CHAPTER 1, SECTION 1

Understanding our

Environment

ENVIRONMENT:

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

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE…WHAT IS IT?

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

Our 3 Main Environmental

Problems:

Resource Depletion

PollutionExtinction(Loss of Biodiversity)

RESOURCE DEPLETION 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)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Renewable Resources Nonrenewable Resources

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

POLLUTION Poisoning of our air, water, or soil.

Much of the pollution that troubles us today is produced by human activities

EXTINCTION Scientists estimate that

thousands of species are becoming extinct every year.

Extinction means that the last individual member of a species has died and the species is gone forever!

Considered one of the most significant environmental challenges we face today.

Most species becoming extinct are dying because of loss of habitat.

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

BIOSPHERE

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!

ALL HUMANS LIVE IN THE BIOSPHERE, BUT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS.

MOST OF THE WORLD’S NATIONS CAN BE CATEGORIZED INTO TWO CATEGORIES:

Developed Developing

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

THE ROOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS:

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.

Sustainability

The goal of environmental problem solving is to achieve a sustainable worldA 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

USING SCIENCE TO SOLVE

PROBLEMSCh.1 Sec.2

2 BASIC TYPES OF SCIENCE:

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.

SCIENCE IS REALLY 2 THINGS:KNOWING AND DOING

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.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD JIGSAW

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!

SCIENTIFIC METHOD JIGSAW

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….

MAKING ENVIRONMENTA

L DECISIONSCh.1 Sec. 3

SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND THEN SOME….

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.

THINK.PAIR.SHARE 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 personLet them share theirs with you too!

Share:Volunteers to share??

VALUES THAT AFFECT ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING:

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

*Record the

definition of each

in your notes

using page 20 in

your text.

ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING MODEL

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!