Download How Do We Develop and Maintain a Sustainable

How Do We Develop
and Maintain a
Sustainable Future?
What is Environmental Science?
Multidisciplinary field that draws from all the
sciences, as well as other fields, to help us better
understand the relationship between humans and
the world in which we live.
It focuses on three main areas:
Conservation and protection of natural resources
Environmental education and communication
Environmental research
Major fields of study that contribute
to Environmental Science
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Biology: Study of living organisms
Earth Science: Study of Earth’s nonliving systems
Physics: Study of matter and energy
Chemistry: Study of chemicals and their interactions
Social Sciences: Study of human populations
Ecology: Study of how living (biotic) things interact with
their nonliving (abiotic) environment
Tragedy of the
Commons
In 1968, Garrett Hardin
published an essay that
argued the main difficulty
in solving environmental
problems was the conflict
between short term
interests of individuals
and long term welfare of
society.
Our Environment Over Time
Wherever humans have hunted, grown food or settled, they have
changed their environment.
HUNTER-GATHERERS
 Burned prairies to prevent tree growth
 Over hunting in combination with climatic changes led to
disappearance of large mammal species such as: Giant
sloths, giant bisons, mastadons, cave bears and sabertooth tigers
AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION
About 10,000 years ago man began to plant seeds and domesticate
animals
 This allowed human population to grow at a very rapid rate (an area
can support 500 times more people)
 Plants we grow and eat today are descendants of wild plants
 Grasslands, forests and wetlands were replaced with farmland;
habitats were destroyed
 Bad farming techniques, overworked soil became water logged and
contaminated by salts
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Until mid 1700’s tools were powered by humans and animals
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Began in England
Fewer people grew their own food, populations in urban areas grew
Pollution and habitat loss became common
Many products made life easier but we are now beginning to
understand some of the environmental problems they present
Environmental Problems We Face!
Decrease in Biodiversity
Depletion of Resources
Pollution
What is the Root Cause?
POPULATION INCREASE!!!!!!