Download evs 195 introduction to environmental studies tr 9:30

Definitions
• Environment
– The combined abiotic and biotic components
that sum to create the world around us.
• Ecology
– The study of how organisms interact with one
another and with their nonliving environment.
Who are?
• Environmental Scientists
– Scientists from biological, physical, chemical and
social sciences who study how the earth works, how
we interact with the earth, and how to solve
environmental problems.
• Ecologists
– Scientists who study the relationship between living
organisms and their environment.
• Environmentalists - Not necessarily scientists!
Ecological Footprint
• is the amount of productive land and water
needed to support a nation’s resource
needs.
• Translates to the Environmental Impact of
each person on the planet.
NOTE!! The ecological capacity of the world
may already be smaller than its ecological
footprint.
Ecological Footprint
• 16 million people using 15
times the country’s true area
Would need 3 Earths for the
Earth’s population of 6
billion people to use the
resources we do in the US.
Fig. 1-8 p. 10
Resources
• Ecological Resources
– Anything an organism needs for normal
maintenance, growth and reproduction.
• Examples: habitat, food, water, and shelter
• Economic Resources
– Anything obtained from the environment to
meet human needs and wants
• Examples: food, water, shelter, manufactured
goods, transportation, communication, and
recreation.
Resource Types
• Renewable Resources
– Can be replenished in the short term (hoursyears) through natural processes only at a
rate at which nature provides them
• Examples: solar, forests, grasslands, wild animals,
fresh water, fresh air, and fertile soil
Resource Types
• Nonrenewable Resource
– are those that exist in fixed quantity in the
earth’s crust.
– Examples:
• Energy resources - oil, coal, natural gas
• Metallic mineral resources - copper, iron, aluminum
• Nonmetallic minerals - salt, clay, sand, phosphates
When are resources depleted?
• Renewable Resources
– Will be depleted when they are used at a
higher rate than they can be replenished.
• Sustainable Yield
– Is the highest rate at which a renewable
resource can be used indefinitely w/o
reducing its available supply
Environmental Degradation
• Occurs when a resource’s natural replacement
rate is exceeded by our amount of use.
– Examples
•
•
•
•
•
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Urbanization of productive lands
Soil erosion
Deforestation
Overgrazing of livestock
Reduction of biodiversity
Pollution
– “Tragedy of the Commons”
What is Pollution?
• Any substance that threatens the health,
survival, and activity of living organisms.
– Air, Water, Soil, Food
• Where does Pollution come from?
– Point Sources - Easily identified
– Nonpoint Sources - Dispersed
IPAT Model – See web site for
more info
Environmental
Impact
Affluence per
person
I=P A
Number
of people
T
Environmental
effect of
technologies