Environmental Science Notes
Christopher Torres
Environmental Studies
Notes
Chapter 1
Understanding Our Environment
Atmosphere: Air
Hydrosphere: Water (Ice-Cryosphere)
Geosphere: Land
Biosphere: Everywhere you find living thing
Science: ”To know”
A way of knowing following scientific methods that gives you higher chance of objective and accurate answers
Basic Principles of Science
Empiricism: Science is evidence based
Uncertainty/Proof is elusive: Science can’t prove anything
Can support hypothesis
Scientific Theory: Hypothesis that supported by many lines of evidence/ Not contradicted
Repeatability: being able to repeat
Parsimony: Fragile/ If they’re multiple explanation of a natural phenomenon we accept the simplest
Testable Questions: There has to be a way of testing the hypothesis
History of Conservation & Environmentalism
1864 George P. Marsh published “Man & Nature”
March 1, 1872 Yellowstone National Park was established first national park
John Moir 1st president of Sierra Club
Current Environmental Conditions
Half of the world’s wet land were lost in the last ten years
Wetlands: Ecological services/ present floods, recharge ground water, removes excess nutrients from water (nitrate, phosphate). Provides habitats for wildlife for endemic species, fisheries, produces oxygen, resting areas for migratory birds
Land conservation and logging have shrunk the world’s forest by as much as 50%
Soil Degradation has affected two thirds of the worlds agriculture lands in the last 50 years
Major problems with environmental condition is population
Major causes of Environmental Degration
Human population growth
Resource consumption
Human Dimensions of Environmental Science
More than 1.3 billion people line in acute poverty, with an income of less than a $1(US) per day
Four of five people live in what would be considered poverty in industrialized countries
Chapter 4
Human Population
Demography: Vital statistics about people, such as births & deaths
Environmental Studies
Notes
Chapter 1
Understanding Our Environment
Atmosphere: Air
Hydrosphere: Water (Ice-Cryosphere)
Geosphere: Land
Biosphere: Everywhere you find living thing
Science: ”To know”
A way of knowing following scientific methods that gives you higher chance of objective and accurate answers
Basic Principles of Science
Empiricism: Science is evidence based
Uncertainty/Proof is elusive: Science can’t prove anything
Can support hypothesis
Scientific Theory: Hypothesis that supported by many lines of evidence/ Not contradicted
Repeatability: being able to repeat
Parsimony: Fragile/ If they’re multiple explanation of a natural phenomenon we accept the simplest
Testable Questions: There has to be a way of testing the hypothesis
History of Conservation & Environmentalism
1864 George P. Marsh published “Man & Nature”
March 1, 1872 Yellowstone National Park was established first national park
John Moir 1st president of Sierra Club
Current Environmental Conditions
Half of the world’s wet land were lost in the last ten years
Wetlands: Ecological services/ present floods, recharge ground water, removes excess nutrients from water (nitrate, phosphate). Provides habitats for wildlife for endemic species, fisheries, produces oxygen, resting areas for migratory birds
Land conservation and logging have shrunk the world’s forest by as much as 50%
Soil Degradation has affected two thirds of the worlds agriculture lands in the last 50 years
Major problems with environmental condition is population
Major causes of Environmental Degration
Human population growth
Resource consumption
Human Dimensions of Environmental Science
More than 1.3 billion people line in acute poverty, with an income of less than a $1(US) per day
Four of five people live in what would be considered poverty in industrialized countries
Chapter 4
Human Population
Demography: Vital statistics about people, such as births & deaths