Introduction to Environmental Science

What is Environmental Science?

• Environmental Science – the study of the __________ ___ __________ on the environment.

Many Fields of Study

• The foundation of Environmental Science is ______________.

• Ecology the study of how living things ____________ with each other and with their nonliving environment.

• Some other major fields of study in environmental science include __________, botany, geology,

______________, hydrology, geochemistry, sociology and many others.

Hunter-Gatherers

• For most of human history, people were __________-_____________.

• Hunter-gatherers – people who obtain food by _____________ _______ and by ____________ _______

_________ or scavenging their remains.

The Agricultural Revolution

• Hunter-gatherers began to collect _______ and domesticate _____________. This change to how human

societies behaved is known as the ______________ _______________.

• Agriculture - the practice of _____________, _____________, and caring for ________ and animals that are

used for food, clothing, housing, transportation, and other purposes.

The Industrial Revolution

• The change during the 1700’s that occurred as humans moved from animal and running water power to fossil

fuels is known as the ______________ ________________.

• This included large-scale ___________ _____________ of goods and ________________ to reduce human

labor. Motorized vehicles meant food and goods could be moved ________ ______________ more easily.

Population Effects

• One reason there are so many environmental problems today is that the _____________ revolution and

_____________ revolution allowed the human population to grow ______ _________ than before.

Environmental Problems

• There are three general categories of environmental problems:

1. _____________ ______________

2. _____________

3. _______ ___ _____________

Resource Depletion

Natural Resource – any __________ ___________ that is used by humans.

• ______________ ___________ are resources that can be replaced reasonably quickly by natural processes.

• ________________ ___________ are resources that form at a much slower rate than the rate that it is

consumed.

Pollution

• Pollution – an _________ change in air, water, or soil that adversely affects the _________, survival, or

activities of humans or other organisms.

• Pollution can be ______________ or __________________.

Loss of Biodiversity

• Biodiversity – the ___________ and ___________ of species that live in an area.

• Many species have become ____________.

“The Tragedy of the Commons”

• In 1968, ecologist Garrett Hardin published an _______ titled “The Tragedy of the Commons”. This

essay addressed the problem of __________ common resources.

• Commons were _______ ___ _______ that belonged to a whole village. These were often

______________ until individuals owned their own land.

Supply and Demand

• The law of supply and demand states that the __________ the demand for a limited supply of

something, the ______ that thing is worth.

Developed vs. Developing

• Developed countries have _________ average incomes, ________ population growth, diverse

____________ economies, and stronger social support systems.

• Developing countries have ________ average incomes, simple and _____________-_________

economies, and ________ population growth.

Population and Consumption

• Most environmental problems can be traced back to two _____ ________.

1. Population growth – in some areas the human population is growing _____ _________ for the local environment

to support it.

2. Consumption – people are ________ ____, wasting, or __________ many natural resources faster than they can

be _________ or cleaned up.

Ecological Footprints

• An ecological footprint shows the _____________ area of Earth needed to support _____

____________ in a particular country.

• It includes the land used for_______, grazing, _________ products, and housing. Also includes the

________ area used for harvesting __________ and forest needed to absorb air pollution.

A Sustainable World

• Sustainability – the condition in which _________ _______ are met in such a way that a human

population can __________ indefinitely.