This major traditionally requires the student to take basic engineering classes in fields such as thermodynamics, advanced math, computer modeling and simulation and WebThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 seek to address the greatest challenges humanity faces: poverty, inequality, hunger, climate change, pandemics and diseases, and ecosystem and biodiversity losses. In fact, natural environmental and ecological changes have caused the extinction of almost all of the species that have ever lived on Earth since life began about 3.5 billion years ago. Animal Liberation. Dubbed Rio+20, the conference comes 20 years after the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, also held in Rio. Paul Ehrlich, an American ecologist, has expressed this simple relationship using an impact formula, as follows: I = P A T, where. Freedman, B. This subject area deals with anthropogenic pollution and disturbances and their effects on people, their economies, other species, and natural ecosystems. /CA 1.0 How can we harvest renewable resources such as fish or forests in ways that dont degrade them? World views include traditional religions, philosophies, and science, as well as other belief systems. In a general sense, the cumulative impact of humans on the biosphere is a function of two major factors: (1) the size of the population and (2) the per-capita (per-person) environmental impact. U Many of the changes are degrading the ability of the environment and ecosystems to sustain humans and their economies. The sustainability world view acknowledges that humans must have access to vital resources, but the exploitation of those necessities should be governed by appropriate ecological, intrinsic, and aesthetic values. Earthbound: New Introductory Essays in Environmental Ethics. A Sand County Almanac. Describe, at an introductory level, the basic chemical and biological foundations of life on Earth Define environment, ecosystems, and environmental sciences Give examples of the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science Define sustainability and sustainable development Sustainable Development stands for meeting the needs of present generations without jeopardizing the ability of futures generations to meet their own needs in other words, a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. 1.8 What is the Environment Worth to You?1.9 Global Perspective. Oxford University Press, New York. Rogue Primate: An Exploration of Human Domestication. It incorporates the biocentric world view but goes well beyond it by stressing the importance of interdependent ecological functions, such as productivity and nutrient cycling. Make sure that you consider both natural and anthropogenic stressors. From the Karez and underground tombs in BC to the London metro in 1863, from the Tokyo declaration in 1991 to the Shanghai declaration in 2019, with human settlement, the formation of cities, and the development of society, underground space has been Emergent properties are complex and may be difficult to predict or manage. /ca 1.0 Is our water safe to drink and swim in? 1989. The solutions have generally involved management of the environment or other species to the benefit of humans, or the development of social systems and technologies that allow a more efficient exploitation of natural resources. endobj Websustainability (WFEO, 2015). stream Book: Introduction to Environmental Science (Zehnder et al. @ Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, MD. Earth is the only place in the universe that is definitely known to sustain life and ecosystems. David Suzuki A Canadian Environmentalist Development implies a progressively improving efficiency in the use of materials and energy, a process that reflects socio-economic evolution toward a more sustainable economy. Km@Y_iJ=hL5*b# mA VC K&=#]C{kBm>L6>4B8hI` yy=SS1DYD#> z T UP 1.4 The Process of Science WebConnector of dots in industrial ecology. /OPM 1 WebEnvironmental education ( EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. However, disturbances can also be local in scale. The net result is a rapidly diminishing area of old-growth forest and endangerment of both the ecosystem and some of its dependent species. This does not, however, mean that one species cannot exploit another. A sustainable economy must be fundamentally supported by the wise use of renewable resources, meaning they are not used more quickly than their rate of regeneration. Environmental stressors and disturbances have always been an important, natural context for life on Earth. A sustainable society is one that has learned to live within the boundaries established by ecological limits. Whatever their culture, however, few people fail to be inspired by a walk through a tract of old-growth forest on Vancouver Island. WebEnvironmental science is the interdisciplinary study of the interaction of living and non-living parts of the environment, with special focus on the impact of humans on the environment. 7c*"=e#>]L'bpLt%%O|wLxBy*;pnJwlG+ jQDzMo"ZwJG45;[Qm$S6U^5WJj6/ROmOKxcSf;UQ2D DR( ( GDP represents all of the economic activities in a country, each of which results in some degree of environmental impact. Webunderstand the various environmental problems such as pollution, degradation, depletion of resources; explain the meaning of sustainable development; tell the ways to The World Factbook. P Environmental science is interdisciplinary character. In many ways, our experience with COVID in the spring and summer of 2020 illustrates the challenges of acting and making decisions under uncertainty. ENVIR 100 Introduction to Environmental Studies (5) NSc/SSc, DIVExamines the ethical, political, social, and scientific dimensions of environmental issues. 3rd ed. It considers people within an ecological context and focuses on sustaining all components of Earths life-support system by preventing human actions that would degrade them. To see a remarkable example of a musical system with emergent properties, have a look at the video, Stringfever Bolero athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5MLNMgpywk. Sustainable farming and ranching do not reduce the amount of healthy soil, clean water, genetic diversity of crop plants and animals. In fact, humans are capable of overcoming their environmental constraints more than any other species. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. @ * T \ Systems have collective properties, which are based on the summation of their parts. Industrial schemes to harvest old-growth trees for manufacturing into lumber or paper are incompatible with other proposals to protect this special ecosystem in parks and wilderness areas. Other than sunlight, the natural resources needed to sustain the human economy are restricted to the limited amounts that can be extracted on Earth. Both the direct and indirect effects of humans on ecosystems are important. DesJardins, J.R. 2000. That '92 Earth Summit produced 27 guiding principles and the adoption of Agenda 21, all Along with each of these is a set of recommendations for how the City could approach each initiative to more closely align Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Entrepreneurial Education (EE) are quite abstract and demanding concepts for teacher students. SiJUN One of the major influences on the environmental impact of any human population is the number of people (the population size). WebEnvironmental and Sustainability Sciences, BS Overview Program Requirements Plan of Study Our Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences is Still, it is remarkable that the national energy use of Canada, with its relatively small population, is close to that of India and within an order of magnitude of China, which have enormously larger populations. The intense damage caused by humans and our economy is, of course, a major element of the subject matter of environmental science. y}e%}x %{?a^7/X=40b=+V&>X^q3/\OM;(};l 8 This ecosystem represents a distinct element of our natural heritage. These dimensions are interconnected, and a balanced approach is necessary to achieve sustainable development goals. 6 0 obj According to the biocentric and ecocentric world views, all species have intrinsic value. So countries and provinces need to work together to set goals, policies and regulation to prevent pollution, protect the environment, and conserve natural resources. One such property might be the total number of organisms present in a defined area, which might be measured as the sum of all of the individual plants, animals, and microorganisms that are estimated to be present. u TN * Q TJn @Bmu W R"Wp Which of these connections could you do without? Define sustainability and sustainable development. Source: B. Freedman. Justify your answer. Pessimism is a self-fulfilling prophesy. Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. And these values are important in shaping how we understand environmental issues. This limit is a fundamental principle of ecological economics. 3rd ed. Within that context, so-called developed countries have a relatively well-organized economic infrastructure and a high average per-capita income (because of their latter characteristic, they may also be referred to as high-income countries). 2003. Our values are greatly influenced by cultural attitudes. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Introduction to Environmental Science /Name /X WebNatural Resources for Sustainable Development Get an introduction to environmental science with online courses from major universities and institutions worldwide. WebEnvironmental engineering science (EES) is a multidisciplinary field of engineering science that combines the biological, chemical and physical sciences with the field of engineering. /Length 1277 1985. The EES syllabus is comprised of four units of study (as per the Australian ESS Curriculum) that are studied over a 2-year period: Unit 1: Introduction to Earth systems; Unit 2: Earth processes energy transfers and transformations; Unit 3: Living on Earth extracting, using and managing Earths resources; Unit 4: The changing Earth /Height 800 Human beings have a long history of developing underground space. Moreover, the damage will become substantially worse before corrective actions are (hopefully) undertaken to reverse the damage and allow an ecologically sustainable human enterprise to become possible. Centering people, places and their lived experience into systems thinking. This ecosystem approach does not view the system as a random grouping of individuals, populations, species, communities, and environments. 1994. Those who work in this sector typically design or operate systems that use energy and resources in a sustainable manner, contributing to the sustainability of our environment and the human race as a whole. Examples of disturbance include clear-cutting, fishing, and forest fires. Home Place: Essays on Ecology. You have been asked by the United Nations to devise an index of national and per-capita environmental impacts that will be used to compare various developed and less-developed countries. Humans are considered a unique and special species, but not as being more worthy than other species. Web1) Introduction to Sustainable Development (SD) and Industrial Ecology (IE); 2) Industrial Symbiosis (IS) and Design for the Environment and Sustainability (DfES) 1) Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); 2) SR Opportunities and CSR Audits Learning Outcome Examine how environmental pollution occurs in an industrial setting. WebSustainability refers to humans living on Earth and their use of resources without depletion of the resources for future generations. Intact old-growth forest also provides other valuable services, such as flows of clean streamwater and assistance in the regulation of atmospheric concentrations of vital gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen. actions that can solve environmental problems. Sources of data: population data are for 2015 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015); energy use (all commercial fuels) for 2013 (BP, 2013); GDP for 2013 (CIA, 2014). Biological systems provide numerous examples of emergent properties. /Width 620 WebThis proceedings is a collection of selected papers presented at the 2015 International Conference on Environmental Science and Sustainable Development (ICESSD 2015), which was held on October 2526, 2015, Bangkok, Thailand. They also engage conflicts between direct human interests and those of other species and the natural world. This difference is an inevitable consequence of the prosperous nature of the lifestyle of North Americans and other wealthier people, which on a per-capita basis is achieved by consuming relatively large amounts of natural resources and energy, while generating a great deal of waste materials. The environmental impacts of countries, and of their individual citizens, can be compared using simple indicators, such as the use of energy and the gross domestic product. You can browse by subject, length, or rating to inspire your students to learn more. In contrast, a renewable resource can regenerate after harvesting, and if managed well, can provide a supply that is sustainable. Evernden, L.L.N. It includes the forums that we use to discuss environmental issues, the nature and role of environmental laws and regulations, the types of organizations and institutions that guide our actions, and the role of the market. List the key disciplinary fields of knowledge that each includes. Although this dependence may not always seem to be immediately apparent as we live our daily lives, we nevertheless depend on environmental resources such as food, energy, shelter, and water to sustain ourselves and our larger economies. At the same time, however, most leaders of society have publicly affirmed their support of sustainable development. WebEnvironmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geography, and atmospheric science) to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems. Moreover, most politicians, economic planners, and business people hope for additional growth of economic activity, in order to generate more wealth and to provide a better life for citizens. Sustainable Development and sustainability have played an increasingly important role in engineering education over the last 20 years but more needs to be done. how human activities impact the environment; the use and consumption of natural resources; and. Emergent properties are extremely difficult to predict and often emerge as surprises, for example, occurring when ecosystems are stressed by some human influence. For example, the death of a large tree within an otherwise intact forest creates a local zone of damage, referred to as a microdisturbance. Hargrove, E.C. P( 2oH(\@ @ Yz 1 ( On one hand, knowledge provides guidance about the consequences of different choices, including damage that might be caused and actions that could be taken to avoid that effect. Environmental ethics deal with the responsibilities of present humans to both future generations and other species to ensure that the world will continue to function in an ecologically healthy way, and to provide adequate resources and livelihoods (this is also a key aspect of sustainable development; see the last section of this chapter). However, during the cultural evolution of humans, the ecological changes associated with our activities progressively intensified. Reflections on changing perceptions on the Earth. A world view is a comprehensive philosophy of human life and the universe, and of the relationship between people and the natural world. Human beings have a long history of developing underground space. But bikes and roads are also technologies, and we need to consider their design and use in thinking about environmental issues. All disciplines are relevant to the identification and resolution of environmental issues. For example, in most years, millions of hectares of the boreal forest of northern Canada are disturbed by wildfires. Clearly, one of the keys to resolving the environmental crisis is to achieve a widespread adoption of ecocentric and ecological sustainability world views. As such, ecosystems can be organized in a hierarchy they may range from small units occurring in discrete microhabitats (such as an aquatic ecosystem contained within a pitcher plant or in a garden surrounded by pavement) to much larger scales (such as a landscape or seascape). machines and energy to perform work previously done by humans or draught animals; advances in the domestication and cultivation of plants and animals; discoveries in medicine and sanitation; and, extraordinary strides in communication and information technologies, I is the total environmental impact of a human population, A is an estimate of the per-capita affluence in terms of resource use, T is the degree of technological development of the economy, on a per-capita basis. The dynamics of natural disturbances can be far-reaching, in some cases affecting extensive landscapes. Calculations based on this simple PAT formula show that affluent, technological societies have a much larger per-capita environmental impact than do poorer ones. Will Canada have enough water in the future? WebThe Lorax and Sustainable Development Introduction: The Lorax is a fictional story about a man whose activities abused the environment and about what he learned from the experience. There are two kinds of natural resources. The Population Explosion. Less-than-optimal access to nutrients, water, or sunlight results in physiological stress, which causes the plant to be less productive than it is genetically capable of being. ( 2006. Environmental science & studies examines the scientific, social, and cultural aspects of environmental issues. The rapid use results in an aggressive depletion of vital non-renewable resources, and even renewable ones. His work is now being advanced through the activities of the David Suzuki Foundation, an advocacy and research organization founded in 1990 with the aim of enhancing progress toward an ecologically sustainable human economy (seehttp://www.davidsuzuki.org/). Source: B. Freedman. 2014. by Kalina Manoylov, https://libguides.gcsu.edu/ENSC1000-2nd-ed, Introduction to Environmental Science, 2017 edition, Describe, at an introductory level, the basic chemical and biological foundations of life on Earth, Define environment, ecosystems, and environmental sciences, Give examples of the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science, Define sustainability and sustainable development, Explain the complex relationship between natural and human systems, pertaining to environmental impact, the precautionary principle, and environmental justifications, Understand scientific approach and begin to apply the scientific method. Environmental Ethics: An Introduction to Environmental Philosophy. And pollution doesnt know about the boundary between countries or provinces. Additionally, it is important to involve and educate communities about sustainability and the importance of protecting the environment. In an environmental context, this is sometimes referred to as affluenza. Canadian Focus 1.1. A New Ecology for the 21st Century. Almost all national economies have been growing rapidly in recent times. These are helpful and hopeful actions, and they represent necessary progress toward an ecologically sustainable economy. WebFigure 1.1. /op true E , @ P @ P T L (@ . TH$UQ hP1&( P xb E 0T R;p bTPoIB^ *U{ AP P@ (P(P(P($E &E 1 @@~=JB3Aj.{z /BitsPerComponent 8 Science uses knowledge to better understand environmental issues, such as air or water chemistry, climate modelling, or the ecological effects of pollution. {` xyy=SS1DV>C>" @ P @ P @ P @ P @ P @ P @ P @ P p The most benign (or least stressful) natural environments are characterized by conditions in which factors such as moisture, nutrients, and temperature are not unduly constraining, while disturbances associated with disease, wildfire, windstorm, or other cataclysms are rare. Harper & Row, New York, NY. Decisions influencing environmental quality are influenced by two types of considerations: knowledge and ethics. In an environmental context, generally important world views are known as anthropocentric, biocentric, and ecocentric, while the frontier and sustainability world views are more related to the use of resources. 2003. Maintaining aesthetic values can provide substantial cultural, social, psychological, and economic benefits. /Filter /DCTDecode Jan 5, 2015 http://cnx.org/contents/1741effd-9cda-4b2b-a91e-003e6f587263@43.5. Planet Earth. This is because most actions undertaken by governments and businesses have supported economic growth, rather than sustainable development. From the Karez and underground tombs in BC to the London metro in 1863, from the Yet, Key Sustainability Competences and Entrepreneurial Competences entail important qualities of future citizens and workers, and teacher students should become prepared to Engineering is an important field for sustainability and environmental awareness. OpenStax CNX. WebSustainable development objectives have been widely defined along three dimensions: economic, environmental and social or ecology, economy and equity. In Detail 1.1. Human beings have a long history of developing underground space. 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