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Explore the interdisciplinary realm of environmental science, encompassing scientific, social, and political facets of human impact on the environment. Delve into the interrelatedness among seemingly unrelated factors and the global nature of environmental concerns.
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The Nature of Environmental Science • Environmental science is interdisciplinary, and includes scientific and social aspects of human impact on the world. • It is a mixture of traditional science, individual and societal values, and political awareness.
The Nature of Environmental Science • Environment is everything that affects an organism during its lifetime. Environmental science
Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept • The study of environmental science is so interesting, frustrating, and challenging because of the interrelatedness among seeming unrelated factors. • Tug on anything at all and you’ll find it connected to everything else in the universe. John Muir • Charles Darwin proposed that seed production in red clover was related to the number of cats in the area.
Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept • The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park has resulted in many changes. • 31 wolves were introduced in 1995. • In 1996 there were about 320 wolves. • The wolves have caused water flow changes in the park, increases in willow and aspen trees, as well as songbirds, foxes, certain rodents, hawks, and owls. • Coyote and elk have declined.
Interrelatedness Is a Core Concept • The Yellowstone wolves are connected to social, economic, and political realms of human activity. • It was important to environmentalists and biologists to restore the wolf to its former habitat. • Ranchers could lose money if wolves killed livestock. • The farm lobby fought long and hard in congress to prevent the reintroduction. • A fund was developed to pay ranchers for cattle killed by wolves.
An Ecosystem Approach • An ecosystem is a region in which the organisms and the physical environment form an interacting unit. • The task of an environmental scientist is to recognize and understand the natural interactions that take place, and to integrate these with the uses humans must make of the natural world.
Political and Economic Issues • Most social and political decisions are made with respect to political jurisdictions. • Environmental problems do not necessarily coincide with artificial political boundaries. • Air pollution in China affects air quality in the western coastal U.S. and British Columbia, Canada. • Air pollution in Mexico affects air quality in Texas.
Political and Economic Issues • International agencies such as the International Joint Commission have major bearing on environmental quality over broad regions. • The International Joint Commission was established in 1909, in part, to protect boundary waters between the U.S. and Canada. • The Commission identifies areas of concern and encourages the cleanup of polluted sites that affect the quality of the Great Lakes and other boundary waters.
The Global Nature of Environmental Concerns • The first worldwide meeting of heads of state directed toward the environment took place at the Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. • Most countries at the conference signed agreements on sustainable development and biodiversity.
The Global Nature of Environmental Concerns • In 1997, representatives from 125 nations met in Kyoto, Japan for the Third Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. • The Kyoto Protocol is viewed as one of the most important steps to date in environmental protection and international diplomacy.
The Global Nature of Environmental Concerns • The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was completed in 2005. • As the human population grows, it puts pressure on the natural ecosystems of the world. • Most ecosystems are being negatively affected. • Food production has increased at the expense of soil loss due to erosion, conversion of natural ecosystems to managed systems, and overconsumption of water.
Regional Environmental Concerns • Environmental problems are complex and interrelated with issues specific to a given region. • A regional approach to solving environmental problems is ideal. • Development and logging in the Pacific Northwest conflict with the survival needs of owls, grizzly bears, and other species. • In most metropolitan areas, the problem of endangered species is purely historical, as the construction of cities has destroyed previously existing ecosystems.
Regional Environmental Concerns Regions of North America
The Wilderness North • Much of Alaska and northern Canada can be characterized as “wilderness” — areas with minimal human influence. • Much of this land is owned by governments, so governmental policies have a significant impact.
The Wilderness North • These areas have important economic values in their trees, animals, scenery, and other natural resources. • Resource exploitation involves significant trade-offs. These ecosystems are sensitive to insults and take a long time to repair damage. • In the past, many short-term political and economic decisions failed to look at long-term environmental implications. • Today, politicians are more willing to consider the scientific and recreational values of wilderness.
The Wilderness North • Native peoples in this area are sensitive to changes in land use or government policy that would force changes in traditional ways of life. • They have become increasingly sophisticated in negotiating with state, provincial, and federal governments to protect rights they feel they were granted in treaties.
The Agricultural Middle • The middle of North America is dominated by intensive agriculture. • Original, natural ecosystems have been replaced by managed agriculture.
The Agricultural Middle • Farmland has tremendous economic value. • It is mostly private land. • While governments cannot easily control what happens on private lands, they can • Encourage activities such as research. • Grant subsidies to farmers to encourage the planting of certain crops. • Develop markets for products.
The Agricultural Middle • Managed agricultural land is a major nonpoint pollution source. • Tilling causes air pollution in the form of dust. • Soil erosion causes siltation of rivers and other bodies of water. • Nutrients from fertilizers are washed into rivers and encourage algae growth, lowering water quality. • Fertilizers and pesticides may enter groundwater and cause contamination.
The Dry West • This term refers to areas where rainfall is inadequate for agriculture, but adequate for ranching and livestock production. • Because much of the land in the western U.S. is of low economic value, most is still the property of the U.S. government. • The government encourages its use by providing low-cost water for livestock and irrigation, and low-cost grazing rights. It also encourages mining and other development.
The Dry West • Water is an extremely valuable resource in this region. • As cities grow, conflict over water rights arises between urban dwellers and ranchers and farmers. • Increased demand for water will result in shortages and trade-off decisions.
The Dry West • Low population density areas have a wilderness character. • Conflict has developed between economic land management for livestock vs. wilderness preservation.
The Forested West • Coniferous forests dominate the Pacific Northwest landscape. • Government and commercial timber companies own large sections of land. • Historically, the government sold much of this timber at a loss.
The Forested West • In 1993, the U.S. Forest Service was directed to stop below-cost timber sales. • Timber officials claim access to public land is necessary for them to remain in business and support the economy. • Conservationists argue ecological and intangible values outweigh economic values. • Grizzly bear habitat could be significantly altered by logging. • The northern spotted owl has become a symbol of conflict between logging and preservation.
The Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast • The Great Lakes and Northeast are dominated by large metropolitan complexes with large, complicated resource demands. • Many older cities have declined, leaving behind abandoned sites and environmental problems.
The Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast • Industrial use of the Great Lakes and East Coast has resulted in contamination of the water with toxic materials. • These pollutants bioaccumulate in the food chain. • Governments have advised consumers not to eat fish and shellfish from these areas. • Water generates recreational value. • Much of the North American population is concentrated here, so the economic value of water for recreational use is high.
The Diverse South • The South is a microcosm of all other regions. • Extremely rapid population growth in some areas has led to problems with groundwater, transportation, and regulating the rate of growth.
The Diverse South • Poverty in some areas encourages state and local governments to accept industrial development at the expense of other values. • Use of the coastline sometimes encourages development in unwise areas.
Summary • Environmental science involves science, economics, ethics, and politics in arriving at solutions to environmental problems. • Because ecosystems do not coincide with political boundaries, a regional approach to solving environmental problems is ideal. • Each region of the world has certain environmental issues that are of primary concern because of the mix of population, resource use patterns, and culture.
