APES:Chapter1

WhatisEnvironmentalScience?

WhatisEnvironmentalScience?• EnvironmentalScience - interdisciplinarystudyofhumanrelationshipswithotherorganisms&thenonlivingphysicalenvironment

WhatisthestudyofEnv.Science?EnvironmentalSciencetriestoestablishprinciplesandmodelhowthenaturalworldfunctionsANDTHENusestheseprinciplestodevelopsolutionstoenvironmentalproblems causedbyhumans(ANTHROPOGENIC).

Whatisaresource?• Resource - anythingfromenvironmentthatmeetstheneeds/wantsofhumans

• definedbasedonreplenishmenttime

RenewableResourcereplenishedduringlifetime,canbedepletedbutregeneratedinhumanlifespan

NonrenewableResourceCannotbereplenishedduringlifetime,fixedstock,canbereplenishedongeologictimescale

PerpetualResourceRenewedContinuously

Sustainable

Meetingtheneedsoftodaywithoutharming futuregeneration’sabilitiestomeettheirneeds.

ThreePrinciplesofSustainability

Sustainable

SolarCapital

NaturalCapital

Whatneedstobesustained?

NaturalCapital=NaturalResources+NaturalServices

Fig.1-4,p.9

MajorEnvironmentalProblems

1. AirPollution

2. BiodiversityDepletion

3. FoodSupplyProblems

4. WasteProduction

5. WaterPollution

BasicCausesofEnvironmentalProblems

1. RapidPopulationGrowth

2. UnsustainableResourceUse

3. Poverty

4. Notincludingenvironmentalcostinthepriceofgoods/services

5. Tryingtomanageandsimplifynaturewithtoolittleunderstandingofhowitworks.

WhatarecurrentissuesattheheartofEnv.Science?

ENERGYSUPPLYandDEMAND

GLOBALWARMING

OVERPOPULATION

FOODSUPPLIES