Environment originates from the French word environner.
Environner means to surround or encircle
In the environment, the physical, non-living and living surrounding of a society has a reciprocal relationship with each other
Environment is the total of water, air, and land and the interrelationships among them with human beings and other living organisms and materials that exist.
Functions of the Environment:
Source of resource inputs
Source if amenity services
Provides Life Support
Receptacle for waste
Source of resource inputs; materials, services or information that are useful to the people
Source of amenity services; services that utilized for our comfort, convenience and enjoyment
Provides life support; provides the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, the food that we eat, and the land that we live
Receptacleforwaste; the last receiver of wastes that we produce, may it be with positive or negative effects in the future
Ecosystem Services;
ProvisioningServices
CulturalServices
RegulatingServices
SupportingServices
Provisioning Services; Products directly obtained from the environment
Cultural Services; Nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems
Regulating Services; The benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes
Supporting Services; Indirect services, as they are necessary for the production of provisioning, regulating or cultural services
ProvisioningServices;
Food
Raw Materials (eg. wood)
Water
Medicine
CulturalServices;
Recreation, Mental and Physical Health
Tourism
Aesthetic Appreciation and Inspiration for Culture, Arts and Design
Spiritual Experience and Sense of Place
RegulatingServices;
Local Climate Air Quality
Carbon Sequestration and Storage
Moderation of Extreme Events
Waste Water Treatment
Erosion Prevention and Maintenance of Soil Fertility
Pollination
Biological Control
Regulation of Water Flow
SupportingServices;
Habitat for Species
Maintenance of Genetic Diversity
Natural Resources;
Renewable
Non-Renewable
Renewable Resources; can be replenished in a short period of time
Renewable Resources;
Solar
Wind
Geothermal
Water
Biomass
Non-Renewable Resources; cannot be remade or regrown at a scale comparable to its consumption.
Non-Renewable Resources;
Coal
Petroleum
Natural Gas
Nuclear Energy
7 Environmental Principles;
Nature knows best
Allformsoflifeareimportant
Everythingisconnectedtoeverythingelse
Everything changes
Everything must go somewhere
Ours is a finite Earth
Nature is beautiful and that humans are the stewards of God.
Environmental Science; the use of scientific approaches to understand the complex systems in which we live
Facts about Environmental Science;
Environmental Science is integrative or multidisciplinary.
Environmental Science is global
Environmental Science is informative; it helps us understand our remarkable planet