1 An Introduction to CHAPTER Environmental Science...What Is Environmental Science? The study of our...
Transcript of 1 An Introduction to CHAPTER Environmental Science...What Is Environmental Science? The study of our...
1 An Introduction to Environmental ScienceC
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Lesson 1.1 Our Island, EarthLesson 1.1 Our Island, EarthLIKE ALL SPECIES ON EARTH, HUMANS RELY ON A HEALTHY, FUNCTIONING PLANET FOR AIR, WATER, FOOD, AND SHELTER.
LIKE ALL SPECIES ON EARTH, HUMANS RELY ON A HEALTHY, FUNCTIONING PLANET FOR AIR, WATER, FOOD, AND SHELTER.
What Is Environmental Science?The study of our planet’s natural systems and how humans and the environment affect one another
The environment includes all living and nonliving things with which organisms interact.
Understanding the interactions between humans and the environment is the first step to solving environmental problems.
Lesson 1.1 Our Island, Earth
National Marine Fisheries Service scientists studying whether commercial boats are harming endangered killer whales
Environmental Science vs. Environmentalism
• Environmental Science:Objective, unbiased pursuit of knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interactions with it
• Environmentalism: Social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world
Lesson 1.1 Our Island, Earth
Environmentalists protesting the use of nuclear power
Natural Resources•Found in nature•Materials or energy
• Material Example: Water
• Energy Example: Sun
•Humans need natural resources to survive
•EVERYTHING we use comes from the Earth!
Lesson 1.1 Our Island, Earth
Where does it come from?oAluminum Can
oPlastic Bag
oButter
oLeather Shoes
oGlass Bottle
oWooden Chair
oCotton Jeans
oBread
oWool Sweater
oTire
Can you name something that doesn’t come from the Earth?
Where does it come from?oAluminum Can
o Bauxite Mined
oPlastic Bago Petroleum
oButtero Cream and Milk from cow (grass)
oLeather Shoeso Cow Skin (grass)
oGlass Bottleo Silica/Sand
oWooden Chairo Timber from trees
oCotton Jeanso Cotton from plant
oBreado Wheat, water, salt
oWool Sweatero Yarn from sheep hair (grass)
oTireo Rubber from tree
Renewable Resources•Living resources that can replace or restock themselves, they can grow.
•Tends to have photosynthesis as the primary source of energy
•Solar Radiation can be considered renewable•Can run out if not harvested sustainably
Non‐Renewable Resources•Resources that exist in finite amounts on Earth
•Not renewed or replaced after they have been used or depleted
•Minerals and Fossil Fuels
•We can recycle many metals to the point that they can act like renewable resources.
Replenishable Resources•Middle ground between renewable and non‐renewable
•Are replaceable, but only over a long period of time
•Length of time is the difference between Renewable and Replenishable
•Examples: Ground water and soil
Natural Resources
Lesson 1.1 Our Island, Earth
Sustainability•Living within the means of nature
•A society that supports itself by depleting natural resources is unsustainable
•Global Consumption• 1961: use 49%• 2001: use 121%
• Rises due to personal over consumption
Human Population Growth•Tremendous and rapid human population growth can be attributed to:• The Agricultural Revolution: About 10,000 years ago; humans began living in villages, had longer life spans, and more surviving children.
• Industrial Revolution: Began in early 1700s; driven by fossil fuels and technological advances
Spiked in 1900
Lesson 1.1 Our Island, Earth
Did You Know? The human population increases by about 200,000 people every day.
Ecological Footprints
Lesson 1.1 Our Island, Earth
• The total amount of land and water required to:• provide the raw materials an individual or population consumes
• dispose of or recycle the waste an individual or population consumes
Did You Know? By one calculation, the ecological footprint of the average American is 3.5 times the global average.
Ecological footprints include land and water used to grow food at farms hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Global Footprints
How Many Earths?
Tragedy of the CommonsDescribes a situation in which resources, made available to everyone, are used unsustainably and eventually depleted
Resource management, whether voluntary or mandated, can help avoid resource depletion.
Lesson 1.1 Our Island, Earth
The “commons” refers to a public pastureland that was shared by villagers in 19th-century England.
Lesson 1.2 The Nature of ScienceLesson 1.2 The Nature of Science
THE WORD SCIENCE COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD SCIENTIA , MEANING “KNOWLEDGE.”THE WORD SCIENCE COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD SCIENTIA , MEANING “KNOWLEDGE.”
What Science Is and Is Not Science is an organized way of studying the natural world, and the knowledge gained from such studies.
Science assumes that the natural world functions in accordance with rules that do not change.
Science does not deal with the supernatural.
Science relies on evidence from measurements and observations.
Scientific ideas are “supported,” not “proven,” and “accepted,” not “believed in.”
Lesson 1.2 The Nature of Science
Observations and InferencesObservationsSense words I feel the cold water in the pool.
Inferences: Predictions (present or future)It’s going to rainBased on prior knowledge, experiences, or observationsSarah is tired today.
Look at these two animal tracks. Make an OBSERVATION
Make an INFERENCE
Now what do you think?
Have they changed their inferences?
Make an OBSERVATIONMake an INFERENCE
Now what do you think?
Make an OBSERVATION
Make an INFERENCE
We will never be able to see what actually happened! Bottom line: In science, nothing can ever be proven!To find explanations about the world around us: We must make observations, run experiments, and draw conclusions to form educated guesses
This process = scientific inquiry!
Tangrams Each piece represents current scientific data.With your partner: Make a square.
Many of you got this
Adding on…a new scientific discovery has been made
X
Many of you got this
How is this “doing” Science?
Brainstorm with a partner
Some Possible Answers 1. Assume that the pieces fit together – nature is a puzzle that we have not
yet solved
2. Trial and error is an essential ingredient to science
3. New information may require the old theory to be modified or discarded
4. Our current information may be incomplete and therefore, our theories incorrect
5. Sometimes, we get lucky and find the right answer
6. Collaboration may be helpful
7. Once we arrive at the answer, it makes perfect, elegant sense.
The Process of ScienceScience involves asking questions, making observations, seeking evidence, sharing ideas, and analyzing results.
Science is not linear—the process loops back on itself and follows many different paths.
Science is a dynamic, creative endeavor.
Lesson 1.2 The Nature of Science
Scientific Way of Thinking•Observation of natural phenomena often leads to questions
•In order to answer questions a scientist forms an hypothesis• a proposed scientific explanation for observed phenomena
• Often takes the form of an “If …then” statement
•Scientists design experiments to determine whether the hypothesis is correct
Controlled ExperimentsControlled experiment: experiment in which only one variable is changed at a time◦ Variable : factors in an experiment that can change
The variable that is deliberately changed = independent variable (aka manipulated variable)
The variable that is observed and that changes in response to the manipulated variable = dependent variable (aka responding variable)
VariablesIndependent Variable Dependent Variable
How much a plant grows compared to how much it is watered.
Moisture content of soil compared to distance from the lake
Heart rate compared to miles ran
Temperature of a potato compared to time in the oven
Controlled ExperimentData is collected during the experiment
Results of the experiment are recorded and analyzed
The scientist uses experimental results to determine whether the hypothesis was supported or refuted.
Scientific ideas are: ◦ “supported”not “proven”◦ “accepted” not “believed in”
ExampleObservation: plants grow best when they are given adequate light, fertilizer, and water.
Question: Will a plant grow faster if it is given more water◦ Focus on only one variable at a time
Hypothesis: If I give one plant more water than another similar plant then the plant that is given more water will grow faster.
Example (continued)The scientist may set up a controlled experiment where ◦ the manipulated variable is the amount of water◦ the responding variable is the growth of the plant
Data collection
Analysis
Conclusion
Lesson 1.3 The Community of ScienceLesson 1.3 The Community of ScienceSCIENTIF IC RESEARCH DOES NOT STOP WITH THE SCIENTIF IC METHOD. IN ORDER TO HAVE ANY IMPACT, SCIENTISTS MUST SHARE THEIR WORK AT CONFERENCES AND IN JOURNALS. THEY RECEIVE AND INCORPORATE FEEDBACK.
SCIENTIF IC RESEARCH DOES NOT STOP WITH THE SCIENTIF IC METHOD. IN ORDER TO HAVE ANY IMPACT, SCIENTISTS MUST SHARE THEIR WORK AT CONFERENCES AND IN JOURNALS. THEY RECEIVE AND INCORPORATE FEEDBACK.
Community Analysis and Feedback•After completing their study, scientists:• Present their work and get feedback from other researchers at conferences
• Write papers about their study
• Submit papers for publication in a journal
•Peer Review
Lesson 1.3 The Community of Science
Laws, Theories and Hypotheses
LawsLaw: A logical relationship between two or more things that is based on a variety of facts and proven hypothesis. It is often a mathematical statement of how two or more quantities relate to each other.
Examples:◦ 1st Law of Motion: an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.
◦ Boyles Law: that the product of absolute pressure and volume is always constant.
◦ Conservation of Matter: Matter can neither be created or destroyed.
TheoryTheory: well‐tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations and hypotheses, and enables scientists to make accurate predictions about new situations.
Examples:◦ Cell Theory: All known living things are made up of cells. All cells come from cells. Cells are the basic unit of life.
Hypothesis v. BeliefHypothesis: A tentative statement such as ‘if A happens then B must happen’ that can be tested by direct experiment or observation. ◦ A proven hypothesis can be expressed as a law or a theory.
◦ A disproven hypothesis can sometimes be re‐tested and found correct as measurements improve.
Belief: A statement that is not scientifically provable in the same way as facts, laws, hypotheses or theories.◦ CAN NOT BE TESTED
Replication and Self‐Correction•Hypotheses should be tested several times, in several ways, before they are accepted.
•Interpretations of data can change over time as knowledge accumulates.
•Sometimes reinterpretations can be drastic, but most of the time they are minor adjustments to an accepted idea.
•Science constantly refines and improves itself.
Lesson 1.3 The Community of Science
Did You Know? Scientists believed the sun and planets revolved around the Earth until Nicolaus Copernicus proved this was false in the 1500s.
Building on Environmental ScienceAddressing environmental problems involves more than just understanding the science.
Ethics: Study of behavior (good and bad, right and wrong), moral principles, and values
Culture: Ensemble of knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of people
Worldview: Perception of the world and a person’s place in it
Lesson 1.3 The Community of Science
40,000 buffalo hides, 1872
Ducks killed by an oil spill
Environmental EthicsEnvironmental ethics is the application of ethical standards to the relationship between humans and the environment.
◦ Anthropocentrism: Humans and human welfare most important
◦ Biocentrism: All living things have value; some may be more important than others
◦ Ecocentrism:Well‐being of a species or community more important than that of an individual
Lesson 1.3 The Community of Science
Environmental JusticeThe environmental justice movement: ◦ Recognizes that quality of life is connected to environmental quality
◦ Promotes fair and equitable treatment of all people regarding environmental policy and practice
Lesson 1.3 The Community of Science