Environmental science
is the study of the interaction of humans with
the natural environment.
Environment includes all conditions that
surround living organisms:
 Climate
 Air and water quality
 Soil and landforms
 Presence of other living organisms
A community decides to use coal for electricity,
as it is the cheapest source available.
(Economics)
The coal must be mined from under the soil.
(Geology)
The coal must be transported to the population
center by road or rail. (Engineering)
When it is burned at a power plant, air pollution
is released. Some of that pollution is converted
to acid in the atmosphere. (Chemistry)
This falls as acid rain somewhere downwind.
(Meteorology)
The acid stresses plants by affecting their
nutrient absorption. (Ecology)
Laws are passed requiring the plant to install
pollution scrubbers. (Politics)
Major Environmental Problems
 Resource Depletion
 A great deal of resources are needed to
support the human population (~7
billion).
 Renewable resources can be
replenished within a human lifetime.
Timber, water.
 The supply of nonrenewable resources
is replenished extremely slowly, if at all.
These can be used up.
Coal, oil, minerals.
 Pollution
 Pollution is a degradation or an
undesired change in air, water, or soil
that affects the health of living things.
 Biodegradable pollution will break
down naturally over time.
 Nondegradable pollution does not
break down.
 Loss of Biodiversity
 The number of species on the Earth is
unknown, but estimated to be in the
tens of millions.
 Biodiversity is the number of different
species present in one specific
ecosystem.
 Extinction, or the complete loss of a
species, is a natural event that can be
accelerated by human actions.
 There are five known major extinction
events in Earth’s history.
 The most recent major extinction,
about 65 million years ago, caused 75%
of all species to disappear from the
Earth.
 Assuming no catastrophic events occur,
extinctions normally occur at a pretty
slow rate, called the background rate.
 Normal background extinction rate for
mammals is 1 every 200 years.
 Environmental Ethics
 is the discipline that studies the moral
relationship of human beings to the
environment.
 Two main categories of ethics have
emerged in human culture in modern
history.
 Anthropocentrism literally means
“human-centered”.
 Ecocentrists believe that nature
deserves to exist for its own sake
regardless of degree of usefulness
to humans.
 regardles  dam in
s of degree the Hetch
of Hetchy
usefulness valley was
 to one
humans.  of the
 Hetch first big
Hetchy debates
Debate between
 The these
debate  two
about philosophi
whether to es.
build a
 Resource system,
Conservati and the
onists  National
  The Forest
focus of system
the were both
resource  created
 conservat during this
ionists was time.
to protect  Global
 open Environme
land. ntalism
  The   expl
National ores issues
Parks and
 problems  the
over likeliness
 the entire of a
world, not commons
just within area being
the  exploited
 local for short-
communit term
y. economic
 The gain.
Tragedy of  Modern
the examples
Commons include the
describes
 atmosphe principles
re and of
oceans.  economic
 Economi s is supply
cs has a and
huge demand.
influence  Another
in important
 environm economic
ental idea is the
decision-  cost/
making. benefit
 One of analysis.
the most This
basic questions
 whether person’s
the benefit resource
of doing  use.
something  Sustainab
 justifies ility is
the when
economic human
cost. needs are
 An  met so
ecological that the
footprint is population
one can
 measure survive
ment of a  indefinite
ly.
 “Meeting system,
the needs meaning
of the  nothing
 present enters or
without leaves the
 comprom Earth in
ising the  large
ability of quantities
 future is heat.
generation  Environm
s to meet ental
 their own Engineerin
needs.” g
 The Earth   The
is a closed application
 of science  solve
and environme
 engineeri ntal
ng problems.
knowledge  It affects
and Everyone
 concepts &
to care for Everything
and/or !
restore   plan
 our ts
natural   inse
environme cts
nt and/or   ani
mals
  hum   wat
ans er quality
  ecos  Poor air
ystems quality can
  our lead to:
planet   smo
 environm g
ental   resp
issues? iratory &
 three other
areas: illnesses
  air   acid
quality rain
  land
quality
  glob  the
al environme
warming nt.
 Air   nitr
pollutant: ogen
A known oxides
substance (NOx)
in the   sulf
 air that ur oxides
can cause (SOx)
harm to   carb
humans on
and monoxide
(CO)
  carb
 The focus of the resource
conservationists was to protect open

land.

on dioxide
 The National Parks system, and the
National Forest system were both
created during this time.

(CO2) Global Environmentalism

 explores issues and problems over the

 Global entire world, not just within thelocal

community.

warming: The Tragedy of the Commons describes the

likeliness of a commons area being exploited for
short-term economic gain. Modern examples

An include the atmosphere and oceans.

Economics has a huge influence in

increase in environmental decision-making. One of the

most basic principles of economics is supply

the
and demand.

Another important economic idea is the

 average
cost/benefit analysis. This questions whether
the benefit of doing something justifies the
economic cost.

air An ecological footprint is one measurement of

a person’s resource use.

temperatur Sustainability is when human needs are met so

that the population can survive indefinitely.

e of the “Meeting the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.”

Eart The Earth is a closed system, meaning nothing

Hetch Hetchy Debate
The debate about whether to build a dam in the
Hetch Hetchy valley was one of the first big
debates between these two philosophies.
Resource Conservationists
enters or leaves the Earth in large quantities is
heat.
Environmental Engineering
 The application of science and
engineering knowledge and concepts to
 care for and/or restore our natural  carpool
environment and/or solve  hybrid cars
environmental problems.  EPA government regulation
 NEW: geologic carbon sequestration
It affects Everyone & Everything!  alternative fuels
 plants  walk, bike or use public transportation
 insects
 animals Land Quality
 humans
 ecosystems Land pollution:
 our planet Destruction of the Earth’s surface caused by
human activities and the misuse of natural
environmental issues? resources.
 three areas:
 air quality Natural resources:
 land quality Land and raw materials that exist naturally in
 water quality the environment undisturbed by humans.

Poor air quality can lead to: Renewable resource: A natural resource that
 smog can be replaced by a natural process.
 respiratory & other illnesses
 acid rain Non-renewable resource: A natural resource
 global warming that cannot be produced or re-grown or reused.

Air pollutant: A known substance in the air that What problems arise from land pollution?
can cause harm to humans and the  Acid mine drainage
environment.  Pesticides and herbicides
 nitrogen oxides (NOx)  Landfills
 sulfur oxides (SOx)
 carbon monoxide (CO)
 carbon dioxide (CO2)

Global warming: An increase in the average air

temperature of the Earth

Greenhouse effect:
Heat from the sun gets trapped inside the glass
of a greenhouse and heats up its air.

More carbon dioxide (CO2)

being released in the atmosphere traps more
heat.

How do we reduce air pollutants?