Intro to Environmental Science

• Environmental Science is the study of how human activities affect organisms and the nonliving environment
• Focuses on solutions to anthropogenic problems
• A principal goal of Environmental Science is to find ways of using natural resources in a sustainable manner
• Environmental sustainability involves using a resource in a way that does not deplete it and without harming the environment or future generations
• Political, social, and economic issues cannot be excluded from Environmental Science
• Examples of environmental problems include overfishing and invasive species
• Overfishing and invasive species illustrate the need for management of natural resources
• Overfishing in Georges Bank New England is an example of the Tragedy of the Commons, where resources like fish, water supplies, and the atmosphere are common to all
• Invasive species like zebra mussels in the Great Lakes outcompete native species and cause economic impacts
• Approaching environmental problems involves understanding the ecological, economic, human health, and social aspects of the problem
• Understanding the science behind the problem requires data analysis
• Understanding the potential impacts of solutions is crucial, considering economic, social, and ecological factors
• The process of addressing environmental problems includes sounding the alarm, scientific assessment, risk analysis, public education, political action, and follow-through
• Sounding the alarm involves individuals, media, local government, and regional and national governments
• Scientific assessment includes stating the problem, generating a hypothesis, experimental design, control variables, and statistical analysis
• Risk analysis involves deciding whether to intervene based on scientific assessment results, considering risks and costs
• Public education aims to inform the public about the problem, alternatives, costs, and predicted results of each choice
• Political action by elected officials sets a course of action, such as implementing environmental acts like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act
• Follow-through includes long-term monitoring and improving the scientific model of the problem
• Eutrophication is the increase in nutrients in a body of water, often from anthropogenic sources like sewage treatment plants and urban run-off
• The increase in nutrients alters the ecology of aquatic ecosystems, leading to algae blooms and oxygen depletion
• Algae blooms cause organic material accumulation, increasing biological oxygen demand (BOD) and affecting aquatic life
• As oxygen levels decline, consumer populations like trout and bass decrease, and aquatic plants near the bottom die due to decreased light penetration
• In the case of Lake Washington, sewage diversion into the ocean was a part of the recovery process from eutrophication