HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE. DR.JALALUDDIN QURESHI ENVIRONMENTAL
INTERRELATION SHIPS
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Environmental Science Chapter 1 Copyright The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or
display.
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CHAPTER 1 Environmental Interrelationships Environmental
Science A Study of Interrelationships Enger & Smith
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Outline 1.1 The Nature of Environmental Science 1.2 Emerging
Global Issues 1.3 Human Well-Being and the Environment
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1.1 The Nature of Environmental Science Environmental science
is interdisciplinary, and includes scientific and social aspects of
human impact on the world. It is a mixture of traditional science,
individual and societal values, and political awareness.
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1.1 The Nature of Environmental Science Environment is
everything that affects an organism during its lifetime.
Environmental science
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Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept The study of environmental
science is so interesting, frustrating, and challenging because of
the interrelatedness among seeming unrelated factors. Tug on
anything at all and youll find it connected to everything else in
the universe. John Muir Charles Darwin proposed that seed
production in red clover was related to the number of cats in the
area.
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Figure 01_02
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Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept The reintroduction of wolves
to Yellowstone National Park has resulted in many changes. 31
wolves were introduced in 1995. In 1996 there were about 320
wolves. The wolves have caused water flow changes in the park,
increases in willow and aspen trees, as well as songbirds, foxes,
certain rodents, hawks, and owls. Coyote and elk have
declined.
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Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept The Yellowstone wolves are
connected to social, economic, and political realms of human
activity. It was important to environmentalists and biologists to
restore the wolf to its former habitat. Ranchers could lose money
if wolves killed livestock. The farm lobby fought long and hard in
congress to prevent the reintroduction. A fund was developed to pay
ranchers for cattle killed by wolves.
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An Ecosystem Approach An ecosystem is a region in which the
organisms and the physical environment form an interacting unit.
The task of an environmental scientist is to recognize and
understand the natural interactions that take place, and to
integrate these with the uses humans must make of the natural
world.
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1.2 Emerging Global Issues Environmental change threatens
peoples health, physical security, material needs, and social
cohesion.
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Figure 01_03a
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Figure 01_03b
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1.2 Emerging Global Issues The World Commission on Environment
and Development (Brundtland Commission) concluded 25 years ago that
humanity has the ability to make development sustainable.
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Figure 01_05
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Environmental Governance Trade, economic development, good
governance, transfer of technology, science and education policies,
and globalization have become even more central to sustainable
development. Development strategies need to maintain the ecosystem
needs on which long-term development goals depend. Hurricane
Katrina in 2005 demonstrated the link between destruction of
coastal wetlands and vulnerability to storms.
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Environmental Governance Most social and political decisions
are made with respect to political jurisdictions, but environmental
problems do not necessarily coincide with these artificial human
made political boundaries. Air pollution generated in China affects
air quality in western coastal states in the United States and in
British Columbia, Canada. Air pollution generated in Juarez,
Mexico, causes problems in the neighboring city of EI Paso,
Texas
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Environmental Governance Eight U.S. states, two Canadian
provinces, and hundreds of local jurisdictions impact environmental
decisions in the Great Lakes on pollution, exotic species, fishing,
and land use.
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1.3 Human Well-Being and the Environment The end point of
development is human well-being. Human well-being and the quality
of the environment are strongly interrelated. Environmental changes
have impacts on human wellbeing.
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Defining Human Well-Being Resources people have, such as money
and other assets. The environment is seen only as a means to
promote economic growth. How people feel about their lives,
including the cultural importance that environment has for life
satisfaction. What people are able to be and to do. This
multidimensional view focuses on what the environment allows
individuals to be and to do.
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Defining Human Well-Being
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Figure 01_06b
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Defining Human Well-Being Ecosystem services include
Provisioning services: food, water Regulating services: flood
control, disease control Cultural services: spiritual,
recreational, and cultural benefits Supporting services: nutrient
cycling The worlds poorest people depend primarily on environmental
goods and services for their livelihoods.
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Environment and Health The World Health Organization estimates
that 13 million deaths worldwide could be prevented every year by
environmental improvement. Cancer Malaria Coronary Heart Disease
Diarrhea
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Environment and Health Urban air pollution affects health in
almost every region of the world.
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Figure 01_07a
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Figure 01_07b
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Environment and Security Security means having stable and
reliable access to resources and the ability to be secure from
natural and human disasters. Scarcity of water or other resources
can lead to armed conflicts.
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Figure 01_08
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Environment and Globalization Globalization of trade has led to
the spread of exotic species. Zebra Mussel in North America
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Figure 01_08c
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Environment and Globalization The first worldwide meeting of
heads of state directed toward the environment took place at the
Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Most countries at the
conference signed agreements on sustainable development and
biodiversity.
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Environment and Globalization In 1997, representatives from 125
nations met in Kyoto, Japan for the Third Conference of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Kyoto Protocol
is viewed as one of the most important steps to date in
environmental protection and international diplomacy.
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Environment and Globalization The Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment was completed in 2005. As the human population grows, it
puts pressure on the natural ecosystems of the world. Most
ecosystems are being negatively affected. Food production has
increased at the expense of soil loss due to erosion, conversion of
natural ecosystems to managed systems, and overconsumption of
water.
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Energy and the Environment Threat of inadequate and insecure
supplies of energy at affordable prices. Threat of environmental
damage due to overconsumption of energy.
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Energy and the Environment Global increases in carbon dioxide
emissions are primarily due to fossil fuel use. Fossil fuels met
82% of the worlds energy demand in 2010.
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Figure 01_10b
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10 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Environment 1. Reduce
driving 2. Save electricity 3. Recycle 4. Conserve water 5. Safely
dispose of hazardous waste
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10 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Environment 6. Eat locally
7. Donate reusable items 8. Buy in bulk 9. Learn how to avoid the
use of insect repellants 10. Be an informed and active citizen
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Summary Environmental science involves science, economics,
ethics, and politics in arriving at solutions to environmental
problems. Because ecosystems do not coincide with political
boundaries, a regional approach to solving environmental problems
is ideal. Each region of the world has certain environmental issues
that are of primary concern because of the mix of population,
resource use patterns, and culture.