Module 1: Embracing Environmental Science
What is Environmental Science?
- It is a science revealing the relationship between human activities and the environment.
- It explores the effects of environmental changes on human survival and the laws of environmental evolution.
- It researches the technical and management measures to comprehensively prevent and control regional environmental pollution.
What are the Three Environmental Processes?
- Physical Processes
- Processes shaping and influencing Earth’s physical features, creating constant change
- Examples: Tectonic Plate Movement, Wind and Water Erosion
- Biological Processes
- Processes sustaining balance in ecosystems and are vital for organisms to function
- Examples: Photosynthesis and Hybridization of Plants, Stimuli Response, Transpiration, Reproduction
- Chemical Processes
- Processes producing or converting new chemical substances essential to humans and the environment
- Examples: Digestion, Combustion, Osmosis, Phase Changes, Plastic Decomposition, Oil Spills, Acid Rain, Global Warming
What Topics Make Environmental Science Interdisciplinary?
- Species Restoration
- What should be the reason behind efforts for the restoration of a species’ population?
- What would be our benefits if certain species will be saved from extinction?
- Resource Management
- The sustainable utilization of major natural resources (land, water, air, minerals, forests, fisheries, and wild flora and fauna).
- Resources → Ecosystem Services
- Provisioning Services
- Direct Products of an Ecosystem
- Examples: Food, Water, Oxygen
- Regulating Services
- Processes Regulating Natural Systems
- Examples: Aquifers and Wells, Pollination, Photosynthesis
- Cultural Services
- Non-Material Benefits Contributing to the Development and Cultural Advancement of Peoples
- Example: Aesthetic Inspiration, Cultural Identity, Recreation, Spiritual Experience
- Supporting Services
- Life-supporting Processes
- Example: Photosynthesis, Water Cycle
- Environmental Laws
- How many environmental laws are there in the Philippines?
- Are environmental laws properly enforced? Do they have any flawed provisions?
- Sustainability
- Environment
- Economy
- (Social) Equity
What are the Important Steps of the Scientific Method?
- Observation
- Asking Question(s)
- Can be observed by any of the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
- Research (using reliable sources in learning background information)
- Hypothesis
- Predicting what will occur in an experiment
- “If…then…”
- Experiment and Data Collection
- Types of Data
- Qualitative Data (Descriptions)
- Quantitative Data (Numbers)
- Types of Variables
- Independent Variable (changeable)
- Dependent Variable (measurable)
- Types of Experiment Groups
- Experimental Group (one independent variable altered)
- Control Group (all other groups are compared to this)
- Data Analysis
- Draw Conclusions
- Share Results
What are the Characteristics of Pseudoscience?
- What is Psychobabble?
- These are words sounding scientific but are used incorrectly or misleadingly
- Example: “biofeedback, meridian lines, quantum energies” justifying “Energy Therapies”
- What is Anecdotal Evidence?
- Unverifiable evidence based on personal experiences and events
- Pseudoscience heavily relies on anecdotal evidence
- Example: Product Reviews
- Pseudoscience often uses extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence supporting the claims
- Example: Product X eliminates all pain without any scientific basis
- Pseudoscientific claims are often unfalsifiable, being incapable of being refuted in principle
- Example: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qi are concepts incapable of being scientifically measured or tested
- Pseudoscience is often absent of important scientific research principles:
- Connectivity to Other Research
- Connectivity → the extent to which assertions build on existing knowledge
- Example: “Dilution strengthens potency, water has memory”
- Adequate Peer Review
- Self-Correction
- Example: Astrology