Lab 1 -- Warm-up to Writing Environmental Science Reports
Carterk
PoES-Chapter1-UnderstandingourEnvironment.pdf
Understanding our Environment
Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Applications 9th Ed. Lecture by
Christopher W. Bankston, Ed.D.
What is Environmental Science?
´ Environmental Science Integrates Many Fields
´ Political Science
´ Environmental Economics
´ Population Biology
´ Ecology
´ Chemistry
´ Anthropology
´ More . . .
What is Environmental Science?
´ Methods in Environmental Science
´ Observation
´ The Scientific Method
´ Quantitative Reasoning
´ Uncertainty
´ Critical and Analytical Thinking
Major Themes in Environmental Science ´ Climate Change ´ Clean Water ´ Air Quality ´ Population Growth ´ Hunger and Food ´ Information and Education ´ Biodiversity Loss ´ Conservation of Forests and Nature Preserves ´ Marine Resources ´ Energy Resources
Human Dimensions of Environmental Science ´ Resource Use and Conservation
´ Planetary Boundaries – thresholds of abrupt or irreversible change.
´ * Sustainable Environmental and Social Progress ´ Combating Poverty
´ Reducing Resource Consumption
´ Population Growth
´ Health Care
´ Sustainable Cities
Human Dimensions of Environmental Science ´ * Sustainable Environmental and Social Progress – continued
´ Environmental Policy
´ Protection of the Atmosphere
´ Combating Deforestation and Protecting Biodiversity
´ Combating Desertification and Drought
´ Agriculture and Rural Development
´ * These ten ideas were described in Agenda 21 of the UN Conference on Environment and development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
Human Dimensions of Environmental Science
´ The State of Poverty and Wealth Today
´ Quality-of-Life Indicators
´ Indigenous Peoples Safeguard Biodiversity
´ Generally the least powerful and most neglected people
Science Helps Us Understand Our World
´ Science Depends on Skepticism and Reproducibility
´ Identify Question
´ Form Testable Hypothesis
´ Develop a Test of the Hypothesis
´ Collect Data
´ Interpret Results
´ Report for Peer Review
Science Helps Us Understand Our World
´ We Use Both Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
´ Deductive Reasoning
´ characterized by or based on the inference of particular instances from a
general law: deductive reasoning | I used my deductive powers.
´ Inductive Reasoning
´ characterized by the inference of general laws from particular instances: instinct
rather than inductive reasoning marked her approach to life.
Science Helps Us Understand Our World
´ The Scientific Method is an Orderly Way to Examine Problems
´ Observe
´ Propose
´ Develop
´ Gather
´ Interpret
Science Helps Us Understand Our World
´ Understanding Probability Reduces Uncertainty
´ Experimental Design can Reduce Bias
´ Science is a Cumulative Process
´ What is Sound Science?
´ Uncertainty, Proof, and Group Identity
Critical Thinking
´ Critical Thinking is a Part of Science and of Citizenship
Where Do Our Ideas About The Environment Come From? ´ Environmental Protection Has Historic Roots
´ Stage 1
´ Resource Waste Triggered Resource Conservation
´ Stage 2
´ Ethical and Aesthetic Concerns Inspired the Preservation Movement
´ Stage 3
´ Rising Pollution Level Led to the Modern Environmental Movement
´ Stage 4
´ Environmental Quality is Tied to Social Progress
END
