Module 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

Table of Contents

Introduction 1
Paulinian Essential Elements 2
Paulinian Affirmation 3

Topic 1: Environmental Science: A Closer Look 3

Learning Outcomes 3
Learning Activities 3
Processing and Formation Error! Bookmark not defined.
Introduction 3
Why study environment? 4
Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Science 5
Scope of Environmental Science 7
Environmental Ethics Error! Bookmark not defined.
Process Questions 10
Synthesis 11
Assessments 12
Assignments 13

Topic 2: Environmental Management 14

Learning Outcomes 14
Learning Activities 14
Processing and Formation 14
Ecology 15
Sustainability 16
Process Questions Error! Bookmark not defined.
Synthesis 25
Assessments 26
Assignments 26

Reflection Guide 27

Expanded Opportunity 27

References 28
Module 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

Introduction

Fig. 1. Treat the earth as if your life depends upon it. (Genesis 2:15)

Existence of life depends on the most abundant resources of the planet – land, air, and water. But
the world is faced with one of the most paradoxical situations in its history – feeding the
burgeoning population while conserving the resources for consumption by the present
population has been predicted to be unsustainable. Undoubtedly, the development, both
industrial and agricultural, especially in the twentieth century, has adversely impacted the
environment. The world faces the twin dangers of climate change and loss of biodiversity and it
threatens the very existence of humankind.
Natural environment is made up of complex multiple variables and substances. Man’s ceaseless
pursuit to improve technology has added up only to the overall complexity. Many times, a man
has surpassed and failed the nature’s restorative capabilities and in due course environmental
problems magnify and are scaled up from local to global levels. Environmental science attempts
to integrate and realign all the known technology and sciences, arts and management to solve
environmental issues.

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Module 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

The individual and the environment are inseparable; each one of us exists because of the
existence of everything around us. The wellness of environment directly relates to wellness and
health of humans and other species. We are an intrinsic part of the environment and any harmful
alteration of environment has an adverse impact on all beings. We damage the environment
through the use, misuse and abuse of technology. We frequently use technological advances
before we fully understand their long-term effects on the environment. We weigh the advantages
a technology can give us against the environment and discount the importance of it. People
assume that when the situation becomes critical, technology can fix it and scientists will be able
to figure it out.
This book attempts to cover all the necessary fundamental aspects of the course in an
introductory level. Awareness about the environmental issues at all levels, education, research
and policy matters, is required. Also, it sets out on a journey that begins with the basics, develop
clearer perceptions about ideas that some people view as controversial concerns.

Paulinian Essential Elements

Dedicated Transformative Supporters and Stewards of All Creation who

● promote and actively participate in initiatives that benefit and directly support the right of
all creatures to exist and flourish,
● devise and carry out program and strategies that drive society toward consciously
preserving and improving the viability of our planet’s eco- and social support systems,
● devote their time, talents and resources to improving and maintaining the health and well
– being of peoples, the less privileged and underserved,
● mobilize others in advocating and implementing public policies and programs that foster
peace, justice, solidarity, and respect for life and cultures, and
● act decisively to inform and lead others to ways of tangibly reducing environmental
problems and improving the quality of life in their local and larger communities.

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Paulinian Affirmation
“As a Christ-centered Paulinian, I am a dedicated, transformative supporter, and steward of all
creation, impelled by compassion and charity for all.”

Topic 1: Environmental Science: A Closer Look

Learning Outcomes

During the learning engagement, you should be able to

● differentiate environmental science and environmentalism based on their relevance on
environmental management,
● distinguish the characteristics of seven environmental principles on their importance in
studying the environment, and
● recognize social and natural sciences and their contributions to the development of
Environmental Science.

Learning Activities

Processing and Formation

Introduction
For the last four decades, several environmental problems – such as pollution, global warming,
ozone layer depletion, acid rain, deforestation, and desertification – have remained a major focus
of scientists, policy makers, and common public across the world. These problems are perceived
as the major threats to the life-supporting environment of the earth, thus making our survival on
the planet increasingly unsafe. In order to tackle these challenges, holistic knowledge about
working of our life-supporting environment and thorough understanding of the dynamics of

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these problems become imperative. Since no other academic discipline covers the above two
knowledge requirements completely, environmental science evolved as an academic discipline to
fill in this gap. Our life-supporting environment and various environmental problems are highly
complex and require interdisciplinary efforts to understand them. Environmental science,
therefor, integrates approaches of various academic disciplines to fulfill its objectives.

Why study environment?

The environment is everything around us. It is our surrounding, which includes all living and non
– living things with which we interact. Environment can also be defined as “the sum total of
water, air and land and the interrelationships that exists among them and with the human beings,
other living organisms and materials”. All the factors of the environment influence living things –
plants, animals, microbes, light, air, water, soil, temperature – is a reciprocal relationship between
human beings and their environment. Human activities are altering the functioning of the Earth
system to a degree that is never seen before. This is disturbing the ecological balance by bringing
about climate change, disappearance of species, water scarcity, pollution, soil erosion and so on.
Environment has recently become an important branch of study as the relationship between
humans and the environment is disturbed because of overuse and misuse of environment by
man. Earth is a fragile planet with limited resources. Human activities are destroying forests,
polluting air and water, eroding soil and so on. Consequently, our lives are at stake because of ill
health due to toxins in air, water and the food we consume. Educating people of a nation
regarding environmental issues appears to be essential for maintaining the natural heritage. A
holistic understanding of environment is needed so that people adopt a more sustainable way of
living.
For the purpose of conceptual clarification, different uses of the word environment have been
classified into the following two broad groups:

1. Essential life-supporting biophysical environment: It includes all the biophysical

entities as well as the processes that contribute to providing all humans and other living
beings the basic material needs of life, that is, oxygen, water, food, and habitat. In fact, the
concepts of environmental sciences are based on this meaning. The “essential life-
supporting biophysical environment” is also termed as “environment”, “natural

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environment”, “biophysical environment”, “biosphere”, or “ecological system”. These

words are used almost synonymously.
2. Non-essential life-assisting environment: It includes all the entities or processes that
assist human life in various ways, but cannot be considered essential for the physical
survival of life on this planet. It includes social systems, language, technology, economic
system, education, and various aspects of human civilization. Although we can survive
physically, without these entities the life will be largely in wild or natural form. “Non-
essential life-assisting environment” is also known as “anthropogenic environment”,
“social environment”, “man-made environment”, or “built environment”.

Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Science

Environmental Science is the study of all the components or factors that make or influence our
life-supporting biophysical environment, including earth processes, ecological systems,
biodiversity, natural resource, alternative energy systems, climate change, various types of
pollutions, and so on. These entities or processes are guided by complex interaction of physical,
chemical, and biological processes, as well as significant human intervention. Therefore,
environmental science integrates information from a number of other disciplines and thus is
multidisciplinary in nature. Disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, geology, geography,
sociology, economics, management, and ethics have largely been integrated to develop different
subdivisions of environmental science. Its major subdivisions include ecology, geosciences,
environmental chemistry, atmospheric science, environmental microbiology, environmental
toxicology, environmental impact assessment, and so on.
Besides these, there are certain subdivisions—environmental studies, environmental engineering,
environmental economics, environmental ethics, environmental management, environmental
sociology, environmental biotechnology, and so on—that are generally treated as independent
academic disciplines parallel to environmental science. Environmental conservation is the main
emphasis for most of these disciplines, but the approaches vary. For example, environmental
studies incorporate more of the social sciences for understanding human relationships,
perceptions, and policies towards the environment. Environmental engineering, on the contrary,
focuses on design and technology for improving environmental quality.

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Did You Know?

The terms environmental science and ecology are often used
interchangeably, but technically ecology refers only to the study of
organisms and their interactions with each other and their
environment. Ecology could be considered a subset of environmental
science. In practice, there is considerable overlap between the work of
ecologists and other environmental scientists.

Environmental science is the study of interactions among the physical, chemical and biological
components of the environment. It is a complex area of study since it requires knowledge inputs
from various disciplines. It is inherently a multidisciplinary field of study which depends not only
on core science subjects (life science, physical science, mathematics and engineering) but also
uses knowledge from other non-scientific areas such as, economics, law and social science.
Environmental science is a multidisciplinary subject where information from different fields is
used using a holistic approach. The diverse areas of study are as follows:

• Life Sciences which include Botany, Zoology, Microbiology and Biochemistry are useful in
understanding the role of living beings and their interactions with the non-living
environment. These sciences play an important role in understanding different aspects of
biodiversity and their importance to humans and other living beings. The knowledge of
life science also helps in conservation of wildlife. Control of water pollution using
microbes and plants (bioremediation) is another example of the use of life sciences in
management of environmental problems.
• Physical Sciences such as Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Geography and Oceanography are
required for understanding the physical and chemical nature of non-living components of
the environment. For instance, the study of pollution, acid rain, climate change, ozone
depletion, land degradation and waste treatment make use of the above-mentioned
subjects.
• The knowledge of different branches of engineering is used for providing technical
solutions to environmental problems such as pollution and waste treatment. Knowledge
of engineering is also useful in dam building, mining operations and for obtaining energy
from alternate sources.
• Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science are effective tools in environmental
modeling for study of energy flow in ecosystem and prediction models for climate change
in future.

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• Environmental laws are essential for management and protection of the environment.
They provide guidelines to the public, so that legal measures are adopted by the public
and institutes.
• Environmental sociology is an upcoming field which connects human behavior with
environment.
• Environmental education and mass communication have become important tools for
spreading awareness about different aspects of the environment.

Scope of Environmental Science

Principles and approaches of environmental sciences are applicable in several areas of
development. These areas are studied as scope of the subject. Environmental science has a vast
scope since it covers a wide range of subject matters or issues related to our complex life-
supporting system. Scope of the subject can be described in terms of major areas of applicability
as well as career opportunities related to the subject.
Three major areas of applicability of the subject are (i) management of natural resources, (ii)
conservation of ecosystem and biodiversity, and (iii) prevention and control of pollution. In
addition, environmental science plays a key role in solving complex environmental issues of
varying scale, including climate change, ozone layer depletion, energy crisis, desertification,
urbanization, population explosion, and so on.
Several career options for people trained in the multidisciplinary subject of environmental studies
have emerged, as discussed below:

1. Need for Trained Environmental Scientists: Skilled environmental scientists are

required for dealing with various environmental problems such as waste management,
mining operations and generation of alternate sources of energy. Environmental
engineers are also involved in air and water control and recycling techniques.
Environmental engineering is emerging as a new career opportunity for developing green
technologies.
2. Environmental Lawyers: The need for environmental lawyers has emerged who could
plead cases related to implementation of various environmental acts and laws. They also
have an important role in addressing and resolving international conflicts over resources

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such as water. The general public is unaware of laws pertaining to pollution, forest and
wildlife and therefore need to hire environmental advocates for litigation.
3. Environmental Managers and Auditors: These days, there is an increasing emphasis on
marketing goods that are environment friendly. Green marketing involves promoting
quality products that do not harm the environment such as recycled products, organic
foods etc. There would be need for managers for Green Marketing.
4. Environmental Consultants: Many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Industries
and Government bodies are engaging environmental consultants for dealing with
problems related to environment. There will be in the future demand for recycling or
waste management managers.
5. Environment Friendly Entrepreneurs: Business opportunities are there for green
technologies-based industry. These days projects for carbon trading are becoming very
popular in India.
6. Green Media Professionals: Environmentally educated journalists and reporters are
required to work for television, radio, newspapers, magazines and advertisements for
spreading environmental awareness amongst the masses.

Environmental Ethics
Environmental ethics is the study of the moral relationship of human beings with the
environment and its non-human contents. It deals with the issues related to the rights and duties
of individuals that are fundamental to life and well-being of present human society, future
generations (of human), as well as of other living beings present on the earth. Environmental
ethics evolved in the 1970s as a discipline. However, Aldo Leopold (1887–1948), an American
ecologist, is considered to play a key role in the development of modern environmental ethics.
Environmental ethics differs from traditional ethics, since the latter is concerned to relationship
among people only. The need of environmental ethics has arisen as a result of the following
three major factors:
1. Modern technological civilization has been affecting nature greatly; therefore, there is a
need to analyze consequences of human actions from ethical perspectives.

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2. With the advancement of science, our understanding about nature and environmental
problems is increasing day by day. This growing knowledge is also raising new ethical
issues.
3. Our expanding moral concern that other living beings have equal rights to live on the
earth is also raising the need for environmental ethics.

Activity 1: Anticipation – Reaction Activity (Primer) 20 minutes

1. An introductory video clip about wonders of nature will be presented in class.

2. Students will be asked to express their personal thoughts, reactions and realization on the
video. Write your answer on the box below.

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Activity 2: Focus Group Discussion 60 minutes

1. The class will be divided into seven (7) groups.
2. Each group is assigned with one environmental principle, conduct brainstorming and
discuss the importance of this principle in studying Environmental Science.
3. A representative from the group will be chosen to present their generated ideas including
dissenting opinions.

Activity 3: Local Environmental Investigation 60 minutes

1. Students will conduct a local environmental investigation on the common environmental

problems experienced by a municipality/city in the country.
2. Output will be submitted through online platform.
3.
Process Questions
1. What are the common environmental problems experienced in the municipality/city?

2. What are the on-going programs/activities in the municipality/city to

address/lessen/minimize these problems?

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3. What are the existing monitoring mechanisms of the local government to ensure proper
implementation of programs/activities?

4. What are the future plans and policies that the Local Government Unit (LGU) wanted to
implement in the municipality/city to ensure an environment friendly locality?

Synthesis
Environmental study is very important since it deals with the basic requirements of human beings
for safe and clean drinking water, fresh air, fertile land and hygienic conditions. It is necessary to
understand the essentials of environmental science if you want to live in a clean and healthy
environment. To achieve economic development (industries, roads and dam building,
conservation of resources) without degrading the environment, we need to understand the basics
of environmental science.
A few decades back environmental study was only taught in some science courses, whereas now
students of all disciplines have to study environment science as a compulsory paper. The reason

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environmental studies have become so important is because of the drastic detrimental impact of
human activities on environment.
Growing human population and higher standards of living are putting increasing pressure on our
environment. The environmental problems need urgent solutions and for this each and every
citizen needs to have knowledge of environmental science. It is only by understanding the
complexity of the natural world and how human activity is affecting nature that we can tackle the
pressing environmental problems.
As human populations increased, seven billion people are using the limited resources of planet
earth. For a better lifestyle people are over consuming energy and matter which is bringing about
degradation of the environment. Scarcity of resources will further lead to various socio-economic
problems in society such as shortage of energy, housing facilities, unemployment, crime and
drug abuse. Thus, understanding the basic concepts of environmental studies is crucial for
resolving the various environmental and social issues.

Assessments
Direction: Select the keyword that BEST fits the test stem. Write the letter of your choice on the
space provided before the number.

__________1. Mission – oriented: it shows that we all have a responsibility to get involved and try to
do something about the problems we have created.
a. Environmentalism c. Environmental Science
b. Environmental Studies d. Environmental ethics
__________2. It provides an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approach to the study of
environmental systems.
a. Environmental Studies c. Environmental ethics
b. Environmentalism d. Environmental Science
__________3. The word science is derived from this Latin word which means “to know.”
a. sire b. scyre c. scire d. scere

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__________4. It is working to influence attitudes and policies that affect our environment.
a. Ecology c. Environmental science
b. Environmentalism d. Meteorology
__________5. He works on subjects like the understanding of earth processes, evaluating
alternative energy systems, pollution control and mitigation, natural resource management, and
the effects of global climate change.
a. ecologist c. environmentalist
b. environmental scientist d. political scientist

Assignments
Concept Mapping on a particular environmental problem and how other related sciences help to
solve and address the problem.

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Topic 2: Environmental Management

Learning Outcomes

During the learning engagement, you should be able to

● categorize the different of environmental problems such as air pollution, loss of
biodiversity, and etc.,
● evaluate feasible and scientific ways of providing solutions in addressing environmental
problems,
● outline the four basic principles of Sustainability and deepen the significance of each care
instruction.

Learning Activities

Processing and Formation

Introduction

When we think about the things we use in our daily life, we come to the conclusion, that
everything we need is provided by living and non-living components of nature. A student sitting
in a class room, if explores the source of the things he is using, he can trace everything back to
nature. Natural resources are materials provided by the Earth which are necessary for the survival
and well-being of man. A natural resource is any material that can be transformed by human
beings to become useful.

Natural resources include land, water, forests, fisheries and animals, mineral ores and sources of
energy like coal, petroleum, gas and uranium, etc. Natural resources are either renewable or non-
renewable depending on whether or not they replenish naturally. Renewable resources are
inexhaustible for example land, water, forest, plants and animals whereas non-renewable
resources are exhaustible such as coal, petroleum and minerals. These non-renewable resources

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take millions of years to form and therefore, cannot be replenished once used. Renewable
resources may be living resources (forests, animals) or non-living resources (water, sun wind).
These resources are renewed in nature. Renewable resources are lost by over exploitation or
pollution.

Ecology
Formerly known as natural science, ecology is critical to the study of environmental science, as
the study of the structure, function, and behavior of the natural systems that comprise the
biosphere. The terms ecology and interrelationship are interchangeable; they mean the same
thing. In fact, ecology is the scientific study of the interrelationships among organisms and
between organisms, and all aspects, living and nonliving, of their environment.
Ecology is normally approached from two viewpoints: (1) the environment and the demands it
places on the organisms in it, or (2) organisms and how they adapt to their environmental
conditions. An ecosystem, a cyclic mechanism, describes the interdependence of species in the
living world (the biome or community) on one another and on their nonliving (abiotic)
environment. An ecosystem has physical, chemical, and biological components, as well as energy
sources and pathways.

An ecosystem can be analyzed from a functional viewpoint in terms of several factors. The factors
important in this discussion include biogeochemical cycles, energy, and food chains. Each
ecosystem is bound together by biogeochemical cycles through which living organisms use
energy from the sun to obtain or “fix” nonliving inorganic elements, like carbon, oxygen, and
hydrogen, from the environment and transform them into vital food, which is then used and
recycled. The environment in which a particular organism lives is a habitat. The role of an
organism in a habitat is its niche.

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Did You Know?

Aquatic plants are an important link in a pond ecosystem. Algae are the
foundation of the food chain for fish. Free-floating and rooted aquatic
plants provide escape cover and shelter for fish and wildlife; however,
too many aquatic plants can kill fish. How much is too much? Healthy
ponds normally have a faint, green color from algae, but water with a
bright pea-soup color indicates an algae bloom and imminent fish kill

Sustainability
One major goal for environmentalists and ecologists alike is the goal of a sustainable society.
“A society that manages its economy and population without harming the environment by
regulating population growth, uses renewable resources at a rate at which they can be
replenished, and encourages Earth-sustaining forms of economic development is known as a
sustainable society”.
Some argue that sustainability and living the “good life” are diametrically opposed and when
discussed tend to ignite and feed argument and conflict between the opposing parties involved.
Actually, the goal of sustainability was crafted to nip argument and conflict in the bud (to the
extent possible) by establishing a national goal under which humans and nature “can exist in
productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and
future generations”.

Land as a Resource
Land is a valuable resource where majority of human activity occurs, such as agriculture, industry,
transportation and infrastructure. Land is a finite resource, which is under tremendous pressure
because of urbanization and industrialization. India has 2.4 percent of world land area in which it
supports the activities of 17.5 percent of world population.

LAND DEGRADATION
Land is a valuable resource which has been exploited by humans for a long time. Land use
change for industry, development projects and grazing has brought about land degradation.

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Land degradation is a process in which the quality of land is affected by a combination of human
induced processes. Land degradation has affected a significant portion of Earth’s arable land. The
degraded land has lower productivity of food, fiber, fodder, fuel, and biodiversity. The decreasing
agricultural productivity in turn affects the wealth of a nation. The degraded land should be
rehabilitated for the following reasons:
• To produce more food and other agricultural and industrial products.
• For maintaining nutrient status of the soil by preventing soil erosion.
• For preserving wildlife.

Degradation of land can be caused by urbanization, deforestation, agricultural, industrial and

mining activities.
A. Urbanization
The rapid expansion of urban areas all over the world due to rise in population and economic
growth is bringing about land use changes especially in big cities. Land intrusion on productive
agricultural land is bringing about land degradation. Due to the acceleration of the global
urbanization, there is a loss of arable land, habitat destruction and decline in vegetation cover.
B. Agricultural Practices
The modern agricultural practices by indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have
degraded the quality and fertility of agricultural land. The green revolution considerably
increased the productivity of crops which saved millions of people from starvation. However, this
achievement came at a high cost to the environment. As green revolution advocated the use of
chemicals which have degraded the ecosystem and has reduce the number of soil microbes,
birds and insects which is a big loss in the long run. These chemicals affect the physical, chemical
and biological properties of the soil. The soil loses its fertility. These chemicals have also
contaminated ground water.
Excessive irrigation can also damage soil. It causes water logging and salinization. When
irrigation water is not absorbed into the soil, the water evaporates leaving on surface a thin crust
of dissolved salts. This accumulation of salts is called Salinization. The plant growth is retarded in
the saline soil.

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C. Industrial Activities
Industries are major cause of land degradation; on the other hand, development of industries is
important for economic growth of a country. Large tracts of forest and agricultural land are
converted for construction of industries.

SOIL EROSION
Soil is the upper most layer of earth’s surface which supports all forms of life. Loss of fertile top
soil makes land less productive for agriculture, creates desert and causes floods. Nowadays soil
erosion has become a serious environmental problem. Soil erosion is the natural process, it
becomes a problem when human activity causes it to occur at a much faster rate.
The loss of top layer of soil is called soil erosion. Once the nutrient rich top soil is lost, the soil
becomes barren and cannot support plant growth. Soil erosion is the movement of top soil from
one place to another. The two main agents of erosion are flowing water and wind. The amount of
soil carried away depends on the speed of wind and water. Also, the loss of vegetation cover
increases the rate of erosion. Plants slow down the movement of rain. The roots of plants hold
the soil and prevent erosion. When plant cover is destroyed then soil becomes vulnerable to soil
erosion.

DESERTIFICATION
Desertification is process of land degradation where economically productive land becomes less
productive and is incapable of sustaining communities which depended on it. Desertification
occurs mainly because of prolonged drought and human activities that degrade top soil.
Desertification brings about fall in productivity of arid or semiarid land. The main causes of
desertification are overgrazing, deforestation, surface mining, erosion and salinization. The
consequences of desertification are famine, economic losses and displacement of people and
animals.

DEFORESTATION
Deforestation occurs when trees are cut at a pace exceeding the rate of natural re-growth.
Deforestation is caused by the growing demand for forest products and the conversion of forests
for agricultural land.

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Deforestation adversely effects the environment in many ways. Soil erosion, landslides, floods,
desertification and loss of biodiversity are some of the common consequence of deforestation.
Forest reduces pollution by acting as sink for carbon dioxide. Due to deforestation, there is
increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is bringing about global warming
and leading to climate change.

Water as a Resource
Water is an essential resource for all organisms and there is no substitute for water. Water
scarcity is threatening to assume alarming proportions world over. Water crisis is brought about
by population explosion, deterioration of water quality and disappearance of traditional tanks
and ponds. On one hand, the availability of per capita water in India is steadily going down
whereas on the other hand, the needs of industries and agriculture are going up. This is leading
to acute water shortage.

FLOODS
A flood is an overflow of water which submerges dry lands. The overflow of rivers, lakes or other
water bodies is the source of flood. Due to heavy rainfall, there is too much water to fit in the
rivers and water spreads over the adjoining land. Floods can happen very quickly when lots of
heavy rain falls over a short period of time. These ‘flash floods’ occur with little or no warning and
cause the biggest loss of human life than any other type of flooding.
Floods are natural phenomenon, which kills people and damages property and agricultural crops.
Human activities can increase the occurrence and intensity of flood damage in several ways. One
is deforestation in hilly areas, where during heavy rains, erosion of top soil floods river and
reservoirs. Building of railway tracks and highways through forest area has also increased erosion
and subsequent flooding.

DROUGHT
Drought is a period of below average rainfall in a given area. It can also be described as a
relatively long time when there is not enough water as a result of dry weather to support human,
animal and plant life. During the drought period there is not enough supply of water for
irrigation, municipal and industrial functioning. A drought can last for a few months or years.

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It can have significant impact on agriculture. Drought can harm the local economy and has social
consequences. Migration of people because of famine and water scarcity, makes them refugees,
this causes mental trauma and social unrest.

Activity 1: Video Critiquing (Primer) 20 minutes

1. A music video about water pollution in Pasig River will be played in class.
2. Students will then answer the following questions:
A. Identify the environmental problem.

B. What do you think are the causes of the problem?

C. What do you think are the possible solutions to address the problem?

D. As a (your course) student, what do you think is your role to help solve the problem?

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Activity 2: Concept Map 60 minutes

1. Choose one environmental problem and write you answer in each box in what ways these
natural and social sciences will help solve the problem.

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Activity 3: Interpretative Video Dance

60 minutes
Presentation

1. Interpretative Dance presentation on songs that relay environmental awareness and

education

Process Questions
1. Why is finding a solution to an environmental problem so complex? Explain your answer

2. Do you believe that the society in which you live is on an unsustainable path? Explain your
answer

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3. Do you think technology can solve our environmental problems? Justify your answer.

Synthesis
In order to help solve current environmental problems, everyone can do the following:
• Spread awareness about conserving land and water
• Install solar panel over roof top of big buildings.
• Use solar cooker and solar water heater at home.
• Use agricultural wastes for generating energy.
• Avoid wastage of electricity. Switch off electric gadgets when not in use.
• Protest against felling of trees and mining in forest areas.
• Do not waste water. Use only one bucket to have bath.
• Institutes should reuse waste water for toilets and gardens.
• Farmers should grow millets and other crops requiring less water for irrigation.
• Do not overuse natural resources such as aluminum for making cans and wrapping foils.
• • Use biofertilizers and biopesticides.

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Assessments
Directions: Identify what is asked in every statement. Write your answer on the space provided.

_______________1. It is described as a relatively long time when there is no enough water as a

result of dry weather to support human, animal and plant life.
________________2. This occurs when trees are cut at a pace exceeding the rate of natural re-
growth.
________________3. It is the movement of top soil from one place to another.
________________4. This occurs with little or no warning and cause the biggest loss of human life
than any other type of flooding.
________________5. This refers to the process of land degradation where economically productive
land becomes less productive and is incapable of sustaining communities which depended on it.

Assignments
Advance reading on the history of world population.

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Reflection Guide

1. What have I LEARNED this day that has helped me do all aspects of this better?

2. What have I DONE this week that has made me better at doing all aspects of this?

3. How can I IMPROVE at doing all aspects of this is?

Expanded Opportunity

1. PowerPoint presentations will be provided and students will be asked to research on the
recent development related to Environmental Science.
2. Students will be invited to join the digital classroom created for additional enhancement
materials about the topic.
3. PowerPoint slides about the environmental problems, solutions and sustainability will be
provided.
4. A group discussion will be done in digital platform, giving opportunity for students to ask
questions and share their ideas taken from the materials provided.
5. A short objective quiz will be posted using Quipper.
6. Students will write an executive summary of Republic Act 10354. (30 points)

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Module 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

References

Dahiya, P. and Ahlawat, M. Environmental Science: A New Approach. New Delhi: Alpha Science
International Limited. 2011

Goldbloom, A. Environmental Science Research. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2011

Jarvie-Eggart, M. Responsible Mining: Case Studies in Managing Social and Environmental Risks
in the Developed World. Englewood, Colorado: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and
Exploration, Inc. 2015

Khoiyangbam, R. Introduction to Environmental Science. New Delhi: The Energy and Resources
Institute. 2015

Khosla, R. and Siddiqui, Z. Basics of Environmental Science. Oxford, U.K.: Alpha Science
International Limited. 2017

Kothari, D. (et. al.). Environmental Science and Engineering. New Delhi. Alpha Science
International Limited. 2016

Schroder, H. Trends in Environmental Science. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2014

Sivakami, R. Sustainable Development and Environmental Science. New Delhi: Daya Publishing
House. 2013

Spellman, F. and Stoudt, M. Environmental Science: Principles and Practices. Lanham, Md:
Scarecrow Press. 2013

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