WES - What is Environmental Science? Module Overview
What is Environmental Science?
Module Lessons Preview
In this module, we will study the following topics:
Environmental Science an Interdisciplinary Science
How do we Study Environmental Science?
What are the Top Environmental Concerns?
Ecological Footprint
Tragedy of the Commons
Key Terms
- Applied Science- Uses the information provided by pure science to solve problems. Example: engineering, medicine, and environmental science.
- Consumption Crisis - This crisis occurs in developed countries and happens when people use up, waste, or pollute natural resources faster than those resources can be renewed, replaced, or cleaned up.
- Developed Countries- Highly industrialized countries whose citizens have high average incomes.
- Developing Countries - Less industrialized countries whose citizens have low average incomes.
- Environmental Science- Study of the interaction between the living and nonliving components of the environment.
- Extinction- The irreversible disappearance of a population or a species.
- Natural Resources- Any natural substance that living things use. Examples include: air, soil, minerals, plants, sunlight, animals, and fossil fuels.
- Nonrenewable Resources - Resources that cannot be replaced. Examples: oil and natural gas.
- Pollution- Occurs when harmful levels of chemicals or waste materials are introduced into the environment. Examples include: air, water, and soil.
- Population Crisis- This crisis occurs in developing countries and happens when human populations grow too quickly for the regions to support.
- Pure Science- Seeks to answer questions about how the natural world works. Examples: biology, physics, and chemistry.
- Renewable Resources- Resources that are continually being replaced. Examples: wind, water, forests, and sunlight.
- Science -Study of the natural and physical processes using structured methods of observation and experimentation.
- Tragedy of Commons- problem in which every individual tries to reap the greatest benefit from a given resource.
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