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Name: ____________________________________________ Ch 1: Science and the Environment Pd.____________ Section 1: Understanding Our Environment Objectives: Students will • Define environmental science and compare environmental science with ecology. • List the five major fields of study that contribute to environmental science. • Describe the major environmental effects of hunter-gatherers, the agricultural revolution, and the Industrial Revolution. • Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources. • Classify environmental problems into three major categories. What is Environmental Science? Environmental Science is the study of the ________, ____________, and _________ surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere. It includes the study of the impact of ________________ on the environment. A major goal of environmental science is to _________________________ and _________ environmental problems. To accomplish this goal, environmental scientists study two main types of interactions between humans and their environment: 1) ___________________________________________________ 2) _____________________________________________________________ Environmental science is an ________________________ science, which means that is involves many fields of study. Important to the foundation of environmental science is ecology. Ecology is they study of interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment. 1 Scientists as Citizens, Citizens as Scientists Governments, businesses, and cities recognize that studying our environment is vital to maintaining a ________________ and __________________ society. Thus, environmental scientists are often asked to share their research with the world. However the observations of _______________________ are the first steps toward addressing an environmental problem. Our Environment Through Time Wherever humans have __________________, _____________ food, or _____________, they have changed the environment. For example, the environmental change that occurred on Manhattan Island over the last 300 years was immense, yet that period of time was just a “blink” in human history. For most of human history, people were ____________-______________, or people who obtain food by ___________________ plants and by ________________ wild animals or scavenging their remains.Hunter-gatherers affect their environment in many ways: • Native American tribes _____________ buffalo. • The tribes also set fires to burn prairies and prevent the growth of trees. This left the prairie as open grassland ideal for hunting bison. In North America, a combination of __________ climate changes and overhunting by hunter-gathers may have led to the disappearance of some large mammal species. As time went on, hunter gathers began to collect the seeds of plants they gathered and domesticated animals in their environment. ______________________ is the raising of crops and livestock for food, or for other products that are useful to humans, such as clothing, housing, and transportation. The change had such a dramatic impact on human societies and their ____________ that it is often called the ___________________ _________________________—this allowed human populations to grow at un unprecedented rate. As populations grew, they began to concentrate in smaller areas, placing ______________ pressure on the local environments. The agricultural revolution changed the food we eat---the plants we grow and eat today are descended from wild plants. During harvest season, farmers collected 2 _________ from plants that exhibited the qualities they desires, such as large kernels. These seeds were then planted and harvested again. Overtime, the domesticated plants became very different from their wild ancestors. As grasslands, ____________, and wetlands were replaced with _____________, habitats were destroyed. To convert land into farmland, the slash-and-burn method was used. Replacing forests with farmland on a large scale can cause soil loss, floods, and water shortages. Much of the land was ___________ farmed and no longer fertile. The ___________________ _____________________ involved a shift from energy sources such as ________________ and running water to fossil fuels such as __________ and _______. This increased use of fossil fuels changed society and greatly increased the efficiency of _____________________, ________________, and transportation. For example, motorized vehicles allowed food to be transported cheaply across greater distances. In factories, the large-scale production of goods became ________ expensive than local production of ________________ goods. On the farm, machinery ____________ the amount of land and human labor needed to produce food. With fewer people producing their own food, the populations in urban areas steadily grew. The Industrial Revolution introduced many positive changes such as the light bulb. Agricultural productivity increased, and _____________________, ______________, and ______________ _________ vastly improved. However, the Industrial Revolution also introduced many new environmental problems such as __________________ and _____________ _______. In the 1900s, modern societies began to use artificial substances in place of raw animal and plant products. As a result, we now have materials such as ______________, artificial pesticides, and __________________. Many of these products make life ___________, but we are now beginning to understand some of the environmental problems they present. In fact, much of environmental science is concerned with the problems associated with the _________________ _______________. Earth can be compared to a spaceship travelling through space as it cannot dispose of its waste or take on new supplies. Earth is essentially called a __________ ___________. This means that the only thing that enters Earth’s atmosphere is large 3 amounts of energy from the sun, and the only thing that leaves is large amounts of heat. This type of closed system has some potential problems. Some resources are ____________ and as the population _________, the resources will be used more rapidly. There is also the possibility that we will produce __________ more quickly than we can dispose of them. Environmental problems can occur on different scales: ___________, ________________, or ____________. • A ___________ example would be your community discussing where to build a new landfill. • A _____________ example would be a polluted river 1000 miles away affecting the region’s water. • A _______________ example would be the depletion of the ozone layer. The Industrial revolution, modern medicine, and sanitation all allowed the human to grow faster than it ever had before. In the past ______ years, nations have used vast amounts of _____________ to meet the world’s need for food. Producing enough food for large populations has environmental consequences such as _________________ _________________ and ________________ __________________. What are Our Main Environmental Problems? Environmental problems can generally be grouped into three categories: 1. ____________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _______________________ _______________ ______________ are any natural materials that are used by humans, such as, water, minerals, forests, and animals. Natural resources are classified as either a _________________ resource or a ______________ resources. _______________ resources can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes. ________________ resources form at a much slower 4 rate than they are consumed. Resources are said to be _______________ when a large fraction of the resource has been used up. Once the supply of a nonrenewable resource has been used up, it may take millions of years to replenish it. Renewable resources, such as tress, may also be depleted, causing _______________________ in some areas. _________________ is an undesirable change in the natural environment that is caused by the introduction of substances that are harmful to living organism or by excessive _____________, ____________, ___________, or __________________. Much of the pollution that troubles us today is produced by human activities and the accumulation of wastes. There are two main types of pollutants: 1. ___________________ pollutants, which can be broken down by natural processes and include materials such as newspaper. 2. ________________________ pollutants, which cannot be broken down by natural processes and include materials such as mercury. ______________ pollutants are a problem only when they accumulate faster than they can be broken down. However, because _____________________ pollutants do not break down easily, they can build up to dangerous levels in the environment. ___________________ is the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem. The organisms that share the world with us can be considered natural resources. We depend on them for ____________, the oxygen we breathe, and for many other things. Yet, only a fraction of all the species that once roamed the Earth are alive today, and many are extinct. Scientists think that if the current extinction rates continue, I may cause problems for the human population. Many people also argue that all species have potential _______________, ________________, _______________, and ______________________ value, so it is important to preserve them. 5 Section 2: The Environment and Society Objectives: Students will: • Describe “The Tragedy of the Commons.” • Explain the law of supply and demand. • List three differences between developed and developing countries. • Explain what sustainability is, and describe why it is a goal of environmental science. “Tragedy of the Commons” In this essay, ecologist Garret Hardin argued that the main difficulty in solving environmental problems is the conflict between the __________- ____________ _________________ of society. The example he used was the commons, or the areas of land that belonged to the whole village. It was in the best interest the _________________ to put as many animals in the commons as possible. However, if too many animals grazed on the commons, they destroyed the grass. Once the grass was destroyed, everyone suffered because no one could raise animals on the commons. The commons wee eventually replaced by ____________ ____________ owned by individuals. Owners were now careful not to put but too many animals on their land, because ______________ wouldn’t allow them to raise as many animals next year. Hardin’s point being that someone or some group must take responsibility for maintaining a resource or it will become depleted. Economics and the Environment In addition to social pressures, economics forces influence how we use resources. _________________________ _________________ is a law of economics that states as the demand for a good or service increases, the value for the good or service also increases. AN example is the world oil production. 6 The cost of environmental solutions can be high. A cost-benefit analysis balances the cost of the action against the benefits one expects from it. The results depend on who is doing the analysis. For example, pollution control may be too costly to an industry, but to a nearby community, the price may be well worth it. Often, environmental regulations are passed on to the consumer or _________________. One of the costs of any action is the _________ of an undesirable outcome. Risk assessment is a tool that helps us create cost effective ways to protect our __________ and ______________________. To come up with an effective solution to an environmental problem, the public must perceive the risk accurately. Developed and Developing Countries The decisions and action of all people in the world affect our environment. The ___________ distribution of wealth and resources around the world influence the environmental problems and solutions a society can make. Developed countries have __________ incomes, ________ population growth, diverse industrial economies, and __________ social support. Examples of developed countries include the U.S., Canada, Japan, and countries of Western Europe. Developing countries have _______ average incomes, ____________ agriculture-based communities, and __________ population growth. Population and Consumption Almost all environmental problems can be raced back to two root causes: 1. The human population in some areas is growing too ______________ for the local environment to support. 2. People are ______________, ______________, or ______________ many natural resources faster than they can be _______________, ______________, or ___________ up. When the population in an area grows rapidly, there may not be enough natural resources for everyone to live a healthy, productive life. In severely _____________________ regions, forests are stripped bare, _____________ is exhausted, and animals are driven to _______________. In these areas, ____________________, ________________, and _____________ can be constant threats. In ________________ countries, 7 millions of people are starving. Yet these human populations tend to __________ the fastest. Food production, _________________, and ________ ________________ cannot keep pace with the population growth, so each person gets fewer resources as time goes by. To support the higher quality of life, _______________ countries are using much _________ of Earth’s resources. _______________ nations use about _____ percent of the world’s resources although they make up only ____ percent of the world’s population. This rate of consumption creates more __________ and ___________________ per person than in ___________________ countries. _______________ ___________________ are calculation that show the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country. An ecological footprint estimates the land used for _________, ______________, ____________ ____________, and ______________. It also includes the ocean area used to harvest seafood and the forest area needed to absorb the ______ _______________ caused by fossil fuels. An ecological footprint is one way to express the differences in consumption between nations. Environmental Science in Context Environmental problems are complex—simple solutions are rare, and sometimes cause more damage than the original problem did. For example, how do you balance the rights of individuals and property owners with the needs of a society as whole? 8 People on either side of an environmental issue may feel passionately about their cause and distort information to mislead people about the issue. Research done by scientists is often used to make a _____________ ___________ or is misinterpreted to _____________ controversial data. Also, the economic dimension of an environmental issue may be ________________________. And to complicate matters still, the media often sensationalizes environmental issues. For these reasons and others you must use your ___________ ___________________ skills when making decisions about environmental issues. Remember a few things as you explore environmental science further: 1. First, be prepared to ____________ to many viewpoints over a particular issue. 2. Second, _________________ the source of the information you encounter. 3. Third, ___________ all the information you can before drawing a conclusion. A Sustainable World __________________ is the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely. _________________ is a key goal of environmental science. A sustainable world is not __________________ as technological advances and human civilizations continue to be productive. However, our current world is not sustainable as the _______________ countries are using resources faster than they can be ______________. Achieving a sustainable world requires everyone’s participation including individual _______________, _______________, and the __________________. 9