1. What is Environmental Science?
Bell Ringer: Put in your binder.
YES-write the question!
What is Environmental Science?
What does that mean to you?
List some environmental problems.
Article Analysis

3. Definitions
Environment - all external conditions and factors that affect living organisms
Ecology - study of relationships between living organisms and their environment
Environmental Science - examines the effect of humans on the earth’s environment
How the earth works
How to deal with the problems we face
It is an interdisciplinary science - natural and social sciences.

4. Sustainability
Meeting the needs of humanity without depleting natural resources.
Based on principles
Must consider the effects we have on nature.
Earth’s resources are finite. Living in a linear system will not allow for earth to recover.
Must consider all costs on the environment and society
Everyone is responsible

5. So How are We Doing?
We use non-renewable resources as if they are unlimited.
We use renewable resources (water, wood, food) faster than they can be replenished.
Pollution has effected our environment.
We keep growing past our carrying capacity.

6. Why so hard to do?
Limited knowledge on the impacts humans have on the environment.
Started out on the wrong end of sustainability. Hard to change perception of how to live.
Example of sustainability
Green architecture – Developing buildings that reduce waste and energy compared to what we have now.
Sustainable development
Plan for the 21st century. Developed in ’92 by the world summit.
3 factors:
Environmental sound decisions.
Socially equitable (what is fair) decisions
Economically viable decisions.
How has it gone so far?
No power to enforce plan

7. Human Impacts Population Biggest problem in Environmental Science
Exponential growth
1 billion in billion in billion in billion in 1999.
Almost ½ (2.8 Billion) are estimated to be in poverty (No adequate food, shelter, water, nutrition, etc)
Fertility rate: Birth rate is about 3 per family
Efforts are made to lower this (China)

8. Environmental Impact Environmental impact (I) I = P x A x T
Proposed by Paul R. Ehrlich and John P. Holdren
P = # of people, A = consumption per person, T = environmental effects from obtaining resources.
Hard to make long term predictions
Technology changes in how we get the resources
Trends change on what is consumed

9. Some Examples of Issues
Endocrine Disrupters
Closing the Georges Bank Fisheries
Declining Bird Populations
Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone
Invasive species
Ozone depletion
Global Climate Change
Destruction of Habitat and Biodiversity

10. Worldviews Western world view Deep ecology world view
Human centered and utilitarian
Conquer and exploit nature
Deep ecology world view
Diverse and developed in the 1970’s.
Harmony with nature
Spiritual respect for life
Humans and all species have worth

11. Lorax
Truax