Chapter 1: Science and the Environment
Chapter 1: Science and the Environment
Section 1: Understanding Our Environment
Warm-up
1. How do you define the term environment? Are humans part of the environment?
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2. How can science help us understand and solve environmental problems?
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ENVIRONMENT: ______
What is Environmental Science?
Example: Keene High School Students
-What they do: ______
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-Keene HS Students’ work is an example of ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: ______
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The Goals of Environmental Science
-One of the major goals of environmental science: ______
-To accomplish this goal, environmental scientists study two main types of interactions between humans and their environment.
-Areas of study:
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-How our actions alter our environment.
-To study these interactions, environmental scientists must ______
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Many Fields of Study
-Environmental science is interdisciplinary.
-Important foundation of environmental science: ______
-ECOLOGY: ______
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Ecologist may study….. Environmental scientist may study…..
…the relationship between bees …______
and the plants bees pollinate.
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-Many sciences contribute to environmental science.
-______: helps us understand the nature of pollutants.
-Geology: ______
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-______and ______: provide
information needed to preserve species.
-Paleontology (the study of fossils): ______
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-Other disciplines: microbiology, climatology, hydrology, engineering, biochemistry,
geochemistry, geography, anthropology, sociology.
-Studying the environment also involves studying populations, so environmental
scientists may use information from the social sciences: economics, law, politics, and geography.
Scientists as Citizens, Citizens as Scientists
-Governments, businesses, and cities recognize that studying our environment is vital to maintaining a healthy productive society.
-Environmental scientists are often asked to share their research with the world.
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Section 1: Mid-Section Review
1. Describe the two main types of interactions that environmental scientists study. Give an example of each.
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2. Describe the major fields of study that contribute to environmental science.
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3. Explain why environmental science is an interdisciplinary science.
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Critical Thinking
4. Making Comparisons What is the difference between environmental science and ecology?
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5. Making Inferences Read the Ecofact below. Propose a solution to prevent the environmental problems of the seaport of Troy described in the Ecofact.
Solution:______
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Our Environment Through Time
-Wherever humans have hunted, grown food, or settled, they have changed the environment.
Hunter-Gatherers
-People were hunter-gatherers for most of human history.
-HUNTER-GATHERERS: ______
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-Early hunter-gatherers:
-Small groups
-Migrated from place to place as different types of food became available at different
times of the year.
-Ways in which hunter-gatherers affect their environment:
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-Helped spread plants to areas where the plants did not originally grow.
-Combination of rapid climate changes and overhunting by hunter-gatherers
led to the disappearance of some large mammal species.
The Agricultural Revolution
-Eventually, hunter-gatherers began
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AGRICULTURE: ______
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______(started over 10,000 years ago)
-Effects of the Agricultural Revolution:
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-Pressure on local environments increased.
-Changed the food we eat. Wild plants were selectively bred for desired traits.
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-Habitats were destroyed through slash-and-burn agriculture.
-Soil loss, floods, and water shortages.
-Poorly-farmed land is no longer fertile.
Field Activity-Germinating Corn: Many people do not realize how easy it is to grow corn plants from unpopped popcorn kernels. This ancient grass will sprout in a matter of days if it is watered frequently. Place a few popcorn kernels on a wet paper towl, and place the paper towel in a clear plastic cup so that the kernels are visible from the outside. Leave the cup on a windowsill for several days and water it frequently. As your plant grows, see if you can observe any grasslike features. Record your observations below:
Date: ______Observations: ______
Picture:
Date:______Observations: ______
Picture:
Date: ______Observations: ______
Picture:
The Industrial Revolution
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-Involved a ______
-Increased use of fossil fuels and machines changed society and increased efficiency of agrictulture, industry and transportation.
-Large-scale production of goods became less expensive.
-______(Fewer people grew food.)
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-Fossil fuels and motorized vehicles allowed food and other goods to be transported cheaply.
Improving Quality of Life
-Positive Changes Introduced by Industrial Revolution
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-Environmental Problems Introduced by Industrial Revolution
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-Increased use of artificial substances (plastics, artificial pesticides, fertilizers)
Spaceship Earth
-Earth compared to a spaceship: ______
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-Earth is a closed system.
-CLOSED SYSTEM: An isolated system that has no interaction with its external environment.
-Potential Problems with a Closed System
-As the population grows, ______
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-Wastes could be produced more quickly than we can dispose of them.
-Environmental Problems Occur on Different Scales
-Community: “Where do we build a landfill?”
-Local Property Owners: ______
-Regional: contaminated drinking water from a polluted river hundreds of miles away.
-Global: ozone-depleting chemicals in Brazil destroying the ozone layer of Earth.
Population Growth: A Local Pressure
-Stabilizing a rapidly-growing population comes at a huge cost to the environment.
Case Study
Lake Washington: An Environmental Success Story
Critical Thinking
1. Analyzing Processes: Explain how each person and group played a crucial role in the cleanup of Lake Washington.
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2. Analyzing Relationships: How was the scientists’ work similar to the work of the Keene High School students?
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What Are Our Main Environmental Problems?
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Resource Depletion
NATURAL RESOURCE: ______
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-Natural resources can be classified as renewable and nonrenewable.
RENEWABLE RESOURCE: ______
-Examples: fresh water, air, soil, trees, crops, and energy from the sun.
NONRENEWABLE RESOURCE: ______
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-Examples: minerals and fossil fuels
______: when a large fraction of the resource has been used up.
Quick LAB: Classifying Resources
Procedure
1. Choose five objects in your classroom.
2. Observe your objects closely and list the resources that comprise them.
3. Classify those resources as renewable or nonrenewable.
Objects
1.______4.______
2. ______5. ______
3. ______
Renewable and Nonrenewable ResourcesRenewable / Nonrenewable
Analysis
1. What percentage of the resources you observed are renewable? What percentage of the resources are nonrenewable?
Renewable:______
Nonrenewable:______
2. Hypothesize the origin of three of the resources you observed.
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Pollution
-Industrial Revolution produced wastes faster than they could be disposed of.
-Wastes accumulate in the environment and cause ______.
POLLUTION: ______
-Much of the pollution today is produced by ______.
-Two main types of pollutants:
-______: pollutants that can be broken down by natural processes.
-Examples: human sewage or a stack of newspapers.
-Can become a problem when they accumulate faster than they can be broken
down.
-______: pollutatns that
cannot be broken down by natural processes.
-Examples: mercury, lead, and some types of plastic.
-Can build up to dangerous levels in the environment.
Loss of Biodiversity
BIODIVERSITY: ______
-Organisms that share the world with us can be considered ______
______.
-We depend on other organisms for ______, ______
and ______.
-Species can be considered ______.
-It is argued that ALL species have potential economic, ecological, scientific, aesthetic, and recreational value, so it is important to preserve them.
Section 1 Review
1. Explain how hunter-gatherers affected the environment in which they lived.
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2. Describe the major environmental effects of the agricultural revolution and the Industrial Revolution.
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3. Explain how environmental problems can be local, regional or global. Give one example of each.
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4. Identify an example of a natural source of pollution.
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Critical Thinking
5. Analyzing Relationships: How did the Industrial Revolution affect human population growth?
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Section 2: The Environment and Society
-One way to think about society and the environment is to consider how a society uses common resources.
“Tragedy of the Commons” (1968, Ecologist Garrett Hardin)
-“______
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-Point of Hardin’s essay: ______
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-Social pressures influence how we use resources.
-Earth’s natural resources are our modern commons.
Economics and the Environment
-Economic forces influence how we use resources.
Supply and Demand
LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND: ______
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MATH PRACTICE
Costs and Benefits
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COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS: ______
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Risk Assessment
-One of the costs of any action is the risk of an undesirable outcome.
RISK ASSESSMENT: ______
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Developed and Developing Countries
-Unequal distribution of wealth and resources around the world influences the ______
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-The United Nations classifies countries as either developed or developing countries.
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES: ______
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______: lower average incomes, simple and agriculture-based economics, and rapid population growth.
Population and Consumption
-Almost all environmental problems can be traced back to:
-The human population is ______
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-People are using up, wasting, or polluting many natural resources faster than they can
be replaced.
Local Population Pressures
-Rapid population growth leads to:
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-Constant threats in severely overpopulated regions:
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-Human population tends to grow rapidly in developing countries.
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______cannot keep pace with population growth do each person gets fewer resources. (Access to food, water, and proper sanitation is not available to many)
Consumption Trends
-People in wealthier/developed nations make up 20% of world’s population and use 75% of its resources.
Ecological Footprints
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT: ______
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-Estimation of land used for crops, grazing, forest products, and housing.
-Includes ______
______, and forest area needed to absorb air pollution caused by fossil fuels.
Environmental Science in Context
-Environmental problems are complex.
-How do we balance rights of individuals with needs of society as a whole?
Critical Thinking and the Environment
-Information on environmental issues can be
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-Exploring environmental science means:
- analyzing multiple viewpoints
- identifying biases
- investigating the source of information you encounter
A Sustainable World
-Key goal of environmental science: ______
SUSTAINABILITY: ______
Section 2 Review
1. Describe three differences between developing nations using the examples in the “Indicators of Development” table.
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2. Explain why critical thinking is an important skill in environmental science.
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3. Explain the law of supply and demand, and give an example of how it relates to the environment.
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Critical Thinking
4. Applying Ideas The law of supply and demand is a simplification of economic patterns. What other factors might affect the cost of a barrel of oil?
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5. Evaluating Ideas Write a description of “The Tragedy of Commons.” Do you think Hardin’s essay is an accurate description of the relationship between individuals, society, and the environment?
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