ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE

1

What constitutes the “environment,” and what fields of study collaborate under the umbrella of environmental science?

INFOGRAPHICS 1.1 AND 1.2

Question 1.1

Environment is a broad term that includes one’s _________ and _________ surroundings.

living and non-living

Question 1.2

Environmental science:

  • is defined as the physical surroundings or conditions in which any given organism exists or operates.

  • includes the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to help us understand the world and our place in it.

  • focuses exclusively on our ability to understand and solve environmental problems.

  • is the study of the plants and animals of the natural world and how they interact with each other.

B

Question 1.3

Some scientists study peatlands to look for clues about how ancient civilizations lived and died. Others work with peatlands to manage these ecosystems for their water purification services, or as sources of fuel or soil additives (peat moss). Which of the activities above describes empirical science, and which describes applied science? Explain.

Studying peatlands to see how they form or to investigate ancient civilizations are examples of empirical science — an investigation of the natural world that seeks to understand what is happening. Research focused on the management of peatlands for water purification or to harvest resources are examples of applied science — studying the natural world with the goal of helping us use those resources effectively or to solve problems.

2

What are some of the environmental dilemmas that humans face, and why are many of them considered “wicked problems”?

INFOGRAPHICS 1.3 AND 1.4

Question 1.4

The triple bottom line is an approach to problem analysis that includes consideration of the _________, _________, and _________ aspects of any potential solution.

environmental, economic and social

Question 1.5

Why is it that many problems are considered to be wicked problems?

  • Their potential solutions almost always come with trade-offs.

  • They arise out of the greed and malice of other people.

  • These problems cannot be solved or even effectively addressed.

  • They are hard to study using empirical methods, and so science can’t help find solutions.

A

Question 1.6

Consider the wicked problem of air pollution. Identify some of the causes and consequences of air pollution. What are some possible solutions, and what are the trade-offs that come with those solutions?

Answers may vary :

Air pollution can be caused by industry or vehicle emissions. It can also be caused by agricultural operations or natural sources like volcanos. Reducing industrial air pollution could involve installing pollution prevention equipment — this would cost money and might be passed on to the consumer but the cleaner air might decrease health problems which could result in a savings to consumers and communities. Vehicle emissions could be reduced with better pollution control equipment, higher mpg vehicles or through programs to reduce driving such as carpools, public transit or bike lanes. The technological fixes could increase the cost of a vehicle but again, this might be offset by better health. Bike lanes might be fairly inexpensive and could have the added bonus of increased physical fitness for riders.

3

What does it mean to be sustainable, and what are the characteristics of a sustainable ecosystem?

INFOGRAPHIC 1.5

Question 1.7

Which of these is an example of acting sustainably?

  • Using available resources to support our current lifestyle

  • Using resources now as we need them but also researching new ways to meet future needs

  • Dramatically reducing our use of resources, even if it means a lower quality of life for most people

  • Meeting today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs

D

Question 1.8

Why is it important that sustainable ecosystems only rely on a renewable energy source such as the Sun?

  • Solar energy can be captured and used by all organisms.

  • It is clean and nonpolluting.

  • Energy cannot be recycled, so new supplies are always needed.

  • It is a natural form of energy.

C

Question 1.9

Identify and explain the four characteristics of a natural ecosystem.

RELY ON RENEWABLE ENERGY Ecosystems must rely on sources of energy that are replenished daily because energy that is used by one organism is "used up" and cannot be used by another — energy is NOT recycled. This means new inputs are constantly needed.

USE MATTER SUSTAINABLY No new matter arrives on Earth so ecosystems must make do with what they have. Fortunately matter can be recycled and organisms in ecosystems use matter resources over and over again — the waste of one becomes resource for the next.

HAVE POPULATION CONTROL The size of the various populations in an ecosystem is kept in check by disease, predators and competitors. This prevents a population from getting too large and damaging the ecosystem it, and others, depends on.

DEPEND ON LOCAL BIODIVERSITY Ecosystems access energy, recycle matter and control population sizes largely through the actions of their resident species. Higher biodiversity (greater number of species and more variation of individuals within a species) generally means more energy can be captured, more matter can be recycled and at a faster pace, and population sizes can be better controlled.

4

What can human societies and individuals do to pursue sustainability?

INFOGRAPHIC 1.6

Question 1.10

If we were to mimic the way nature uses matter resources, we would:

  • reduce the waste we produce by reusing and recycling the matter resources we do use.

  • use the most abundant resources first before turning to less abundant ones.

  • focus on reducing what we “take” from the environment but not need to worry about what we put back into the environment.

  • rely on one or two ways to use and recycle material globally rather than using a variety of methods that might differ in different places.

A

Question 1.11

Identify at least one action we could take as a society to follow each of the four characteristics of a sustainable ecosystem.

Answers will vary:

Rely on renewable energy — we should move away from fossil fuels and increase our use of sustainable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal or biomass based fuels (that are not harvested faster than they grow).

Use matter sustainably — recycling matter resources rather than throwing them away; re-using products; transitioning to non-toxic alternatives to toxic chemicals and industrial processes; improving product designs to reduce waste.

Population control — implement measures to reduce the population growth rate such that human populations do not continue to grow.

Depend on local biodiversity — use local resources whenever possible (i.e. food, energy sources,); use a variety of products or production methods rather than relying on one or a few (i.e. using a wide variety of energy sources that reflect local availability and needs rather than using the same energy source everywhere — i.e. fossil fuels).

5

What challenges does humanity face in dealing with environmental issues, and how can environmental literacy help us make more informed decisions?

INFOGRAPHICS 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, AND 1.10

Question 1.12

When you drive your car, it releases a small amount of air pollution. You know air pollution is bad, but if you stop driving, you’ll be forced to find another way to get around, and the air will still be polluted because everyone else will still keep driving. So you keep driving, too. This is an example of the social trap known as ____________________________.

the tragedy of the commons

Question 1.13

Jack is opposed to the selective killing of deer that have vastly overpopulated the local forest. Jill argues that the ecosystem will be destroyed if some are not removed. While Jack is _________ as he sees deer as having intrinsic value, Jill is _________ as she values not just the species but the ecosystem processes as well.

  • biocentric; ecocentric

  • ecocentric; biocentric

  • anthropocentric; ecocentric

  • biocentric; anthropocentric

A

Question 1.14

Compare the responses of the Vikings who settled in Greenland and Iceland. Why did one civilization persist, while the other died out? How is this an example of the importance of environmental literacy?

Though both populations faced similar challenges, settlers in Iceland did a better job of recognizing which of their actions were unsustainable and changing the way they did things to accommodate the realities of their surroundings. They stopped grazing livestock since the grasslands could not withstand the pressure of grazers (Greenland Vikings kept raising cattle), they switched to a diet largely based on fish (Greenland Vikings did not) and even harvested enough to keep European trade ships coming (trade ships stopped coming to Greenland).

This illustrates the importance of environmental literacy — understanding how one’s environment works, and how human actions can impact that, allows one to make choices that allow a population to live sustainably.

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