Environmental Science 102

Introduction to Environmental Science

Steve DutchLS 463465-2246dutchs@uwgb.eduwww.uwgb.edu/dutchsCourse Material is Not on D2L!

What Is Environmental Science?

How Can I Get An A In This Class? • The Good News: There Are Lots of Guides to

Help You• The Bad News: They All Say Pretty Much What

Your Professors (and Parents) Say• Worse News: It Looks Very Much Like Work• Worst of All: It’s a Time Eater– 2000 Hours to Proficiency

How Can I Get An A In This Class? • Develop Good Study Habits • Recognize And Hone Your Learning Styles • Use This Textbook Effectively • Will This Be On The Test? • Decide Today to get an A• Failure is an Option – Your Option• Deal with problems Immediately• Be Prepared to Change

Approaches to Truth and Knowledge

• Analytical: Break down into component parts• Creative: Look for new approaches • Logical: Use orderly approach, test consistency• Critical: What are goals? How Good is Data?• Reflective: What does it all mean?

Learning Styles

• Visual, Spatial: Maps, Diagrams, Charts• Verbal, Auditory: Lectures, Discussions• Logical: Find Patterns and Structure• Active: Hands-On, Labs, Field Trips• Where does it say you can only learn one

way?

What Do I Need To Think Critically? • Skepticism and Independence– Question your own skepticism

• Open-Mindedness and Flexibility– But Don’t Let Things Fall Out

• Accuracy and Orderliness– Check Facts, Keep them Straight

• Persistence and Relevance– Don’t Let Yourself be Sidetracked

• Contextual Sensitivity and Empathy– Don’t let Yourself be Manipulated

What Do I Need To Think Critically?

• Facts• The More the Better– How Science Works– What Science Has Determined– Present Controversies• What’s Known, Alleged, Unproven• Who Supports What

– Cultural Awareness

Don’t Believe Everything You See, or Hear On the News

• What Political Positions are Represented?• Who Stands to Gain? Who’s Paying for the

Message?• What Sources are Used and how Credible are

They?• Evidence? Statistics? Citations?• One Sided versus Impartial?• Facts and Logic versus Emotional Appeal?

Avoiding Logical Errors And Fallacies

• Red Herring• Straw Man• Ad Hominem (Personal Targeting)• Generalization and Anecdotal Evidence• False Causality and Denial of Causality– Most of the Time, Things Are What They Seem

• Non-Sequiturs, Missing Links

Avoiding Logical Errors And Fallacies• Appeal to Ignorance (“Science Can’t Explain …”)– Most of the Time, Science Can Explain It

• Appeal to Authority• Begging (Evading) the Question– “Begging” = Raising or Inspiring = Illiterate

• Word Games, Double Meanings, Loaded Terms• Slippery Slope, Where do you Draw the Line?• False Dichotomy

An issue is decided by:• Facts and logic• Not by who holds the position or why• But those factors can alert us to:– Possible bias– Facts and logic that need checking– What’s omitted

• Be Careful of Things That Mesh Too Well With Your Own Beliefs

A Concept Map