Introduction to Science, Ecology and Environmental Science
What is science?
•Science is a process for producing knowledge
–Orderly and methodical
•Science depends on making precise observations of natural phenomena and on formulating rational theories to make sense of those observations
•Science reduces our tendency to rely on emotional reactions and unexamined assumption
Science
•Science searches for testable evidence that cultural and religious traditions do not
•Scientists do not accept proposed explanations until there is substantial evidence to support them
Scientific design
•Scientific studies are well thought-out
•Reproducibility is a key test of any data set
Hypothesis and theory
•An hypothesis is a conditional explanation
•After systematic testing, scientists either accept or reject the hypothesis
•When a large amount of evidence and many tests support a hypothesis and a majority of experts have reached general consensus, we call it a scientific theory
Statistics
•Statistics are numbers, mathematical tests and models that evaluate and compare things
•Statistics are widely used in science and ecology in particular
Pseudoscience
•A common tactic in combating scientific evidence is to use scientific uncertainty as a an excuse to postpone or reverse an action supported by the current scientific evidence
What is ecology?
•Greek Oikos = the home or household
•-ology = study of
Human ecology
•The study of the interactions of humans with each other and with their environment
Environmental science
•Environmental science is a systematic study of our environment, and humanity’s place in it
–Interdisciplinary and integrative
–Usually Mission-oriented – Implies that we have a responsibility to get involved and solve the problems we have created
Now a bit more about this class…
How can I be successful in this course?
Answer: It’s up to you!
•Develop good study habits
•Use textbook and online resources effectively
•Practice critical thinking
•Ask questions!
Environmental ethics next time
Environmental ethics
•Ethics is a branch of philosophy:
–Morals: Distinction between right and wrong
–Values: Ultimate worth of actions or things
•Environmental ethics deals with the moral relationships between humans and the surrounding world.
Values, rights, and obligations
•Moral Agents - Beings capable of acting morally or immorally, and who can accept responsibility for their acts
–Humans
•Moral Subjects - Beings who are not moral agents, but who have moral interests and can be treated rightly or wrongly
–Children
Values, rights and obligations
•Moral Extensionism - Widening definition of who is considered ethically significant
–Animal rights
Environmental justice
•Environmental justice combines civil rights and environmental protection to demand a safe, healthy environment for all people
–People of color around the world are subjected to a disproportionately high level of environmental health risks
•Environmental racism
Environmental justice
•Toxic colonialism - Targeting poor communities in areas or countries for waste disposal and/or experimentation
–Native American Reservations
–Moving operations to countries where environmental regulations are lax
Intrinsic and instrumental value
•Intrinsic (Inherent - Innate) - Worth or value simply because of existence
–Humans
•Instrumental (Conferred) - Worth or value only because they are valued by someone who matters
–Tools
Does nature have intrinsic or instrumental value to you?
Religious and cultural Perspectives
•Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Hinduism
–Biocentricism - All living things have intrinsic value
Religious and cultural perspectives
•Christianity, Judaism and Islam
–Anthropocentric - Human-centered
•Genesis 1:28 (Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”)
–Stewardship viewpoint - Custodian of resources
Environmental science: past and present
Historical perspective
•Four distinct stages:
–Pragmatic resource conservation
–Moral and aesthetic nature preservation
–Modern environmentalism
–Global environmentalism
Nature protection is not new!
•Habitat destruction noted by Aristotle and Plato in classical Greek period
•Conservation management practiced by agrarian societies
•Private game management, royal preserves and private manor lands
History of American resource management
•American Indians
•American colonists
–nature as economic resource
–nature as “evil”
Pragmatic resource conservation
•George Perkins Marsh - Man and Nature
•Influenced Theodore Roosevelt and his chief conservation advisor Gifford Pinchot
–Pragmatic Utilitarian Conservation
»“Greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time”
»For people that live here now, not in the future
»Multiple Use Policies of USFS came out of this ethic
–Roosevelt, Pinchot and others are responsible for creating framework of national park, wildlife refuges and forests
Moral and aesthetic nature preservation
•John Muir - President of Sierra Club
–Nature deserves to exist for its own sake - regardless of degree of usefulness to humans (Biocentric Preservation)
–Disagreed with Pinchot about damming of river
Modern environmentalism
•Industrial explosion of WW II added new concerns to the environmental agenda
–Rachel Carson - Silent Spring (1962)
Modern environmentalism
•Environmental agenda expanded in 1960’s and 70’s to include:
–Human population growth
–Atomic weapons testing
–Fossil fuel issues
–Air pollution
–Wilderness protection
Global environmentalism
•Increased technology has greatly expanded international awareness
•Recognizes that we are a global village
•Includes social justice
Environmental issues are complex
–Chemical contamination
–UV radiation
–Solar radiation
–Parasite infection
Current conditions
•Human Population > 6 Billion
•85 million added per year
–Food shortages and famines
–Water quantity and quality issues
–Fossil fuel burning
•Air and water pollution
•Global climate change
–Landscape destruction
•Loss of biodiversity
A divided world
•Poor countries tend to be located in Southern Hemisphere
•World Bank estimates1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty of < $1 per day
–Daily survival necessitates over-harvesting resources thus degrading chances of long-term sustainability
•Poor are often victims and agents of environmental degradation
A divided world
•Wealthy countries tend to be located in the Northern Hemisphere
• About 1/5 of world population live in countries with per capita income > $25,000.00 (U.S.)
–Poor people exist here as well
•Gap between rich and poor continues to increase
–Wealthiest 200 people in the world have combined wealth of $1 trillion - more than total wealth of poorest half of the world’s population
A fair share of resources
•Affluent lifestyles of richer countries consume inordinate share of natural resources and produces high proportion of pollutants
–Takes approximately 450 kg of raw materials to get an average American through the day
–US annually throws away 160 million tons of garbage
–“Ecological Footprint” is one way to measure resource consumption
Sustainable development
•“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
–Benefits must be available to all humans, not just sub-set of privileged group
Sustainable development
–Many economists see continual economic growth as essential in providing more resources to more people
–Most ecologists view continual growth as impossible in the long-run due to non-renewable resources and limited ecological waste-disposal capabilities
Indigenous people
•Indigenous (native) people are often least powerful, most neglected people in the world
–At least half the world’s 6,000 distinct languages are dying
–Indigenous homelands may harbor vast percentage of world’s biodiversity
–Indigenous people possess valuable ecological knowledge and remain caretakers of little-disturbed habitats
Your homework – Living in Pakistan