The Environment Around Us

Environmental Science

Unit 1

What is Environmental Science?

• DQ - What is Environmental Science?• Study of the conditions around us and our proper

place in it. • Encompasses many disciplines of science• Based on observation and models more than

anything else• DQ - Why is it important?• Helps us understand the world around us• Helps us know what effects our actions can have

on the environment.• Helps us know what we can do to help it.

Environmental Science

• DQ - Why is Environmental Science so complicated?

• Everything is interconnected, one thing can affect several others in different ways “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he

finds it attached to the rest of the world” John Muir

Can’t always predict what will happen…good or bad.

Env. Sci. vs Environmentalism

• DQ - What is the difference?

• Environmental Science A way of learning about our environment Gathering information

• Environmentalism Using that information to help the environment Try to prevent destruction to environment

History

• DQ - How long has environmental science been around?

• Forever• DQ - How long has environmentalism

been around?• Goes way back to ancient Greece

Plato complained about cutting trees to make room for houses

• Native Americans thought the earth was a living being and thought white man was a sickness to the earth. Due to the way they left the land.

Big Names in Environmentalism

• President Teddy Roosevelt Credited with creating American Conservation Started natural preserves and national parks

• George Perkins Marsh Writer that published about the damage caused by

destroying forest and over grazing livestock

• Gifford Pinchot Thought we needed to conserve nature for future

generations to use it

• John Muir Thought we needed to conserve nature for its own sake

Modern Environmentalism

• Modern Environmentalism is different than in those days.

• Then it was conservation (leave some land untouched)

• Now we know more, and we concentrate on fixing what we have damaged and preventing more damage from occurring.

• DQ - What are current issues that we face?

• Climate changes, pollution levels, how to feed a growing population, rainforest destruction, extreme poverty, etc.

Modern Environmentalism

• GO GREEN! What does that mean to you?

• DQ - Why is environmentalism so difficult?

• People are selfish

• Means different things to different people

• So many issues to try to solve

• Sometimes expensive

• How does my little bit help?

• Still using resources so what is the point?

Sustainable development

• It is a goal from the world summit that humans concentrate on “sustainable development”

• Meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations.

• DQ - Is sustainable development truly possible?

Activity

• Mini - Debate

• Divide into 4 groups

• Your group will discuss if sustainable development is a true possibility for us

• You will have time to discuss then you will debate the other side.

Sustainable Development

• Focuses on three principles:

• 1. Intergenerational equity What is this?

• 2. Biodiversity Conservation

• 3. “The Precautionary Approach” Improve our lives but not at all costs

Sustainable Development

• Together, the three principles are designed to:

• Allow for growing economy• Improve Quality of life

Education, recreation, justice, community, etc.

• Enhance community resources• Protect natural resources and ecological

processes

Can it happen?

• Still up for debate. Three sides to argument:

• Some say that it can but that it won’t because people won’t change

• Some say that it can without any big fundamental changes just lots of small changes

• Some say that the concept itself is impossible even with change

Sustainable Development

• How can it be achieved?• Policy changes (local, national, and international levels)

Make excessive pollution and waste so expensive that it is more economical to be better

Government funding for changes Make “greener” buildings (new and old)

• Change energy sources Switch to more renewable sources

• Education Educate individuals to make better decisions

• Commitment Long term thinking rather than expect short term returns

Sustainable development

• Why won’t it happen?

• People won’t change

• Businesses will not survive Economy will suffer from all these changes

• How do you educate everyone?

• Impoverished countries

• We simply can’t grow without using resources right now

Sustainable Development

• The future:• The concept doesn’t appear to be going

anywhere• As more and more focus is placed on

saving the environment the concept will probably gain strength.

• But until it has a majority of the population behind it, it will probably not even come close to happening.

Food For thought

• The U.S. claims to be an advocate for sustainable development But actions speak louder than words

• With only 4.5% of the world’s population we: Use 26% of the oil Produce 50% of all toxic wastes Produce 26% of all Carbon Dioxide Use 20 - 25% of most metals

• We produce more greenhouse gases than china and we have 1/6 the people!

More food for thought

• Estimations by the UN Development agency say that it would take $135 Billion (worldwide) a year for about 20 years to abolish extreme poverty and hunger. The worldwide military budget is over $1

trillion

• This would improve the natural resources in those areas and curb the growing population