What is Environmental Science?

1. What is Environmental Science? How is it interdisciplinary? From Living in the Environment, 16th Edition, by G. Tyler Miller

2. Environmental science is the interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the environment

3. What is the environment? all the living and nonliving things with which we interact Living- Nonliving-

4. interdisciplinary Environmental science is the interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the environment • involving two or more academic, scientific, or artistic disciplines, in this case, it refers to natural sciences and social sciences

5. interdisciplinary Environmental science is the interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the environment • this allows us to examine topics and concepts from many different points of view

6. Environmental Science involves natural sciences... • Biology- the study of living things • ecology (how organisms interact), • botany (plants), • zoology (animals) • Chemistry- the study of chemicals and their interactions • Earth Science- the study of the planet as a whole and its nonliving systems • climatology (atmosphere and climate), • geology (Earth’s history, surface, and interior processes), • hydrology (water), • paleontology (fossils and ancient life)

7. ...and social sciences. • Social Sciences- study human societies • anthropology (human cultures) • demography (human populations), • geography (humans and Earth’s surface), • economics (goods and services), • political science (government and political institutions) • Humanities- study of the aspects of the human condition not covered by the physical and social sciences • History (study of the past) • ethics (moral values and concepts of right and wrong), • philosophy (knowledge and wisdom about reality, values, and human conduct)

8. Why study environmental science? The Goals- • Learn how nature works • Learn how we affect the environment • Learn how to deal with environmental problems and live more sustainably Our Goals- • Engage! Get you thinking about your environment • Explore how nature works • Explore how we affect the environment • Learn how to be/remain informed • Analyze media sources, etc. • Learn how to apply scientific reasoning • Analyze data • Use models and mathematical representations • Evaluate evidence • Explore, design, and evaluate solutions to environmental problems

9. Environmental Science vs. Environmentalism Environmental Science is the pursuit of knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interactions with it. • knowledge based on science and evidence Environmentalism, or environmental activism, is a social movementdedicated to protecting the natural world. • beliefs based personal viewpoint or perspective Environmental scientists and environmentalists may care about some of the same issues, but they are not one in the same.