GEE – ES Environmental ScienceWeek 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

Name: Dutosme, Christel D. Date: March 8, 2024

Year and Section: BS Entrep 1-A Class Schedule: Thursday - 1pm to
4pm
GEE – ES
Introduction to Environmental Science

1. What is environmental science?

- According to research, Environmental science is the interdisciplinary study of the

environment, encompassing the physical, chemical, and biological components, and the
relationships between them. It also examines the effects of human activity on the
environment and how we can develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems.

2. The environment includes:

a. Atmosphere: This refers to the layer of gasses that surrounds the planet, including
essential components like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

b. Hydrosphere: This encompasses all the water on Earth, including oceans, lakes,
rivers, groundwater, and even the water vapor in the atmosphere.

c. Lithosphere: This refers to the solid, non-living portion of Earth, including the crust,
mantle, and core.

d. Biosphere: This encompasses all living organisms on Earth, including plants, animals,
microbes, and their interactions within the environment.

Environmental History

3. What changed about human society during the agricultural revolution?

- The Agricultural Revolution, also called the Neolithic Revolution, was a massive shift in
how humans lived, way back around 10,000 years ago. Settlement: People went from
being hunter-gatherers who constantly moved around to find food, to farmers who lived
in permanent settlements. Food surplus, Population boom, Job specialization, and
Rise of cities.

a. What technology enabled this?

- The key technologies that enabled the Agricultural Revolution was the development of
agriculture itself. Through trial and error, early humans learned to cultivate and
domesticate plants and animals, eventually leading to the development of more
sophisticated farming techniques. Additionally, the invention of tools such as the plow,
hoe, and sickle made farming more efficient and productive.

4. Define these two concepts illustrated by the collapse of civilization in Mesopotamia:

a. The Law of Unintended Consequences

- The law of unintended consequences is a frequently-observed phenomenon in which any
action has results that are not part of the actor's purpose. The superfluous consequences may

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or may not be foreseeable or even immediately observable and they may be beneficial,
harmful or neutral in their impact.

b. Resource Depletion
- Resource depletion refers to the use of a resource faster than it can be replenished. This can
happen with both renewable and non-renewable resources.

5. What changed about human society during the industrial revolution?

- The Industrial Revolution shifted societies from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing
economy where products were no longer made solely by hand but by machines.

Tragedy of the Commons

6. According to the Tragedy of the Commons idea, what is the major cause of resource
depletion?
- The tragedy of the commons refers to a situation in which individuals with access to a
public resource (also called a common) act in their own interest and, in doing so,
ultimately deplete the resource.

a. Define commons
- It is a shared resource. It signifies resources that are held in common by a group of individuals
or a community. These resources are not owned by any single individual and can be accessed
and used by everyone in the group.
- Is any resource, such as water or land, that provides users with tangible benefits but which
nobody has an exclusive claim.

7. Give two modern examples of the Tragedy of the Commons:

- Deforestation: Deforestation occurs when individuals or companies clear forests

for timber, agriculture, or urban development without considering the long-term
consequences. In regions where land is collectively owned or not properly
regulated, there is often a race to exploit the resource before others do, leading
to rapid deforestation. The result is soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, disrupted
ecosystems, and reduced carbon sequestration capacity, impacting the
environment and communities relying on forests for their livelihoods.

8. Describe each of these designations of natural resources:

a. Inexhaustible resources – are those that have an infinite supply and are impossible to
deplete, even when constantly exploited by people. Solar, wind, geothermal, water, soil,
air, ocean waves, and tides are examples of such resources.

b. Renewable resources – are those resources that continue to exist despite being
consumed or can replenish themselves over a period of time even as they are used.
They include the sun, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass.

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c. Nonrenewable resources – a substance that is used up more quickly than it can
replace itself. The supply of a nonrenewable resource is finite, which means it cannot
easily be replenished. This includes coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy.

d. Recyclable resources –are those which can be processed to be used again and again.
These are non-renewable resources, which can be collected after they are used and
can be recycled. These are mainly the non-energy mineral resources, which occur in
the earth's crust (e.g. ores of aluminum, copper, mercury etc.)

Environmental History

9. Explain the Antiquities Act –The Antiquities Act is a United States federal law passed in
1906, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt. This law was enacted to protect and
preserve historic, cultural, and scientific sites of significance on federal lands. The primary
purpose of the Antiquities Act is to enable the President to designate and set aside areas of
federal land as national monuments, thereby providing them with protection from exploitation,
development, or destruction.

10. Differentiate between each of these land designations made during the Progressive Era:

a. National Parks – represent the pinnacle of preservation within the federal land system
and are managed by the National Park Service (NPS) under the Department of Interior.

b. National Forests – prioritize multiple use and provide a wider range of activities and
resource extraction while still ensuring long-term sustainability and are managed by the
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) under the Department of Agriculture.

11. Define environmental ethics – is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral
relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and
its non-human contents.

a. Anthropocentrism – means human-centered, but in its most relevant philosophical form

it is the ethical belief that humans alone possess intrinsic value.

b. Ecocentrism – is an environmental philosophy that places intrinsic value on the entire

ecological system, encompassing both living organisms (biotic) and non-living elements
(abiotic) like air, water, and landforms.

12. What was the result of the Hetch Hetchy debate?

- The Hetch Hetchy debate resulted in the construction of a dam within Hetch Hetchy Valley
in Yosemite National Park, flooding the valley and creating a reservoir to provide water for
San Francisco. This decision, made in 1913, was a significant defeat for the preservationist
movement, led by John Muir, and a victory for the conservationist movement, led by
Gifford Pinchot.

a. What justification was given by Gifford Pinchot for this decision?

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- Gifford Pinchot justified his support for the dam construction based on his
principle of "the greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time".
While Pinchot acknowledged the value of natural beauty, he believed in
utilitarian conservation, focusing on the sustainable use of resources for the
benefit of society. He argued that sacrificing a small portion of wilderness, even
within a national park, was justified for the long-term well-being of a large
population.

13. Explain each of these issues that were raised during the modern environmentalism era:

a. Carcinogenic material – is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing cancer.

Carcinogens may occur naturally in the environment (such as ultraviolet rays in sunlight
and certain viruses) or may be generated by humans (such as automobile exhaust
fumes and cigarette smoke).

b. Air pollution – is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical,

physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

c. Persistent chemicals – are toxic chemicals that are slow to break down. When
released, they stay in the environment for a long time and accumulate in the food chain
and living organisms.

d. Extinction – the complete disappearance of a species from Earth. Species go extinct

every year, but historically the average rate of extinction has been very slow with a few
exceptions.

e. Famine - a severe and prolonged hunger in a substantial proportion of the population of

a region or country, resulting in widespread and acute malnutrition and death by
starvation and disease.

f. Water pollution – is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water
unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems.

g. Hazardous waste - are wastes or products that have the potential to harm humans or
the environment, either now or in the future.

14. Briefly define the role of each of these Environmental Philippine’s laws passed:

a. Clean Water Act – The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (Republic Act No. 9275)
aims to protect the country's water bodies from pollution from land-based sources
(industries and commercial establishments, agriculture and community/household
activities).

b. Clean Air Act – Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Republic Act No. 8749.
aims in providing comprehensive air pollution control policy for the country by
preserving and protecting air quality, establishing an air quality management system,
prohibiting certain forms of waste disposal, and regulating emissions.

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c. Ecological Solid Waste Management Act – Republic Act RA 9003 OF 2000, providing
for an Ecological Solid Waste Management Program, creating the necessary
Institutional Mechanisms and Incentives, declaring certain Acts prohibited and providing
Penalties, appropriating funds therefore, and for other purposes.

d. Toxic Substances, Hazardous, and Nuclear Waste Control Act – Republic Act No. 6969
of 1990, an act to control toxic substances and hazardous and nuclear wastes providing
penalties for violations thereof, and for other purposes.

e. Environmental Impact Assessment Statement of 1978 – Presidential Decree No. 1586

(11 June 1978) aims to facilitate the attainment and maintenance of rational and orderly
balance between socio-economic development and environmental protection.

15. If you could propose one environmental law to the congress, what it is and why?

- If I could propose one environmental law to the congress it would be the Protection of
Endangered Plants Act. It would aim to protect wild plants and flowers in the forest and
maintain diversity among species.

16. What is the responsibility of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR)?
- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is responsible for the
conservation, management, and development of the country's environment and natural
resources. DENR plays a crucial role in safeguarding the Philippines' natural environment and
ensuring its sustainable management for the benefit of present and future generations.

17. What is the role of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)?

- The EMB acts as the enforcement arm of the DENR, translating broad environmental policies
into concrete actions and ensuring their effective implementation on the ground. They play a
critical role in protecting the environment from pollution, mitigating the environmental impacts
of development projects, and managing hazardous materials responsibly.

18. What kinds of issues are the focus of the global environmentalism movement?
- The global environmentalism movement encompasses a diverse range of concerns, but some
of the key issues they focus on include: Climate change, Biodiversity loss, Pollution,
Sustainable development, and Environmental justice.

Developed vs Developing Countries

19. List characteristics of developed and developing countries.

Developing countries are agrarian (or at least Developed countries are industrialized, have
not industrialized), have lower standards of high standards of living, and have strong
living, and have a very weak economy with economic growth.
slow or nonexistent growth.

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20. What is gross domestic product (GDP)?

- Is the monetary value of all finished goods and services made within a country during a
specific period. GDP provides an economic snapshot of a country, used to estimate the size of
an economy and its growth rate.

21. What does the total fertility rate measure?

- is a standard demographic indicator used internationally to estimate the average number of
children that a woman would have over her childbearing years (i.e. age 15-49), based on
current birth trends.

22. What does life expectancy measure?

- The average number of years of life remaining if a group of persons at that age were to
experience the mortality rates for a particular year over the course of their remaining life.

23. What is consumption?

- It can be defined in different ways, but it is best described as the final purchase of goods and
services by individuals. The basis of most consumption theory is that current real income is the
most important determinant of consumption.

24. Fill out this table contrasting a developed and developing country.

Philippines Singapore
(Developing) (Developed)
3,859.19 USD
GDP Per Capita ($) 84,714.000 USD (2023)
(20233)

2.431 births per

Total Fertility Rate (births/woman) 1,250 (2024)
woman (2024)

71.79 years
Life expectancy (years) 84.19 years (2024)
92(2024)

6468 per kWh

Energy Use (kWH) 56.34bn KWh (2024)
(2024)

Carbon Dioxide Production

147955.62 KT (2021) 53,689 kilotonnes (2021)
(tons/year)

25. What does ecological footprint measure?

- the amount of biologically productive land and sea area an individual, a region, all of humanity,
or a human activity that competes for biologically productive space.

Economics and the Environment

26. Explain the principle of supply and demand:

- The supply and demand principle is a fundamental concept in economics that explains
how prices are determined in a market. It involves the interaction between two main

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forces: Supply refers to the amount of a good or service that producers are willing to
sell at various prices. Generally, as the price increases, the supply also increases
because producers are incentivized to produce more. On the other hand, Demand
refers to the amount of a good or service that consumers are willing to buy at various
prices. In general, as the price rises, demand tends to decrease because consumers
are less willing to buy the goods or services at a higher price.

27. What is the goal of a cost-benefit analysis?

- A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a systemized approach used to assess the advantages
(benefits) and disadvantages (costs) associated with a particular decision, project, or
policy. The goal is to decide if the benefits outweigh the costs, meaning more informed
business decision-making.

a. What are hidden costs?

- Hidden costs are expenses that are not readily apparent or explicitly stated
upfront. They can arise in various situations, often adding to the overall cost of
something beyond the initial sticker price.

Environmental Worldviews

28. Explain the planetary management worldview.

- The planetary management worldview is an approach to the environment that sees humans as
the caretakers, in charge of managing Earth's resources for our own benefit. It's a human-
centered view, common in many industrial societies.

a. Is this an anthropocentric or ecocentric worldview?

- The planetary management worldview is anthropocentric, meaning it is human-
centered. It focuses on human needs and wants, separation from nature, and its
emphasis on human control.

29. Explain the stewardship worldview.

- The stewardship worldview contrasts with the planetary management approach by
emphasizing our responsibility to care for the environment. Humans as stewards, Intrinsic
value of nature and Sustainable practices are the key ideas of stewardship worldwide.

30. Explain the environmental wisdom worldview.

- Earth-centered environmental worldview, also known as the deep ecology worldview or
environmental wisdom worldview, is a biocentric worldview that holds nature's intrinsic value
above all else and believes that humans and nature are interconnected.

a. Is this an anthropocentric or ecocentric worldview?

- Environmental wisdom worldwide can be seen as a middle ground between
anthropocentrism and ecocentrism, acknowledging both human needs and the
intrinsic value of the natural world. It emphasizes finding ways to ensure human
survival and prosperity while respecting the ecological balance and learning to
live within the planet's limitations.

31. Define each of these tools of governments to promote certain worldviews.

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a. Laws - are formal rules of conduct established by a government that are enforced
through a system of punishment. They define acceptable and unacceptable behavior
within a society.
b. Taxes - are mandatory financial charges imposed by a government on individuals or
businesses. Revenue collected from taxes is used to fund government activities and
public services.
c. Subsidies - are financial benefits provided by a government to individuals, businesses,
or organizations. They can be in the form of cash payments, tax breaks, or other forms
of support.

32. Give an example of a law, tax, or subsidy implemented or proposed by politicians from each
worldview.

a. Planetary Management
- Law: The Ocean Space Mining Act (proposed in the US in 2019) would allow private
companies to mine resources from the seabed, reflecting the belief in humans' ability to
manage and utilize resources for economic benefit.

b. Stewardship
- Tax: A conservation tax on non-essential resource use (e.g., gas-guzzling vehicles) could
discourage excessive consumption and encourage responsible resource use, reflecting the
sense of responsibility for environmental well-being.

c. Environmental Wisdom
- Subsidy: Funding for programs promoting indigenous land management practices that
emphasize sustainable living and respect for natural cycles, reflecting the recognition of
traditional knowledge and learning from nature.

33. What is the principle of Intergenerational Responsibility?

- The concept of intergenerational responsibility hinges on the right of the present generation to
sue in its behalf and in behalf of the succeeding generations for the protection of the
environment.

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