giant bison• Mastodons• Cave bears• Saber-toothed cats
The Agricultural Revolution
• Agriculture – raising of crops & livestock for food or other products useful to humans• Began 10,000 years ago• Caused populations to boom & concentrate in small
areas• Grasslands, forests, & wetlands replaced with farmland
using the slash-and-burn technique• Poorly farmed, soil is no longer fertile
• Caused soil loss, floods, & water shortages• Changed food that we eat• Wild plants – “nature plants”• Domesticated plants – selectively bred for certain qualities
Selective Breeding in Corn
The Industrial Revolution
• Shifted from natural energy sources to fossil fuels• Ex: Animals & running water coal & oil
• Increased efficiency of agriculture, industry, & transportation• Ex: motorized vehicles = cheap transportation over long
distances• Factories produced cheaper goods than goods made by
hand• Farm machines reduced human labor
• Caused populations to grow in urban areas
Improving the Quality of Life
• Improvements after the industrial revolution:• Agricultural productivity• Sanitation• Nutrition• Medical care
• New environmental problems:• Pollution• Habitat loss• Artificial substances replaced raw animal & plant products• Plastics, artificial pesticides, & fertilizers
Spaceship Earth
• Spaceship Earth – Earth is like a spaceship traveling through space• Cannot dispose of its waste or take in new supplies
• Earth = closed system• Large scale, the only thing that enters the atmosphere is
energy from the sun• Large scale, the only thing that leaves the atmosphere is
heat
Environmental Problems
• Local• New landfill in the community
• Regional• Polluted river 1000 miles away affecting the region’s water
• Global• Depletion of the ozone layer
• Main environmental problems:• Resource depletion• Pollution• Loss of biodiversity• Biodiversity – variety of organisms in a given area
Population Growth
• Humans are growing faster than ever before, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, modern medicine, & sanitation
• More humans = more food = problem!
• Human population expected to double before stabilizing