1. Understanding our Environment

2. Everything that surrounds us. Includes the natural world as well as things produced by humans.

3.  The study of how humans interact with the environment  Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and with their nonliving environment, so….  Environmental Science = Ecology + Human Interaction

5.  A resource is said to be depleted when a large part of it has been used up.  Any natural material that is used by living things is called a Natural Resource (such as sunlight, air, water, soil, minerals, plants, animals, forests, and fossil fuels)

6.  A resource that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes or doesn’t run out at all.  Examples:  Air  Fresh Water  Trees  Crops  Sun (energy)  Resources that cannot be replaced (or take a really long time to replace)  Examples:  Fossil Fuels (oil, coal, natural gas)  Metals such as Aluminum, Iron, and Copper

7.  Poisoning of our air, water, or soil.  Much of the pollution that troubles us today is produced by human activities

9. Read page 9 and record one example in your notes of how environmental problems are often global problems!

10.  The thin layer of life around the Earth.  Extends from the surface of Earth to about 8km (5 miles) above the surface and into the deepest part of the ocean which is about 8 km deep.  Within the biosphere, all living things…including humans….exist in a delicate relationship with each other and with the non living things necessary for their survival!

11. DevelopedDeveloping  Highly industrialized  Higher average incomes  Better healthcare  Examples:  US  Japan  Australia  Japan  Canada  Less industrialized  Lower average incomes  Less health care and safe living conditions  Examples:  Malaysia  India  Kenya  Ethiopia

12.  Almost all environmental problems come back to 2 root causes:  1. Population crisis The number of people is growing too quickly for the Earth to support. The population crisis is worse for developing countries, even though there aren’t enough resources for everyone now, the population continues to grow most rapidly in the poorest countries.  2. Consumption crisis People are using up, wasting, or polluting natural resources faster than they can be renewed, replaced, or cleaned up. Most severe in the developed nations, the populations in these countries is stable, but the average citizen uses a disproportionately large share of the Earth’s resources.

13.  The goal of environmental problem solving is to achieve a sustainable world  A world in which the human population can survive indefinitely with a high standard of health and living. In a sustainable world….  Garbage would be turned into harmless substances  Habitats would be preserved  Nonrenewable resources would be used in an efficient way  Renewable resources would be used no faster than they could be replaced

14. Ch.1 Sec.2

15.  Pure Science:  Seeks to answer questions about how the natural world works  Ex: How does the sun produce light?  Ex: Why do insects and birds have different kinds of wings?  Applied Science:  Uses the information provided by pure science to solve problems  Ex: An engineer might use chemistry and physics to design a car that gets better gas mileage.

16.  Science is something you know….it is all of the scientific information gathered by scientists throughout human history.  Science is something you do…it is a way of getting the answers to questions about the natural world around us.  In order to find these answers, scientists use methods….called “scientific methods” …that have been found to provide accurate, reliable answer to their questions.

17.  Move to your “color” group. This is your Home Team….  Come up with a name for your Home Team! (you only have a minute or two so decide quickly!)  Move to your “number” group. This is your Expert Group….  Become experts (work together) on the material given to you! You will be the expert on this info for your Home Team. It is up to you to bring back good information!

18.  Go back to your Home Team!  Share information with each other…be sure everyone is on the same page and no one has questions about your material!  Go back to your normal seat and put away everything on your desk except for a writing utensil and a blank sheet of paper.  Quiz!!  Individual Score and Group Score….

19. Ch.1 Sec. 3

20.  Besides using a scientific approach to observations and questions, it also makes sense that how we feel (is it right or wrong) about something plays a part.  Values are often considered when making decisions that affect the environment.

21.  Think:  What are some of your “values”…think about morals, things you think are right and wrong, or things you believe in or don’t….(there is no correct answer)  Write down your thoughts on paper  Pair:  Share your thoughts with 1 other person  Let them share theirs with you too!  Share:  Volunteers to share??

22.  Aesthetic  Economic  Environmental  Educational  Ethical/Moral  Health  Recreational  Scientific  Social/Cultural

23.  1. Gather Information  2. Consider Values  3. Explore Consequences  4. Make a Decision! Read pages 22-24…be sure to focus on Michael’s table and why he set it up the way he did!