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Environmental Science. Introduction Doing Science. Environmental Science. Interdisciplinary study of humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the nonliving physical environment. Encompasses many complex and interconnected problems Human numbers Natural Resources Pollution.
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Environmental Science Introduction Doing Science
Environmental Science • Interdisciplinary study of humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the nonliving physical environment. • Encompasses many complex and interconnected problems • Human numbers • Natural Resources • Pollution
Environmental Sustainability • Ability of the environment to function indefinitely without going into a decline from the stresses imposed by human society on natural systems that maintain life
Non-Sustainable Human Behaviors • Using nonrenewable resources as if they were present in unlimited supplies • Using renewable resources faster than they can be replenished naturally • Pollution the environment with toxins as if the capacity to absorb them were limitless • Increasing in numbers despite the Earth’s finite ability to support us.
Factors Contributing to Environmental Degradation • Population • Consumption
Declining Bird Populations • Habitat fragmentation • Nest parasitism
Nest Parasitism and Habitat Fragmentation • Fragmentation of habitat for songbirds is a result of development • Increases edges • Associated with increased populations of cowbirds
Components to Addressing an Environmental Problem • Scientific Assessment • Risk Analysis • Public Education • Political Action • Follow-through
Decision Making and Risk Assessment • Hazard Identification • Exposure Assessment • Toxicity Assessment • Risk Characterizatin
Mixtures of Chemicals • Additivity • Synergy • Antagonism
Risk Assessment Focus • Human Health • Ecological
Assessing and Managing an Environmental Problem: A Case Study
