ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Spring 2020
OUTLINE
 Definition of the Environment

 Importance of the Environment

 Environmental Movement and Activism

 Environmental Movement in Bangladesh

 Environmental Problems, Causes and

Sustainability
DEFINITION
 Environment (from the French environner)
can be defined as (1) the circumstances or
conditions that surround an organism or
group of organisms, or (2) the complex of
social and cultural conditions that affect an
individual or community.
TYPES OF ENVIRONMENT
 Physical Environment
 It is also known as a-biotic environment and
natural environment.

* Non living or physical things (sunbeams,

rainwater, precipitation, moisture, pressure
and wind speed)
 Biotic environment (Known as biological
environment and organic environment.)

• Biological environment is the environment

which involves the living part of the earth

plants, trees, animals, mammals, underwater

living beings including human beings and
microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.
 Social and Cultural environment (culture and
life style of the human beings)

 Created by the man through his different

social and cultural activities and thinking.

 The historical, cultural, political, moral,

economic aspects of human life constitute to
the social or cultural environment
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS
 The Environmental Systems focuses on the
processes that shape the physical features of
the landscape. Climate, geology, and biology
interact in complicated ways to result in the
weather, landforms, and life that characterize
any place.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

 Complex nonlinear interactions of different

components
 The main forcing variable of environmental
systems are related to climate, topography,
soil types, population density.
 The environmental systems are Temporal
(time) and spatial (distance) scales oriented
 Incompitable scales

 Environmental systems are inaccessible

(difficulties in measurements of observations
of oceanic systems)
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

 Hydrological systems
 Surface water systems

 Subsurface water systems

 Coastal systems

 Ecological systems

 Agricultural systems

 Wildlife systems
 Environmental Science is the systematic study
of our environment and our proper place in it.

 It is highly interdisciplinary, integrating natural

sciences, social sciences, and humanities in a
broad, holistic study of the world around us.

 By nature, it can be both scientific and science-

based.

 Environmental Science helps us to understand

 How the Earth works
 How we are affecting the Earth’s life support systems
 How to deal with the environmental problems we face
IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
 It helps to maintain a natural balance.

 It helps to control pollution.

 It supplies human beings with food, water,

and other amenities which they need.

 It supplies the raw materials for many of the

modern luxuries we enjoy.
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT AND
ACTIVISM
 Environmental Movement is a diverse
scientific, social and political movement for
addressing environmental issues.

 Environmental Activism is a varied group

of activities for addressing environmental
issues.

 List some examples of movement and

activism
ENVIRONMENTAL ACCIDENTS
MINAMATA DISEASE
 Minamata disease : Minamata City
in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan (1956).
 "Minamata disease is considered to be
poisoning by a heavy metal
 Causes: Methylmercury ( continued from1932
to 1968.)
 Finding the cause: Same family members,
staple food of the victims was fish and
shellfish
 What is the relationship among Population,
Development and Environment

Development Growth, Progress,

Positive
change and Success
Utilization of natural resources, skills, and technical
knowledge

Fulfill human need and aspiration

Physical, Social, Economic aspect

CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT

 Development of Human Skill

 Equity and liberty

 Environmental balance

 Promotion of quality of life

 Promotion in the sense of self-esteem

 Get rid of poor economic trap

 Mobilization of resources

 Orientation from traditional to modern perspective

 Economic, social, political and cultural progress

 Response to effective and goal oriented demand

 Production of necessary goods and services

 Poverty alleviation and fulfillment of needs

 Socio- economic transformation

 Development of technology
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
 Number of clean air days.
 2. Minimum level of waste.

 3. Nature-based environmental designs.

 4. Percentage of population using potable water.

 5. Percentage of population using sewers.

 6. Percentage of population using public transport or carpooling.

 7. Percentage of prime agriculture land.

 8. Percentage of households participating in recycling programmes.

 9. Tons of hazardous waste generated annually.

 10. Tones of per capita of solid waste generated annually.

 11. Tons of toxic release annually.

 12. Number of institutions dealing with environmental issues.

 13. Number of environmental education classes in public and private academic

institutions.
 14. Legal environmental structure.

 15. Awareness among the people about collective benefits of clean environment.

 16. People sensitivity to pollutions.

 17. Nature of waste management system.

 18. Budgetary allocation for environmental projects.

 19. Volume of the use of chemicals and chemical fertilizers.

 20. Level of health hazards

KUZNET’S CURVE AND THREE STAGE DEVELOPMENT
MODEL
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS
 What is an environmentally sustainable
society?
 How rapidly is the human population
growing?
 What is economic growth?

 What is economic development?

 Economic growth: increase in the capacity to
provide people with goods and services.

 Economic development: improvement of

living standards by economic growth.

 Growth and development are needed for the

progress of society, but too much can harm
the environment.
ISSUES
 Population Growth
 Increasing Resource Use

 Global Climate Change

 Increasing Natural Disasters

 Premature extinction of plants and animals

 Pollution

 Poverty

Is anything missing from this list?

NATURAL RESOURCE

Natural resources is anything obtained from

the environment to meet human needs and
wants

Food, water, shelter, manufactured goods,

transportation, communication, recreation.

Are things getting better or worse?

Resources