MAJOR COMPONENTS OF

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

*Environmental science can be defined as the systematic study of our environment, i.e., earth,
air, water, and living environments and our place in it.
*Environmental science is a multidisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and
biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental
problems.
*One very important goal of studying environmental Science is sustainability.
*it is the ability of system to sustain longer, instead of simply getting some early benefits or
profits not….just like killing the goose to get all the gold eggs at once.

EARTH
– Earth is our environment

7 ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES

1. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING ELSE.

- The intricate relationships of various elements of the ecosystem bind the components
together into one functional unit.
Ex.
 The trees in the forest are home to ferns, orchids, birds, insects and mammals.
 When these plants and animals die, their products of decomposition contribute
to soil fertility.
 Plants provide oxygen to animals for aerobic respiration while animals furnish
carbon dioxide to plants for photosynthesis

GLOBAL ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AFFECT THE DISTRIBUTION OF BIOLOGICAL GOODS WORLDWIDE.

2. ALL FORMS OF LIFE ARE IMPORTANT

-All living organisms were created for a purpose in relation to humans, other species on
earth and global ecosystem in general. Thus, when a species becomes extinct, it is like removing
a piece of a jigsaw puzzle from the web of life.

*Maintaining Ecological balance the conservation of genes species and ecosystems becomes
essential to keep life together

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

 It ensures that natural state of these habitats continue to exist in designated areas
  Integrity of natural ecosystems can likewise be guarded through the preservation of
indigenous species.
 Cities and human settlements can still keep trees, patches of forests and garden as
home for wildlife like birds, butterflies, and insects

3. EVERYTHING MUST GO SOMEWHERE

-By-products of consumption go back to the environment. Everything that we throw
away – pieces of paper, left-over food, peelings of fruits, plastic wrappers, and used
containers – have to go somewhere. Even plants and animals have their own wastes –
feces, urine, dead leaves and branches. It is the law of nature that the by-products of
metabolism return to the soil, acted upon first by worms, bacteria and fungi, and then
converted into minerals, to be again absorbed by plants and eaten by animals.

In short, they enter into a material cycle that is an integral part of the ecosystem. But
what happens if what we throw is an artificial product such as plastic? Then natural
bacteria can not recognize them and may not be capable of breaking them apart. These
non-biodegradable products must enter another material cycle – the one that goes to
the factory to be manufactured into a new product. Thus the retrieval, collection and
recycling of these materials become necessary so that they do not pollute land and
water habitats.

4. OURS IS A FINITE EARTH

-Everything that we need is provided by nature in abundance – food, water, energy,
minerals and air. However, some resources that we depend upon nowadays are
extracted excessively but are slow to replace. These non-renewable resources
experience limits of supply.

5. NATURE KNOWS BEST

-nature manifests certain processes that enable it to maintain balance and remain in a
state of equilibrium. The nutrient cycling of nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur and
phosphorous in the air, water and land indicates that minerals are utilized within the
confines of the earth.

The equilibrium in the ecosystem is maintained, thus if humans intervene, unforeseen

negative impacts known as ecological backlash, may arise. Floods are often times
backlashes of excessive felling of trees.

6. NATURE IS BEAUTIFUL ANDWE ARE STEWARDS OF GOD’S CREATION

 -creation presupposes the existence of a creator. The beautiful nature around us,
perfect by itself, has deteriorated due to the negative impacts of human use. This
principle suggests how a human-creator relationship is translated in our attitude
towards creation.

7. EVERYTHING CHANGES
-changes in the biophysical world occur naturally. As they say, there is nothing more
permanent in this world than change. Consider the following examples. Metamorphosis
of caterpillars to butterflies illustrates morphological changes that occur in living forms.

Human-induced alteration such as climate change may cause more massive

repercussions. Land use change – from forests to agricultural land to human settlements
– change the composition of vegetation and animals. Human-induced changes can be
managed so that the negative impacts are minimized and positive changes accentuated.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) provides a tool for the projection, planning and
management of change brought about by industrialization and human settlement
expansion.

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES