1.1: Studying Environmental Science

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Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Echinacea purpurea; http://www.indigostock.com/media.details.php?mediaID=592; CC BY-NC 3.0

What is Environmental Science?

Environmental science is the interdisciplinary and dynamic study of the interaction of the living and nonliving parts of the environment with special focus on the impact of humans on the environment. The study of environmental science includes circumstances, objects, or conditions by which an organism or community is surrounded and the aggregate of social, historical and cultural factors that influence the life of an individual or community.

Why Study Environmental Science?

The need for equitable, ethical, and sustainable use of Earth’s resources by a global population that nears the carrying capacity of the planet requires us not only to understand how human behaviors affect the environment, but also how human behavior changes in response to changes in the environment or perceptions of environmental status. Large fraction of our environmental future depends on our ability to understand and evaluate evidence-based arguments about the environmental consequences of human actions and technologies, and to make informed decisions based on those arguments.

From global climate change to alterations in land-use patterns driven by population growth and development, Earth is becoming a different planet—right before our eyes. The complicated and global scale of connectedness and rates of environmental change are beyond anything in recorded human history. Our challenge is not simply that things are changing fast; there is large uncertainty as to how fast and to what consequences. Human impacts have created a situation without precedent on this planet. Neither current nor past rates of change are dependable guides to what might occur in the future.

The way forward requires an improved understanding of Earth’s complex environmental systems; systems characterized by interactions within and among their natural and human components that link local to global and short-term to long-term phenomena, and individual behavior to collective action. The complexity of environmental challenges demands that we all participate in finding and implementing solutions leading to long-term environmental sustainability.

Contributors and Attributions

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