Unit 1 - Chapter 1 - PowerPoint Presentation

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Unit 1 - Chapter 1

Environmental InterrelationshipsDavid Rude

Environmental Science

A Study of InterrelationshipsSlide2

Environmental InterrelationshipsSlide3

1.1 The Nature of Environmental Science

Environmental science is interdisciplinary, and includes scientific and social aspects of human impact on the world.

Mixture of traditional science, individual and societal values, and political awareness.

Environment: everything that affects an organism during its lifetimeSlide4

1.1 The Nature of Environmental Science

Science: an approach to studying the natural world that involves

Formulating hypotheses

Testing to see if the hypotheses are supported or refuted.Slide5

1.1 The Nature of Environmental Science

Environmental Science – a mixture ofTraditional Science

Individual and societal values

Economic factors

Political awarenessSlide6

Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept

“Tug on anything at all and you’ll find it connected to everything else in the universe.” John Muir

Example 1

Charles Darwin: seed production in red clover related to number of catsSlide7

Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept

Cats Hunt and kill meadow mice.Bumblebees

Build their nests in the ground

Meadow mice

Eat honeycomb & larvae of bumble beesSlide8

Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept

Bumblebees Long tongues allow them to pollinate cloverOther bees find difficult

Cats eat mice

More bumblebees survive to pollinate the cloverSlide9

Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept

Example 231 wolves introduced into Yellowstone in 1995.

In 1996 there were about 320 wolves.

Changes

Regeneration of willow and aspen

More beaversSlide10

Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept

Increases the recharge of groundwaterWillows cool water so more fishMore willows, more songbirdsWolves kill coyotes (half)

More voles, mice and other rodents

Caused increase in foxes, hawks, and owlsSlide11

Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept

Yellowstone wolves connected to social, economic, and political problemsEnvironmentalists and biologists wanted to restore the former habitat

Ranchers lose money when wolves kill livestockSlide12

Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept

The farm lobby fought to prevent the reintroductionFund was developed to pay for cattle killed by wolvesSlide13

An Ecosystem Approach

Ecosystem A region in which the organisms and the physical environment form an interacting unit.

Examples of easy to identify boundaries

Lakes

Islands

FloodplainsSlide14

An Ecosystem Approach

Example of difficult to identify boundaryTransition from grassland to desert

Grassland gradually becomes desertSlide15

Political and Economic Issues

Most social and political decisions are made with respect to political jurisdictions

Political jurisdiction

An area that a particular government has authority over

Examples: county, city, state, or nationSlide16

Political and Economic Issues

Environmental problems do not necessarily coincide with artificial political boundaries

Air pollution in China affects air quality in

Western coastal U.S.

British Columbia, Canada.

Air pollution in Mexico affects air quality in Texas.Slide17

Emerging Global Issues

Issues related to environment and development that are now discussedTradeEconomic developmentGood governance

Transfer of technology

Science and education policySlide18

Emerging Global Issues

Sustainable developmentDevelopment that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needsSlide19

Emerging Global Issues

Governments treat as single issues policies dealing withEnvironmentalEconomic

Social matters

Ignore ecosystem

needs on which long-term development goals

dependSlide20

1.2 Emerging Global Issues

Example: Difficult to protect salmon stock

Due to multiple jurisdictionsSlide21

1.2 Emerging Global Issues

5 federal cabinet level departments2 federal agencies5 federal laws, numerous tribal treaties, commissions and court decisionsMany state-level departments, commissions and rulings

U.N and international treatiesSlide22

Environmental Governance

Great Lakes8 U.S. states

2 Canadian provinces

Hundreds of local county and city governmentsSlide23

1.3 Human Well-Being and the Environment

The end point of development is human well-being.Human well-being and the quality of the environment are strongly interrelated.Environmental changes have impacts on human wellbeing.Slide24

Defining Human Well-Being

Three views of human well-being:Resources people have, such as money and other assets.Environment only seen as a means to promote economic growth

How people feel about their lives (subjective views)

What people are able to be and do

Environment provides proper nourishment, longevity, security, etc.Slide25

Defining Human Well-Being

Four services provided by Ecosystems:Provisioning services: food, waterRegulating services:

flood control, disease control

Cultural services:

spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits

Supporting services:

nutrient cyclingSlide26

Environment and Health

Six problems identified by World Health Organization due to environmental problemsCancerMalariaCoronary Heart Disease

Diarrhea

Pollution

Emerging DiseasesSlide27

Environment and Globalization

Globalization

Increasing connectivity and interdependence of the world's markets and businessesSlide28

Environment and Globalization

Link between the environment and globalization

Spread of exotic species

Environmental decisions often dependent on

Corporate management and outcomes

Rather than political or scientific factorsSlide29

A Garden in Y

our ApartmentBritta Riley wanted to grow her own food (in her tiny apartment). So she and her friends developed a system for growing plants in discarded plastic bottles -- researching, testing and tweaking the system using social media, trying many variations at once and quickly arriving at the optimal system.Slide30

Small Space Gardening

Check out ALL of the possibilitiesSlide31

Grow Your Own

Urban Gardening Help

The Vegetable Garden