Environmental Science

• Hydropower is a renewable energy source that utilizes the energy of flowing or falling water to generate electricity.
• Environmental science is the study of the interaction of humans with the natural environment
• The environment includes all living and nonliving things that we interact with, such as climate, soil and landforms, water sources, and other living organisms
• Environmental science is complex and interdisciplinary, incorporating concepts from multiple fields of study
• Humans have impacted the Earth since the beginnings of civilization, with examples like the Sumerians relying on irrigation for agriculture
• Salt buildup in Mesopotamian soil led to decreased yields over time, requiring slave labor to strip the upper salt layer for farming by the 7th century A.D.
• The Law of Unintended Consequences states that actions have unexpected effects, and Unsustainability refers to conditions that cannot continue at their current rate
• The Tragedy of the Commons describes how shared areas can be depleted as individuals pursue self-interests, leading to resource depletion
• Climate change, air pollution, water pollution, and overfishing are modern examples of the Tragedy of the Commons
• The first environmental movement in the United States began with conservation measures by President Teddy Roosevelt to prevent resource depletion and destruction of commons
• National Parks are preserved areas with restrictions on activities like fishing, logging, and hunting, while National Forests allow commercial activities
• The Hetch Hetchy debate led to the emergence of two major environmental ethics: Anthropocentrism focuses on human interests, while Ecocentrism values ecosystems regardless of human usefulness
• Conservationists during the Progressive Era were concerned about resource depletion and categorized resources into groups like inexhaustible, renewable, nonrenewable, and recyclable nonrenewable
• Major environmental disasters in the early 20th century raised awareness of issues beyond resource conservation
• Introduced species like Cane Toads in Australia and environmental incidents like the Donora smog and Santa Barbara oil spill highlighted the impacts of invasive species, air pollution, and water pollution
• Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" documented the effects of pesticides on the environment, emphasizing the persistence of pollutants and the importance of biodegradability
• Overhunting and habitat loss led to near-extinction of species like the whooping crane, highlighting the problem of extinction and its impact on biodiversity
• Extinction rates are currently much higher than the background rate, leading to decreased biodiversity and species variation
• Extinction rates are currently 1,000 - 10,000 times higher than normal
• Extinction lowers biodiversity, which is the amount of variation of species and genes within an area
• Rapid increases in population size in countries like India and China led to fears of human overpopulation and famine
• The book "The Population Bomb" predicted that in the 1970s, hundreds of millions of people would starve to death
• Homes in Love Canal, New York, were abandoned due to leakage from a massive chemical waste dump, which contained hazardous waste
• Laws passed in response to the modern environmentalism movement include:

  • Safe Drinking Water Act
  • Clean Water Act
  • Clean Air Act
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
  • Endangered Species Act
  • Creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Environmental indicators used to evaluate Earth's ecosystems include:

  • Biodiversity
  • Food production rates
  • Climate change
  • Human population growth
  • Resource depletion
• Countries are classified into developed and developing based on economic status
• Significant differences between developed and developing countries include:

  • Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita
  • Total fertility rates
  • Life expectancy
  • Environmental regulations and worker protections
• Developed countries have a slower population growth rate but a higher rate of consumption of natural resources
• Economic principles influence environmental decision-making, such as supply and demand affecting the cost of resources
• Cost-benefit analysis is used to determine if the benefit of an action justifies its economic cost
• An example of hidden costs is using labor in developing countries to reduce production costs
• The Bhopal disaster in India involved a pesticide factory accident due to cheaper labor and fewer safety regulations
• The impact of a person on the environment is expressed as an ecological footprint
• Three perspectives on dealing with pollution, resource overconsumption, and loss of biodiversity:

  • Planetary management worldview
  • Stewardship worldview
  • Environmental wisdom worldview
• Each worldview acknowledges that the Earth is a closed system with finite resources and waste that does not disappear
• Understanding these worldviews is essential for solving environmental issues