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Environmental Science 2

Environmental Science 2. Understanding Our Environment Frameworks for Understanding: Science, Systems, and Ethics Matter, Energy, and Life. Important Definitions. Environment: the living and non-living surroundings throughout Earth.

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Environmental Science 2

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  1. Environmental Science 2 Understanding Our Environment Frameworks for Understanding: Science, Systems, and Ethics Matter, Energy, and Life

  2. Important Definitions • Environment: the living and non-living surroundings throughout Earth. • Environmental Science: the study of our environment and our place in it.

  3. Some Origins of Interest • Resource conservation • Moral/aesthetic preservation • Concerns about human health and ecological damage • Global environmental citizenship

  4. U.S.A. History of Environmentalism through Conservation, and Preservation • Conservation: • Teddy Roosevelt – Progressive Movement, Presidency, and National Forest Establisher • Gifford Pinchot – Forester, Presidential Advisor, National Forest Establishment Leader • Preservation: • John Muir – Naturalist, Activist, Resource Management Specialist, Sierra Club President, California National Park Establisher • Aldo Leopold – Botanist, Author, Wilderness Society Founder

  5. U.S.A. History of Environmentalism through Conservation, and Preservation • Concerns via Modern Science, Organizations, and Media • Rachel Carson – Biologist, Author, Activist • David Brower – Director of Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Earth Island Institute • Barry Commoner – Scientist, Researcher, Activist • Global Eco/Socio-Cultural Citizenship • Dr. Wangari Maathai – Green Belt Movement, Grassroots Feminist, Governance in Ministry (Kenya), Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

  6. More Significant Environmentalists • Randy Morganson – Forest Ranger and Yosemite/Kings/Sequoia Expert, Mysterious Sierra Nevada Disappearance • Al Gore – Vice President, Author, Global Warming Proponent • Dr. Shawna Dark – CSUN Professor, Biogeographer, Leader of Watershed Research in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties • ???

  7. Globalization • The exchange of people, information, and things… all over the planet. • The Good: human migration and interaction, advancements in education and healthcare, better standards of living, diversity and freedom… • The Bad: rural resource extraction, international trade of goods away from suffering native populations, industrial operations resulting in pollution, global warming… • The Ugly:

  8. Sustainability: the path to “The Good” • Living within the bounds of nature based on renewable resources used in ways that don’t deplete nonrenewable resources, harm essential ecological services, or limit the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

  9. Science: knowledge production through logical processes • Related terms: • accuracy, reproducibility, reasoning, hypothesis, and theory • Scientific method • Question/purpose • Hypothesis/educated guess • Data collection/experimentation • Results analysis/answer • Report theory/review • Publish findings/implement

  10. Consensus and Conflict Agreement vs. Dissent • Paradigm: a model that provides a framework for interpreting observations. • Paradigm shift: the adoption of an innovative understanding of some phenomena and/or processes, based on updated scientific research and new conclusions embraced by the scientific majority. • Predominant theories • Fusion Powering the Sun • Evolution of Species • Modern Climate Change

  11. Environmental Ethics Value Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

  12. Environmental Justice(Progressive Worldviews) • Civil Rights + Environmental Protection = A Safe, Healthy, Life-giving Environment for Everyone  Diversity, Tolerance, Equity • People/Places Benefiting: • Americans (U.S.A), Australians (Australia), South Africans (South Africa)… • People/Places In Need: • Sudanese (Sudan), Korean (North Korea), Iranian (Iran)…

  13. Connections “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” - John Muir • Interrelationships: • Matter • Energy • Life

  14. Definitions • Matter: everything that takes up space and has mass (weight). • Energy: the ability to do work (movements, transfers, and so on).

  15. Cycles • Life - food chains, food webs, and trophic levels: • Producers • Biomass index (productivity) • Consumers • Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores…

  16. Biological Taxonomy (Latin – Linnaean Hierarchy) Biological Classifications: • Kingdom • Phylum • Class • Order • Family • Genus • species • [Humans] • animal • chordate • mammal • primate • hominidae • Homo • sapiens

  17. Species • Organisms occur in groups: • populations, communities, ecosystems

  18. Hydrologic Cycle Water…

  19. Cycles Continued • Carbon • Nitrogen • Phosphorus • Sulfur Earth Recycling Itself: although energy transfer occurs between these cycles, all matter is conserved.

  20. A Dependent Factor for Human Survival • The Sun • Solar Energy is needed to achieve the biotic and abiotic balances (ecosystems and cycles) for a sustainable future.

  21. Homework • Read three chapters of your choice from the following list: • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Write a brief summary on each chapter you read, including: • chapter number/title, single favorite Case Study/Exploring Science subsection among the chapters, overall questions and/or comments

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