OUR PLANET Unit 1-1a What is Environmental Science?

Primary Scientific Fields  Environmental Science – Studies the impact of human activities on the environment; It includes… Biology – The study of living organisms Chemistry – Studies chemical interactions Physics – Studies matter and energy Earth Science – Studies our planet’s non-living systems Social Sciences – The study of human populations

Why Environmental Science?  Understand + solve environmental problems  2 Main areas:  How we use natural resources  How our actions affect the environment  Example: How the nesting behavior of bees is influenced by human activities, such as landscaping.  Can you give any other examples?

The History of Homo Sapiens Our modern society had a very humble beginning… Hunter-Gatherers – Our ancestors collected plants and hunted animals for almost 200,000 years, driving some species to extinction It was a difficult, nomadic life since people had to follow herds and search for crops until the development of… Agriculture – The ability to grow & breed plants creating the first farms over 10,000 years ago; But poor farming practices will ruin the land  habitat destruction, loss of water, etc. Can support 500x as many people as hunting/gathering

The Evolution of Society Agriculture sustained society until about 200 years ago, when people used fossil fuel energy instead of human and animal power. This began the… Industrial Revolution – Using fossil fuels and machinery to improve our quality of life while creating pollution All three stages in society’s development have created serious environmental problems leading to the need for environmental science. What actions are being taken now to ensure our planet is healthy for future generations?

Human Population  Can you verbally explain this graph?  What problems may result from the trends in human population growth?

Current Threats to Our World Environmental Scientists have three concerns: Loss of Resources – Non-renewable natural resources are being used faster than they can be replenished Ex: Metals, Minerals, and Fossil Fuels Increasing Pollution – Undesirable changes in our environment Ex: Ozone Depletion Loss of Biodiversity – The number and variety of species across the globe are decreasing

What Is The Earth’s Future? With over 6 billion people living on Earth… How long can we last as our population continues to grow, resulting in less resources & more pollution? Some people think of our planet as a spaceship, traveling through space with a limited amount of supplies and an increasing amount of waste. Others think of our planet as a lifeboat that can only support a limited number of people before its overburdened and sinks.

Let’s Review… What have you learned in this unit? 1. Describe the five major fields that make up environmental science. 2. What is the primary goal of environmental scientists? 3. Describe the life of a person living in a hunter-gatherer society. 4. What elements of society were made possible by the development of agriculture? 5. What are some benefits and drawbacks to the industrial revolution.

OUR PLANET Unit 1-1b The Environment and Society

Protecting Our Local Environment Because most of what is consider to be “the environment” is not privately owned, we create… Tragedy of the Commons – People will take advantage of public resources for short-term gain Ex: In a public field, farmers let their sheep overgraze because “If I don’t use the resources, then someone else would”. Once property became private, farmers used their land better. What would happen to a set of I-Pods if the school provided them for classes to share during gym?

Protecting Our National Environment In our world, the distribution of resources is not equal, creating regions of the haves and haves-nots. Developed Countries – Those that have resources and industry to support social programs and personal wealth Ex: United States, Japan, England & Australia Developing Countries – Have less resources & low incomes Ex: Most of South America, Africa & Eastern Asia Countries build their wealth & economies based upon the… Law of Supply and Demand – The greater the demand for a limited supply of something, the more it is worth Ex: PS2, Tickle Me Elmo, Oil Prices

Developed vs. Developing Developed Countries Developing Counties Why the difference??? Population Growth Rate SlowerFaster WealthGreater personal wealth Lower personal wealth EconomyBased on industry Based on agriculture Social SupportStrong (planned parenthood, welfare, social security) Weak

Protecting Our Global Environment A major problem is that developed countries are using the world’s resources to support an extravagant quality of life! Its evident in… Sweatshops Imported oil Ask your neighbor to check your tag… How many of you have on a shirt made in the U.S.? Ecological Footprint – Shows the area of Earth needed to support one person’s lifestyle in a particular country Estimates land used for crops, grazing, forest products, and housing.

Ecological Footprint Graph Can you verbally explain this graph? What happens when the world exceeds biocapacity? Unsustainability Biocapacity means the capacity of Earth to provide resources and absorb wastes.

Protecting Our Future Sustainability – The condition in which human needs are met so that the human population can survive indefinitely We are a long way off from sustainability so what ideas do you have for… Conserving non-renewable resources, such as metals and oil Reducing pollution Improving the environment for all living things on Earth Throughout this course you will learn how you affect the world and how your environment affects you!

Let’s Review… What have you learned in this unit? 1. What does the “tragedy of the commons” explain? 2. List four characteristics for a developed country. 3. Where are most developing countries found in the world? 4. Explain why developed countries might be unable to maintain their current quality of life.