Lesson 1: Fundamental Issues in Environmental Science

1. Lesson 1: Fundamental Issues in Environmental Science Big Question: Why Is Science Necessary to Solve Environmental Problems?

2. How to Use the Online Lessons The primary purpose of the online lectures are to review, reinforce, and add to material covered in the book. Material you receive in these online lessons is just as likely to be on exams as other material in the book. Some material, particularly UW, local and regional examples, and timely material, may be only on this site. The best way for you to use the class materials is to read the each book chapter first, then view the lessons.

3. What is "Environmental Wisdom"? “Environmental Wisdom” must include the little and the big pictureand must include people. Visit and research the following sites: Wikipedia article on Coffee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee CoffeeResearch.org: Coffee Production Statistics: http://www.coffeeresearch.org/market/production.htm Where the Hell Is Matt?: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/?fbid=ZIotVystLiI What does the information on these sites tell us about something as simple as coffee, travel, dancing, and people in the world in relationship to Environmental Science? 3

4. Sustainability In the past 35 years, the number of people in the world more than doubled, from 2.5 billion to over 6.6 billion. Visit this site for current data:U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html Our rapidly increasing population underlies all environmental problems because most environmental damage results from the very large number of people on Earth.

5. Sustainability Use it, but don’t use it up Other uses of the term "sustainability": • sustainable society • sustainable economy • sustainable development • sustainable architecture • More on sustainability at Wikipedia: Sustainability: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability

6. Earth’s Carrying Capacity How many people can Earth sustain? Carrying capacity is usually defined as the maximum number of individuals of a species that can be sustained by an environment over the long term.

7. A Global Perspective Today our actions are experienced worldwide. Life makes Earth’s environment unlike that of other planets. The Gaia hypothesis proposes that the global environment has been profoundly changed by life throughout the history of life on Earth, and that these changes have improved the chances that life on Earth will continue. See the Wikipedia article: Think Globally, Act Locally.

8. Cities Affect the Environment We are becoming an urban species, and our effects on the environment are more and more the effects of urban life. We must look more closely at the effects of urbanization. Even as this happens, we cherish the concept of time in non-urban environments more than ever.

9. People and Nature “Principle of environmental unity”: everything affects everything else We depend on nature for many natural service functions For a lot more information (and propaganda) on the impacts of overconsumption, see the International Buy Nothing Day Web site: http://www.ecoplan.org/ibnd/ib_index.htm

10. Science and Values • Before we decide what kind of environment we want, we need to know what is possible. • Science is a process of discovery. • Sometimes changes in ideas are small. • Sometimes a science undergoes a fundamental revolution in ideas.

11. Science is one way of looking at the world. It begins with observations about the natural world. From these observations, scientists formulate hypotheses that can be tested. Science does not deal with things that cannot be tested by observation, such as the following: • the ultimate purpose of life; • the existence of a supernatural being; or • standards of beauty or issues of good and evil. Ideas are scientific if it is possible to disprove them.

12. What is Environmental Science? A group of sciences that attempt to explain how life on Earth is sustained, what leads to environmental problems, and how these problems can be solved. Often linked with nonscientific fields that have to do with how we value the environment (such as Deep Ecology). Deals with many topics that have great emotional effects on people.

13. Placing a Value on the Environment Utilitarian justification • values the environment it is useful economically or for survival. Ecological justification • Values the larger life-support functions of the environment. Aesthetic justification • values beauty. Moral justification • based on one’s view of right and wrong, and extending inherent rights beyond humans.

14. Solving Many Environmental Problems Involves Systems and Rates of Change A system is a set of parts that function together to act as a whole, like a city (streets, buildings, sewer systems) or a river (water sources, animals and plants in and along the river.

15. Positive Feedback: Off-road Vehicles (ORVs) and Erosion

16. Some situations involve both positive and negative feedback Example: changes in human populations of large cities

17. Exponential growth Exponential growth is an important outcome of positive feedback Exponential growth is incompatible with sustainability

18. Environmental Unity It is impossible to change only one thing; everything affects everything else Changes in one part of a system often have secondary and tertiary effects within the system and effects on adjacent systems See Wikipedia: Butterfly Effect and Wikipedia: A Sound of Thunder. Also see "The Butterfly Effect—Real?"

19. Changes and Equilibrium in Systems When the input to a system is equal to the output, the system is said to be in a steady state Steady state is a dynamic equilibrium because something is still happening

20. If input is less than the output, the storage compartment will shrink • Groundwater extraction • If input exceeds • output, the storage • compartment will • expand • Groundwater • pollution

21. To effectively manage natural systems, we need to understand: • the types of disturbances and changes that are likely to occur • the time periods over which changes occur • the importance of each change to the long-term productivity of the system.

22. Biota: Biosphere and Sustaining Life Biota: all living things (animals and plants, microorganisms) within a given area Biosphere: the region of Earth where life exists What is needed to sustain life? there must be several species within a system that includes air and water to transport materials and energy – an ecosystem

23. Ecosystems A community of organisms and their local nonliving environment in which matter (chemical elements) cycles and energy flows Vary in size, from the smallest puddle of water to a large forest, or the entire global biosphere Ecosystem borders may be clearly or vaguely defined

24. Environmental characteristics thatmake solving problems harder Lag time is the time between a stimulus and a system’s response to that stimulus If there is a long delay between stimulus and response, then the resulting changes are much more difficult to recognize

25. Exponential Growth and Long Lag Time Exponential growth and long lag time may allow a population to eventually exceed the carrying capacity, resulting in overshoot and a decline collapse in the population. Some environmental changes may be irreversible over time periods of hundreds or thousands of years

26. Ecological Footprint Ecological footprint - the total area each person requires based on the resources used and the waste produced. We may be consuming about 20% more of Earth’s biological productivity than is replaced each year. Take the Ecological Footprint Quiz to determine your own ecological footprint.

27. The Precautionary Principle:When in Doubt, Play It Safe It can be difficult to prove with absolute certainty how human activities lead to local and global environmental problems. When there is a threat of serious environmental damage, we should not wait for certain scientific proof before taking steps to prevent potential harm. How much proof do we need before acting? We need to examine the benefits and costs of taking a particular action versus taking no action. The Precautionary Principle is a proactive tool. More information on the Precautionary Principle.

28. Chapter 1: Fundamental Issues in Environmental Science Questions? E-mail your TA. eschelp@u.washington.edu