Transcript Chapter 1 section 1 notes

Ch 1- Science
and the
environment
environmental science
An interdisciplinary study of human
interactions with the environment.
Fields that contribute to environmental
science
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Biology – the study of living organisms
Earth science – the study of the Earth's
nonliving systems and the planet as a whole
Physics – the study of matter and energy
Chemistry – the study of chemicals and
their interactions
Social sciences – the study of human
populations
Our Environment Thru Time
You need to know how these societies
changed the environment
Hunter-Gatherers
The Agricultural Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
Hunter-Gatherers
Prevent growth of trees to keep
open grassland to hunt bison
Spread plants to areas where
plants didn’t grow
Over hunting leads to large
mammal extinctions
Agricultural Revolution
Growing, breeding, and caring for
plants and animals used for food,
clothing, housing, transportation
 Human population growth
 Domesticated food
 Forests, wetlands, & grasslands
replaced with farmland causing soil loss,
floods, & water shortages
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Industrial Revolution
 Energy
of animals and running water
replaced by fossil fuels
 Increased efficiency
 Goods made in factory less expensive
 Urban population increased
 Transport food and goods cheaply
 Most of our pollution problems occurred at
this era
In a closed system,
the only thing that
enters Earth’s
atmosphere is
energy from the
sun, and the only
thing that leaves is
heat.
Problems with closed system
1.
2.
Limited resources used
more rapidly
Produce wastes quicker
than we can dispose of
them
Our Main
Environmental
Problems
1. Resource depletion
2. Pollution
3. Loss of biodiversity-(the number and
kind of living things in an area)
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Resource Depletion
Clear
cutting
Pollution
Biodiversity hotspots
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Biodiversity Hotspots - Interactive Map
Renewable vs. Nonrenewable
Renewable
 A resource that can be
replaced quickly by
natural processes
 Examples: water, air,
soil, trees, crops, solar
energy
Nonrenewable
 A resource that forms at
a much slower rate than
the rate that it is
consumed.
 Examples: minerals,
fossil fuels (oil and
natural gas)
Biodegradable vs. Nonbiodegradable
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Biodegradable
Can be broken down by
natural processes
Products made from
natural materials
Examples: leather,
newspaper, cotton
fibers
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Nonbiodegradable
Cannot be broken down
by natural processes
Products made in a
laboratory
Examples: polyester,
nylon, plastic
Population explosion
Chapter 1 - Section 2
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The
environment
and society
Tragedy of the Commons
An essay addressing how people share common
resources
 The conflict comes between the short-term interest of
individuals and the long-term welfare of society
 The mind-set is “If I don’t use this resource someone
else will”
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Tragedy of the Commons
Shared natural resources are Earth’s
“modern commons”
The increase in human population creates
an increased strain on limited resources,
which jeopardizes sustainability.
The Tragedy of the Commons
Economics and the
Environment
Supply and Demand
Can be used to
determine a
product’s worth
Cost-Benefit analysis
Balances the cost of an environmental
solution against the benefits one
expects from it.
Ex. May be used to determine how much
to spend to control pollution.
Risk assessment
One tool that helps us create costeffective ways to protect our health and
the environment.
People need to perceive the risk
accurately
Developed vs. Developing
Developed
 High average incomes
 Slow population growth
 Diverse industrial
economies
 Strong social support
systems
Developing
 Low average incomes
 Rapid population
growth
 Simple and agriculturebased economies
 Weak social support
systems
The Root of Environmental
Problems
Almost all environmental problems can
trace their origins back to two root causes:
(1) population crisis and (2) consumption crisis.
Population Crisis
The number of people is growing too
quickly for the Earth to support
 Malnutrition, starvation, and disease are
constant threats
 Most severe in developing countries
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Consumption Crisis
People are using up, wasting, or
polluting natural resources faster than
they can be renewed, replaced, or
cleaned up
 Most severe in developed countries
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Shows the differences in consumption
between nations
 Shows the productive area of Earth needed to
support one person in a particular country
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Sustainability
Meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Ecological footprinting can
be used to explore the
sustainability of individual
lifestyles, goods and
services, organizations,
industry sectors,
neighborhoods, cities,
regions and nations.
Ecological footprint
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Go to www.footprintnetwork.org
Click on “footprint for you”
Click on “take the quiz”
At the end- Write down
1. Number of Earth’s it would take to sustain your
lifestyle
2. Number of TOTAL acres it takes to support you
3. Three things you can do to reduce your footprint
Active Reading Assignment
This will be done as a homework
assignment.
 Carefully read and answer pages 8
through 11.
 You will turn these pages in
tomorrow.
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