The Geography of Environmental Changes 53.262

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Environmental Science
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Environment
The complex set of physical, geographic,
biological, social, cultural and political
conditions that surround an individual or
organism and that ultimately determines its form
and nature of its survival.
1. All factors living and nonliving that affect
an individual organism or population at any point
in the life cycle. 2. Set of circumstances
surrounding a particular occurrence.
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• Environmental science
• An interdisciplinary branch of science that
  investigates questions related to the human
  population, resources, and damages caused by
  pollution and disturbance.

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Environmental science is integrative and complex
biology, chemistry, politics, sociology, geology,
agriculture, economics.
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• Natural environments provide
• innumerable services to humanity
• Food
• Fiber
• Genetic resources
• Absorb wastes
• Recreation
• Aesthetic values
• Water

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What are our main environmental problems?

• Resource Depletion
• Pollution
• Extinction

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What are our main environmental problems?

• 1. Resource Depletion
• Any natural substance a living thing can use is
  considered a ________ __________.
• Examples

NATURAL
RESOURCES
SUNLIGHT
SOIL
FORESTS
FOSSIL FUELS
AIR
WATER
MINERALS
PLANTS
ANIMALS
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RESOURCES

• Some resources can not be replaced. These are
  called ____-__________ ___________.
• Example

NON
RENEWABLE
RESOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
COPPER
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RESOURCES

• Other resources are continually being replaced,
  even as they are being used. These are called
  __________ ___________.
• Example

RENEWABLE
RESOURCES
TREES
FISH
SOLAR ENERGY
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

• 2. POLLUTION
• The introduction of harmful levels of chemicals
  or waste material into the environment.
• Example

Carbon dioxide
heat
mercury
pesticides
CFCs
Nitrous oxides
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POLLUTION
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

• 3. Extinction
• the last individual member of a species has died
  and the species is gone _________.
• Examples

FOREVER
Carolina Parakeet
Dusky seaside sparrow
dodo
Passenger pigeon
Great auk
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EXTINCT SPECIES
Great Auk
Passenger Pigeon
Carolina Parakeet
Dodo Bird
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A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

• _________ the thin layer of life around the
  Earth. The _________ extends from the surface of
  the earth to about 8km above the surface and 8km
  into the deepest part of the ocean.
• Many environmental problems are global

Biosphere
Biosphere
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A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

• Although all humans live in the biosphere, people
  in different countries have different immediate
  needs and priorities.
• Most of the worlds nations can be divided into
  one of two groups ______ ______ or _______
  ______.

Developed
countries
developing
countries
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Developed Countries

• The _____ industrialized countries, whose
  citizens have ____ average incomes, are known as
  developed countries.
• EXAMPLES

highly
high
Canada
United States
New Zealand
Japan
France
Australia
England
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Developing Countries

• The developing countries are ____ industrialized
  and have a much _____ average income.
• Examples

less
lower
India
Kenya
Mexico
Thailand
Malaysia
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POPULATION AND CONSUMPTION

• Many environmental issues can be linked to
  ________ human population and ________ demand on
  natural resources.
• In some regions of the world, the population is
  growing too quickly for the region to support.
• This causes a ________ _____.

increasing
increasing
population
crisis
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POPULATION AND CONSUMPTION

• Furthermore, when people use up, waste, or
  pollute natural resources faster than they can be
  renewed, replaced, or cleaned up, the result is a
  _______ ____.

consumption
crisis
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POPULATION AND CONSUMPTION

• When there are too many people, there are not
  enough _______ for everyone to live a healthy,
  productive life.
• As people struggle for survival in overpopulated
  areas, forests are stripped, topsoil exhausted,
  and animals are driven to extinction.
• Malnutrition, starvation, and disease are
  constant threats.

resources
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POPULATION AND CONSUMPTION
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A SUSTAINABLE WORLD

• From an environmentalist point of view, what
  would the ideal world be like?

The goal of environmental problem solving is to
achieve a sustainable world. A world in which the
human populations can continue to exist
indefinitely with a high standard of living and
health. Habitats would be preserved, garbage
would turn into harmless substances, nonrenewable
resources would be used sparingly and
efficiently, and renewable resources would be
used no faster than they can be replaced
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