Environmental Science - Chapter One Textbook Notes

Chapter 1 (Textbook Notes) What is Environmental Science? Environmental Science Uses scientific approaches of observation and analysis to understand the natural systems around us Environmental Science Examines Systems Systems Networks composed of interconnected parts trees, understory plants, animals, soil bacteria, fungi, streams, ground water, earth, etc. System Drivers The factors or processes that cause systems to persist or to change Transformational Change A shift in fundamental aspects or processes, often occurs when the drivers in a system are altered Methods in Environmental Science Observation The Scientific Method Quantitative Reasoning Uncertainty Critical and Analytical Thinking Major Themes in Environmental Science Environmental Quality Climate Change The atmosphere retains heat near the earth’s surface, but concentrations of heat-trapping “greenhouse gases” have increased dramatically burning fossil fuels, clearing forests/farmlands, raising billions of methane burping cattle Natural Resources Biodiversity Loss The United Nations Environment Programme have reported that over 800 species have disappeared and at least 10,000 species have been declared endangered within the past century Conservation of Forests and Nature Preserves Indigenous rights is often the best way to protect biodiversity, forests, fisheries, etc. Sustainability and Environmental Science Aldo Leopold once observed: The great challenges in conservation have less to do with managing resources than with managing people and our demands on resources How Do We Describe Resource Use and Conservation? Ecosystem Services Refers to services/resources provided by environmental systems Provisioning of resources: such as fuels we burn Supporting services: such as water purification, production of food and atmospheric oxygen by plants, decomposition of waste by fungi and bacteria Regulating services: such as maintenance of temperatures suitable for life by the earth’s atmosphere and carbon capture by green plants Planetary Boundaries Thresholds of abrupt or irreversible environmental change There are 9 major systems: Climate Change Biodiversity Land System Change Freshwater Use Biogeochemical Flows (nitrogen and phosphorus) Ocean Acidification Atmospheric Aerosols Stratospheric Ozone Loss “Novel Entities” We have already passed the planetary boundaries for three: Climate Change Biodiversity Loss Nitrogen Cycling We are approaching the limits for four: Freshwater Supplies Land Use Ocean Acidification Phosphorus Loading Sustainable Development Involves Environmental and Social Progress Sustainability 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” - Gro Harlem Brundtland 10 Key Factors Necessary for Sustainable Development: Combating Poverty Reducing Resource Consumption Better Family Planning Health Cure Sustainable Cities Environmental Policy needs to guide decision making in local/national governments Protection of the Atmosphere Combating Deforestation and Protecting Biodiversity Combating Desertification and Drought Agriculture and Rural Development Science Helps Us Understand Our World Science Depends on Skepticism and Reproducibility Scientists demand reproducibility because they are cautious about accepting conclusions You must be able to describe the conditions of your study, so others may be able to reproduce your findings (this is known as replication) We Use Both Deductive and Inductive Reasoning Deductive Reasoning Logical reasoning from general to specific We know massive objects attract due to gravity, thus we can reason an apple will fall to the ground when it releases from a tree Inductive Reasoning Reasoning from many observations to produce a general rule We can observe that birds appear/disappear through the year, through many repeated observations we can infer that birds migrate seasonally Where Do Our Ideas About the Environment Come From? Ethical and Aesthetic Concerns Inspired the Preservation Movement “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect” - Aldo Leopold Smart Book Questions: More than __ of fish stocks have been severely depleted and are in need of better management to maintain sustainable global food supplies 3/4 Which of the following are involved in the current, large-scale loss of native species on earth? Habitat destruction, new exotic species, water/air pollution Whereas __ itself is decreasing, attempts to protect it through reserving and protecting more natural areas is increasing Biodiversity What energy source currently supplies approximately 80% of industrialized energy needs? Fossil Fuels Which of the following statements correctly describes the current state of global hunger? An estimated 850 million people are chronically undernourished An important idea in consumption is throughput, the amount of resources that are used and disposed of Which of the following are true regarding recent trends in global health? Infant mortality has declined, some diseases have been eradicated, millions have gained access to clean water Ecosystem services refers to the resources provided by environmental systems, such as water and air purification More than one billion people depend on resources from the ocean for their animal protein source. However, fish stocks are not doing well Clear-cutting of forests has occurred worldwide, directly and drastically affecting the number of species living in these environments Although relatively cheap, fossil fuels have high environmental costs in terms of air and water pollution The term used for the amount of resources we use and dispose of is throughput Those services and resources provided by environmental systems on earth are called Ecosystem Services The current general trend of biodiversity is that it is Decreasing Sustainability is the search for ecological stability and human progress that can last indefinitely Sustainable development means that the needs of the present are met without Compromising future generations What are some of the primary aims of the Millennium Development Goals? Ending extreme hunger/poverty, providing safe water, preserving biodiversity Which of these describe the Sustainable Development Goals proposed in 2016? They were proposed by the United Nations and include targets for economic/social equity Some of the planetary boundaries of environmental services include freshwater use, ocean acidification, and stratospheric ozone loss What is the term for the condition in which ecological stability and human progress can last over a long time? Sustainability As of 2018, large progress has been made with the Millennium Development Goals including reducing by half The proportion of undernourished people Sustainable development requires that the needs and welfare of future generations are not compromised due to current development and progress The Human Development Index is a measure of __ calculated by the United Nations each year using a variety of factors such as income equality and life expectancy Quality-of-life What goals proposed by the UN in 2016 include 17 targets, both general and specific, and cover topics such as preserving biodiversity, ending poverty, providing clean water and energy, and promoting health? The sustainable development goals Global wealth is __ distributed Unevenly The biggest success of the Millennium Development Goals was in reducing levels of poverty Before there is substantial evidence to support experimental results or claims, scientists Remain skeptical Asking if the proponents of a particular claim of a study have considered alternate points of view is a valid way to evaluate if that study is sound science. True A scientific consensus is reached when informed scientists agree after examining evidence, tests, and engaging in debate Rejection of scientific explanations is more often a reflection of a person's Group Identity What kind of shift is a great change in the explanatory framework of the scientific community? Paradigm Shift Ways to judge if a study is sound science include asking if The claims have been reproduce by others, the study has gone through a impartial peer review process, the majority of the scientific community agree with the study’s findings Orderly, logical, analytical assessment of evidence, ideas, and arguments is called critical thinking We critically analyze information in various ways such as using analytical, creative, reflective, and logical thinking The famous naturalist __ based his beliefs in preserving nature on aesthetic and spiritual values, irregardless of how useful nature might be to us. He was the first president of the Sierra Club. John Muir People have identified environmental problems and worked to protect nature As early as thousands of years ago Roosevelt's and Pinchot's view was that nature should be preserved and used to provide resources for humans. This is now known as pragmatic utilitarian conservation What type of progress addresses issues such as public health and sanitation that affect the poorest people, which in turn improves water quality and other environmental issues? Social Progress