Lecture 1

• Environmental Science: the study of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us and how we affect our environment
• Earth System - interaction between the 4 spheres:

  • Lithosphere - study of rock and physical processes involving rock
  • Atmosphere - climatology meteorology, air quality
  • Hydrosphere - study of water movement and storage, quantity and quality, cryosphere
  • Biosphere - realm of life
• Anthropocene: the current geological age - human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment
• Anthropocene - human influence on environment

  • depleting the ozone layer
  • deforestation (50% of forests cleared)
  • over-hunting/harvesting/fishing
  • urbanisation/industrialisation/globalisation/transportation
  • damage to coral reefs (ocean acidification/coral bleaching)
  • plastics
  • decline in biodiversity/increased rate of extinction
  • mining of scarce resources