Environmental Science Principles and Scientific Methods

Introduction to Environmental Science

Environmental Science is the study of humans and the effects their actions have on the environment.

Domains of the Environment

List four domains which would be considered part of the environment:

• Air
• Water
• Land

Natural Resources

List 5 items that would be considered a natural resource:

• Fossil fuels and minerals
• Natural vegetation
• Animals
• Sunlight
• Timber
• Water

Ecology and Environmental Science

Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and with their non-living environment.

Ecologists vs. Environmental Scientists

What is the difference between an ecologist and an environmental scientist?

Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and with their non-living environment, whereas Environmental Science is the study of humans and the effects their actions have on the environment.

Human Impact and History

The stage of human development which has had the biggest impact on the environment is the Industrial Revolution.

Serious Environmental Problems

List four things that would be considered serious problems for the environment:

• Resource Depletion
• Pollution
• Loss of Biodiversity

Resource Management and Sustainability

The most important aspect of a non-renewable resource to consider is its biodegradability.

Any resource that is broken down into the environment naturally is considered to be decomposition.

When an organism no longer exists, it is said to be extinct.

Common Societal Resources

List four things that would be considered common societal resources:

• Playgrounds
• Schools
• Hospitals

The Tragedy of the Commons

Garrett Hardin argued that environmental problems exist because of a conflict between the short-term interests of individuals and the long-term welfare of society.

Economic and Global Perspectives

If more gasoline is being purchased and less oil is being produced, what will happen to the price of gasoline? It will rise.

Characteristics of a Developing Country

List all characteristics of a developing country:

• Lower per-capita income
• Low levels of human capital
• High levels of poverty and undernutrition
• Higher population growth rates
• Predominance of agriculture and low levels of industrialization
• Low level of urbanization but rapid rural-to-urban migration
• Dominance of the informal sector
• Underdeveloped labor, financial, and other markets

The ecological footprint is the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country.

The Scientific Method and Data Analysis

A hypothesis is a testable idea or explanation that leads to a scientific investigation.

A variable is the factor of interest that is being tested in the experiment.

The experimental method consists of a series of steps that scientists worldwide use to identify and answer questions.

The group that does not receive the experimental treatment is the control group.

Characteristics of a Good Experiment

What essential characteristic does a good experiment have? A good experiment has a hypothesis and a variable.

Statistics are the collection and classification of data that are in the form of numbers.

Correlations are associations or relationships between two or more events.