ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Introduction
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study of how the earth (nature)
works, how humans interact with the environment and how humans can live more
sustainably. A key component of environmental science is ecology, the branch of
biology that focuses on how living organisms interact with the living and the
nonliving parts of their environment. The major focus of ecology is the study of
ecosystem. An ecosystem is a biological community of organisms within defined
area of land or volume of water that interacts with one another and with the
nonliving chemical and physical factors in their environment.
This course deals on the interrelationships among components of the natural
world; environmental problems, their causes, associated risks, preventive measures
and alternative solutions. Central to the discussion is the environment and
sustainability.
CONTENTS OF THE MODULE
This module is composed of two lessons:
Lesson 1: Environment and Sustainability
Lesson 2: Ecosystems

LESSON 1 - ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. explain the key principles of sustainability or the major lessons from nature;
2. discuss matter and what happens when it undergoes change; and
3. develop on how to become environmentally sustainable society.

DISCUSSION
Sustainability is the capacity of the earth’s natural systems that support life
and human economic systems to survive or adapt to changing environmental
conditions indefinitely. The earth is a remarkable example of a sustainable system.
Life has existed on the earth for about 3.8 billion years. During this time, the planet
has experienced several catastrophic environmental changes. They include gigantic
meteorite impacts, ice ages lasting millions of years, long warming periods that
melted land-based ice and raised sea levels by hundreds of feet, and five mass
extinctions- each wiping out more than half of the world’s species. Despite these
dramatic environmental changes, an astonishing variety of life has survived.
Long before humans arrived, organisms had developed abilities to use
sunlight to make their food and to recycle all of the nutrients they needed for
survival. Organisms also developed a variety of abilities to find food and survive. For
example, spiders create webs that are strong enough to capture fast-moving flying
insects. Bats have a radar system for finding prey and avoiding collisions. These and
many other abilities and materials were developed without the use of the high
temperature or high-pressure processes that we employ in manufacturing (Miller &
Spoolman, 2016).
Environmental science is a study of connections in the natural environment
nature. It is interdisciplinary study of how the earth works and has survived and
thrived, how humans interact with the environment and how humans can live more
sustainably. A key component of environmental science is ecology, the branch of
biology that focuses on how living organisms interact with the living and nonliving
parts of their environment. A major focus of ecology is the study of ecosystems. An
ecosystem is a biological community of organisms within a defined area of land or
volume of water that interact with one another and with the nonliving chemical and
physical factors in their environment. Environmental science and ecology should not
be confused with environmentalism, or environmental activism, which is a social
movement dedicated to protecting the earth’s life support system for humans and
other species (Miller & Spoolman, 2016).

How are we affecting the Earth?

As the world’s dominant animal, humans have an awesome power to degrade
or sustain the earth’s life support system. Humans decide whether forests are
preserved or cut down. Human activities affect the temperature of the atmosphere,
the temperature and acidity of ocean waters, and which species survive or become
extinct. According to a large body of scientific evidence, humans are living
unsustainably. People continually waste, deplete, and degrade much of the earth’s
life sustaining natural capital- a process known as environmental degradation, or
natural capital degradation.
Research conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Columbia
University Center for International Earth Science Information Network; human
activities directly affect about 83% of the Earth’s land surface as human ecological
footprints have impacted the earth. This land us used for important purposes such
as urban development, growing crops, grazing livestock, mining, timber cutting, and
energy production. In many parts of the world, however, renewable forests are
shrinking, deserts are expanding, and topsoil is eroding. The lower atmosphere is
warming, floating ice and many glaciers are melting at unexpected rates, sea levels
are rising, and ocean acidity is increasing. There are more intense floods, droughts,
severe weather, and forest fires in many areas. In a number of regions, rivers are
running dry, 20% of the world’s species-rich coral reefs are gone, and others are
threatened. Species are becoming extinct at least 100 times faster than in
prehuman times. And extinction rates are projected to increase at least another
100-fold during this century, creating a 6th mass extinction caused by human
activities.
Global Environmental Concerns
The new millennium arrived bringing with it a lot of human concerns,
particularly the global environment. The issues concerning global warming and the
depletion of the ozone layer has already been a big concern in the 70’s and the
80’s. Presently, more concerns arose based on a number of surveys. Four global
trends were of particular concern;
a. Population growth and economic development
b. Decline of vital life-support ecosystems
c. Global atmospheric changes
d. Loss of biodiversity.

A. Population growth and economic development

The worlds human population, over 6.4 billion in 2004, has grown by 2 billion in
just the last 25 years. It is continuing to grow adding nearly 77 million persons a
year. It is projected by the United Nations Population Division to grow to 8.9 billion
by the year 2050. Why is this alarming? Always remember that each person creates
a certain demand on the available resources of the planet. This demand can be
calculated using the ecological footprint, a concept developed by a team of scholars
at the University of British Columbia. The Ecological Footprint measures a
population’s demand on nature.
While the total Ecological Footprint of the Philippines has tripled since 1961, its
per-capita Footprint has increased only slightly, reflecting the nation’s rapid
population growth. The Philippines has an Ecological Footprint of 1.01 global
hectares (gha) per person which is below the world average biocapacity per person
of 1.7 gha, indicating that parts of the population lack access to basic needs, such
as food, clothing and shelter. Biocapacity represents a region’s biologically
productive land and sea area available to meet the population’s demand.
Population increases beyond the carrying capacity of an ecosystem often times
result in low supply of resources such as food, water and space. As evident in our
present society, unemployment rate shoots up and poverty proliferates.

B. Decline of vital life-support ecosystems

Either natural or artificial/managed ecosystems support human life. Increasing
population cause the exhaustion of resources from these ecosystems. Sources of
water gets depleted, soils become infertile, rivers, lakes and oceans are overfished,
while forests are cleared.
Human violation into the different natural systems converting them into
agricultural lands as well as urban developments (buildings, roads, other
infrastructures) led to the decline and ultimately to the collapse of an ecosystem.
Different human activities have caused the spread of pollution that alters the
environment. According to the report from the United Nations, entitled Pilot Analysis
of Global Ecosystems or PAGE, human activities are now beginning to significantly
affect the natural chemical cycles --- water, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus on
which all ecosystems depend.

C. Global Atmospheric Changes

Previously, pollution has been treated as a local problem affecting bodies of
water ( e.g. rivers, lakes) or the air in the city but today, scientists are looking at it
on a global level. The problem on the depletion of the ozone layer led to the drafting
of the Montreal Protocol in 1987. The main concern of which is the reduction of the
release of chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants to our atmosphere.

D. Loss of Biodiversity
As the human population grows, the demand for food to feed everyone has
caused the conversion of natural ecosystems (like forest, grasslands and wetlands)
into farms and urban development. It results to the loss of wild plants and animals
that inhabit such natural habitats, causing its extinction.
Pollution also degrades habitats particularly aquatic and marine habitats
destroying the species they support. Further, hundreds of species of mammals,
reptiles, amphibians, birds, as well as innumerable plants are exploited for their
commercial value. As a result, Earth is rapidly losing many of its species.

In order to address the major concerns about the environment mentioned

above, unifying themes: strategic and integrative can be applied to change our
present interaction with the different natural systems towards the right direction.

Strategic Themes
Strategic themes deal with how we should conceptualize our task of forging a
sustainable future. These themes are; sustainability, stewardship and sound
science.
Sustainability- property whereby a process can be continued indefinitely
without depleting the energy or material resources on which it depends. It is the
practical goal toward which our interactions with the material world should be
working.
Stewardship - it is an attitude of active care and concern for natural lands. It is
the ethical and moral framework that informs our public and private actions.
Stewards are those who care for something from the natural world or from human
culture that it is not theirs and that they will pass on to the next generation.
Modern-day stewardship, therefore, is an ethic that guides actions taken to benefit
the natural world and other people.
Sound science- the results of scientific work based on peer-reviewed research.
It is the basis for our understanding of how the world works and how human
systems interact with it.

Integrative Themes
Integrative themes deal with the current status of interactions between
human systems and the natural world. These themes are; ecosystem capital, policy
and politics, globalization
Ecosystem capital - - it is the sum of goods and services provided by
natural and managed ecosystems, provided free of charge and essential to human
life and well-being.
Policy and politics - the human decisions that determine what happens to
the natural world, and the political processes that lead to those decisions.
Globalization - refers to the accelerating interconnectedness of human
activities ,ideas, and cultures, especially evident in economic and information
exchange.

Activity 1.
Answer the following statements/questions comprehensively.
1. Some people say that the concept of sustainable development represents
going back to some kind of primitive living. Argue instead that it is not the
case, but that sustainable development is the only course that will allow the
continued advancement of civilization.(5 points)
Sustainable development isn’t about going back to primitive living
it’s about moving forward wisely. It means using science,
 technology, and innovation to meet our needs without destroying
the planet for future generations. It’s the only path that balances
progress with care for the Earth.
2. Do you agree that humans are the stewards of the Earth? Explain your point
of view.(5 points)
Yes, I believe humans are stewards of the Earth. We have the power
and responsibility to protect and preserve natural resources
because our actions directly affect the environment. Being stewards
means making choices that support life, not just for ourselves but
for all living beings.
3. What do you think are the three most environmentally unsustainable
components of your lifestyle? List two ways in which you could apply each
principles of sustainability in making your lifestyle more environmentally
sustainable. (5 points)

Unsustainable habits:

1. Excessive plastic use

2. High energy consumption
3. Frequent use of private transportation

Sustainability applications:

1. Reduce waste – Use reusable bags, containers, and bottles.

2. Energy efficiency – Switch to LED bulbs and unplug devices when not
in use.
3. Eco-friendly transport – Walk, bike, or use public transport when
possible.

4. Should nations with large ecological footprints reduce their footprints to

decrease their harmful environmental impact and leave more resources for
nations with smaller footprints and for future generations? Explain. (5 points)
Yes, countries with large ecological footprints should reduce their
impact. It’s fair and responsible. Doing so helps balance global
resource use, protects the environment, and ensures future
generations everywhere can also thrive.

Assignment
Answer the following statements/questions comprehensively. (5 points each)
1. Define ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (like plants,
animals, and microbes) interacting with each other and with their
non-living environment (like air, water, and soil) in a specific area. It
 functions as a system where everything is connected and affects one
another.
2. What are the different components of the ecosystem? Give a brief description
of each one
Biotic components – These are the living parts of the ecosystem,
such as plants (producers), animals (consumers), and decomposers
(like fungi and bacteria) that break down waste.

Abiotic components – These are the non-living elements like

sunlight, temperature, water, air, and minerals that support life and
influence the ecosystem’s health.
3. What is sustainability? Explain why learning from the earth is a key to
learning to live more sustainably.
Sustainability means meeting our needs without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet theirs. Learning from the Earth
is essential because nature has its own ways of balancing, recycling,
and renewing. Observing how ecosystems function can teach us how
to live in harmony with the environment rather than exploiting it.