Transcript Environmental Science 2

Environmental Science 2
Understanding Our Environment
Frameworks for Understanding:
Science, Systems, and Ethics
Matter, Energy, and Life
Important Definitions
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Environment: the living and nonliving surroundings throughout Earth.
Environmental Science: the study of
our environment and our place in it.
Some Origins of Interest
1.
2.
3.
4.
Resource
conservation
Moral/aesthetic
preservation
Concerns about
human health
and ecological
damage
Global
environmental
citizenship
U.S.A. History of Environmentalism
through Conservation, and
Preservation
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Conservation:
• Teddy Roosevelt – Progressive Movement,
Presidency, and National Forest Establisher
• Gifford Pinchot – Forester, Presidential Advisor,
National Forest Establishment Leader
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Preservation:
• John Muir – Naturalist, Activist, Resource
Management Specialist, Sierra Club President,
California National Park Establisher
• Aldo Leopold – Botanist, Author, Wilderness
Society Founder
U.S.A. History of Environmentalism
through Conservation, and
Preservation
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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
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Global Eco/Socio-Cultural Citizenship
• Dr. Wangari Maathai – Green Belt Movement,
Grassroots Feminist, Governance in Ministry
(Kenya), Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
More Significant Environmentalists
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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
???
Globalization
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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:
Sustainability: the path to
“The Good”
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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.
Science: knowledge production
through logical processes
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Related terms:
•
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accuracy, reproducibility, reasoning,
hypothesis, and theory
Scientific method
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Question/purpose
Hypothesis/educated guess
Data collection/experimentation
Results analysis/answer
Report theory/review
Publish findings/implement
Consensus and Conflict
Agreement vs. Dissent
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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
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Fusion Powering the Sun
Evolution of Species
Modern Climate Change
Environmental Ethics
Value
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Environmental Justice
(Progressive Worldviews)
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Civil Rights + Environmental Protection = A Safe,
Healthy, Life-giving Environment for Everyone
 Diversity, Tolerance, Equity
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People/Places Benefiting:
• Americans (U.S.A), Australians (Australia), South
Africans (South Africa)…
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People/Places In Need:
• Sudanese (Sudan), Korean (North Korea), Iranian
(Iran)…
Connections
“When one tugs at a single thing in
nature, he finds it attached to the
rest of the world.” - John Muir
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Interrelationships:
• Matter
• Energy
• Life
Definitions
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Matter: everything that takes up
space and has mass (weight).
Energy: the ability to do work
(movements, transfers, and so on).
Cycles
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Life - food chains, food webs, and
trophic levels:
• Producers
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Biomass index (productivity)
• Consumers
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Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores…
Biological Taxonomy
(Latin – Linnaean Hierarchy)
Biological Classifications:
• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• species
[Humans]
animal
chordate
mammal
primate
hominidae
Homo
sapiens
Species
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Organisms occur in groups:
• populations, communities, ecosystems
Hydrologic Cycle
Water…
Cycles Continued
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Carbon
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Nitrogen
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Phosphorus
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Sulfur
Earth Recycling Itself: although energy
transfer occurs between these cycles, all
matter is conserved.
A Dependent Factor for Human
Survival
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The Sun
• Solar Energy is needed to achieve the
biotic and abiotic balances (ecosystems
and cycles) for a sustainable future.
Homework
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Read three chapters of your choice from
the following list:
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Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
2
3
4
5
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