“alone in space, alone in its life- supporting systems, powered by inconceivable energies,...
TRANSCRIPT
“Alone in space, alone in its life-supporting systems, powered by
inconceivable energies, meditating them to us through the most delicate
adjustments, wayward, unlikely, unpredictable, but nourishing,
enlivening, and enriching in the largest degree – is this not a precious home
for all of us? Is it not worth our love?”
-- Barbara Ward and Rene Dubos.
What is Environmental Science?Use the template below to define these words on note cards or paper:
1.Resources
2.Sustainable
3.Renewable
4.Nonrenewable
Word and dictionary definition
Picture of what it is
Synonym Picture of what it is
NOT
Questions for Notes
• What is Environmental Science?
• What is Sustainability?
• What is an Ecological Footprint
• What are the four Major Environmental World Views?
What is Environmental Science?
• Environmental Science is a study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth, and how to deal with environmental problems. – Deals with both the living and the
nonliving– Interdisciplinary
(Bio/Chem/Geol/Social Science; Humanities (ex. ethics))
– Ecology-driven
• NOT environmentalism – POLITICAL
Fig. 1-2, p. 7
Philosophy Biology
Ethics
Chemistry
Physics
Politicalscience
Geology
Economics
Geography
Demography
Anthropology
Ecology
What is Sustainability?
• Sustainability, the central theme of this class, is built on the sub themes of:– Natural capital (Natural resources and
services)– Natural capital degradation– Solutions– Trade-offs– How individuals matter.
• The ability of the earth to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
What is Sustainability?
• How do we achieve a sustainable environment?– Three themes
• Solar energy• Biodiversity• Chemical cycling
– Sound Science is the foundation!
• The ultimate human goal is an environmentally sustainable society!
My Ecological Footprint
• One way to promote Sustainability is to understand your Ecological Footprints.
• Ecological Footprints– Amount of biologically productive
land and water needed to supply an area with resources and to absorb pollution and waste.
– www.myfootprint.org
Environmental Worldviews
• Most people disagree on how serious different environmental problems are and what we should do about them.
• There are Four Primary Environmental Worldviews.– Planetary Management Worldview– Stewardship Worldview– Environmental Wisdom Worldview– Deep Ecology Worldview
Planetary Management Worldview
• Human-centered
• We are apart from the rest of nature and can manage nature to meet our needs and wants.
• Due to our technology and ingenuity, we will never run out of resources
• The potential for economic growth is essentially unlimited.
Planetary Management Worldview
• Three variations:– No-problem school of thought– Free-market school– Spaceship Earth school
Stewardship model
• We have an ethical obligation to be caring managers, or stewards, of the earth.
• We probably won’t run out of resources, but we shouldn’t be wasteful.
• We must protect the earth for our children, and our children’s children.
• We borrow from the earth, we must pay back occaisionally.
Environmental Wisdom Worldview
• Earth-centered• We are a part of and totally
dependent on nature, and nature exists for all.
• Resources are limited and should not be wasted.
• We need to learn from the earth on how to live with it.
• It is futile to try to save the earth, because it does not need saving.– We must save our species and
culture.