Environmental Sciences: Towards a Sustainable Future Chapter 1 Introduction: Sustainability, Stewardship and Sound Science

The Course Introduction Global environmental concerns Three unifying themes Sustainability Stewardship Sound science The process of science

Association Between People and the Land Developing Nations: Closely tied to land because survival depends on it. Developed Nations: Totally isolated from the natural world.

What Happened to Easter Island https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfbQA-Krx9Q Society fails to care for the environment and sustain it. Population increase beyond carrying capacity. Disparity between rich and poor widens.

How To Prevent a Global Version of the Easter Island Disaster Understand how the natural world works Understand how human and natural systems interact Accurately assess the status and trends of crucial natural ecosystems Establish long-term sustainable relationships with the natural world

The Global Environmental Picture Rapid human population growth and increasing consumption per person Decline of vital life-support ecosystems Global atmospheric changes Loss of biodiversity

Rapid Human Population Growth

Indicators of Decline of Vital Ecosystems Depleted water supplies Agricultural soils degraded Oceans over fished Forests cut faster than they can grow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l02JYsTIWNI

Global Atmospheric Changes

Contributors to Loss of Biodiversity Habitat alteration Exploitation Pollution

Three Unifying Themes Sustainability Stewardship Sound science

Four Dimensions to Sustainable Development Environmental Social Economic Political

How Stewardship Is Demonstrated Recognition that a trust has been given. Responsible care for something not owned. Desire to pass something on to future generations.

Environmental Justice or Racism? Placement of waste sites and hazardous facilities in nonwhite communities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vomW-G2P5gE

The Environmental Movement Rachel Carson: Silent Spring Effect of DDT in the food chain

Successes of the Environmental Movement Environmental protection agency (EPA) Environmental laws Pollution abatement Species saved from extinction

Assumptions of the Process of Science We perceive reality with our five basic senses Objective reality functions according to certain basic principles and laws

Assumptions of the Process of Science Causes and effects are explainable We have tools and capabilities to understand basic principles and natural laws

How the Process of Science Works

True or False Concerning the Process of Science There are no controversies or arguments among scientists. Progress in science can be slow. We are continually confronted by new observations. Some observed phenomena may not lend themselves to simple experiments.

True or False Concerning the Process of Science Science is incapable of providing absolute proof for any theory. The process of science can be used to test value judgments. The validity of science is based on the ability to do experiments.

Junk Science Presentations of selective results Public distortions of scientific works Publication in quasi-scientific journals