Environmental Science / Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Science
1.1 What Is Environmental Science?
Notes
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary study of how humans and the natural world interact. It combines biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and social sciences such as economics.
- The environment includes all living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things around an organism.
- Environmental scientists study problems like pollution, resource use, and habitat loss, and test possible solutions.
- Environmentalism is a social movement that works to protect the environment. It is not the same as the science, which aims to be objective.
- Example: a study of how fertilizer runoff affects fish needs chemistry (nutrients), biology (fish), and economics (farm costs).
Practice
Why is environmental science called an interdisciplinary science?
Interdisciplinary means combining multiple fields of study.
Which statement best separates environmental science from environmentalism?
The science gathers and tests evidence; environmentalism advocates for protection.
A team measures nitrogen in a river, counts fish, and surveys farm owners about fertilizer costs. This shows that environmental science:
The study combines several fields to understand one problem.
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