Module 1: Embracing Environmental Science

What is Environmental Science?

It is a science revealing the ***relationship*** between human activities and the environment.

What are the **three** **(3)** environmental processes?

• Physical Processes

• Biological Processes

• Chemical Processes

What are ***physical*** processes?

These are processes shaping and influencing Earth’s physical features, creating constant change.

What are ***biological*** processes?

These are processes sustaining balance in ecosystems and are vital for organisms to function.

What are ***chemical*** processes?

These are processes producing or converting new chemical substances essential to humans and the environment.

What kind of process is this?

Physical Process

What kind of process is this?

Biological Process

What kind of process is this?

Chemical Process

What **four** **(4)** topics make Environmental Science Interdisciplinary?

• Species Restoration

• Resource Management

• Environmental Laws

• Sustainability

What are the **three (3)** tenets of sustainability?

• Environment

• Economy

• (Social) Equity

What are the **four (4)** types of ecosystem services?

• Provisioning Services

• Regulating Services

• Cultural Services

• Supporting Services

What is a Provisioning Service?

They are the direct products of an ecosystem.

What is a Regulating Service?

These are processes regulating natural systems.

What is a Cultural Service?

These are the non-material benefits contributing to the development and cultural advancement of peoples.

What is a Supporting Service?

These are processes supporting life.

“Food, Water, and Oxygen” are examples of?

Provisioning Services

“Aquifers and Wells and Pollination” are examples of?

Regulating Services

“Aesthetic Inspiration, Cultural Identity, Recreation, Spiritual Experience” are examples of?

Cultural Services

The “Water Cycle” is an example of?

Supporting Service

What ecosystem services does Photosynthesis belong to?

• Regulating Services

• Supporting Services

What are the **six (6)** important steps of the scientific method?

• Observation

• Research

• Hypothesis

• Experiment and Data Collection

• Data Analysis

• Drawing Conclusions

• Sharing Results

What are the **two (2)** types of data that can be collected?

• Qualitative (Descriptive) Data

• Quantitative (Numeric) Data

What are the **two (2)** types of variables in an experiment?

• Independent (changeable) Variable

• Dependent (measurable) Variable

What are the **two (2)** types of experiment groups?

• Experimental Group

• Control Group

What are the **seven (7)** warning signs of pseudoscience?

1. The Use of Psychobabble

2. Substantial Reliance on Anecdotal Evidence

3. Extraordinary Claims WITHOUT Extraordinary Evidence

4. Unfalsifiable Claims

5. Absence of Connectivity to Other Research

6. Absence of Adequate Peer Review

7. Lack of Self-Correction

What is Psychobabble?

These are words sounding scientific but are used incorrectly or misleadingly

What is Anecdotal Evidence?

Unverifiable evidence based on personal experiences and events

What does it mean when a claim is “unfalsifiable?”

A claim is “unfalsifiable” when it cannot be refuted “in principle”

How do you define, “in principle,” within the context of an unfalsifiable claim?

“In principle” → it cannot be rigorously tested or proven using the scientific method