Section Goals:

1. Understand environmental science and sustainability.

Why Study Environmental Science?

Environmental science is the dynamic, 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. The study of environmental science includes circumstances, objects, or conditions by which an organism or community is surrounded and the complex ways in which they interact. 

The need for equitable, ethical, and sustainable use of Earth’s resources by a global population that nears the carrying capacity of the planet requires us not only to understand how human behaviors affect the environment, but also the scientific principles that govern interactions between the living and non-living. Our future depends on our ability to understand and evaluate evidence-based arguments about the environmental consequences of human actions and technologies, and to make informed decisions based on those arguments.

The Earth, Humans, and the Environment

From global climate change to habitat loss driven by human population growth and development, Earth is becoming a different planet—right before our eyes. The global scale and rate of environmental change are beyond anything in recorded human history. Even in geological history, where there are examples of changes in atmospheric conditions similar to what we see now, the periods of high carbon dioxide are associated with unfriendly conditions to living organisms; meaning the fossil record shows mass extinctions. It’s alarming.

Humans cannot exist outside of the natural systems of the Earth, and humans have been changing the Earth at unprecedented levels. The interconnection of the environment, defined below, with human populations and the earth as a whole is an essential part of environmental biology (and this textbook).

The Environment: The complete range of external conditions, physical and biological, in which an organism lives.  Environment includes social, cultural, and (for humans) economic and political considerations, as well as the more usually understood features such as soil, climate, and food supply.

Oxford Dictionary of Ecology, 4th edition

Our challenge is to acquire an improved understanding of Earth’s complex environmental systems; systems characterized by interactions within and among their natural and human components that link local to global and short-term to long-term phenomena, and individual behavior to collective action. The complexity of environmental challenges demands that we all participate in finding and implementing solutions leading to long-term environmental sustainability.

Perspectives: A brief history of planet Earth:

Attribution

 The Earth, Humans, and the Environment by Alexandra Geddes, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Modified from original by Joni Baumgarten.