understanding our environment gisat 112. objectives define environment distinguish between...
TRANSCRIPT
Understanding Our Understanding Our EnvironmentEnvironment
GISAT 112GISAT 112
ObjectivesObjectives
Define EnvironmentDefine Environment Distinguish between environmental Distinguish between environmental
science and environmentalismscience and environmentalism Explore the interdisciplinary nature of Explore the interdisciplinary nature of
environmental problemsenvironmental problems Review scientific problem solving Review scientific problem solving
methods and critical thinking skillsmethods and critical thinking skills
EnvironmentEnvironment
Circumstances and conditions that Circumstances and conditions that surround an organism or group of surround an organism or group of organisms, INCLUDINGorganisms, INCLUDING
Social and cultural conditions that affect an Social and cultural conditions that affect an individual or communityindividual or community
What is YOUR environment?What is YOUR environment?
Human actions influence the Human actions influence the environmentenvironment
We depend on natural resources for our We depend on natural resources for our continued survivalcontinued survival
Human population growth has shaped Human population growth has shaped our relationship with natural resourcesour relationship with natural resources
Understanding environmental science Understanding environmental science may help to prevent or fix environmental may help to prevent or fix environmental problems problems
Environmental Science is Integrated Environmental Science is Integrated and Holisticand Holistic
Integrates all physical and natural Integrates all physical and natural sciences in understanding complex sciences in understanding complex phenomenaphenomena
Integrates all social sciences in Integrates all social sciences in understanding how to achieve solutions understanding how to achieve solutions to problemsto problems
Remedies are now well understood; the Remedies are now well understood; the problem is to make them socially, problem is to make them socially, economically, and politically acceptable.economically, and politically acceptable.
Environmental Problems need Environmental Problems need Interdisciplinary solutionsInterdisciplinary solutions
What’s in a Word?What’s in a Word?
EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism: a social movement : a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world from dedicated to protecting the natural world from undesirable changes brought about by human undesirable changes brought about by human choices.choices.
Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science: the pursuit of : the pursuit of knowledge about the workings of the knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interaction with it.environment and our interaction with it.
Environmental ManagementEnvironmental Management: using our : using our knowledge to protect and/or repair the knowledge to protect and/or repair the environmentenvironment
Environmental Problems are Environmental Problems are not not ““one size fits allone size fits all””
An environmental problem is perceived An environmental problem is perceived differently by different people.differently by different people.
Age, race, class, nationality, education Age, race, class, nationality, education level, and employment may affect how a level, and employment may affect how a problem is perceived and which solutions problem is perceived and which solutions are acceptableare acceptable
What is YOUR perception?What is YOUR perception?
Using DDT to control mosquitoes Using DDT to control mosquitoes Banning logging in old growth forests to Banning logging in old growth forests to
protect Northern Spotted Owlsprotect Northern Spotted Owls Requiring car manufacturers to put catalytic Requiring car manufacturers to put catalytic
converters on automobiles to reduce converters on automobiles to reduce emissionsemissions
Prohibiting ivory sale to preserve elephant Prohibiting ivory sale to preserve elephant populationspopulations
Scientific Thinking Scientific Thinking
Reduces tendency to rely on emotional Reduces tendency to rely on emotional reaction and unexamined assumptionsreaction and unexamined assumptions
Skeptical (without loss of curiosity)Skeptical (without loss of curiosity) Rooted in antiquityRooted in antiquity Based on cooperation and insight, shared Based on cooperation and insight, shared
resultsresults ReproducibleReproducible Experimental – through controlled Experimental – through controlled
experimentationexperimentation The The ““scientific methodscientific method””: make a hypothesis, : make a hypothesis,
design the experiment, collect data, interpret design the experiment, collect data, interpret the data, draw conclusions, repeat!the data, draw conclusions, repeat!
Assumptions behind the Assumptions behind the scientific methodscientific method
The behavior of the universe can be The behavior of the universe can be described by fixed described by fixed ““lawslaws”” (i.e. everything (i.e. everything is comprehensible)is comprehensible)
Everything has a cause and an effect.Everything has a cause and an effect. Our senses and reasoning allow us to Our senses and reasoning allow us to
detect and describe the laws which detect and describe the laws which underlie the causes and effects we underlie the causes and effects we observe. (Empirical analysis is possible)observe. (Empirical analysis is possible)
How do we DO science?How do we DO science?
ObserveObserve Ask questionsAsk questions HypothesizeHypothesize PredictPredict Test the predictionsTest the predictions Analyze and interpret your resultsAnalyze and interpret your results
Scientific Practice includes Scientific Practice includes othersothers
Repeatability—others try to get the same Repeatability—others try to get the same results that you do.results that you do.
Peer review—other scientists judge your work Peer review—other scientists judge your work before it is published.before it is published.
Conferences—talking about your work with Conferences—talking about your work with others exchanges ideas and challenges others exchanges ideas and challenges interpretations.interpretations.
Funding—the money you need to do your work Funding—the money you need to do your work comes when you convince others that it is comes when you convince others that it is worthwhile.worthwhile.
Steps in Critical ThinkingSteps in Critical Thinking
Identify and evaluate premises and Identify and evaluate premises and conclusions in an argumentconclusions in an argument
Acknowledge and clarify uncertainties, Acknowledge and clarify uncertainties, vagueness, equivocation, and contradictionsvagueness, equivocation, and contradictions
Distinguish between facts and valuesDistinguish between facts and values Recognize and assess assumptionsRecognize and assess assumptions Distinguish source reliability or unreliabilityDistinguish source reliability or unreliability Recognize and understand conceptual Recognize and understand conceptual
frameworksframeworks
Developing a good research questionDeveloping a good research question
What is the impact of global warming?What is the impact of global warming? How does global warming affect a forest?How does global warming affect a forest? How will the rising content of carbon How will the rising content of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere affect trees?dioxide in the atmosphere affect trees? Are there other variables involved that Are there other variables involved that
could mask or enhance this effect?could mask or enhance this effect?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24738-2004Aug22.html