GE 10 Environmental Science

Course Description
Course Outline
Grading System
Lesson I- Environmental Science Key Themes
A. Course Description
• This course deals on the interrelationships among components of
the natural world; environmental problems, their causes,
associated risks, preventive measures and alternative solutions.

• Central to the discussion is the environment and

sustainability.
B. Course Outline
I. Environmental Science Key Themes
II. Evolution and Biodiversity
I. Evolution
II. Ecosystems and Climate
III. Human Population and Urbanization
III. Water
I. Water Resources and Management
II. Water Pollution
III. Water Protection
IV. Air
I. Air Resources and Management
II. Air Pollution
III. Air Protection
B. Course Outline
V. Earth/Geology
I. Rocks and Geology
II. Geologic Resources
VI. Energy Resources
I. Oil, Natural Gas and Coal
II. Nuclear Power
III. Renewable Energy
VII. Environmental Hazards and Sustainability
C. Grading System
Attendance 15%
Quizzes/Activity 20%
Midterm 30%
Final Exam 35%

TOTAL 100%
Environmental Science
 Environmental Science

Is a group of science that studies the interactions of the physical,

chemical and biological components of the environment and the
relationships and effects of these components with the organisms in
the environment.
 Environmental Science

Objectives of Environmental Science

• to learn how the natural world works

• to understand how we as humans interact with the
environment
• to determine how we affect the environment
▫ to find ways on how to deal with these effects
 Environmental Science

Natural
Sciences
Interdisciplinary Field

• Incorporates information and

ideas from multiple disciplines
Social
Environmental Science Sciences

Humanities
 Environmental Science

• Biology
Natural
Sciences • Chemistry
• Geology

• Geography
Social • Economics
Environmental Science
Sciences
• Political Science
…to cover more concepts
many points of view

Humanities • Philosophy
• Ethics
 Environmental Science
IMPORTANCE

• Serves as a valuable resource for

learning more about the changes in the
planet and how they affect the systems
relying on it

• Provides models on how to protect,

preserve and restore the systems that
human activities have degraded
 Environmental Science

385, 000 babies per day 10 Billion by 2056

Lesson 1- Key Themes in Envi Science
• Human population growth
• Sustainability
• A global perspective
• An urbanizing world
• People and nature
• Science and values
Theme 1: Human population growth

• Rapid Population Growth leads to:

▫ rapid resource consumption
▫ worsened pollution
▫ overuse and destruction of arable
lands
▫ deforestation
▫ global warming
▫ loss of biodiversity
 Theme 2: Sustainability
• Sustainability is consuming resources without compromising the opportunity
for the following generations to experience those resources as well.
Consumption must be economically possible, do not harm the environment,
and are socially just (fair to all people).

• 3 Main Pillars of Sustainability (SEE)

▫ Social Sustainability - is identifying and managing both positive and
negative impacts of activities on people and social life.

▫ Environmental Sustainability – concerned with how will the natural

resources be protected and be still available for the future generation

▫ Economic Sustainability - concerned with the long-term economic growth

without negatively impacting social, environmental, and cultural
aspects of the community.
3 Main Pillars of Sustainability
Theme 3: A Global Perspective
• The actions of many groups of people, at many locations, affect the
environment of the entire world.
• The combined impact of technology and population multiplies the impact on
the environment.
• That is why many environmental problems require a global solution.
Theme 4: An Urbanizing World
• As urban areas expand, wetlands are filled in, forests cut down, and soils
covered over with pavement and buildings.
• Economic development leads to urbanization; people move from farms to cities
• In an increasingly urban world, we must focus much of our attention on the
environments of cities and the effects of cities on the rest of the environment
Theme 5: People and Nature
• People and nature are intimately connected. We depend on nature directly
for many material resources.
• For example, the atmosphere provides a climate in which we can live; the
ozone layer high in the atmosphere protects us from ultraviolet radiation;
trees absorb some air pollutants; wetlands can cleanse water.
Theme 5: People and Nature
• We in turn affect nature. We have changed nature, often in ways that we like
and have considered “natural.”

• Most people recognize that we must seek sustainability not only of the
environment but also of our economic activities, so that humanity and the
environment can persist together.
Theme 6: Science and Values
• Choosing what we want the environment to be requires knowing the scientific
data and understanding its implications. Scientists rely on critical thinking.
• Critical scientific thinking is disciplined, using intellectual standards, effective
communication, clarity, and commitment to developing scientific knowledge
and skills.
 Theme 6: Science and Values
• Choosing what we want the environment to be requires knowing the scientific data
and understanding its implications. What we choose is determined by our values.
• An example of a value judgment regarding the world’s human environmental
problem is the choice between the desire of an individual to have many children
and the need to find a way to limit the human population world.