Download Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis Pneumono = lung

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Pneumono = lung
Ultra = beyond, above
Micro = very small, tiny
Scopic = to look at, watch
silica = from silicon
volcano = volcanic
coni = dust
osis = condition of
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Ch. 1 - Science & the Environment
Environmental science à the study of how humans interact
with the environment; a major goal of environmental science is
to solve environmental problems
What are some of the current major environmental
problems we are facing?
1. Use of natural resources
2. Effect of human actions on the environment
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Roots to know & love:
Bio = life
Zoo = animal
Bot = plant
Ology = study of
Eco = earth
Micro = small
Geo = earth
Paleo = ancient
Hydro = water
Anthro = people
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Environmental science requires study in many different
areas:
1. Biology = study of
living organisms
(zoology, botany,
microbiology,
ecology)
** Ecology = study of how living things interact with
each other and with their nonliving environment
(ecologist would study the effect of zebra mussels
on Lake Erie while an environmental scientist would
study how they were introduced by humans)
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2. Earth Science = study of earth's nonliving components
(geology, paleontology, climatology, hydrology)
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3. Physics = study of matter and energy
(engineering)
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4. chemistry = study of chemicals and their interactions
(biochemistry, geochemistry)
5. Social sciences = study of
human populations
(geography, anthropology)
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A look at our history shows how the U.S. has changed
as a result of human interaction:
1. Hunter-gatherers à obtain food by collecting plants
and hunting wild animals; migrate from place to place;
would set fire to prairies to prevent tree growth - this
made it easier to hunt bison; overhunting along with
rapid climate changes led to disappearance of sloths,
saber-toothed cats, giant bison, etc.; large bone piles
found show were animals were driven into pits and killed
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2. Agricultural revolution à agriculture is practice
of growing, breeding, and caring for plants & animals
used for food, clothing, housing, etc.
--> began about 10,000 years ago
--> allowed for population growth because an
area of farmed land can produce 500 times more food
than if it was just hunted/gathered on
--> selective breeding (plumpest berries, largest ears
of corn, etc.) resulted in the type of plants changing
over time
--> resulted in much habitat destruction (slash & burn,
erosion, flooding)
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3. Industrial revolution à dates to the middle 1700's;
involved a shift from energy sources - animal and water power
to fossil fuel power
--> greatly increased efficiency which led to more
concentrated population centers which led to pollution
and habitat loss
--> many artificial substances were created - and we are
dealing with the results of these today
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Earth is essentially a closed system = everything
basically remains here (sunlight is added and heat is
removed but all else remains on/near earth)
1. Resources are finite
2. Waste remains on earth
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Population growth = during the 1900's, worldwide
population quadrupled; its predicted to double again
in the 21st century.
FYI: 1804 = Total population was 1 billion
1960 = Total population was 3 billion
1999 = Total population was 6 billion
2013= as of 8/26/13-7.2 billion
2050 = ?????
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Increased population leads to our current environmental
problems:
Resource depletion
à natural resource =
any natural material used by
humans
à renewable resource =
can be replaced relatively
quickly by nature (water, wood,
soil, air, sunlight)
à nonrenewable resource = forms at a slower rate
than it is consumed (iron, aluminum, copper, salt, sand,
clay, fossil fuels)
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In 1968, Garrett Hardin published the Tragedy of the
Commons à sheep were allowed to graze on a common area,
people needed to limit the grazing time so they wouldn't
destroy the grazing area, everyone was afraid that others
would get more so they all overgrazed, the area was
destroyed and the sheep starved.
Short-term interests vs. long-term welfare of society
Concept of Commons video.asx
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We must take responsibility for our resources by
planning, organizing, considering evidence, and proposing
solutions.
Economic considerations are critical
1. Supply/demand à greater the demand for a
limited supply of something, the more valuable it becomes
(oil prices!!)
2. Costs/benefits à balances the cost of an action
against the benefits one expects from it (often depends
on who is doing it…industry vs. community for pollution
controls)
3. Risk assessment à how much risk is involved
with an action (this depends on accurate information…
ex: nuclear power is less risky than riding a bike!)
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Ecological footprint = the productive
area of Earth needed to support
one person in a particular country
In the U.S., we need 30 acres per person whereas in India
they need 3!
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Environmental problems are very complex - the solution
is never simple. We must be educated about both sides!!
The key goal of environmental science is
SUSTAINABILITY!!
Sustainability = human needs are met in such a way
that a human population can survive indefinitely
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1.2 The Nature of Science
Root word alert!
Scire = to know (science is to know!)
Experimental method:
1. Observation = using senses or measuring
2. Hypothesis = a testable explanation for an observation
3. Prediction = a logical statement about what will happen
if hypothesis is correct
4. Experiment = procedure designed to test a hypothesis
A good experiment has:
a. Variable à the factor being tested
b. Experimental group à this receives the
experimental treatment
c. Control group à doesn't receive the
experimental treatment
independent variable- are the variable that the scientist
manipulates
dependent variable- variable that depends on the conditions
set by the experiment
example: A scientist could hypothesize that adding fertilizer
to a pond increase the production of algae. In order to test
this he adds fertilizer to one pond and leaves another one alone.
In this experiment fertilizer input is the independent variable
and the results, algae or no algae, is the dependent variable.
5. Collect Data - information gathered from experiment
6. Draw Conclusions - use data to answer prediction
7. Repeat experiment
8. Communicating results - share experimental results
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I think extra phosphate in
Lake Erie is promoting Zebra
mussel growth
Observation: Lake Erie is
getting full of zebra mussels.
Hypothesis: High levels of phosphate
are causing rapid Zebra mussel growth
Prediction: If I put extra phosphate in a
tank full of Zebra mussels, they
will grow more rapidly than those
in a tank without phosphate
Experiment: Get two tanks. Give them equal light, food
and water levels (control all other variables!). Put extra
phosphate in 1
tank (the experimental group) and not the other (the control
group).
Data: Measure total mass of zebra mussels each week.
Draw Conclusions: The experimental group's mass increased
by 15% while the control groups mass only increased by 5%.
Repeat experiment
Communicate results: Share with other groups interested in
zebra mussel populations.
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You must be careful when using correlations as
the basis for your predictions and hypothesis. For
example, the increase in the incidence of polio
always correlated with an increase in the consumption
of soft drinks.
Did soft drinks cause polio???
Polio is caused by a virus that appears when the
weather warms up…and thus, when more soft drinks
are consumed. But soft drinks DO NOT cause polio.
POLIO
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Thinking like a scientist requires:
1. Curiosity
2. Skepticism
3. Openness to new ideas
4. Intellectual honesty
5. Imagination and creativity
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1.3 The Community of Science
The scientific community, through peer review and
replication, helps to verify the accuracy of results and
contributes to the establishment of scientific theories.
Sound science is based on replication rather than a one time
occurrence. Even when a hypothesis appears to explain
observed phenomena, scientists need to always consider other
explanations. Generally, a hypothesis must be able to be
tested over and over again with the same results before
scientists are willing to accept it.
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Hypotheses are explanations for a narrow set of occurrences.
Theories are a broad explanation that apply to a wide range of
situations and observations.
A theory is a well tested set of observations and
experimental findings.
In everyday language when we say something is “just a
theory,” we are suggesting it is an idea without much
substance. Scientists mean the exact opposite when using
the term. Scientists are extremely confident in accepted
theories.
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Benefits and Outcomes
Environmental ethics explores how environmental science
interacts with, and is guided by, a society‛s morals and
principles.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves the study of
behavior : good and bad, right and wrong. The term ethics
can also refer to
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Worldview and culture can influence what a scientist chooses
to study or where to look for inspiration.
Environmental ethics= is the application of ethical standards
to relationships between humans and their environment.
Anthropocentrism= describes a human centered view of our
relationship with the environment. An anthropocentrist places
the highest value on humans and human welfare.
Biocentrism= gives value to all living things. In this
perspective, nonhuman life has ethical standing, so biocentrist
actions evaluates actions in terms of their overall effect on
living things, both human and nonhuman.
Ecocentrism= judges actions in terms of their benefit or
harm to the integrity of whole ecological systems, which
consist of both living and nonliving elements and the
relationships among them. An ecocentrist would value the
well-being of species, communities, and ecosystem over the
well-being of a given individual.
The environmental justice movement promotes the fair and
equitable treatment of all people with respect to
environmental policy and practice, regardless of their income,
race or ethnicity.
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