Environmental Science
MARK JOHN T. PEPITO
ENVIRONMENT
It is defined as the circumstances
surrounding an organism or
group of organisms or the
complex social or cultural
conditions affecting each
organism in the given biotic and
abiotic community.
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE
It is the systematic study of our
environment and our proper place
in it. It is considered separate from
environmental studies, which
emphasizes the human
relationship with
the environment and the social
and political dimensions thereof.
KNOWLEDGE CONTRIBUTE TO
SOLUTIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE
Goal: Clean Energy Future
1. Ecology. How does energy
production affect populations?
2. Chemistry. How can we make better
batteries?
3. Urban Planning. What urban
designs can reduce energy use?
4. Sociology. How do people adopt
new ideas?
5. Political Science. Which policies lead
to sustainable solutions?
6. Engineering. Can we design better
vehicles?
7. Economics. What are the benefits
and costs of energy sources?
SUSTAINABILITY
AND CARRYING
CAPACITY
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability means meeting our own
needs without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.
• Sustainability of resources
• Sustainability of ecosystem
SUSTAINABILITY AND
CARRYING CAPACITY
CARRYING CAPACITY
The maximum number of individuals of a
species that can be sustained by an
environment without decreasing the capacity of
the environment to sustain that same number
in the future. There are limits to the Earth’s
potential to support humans.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
SCIENCE
The benefit of scientific thinking
and scientific studies is that it
searches for testable evidence.
By testing our ideas with
observable evidence, we can
evaluate whether our
explanations are reasonable or
not.
EMPIRICISM
We can learn about the world
through careful observation of
empirical (real, observable)
phenomena; we can expect to
understand fundamental
processes and natural laws by
observation.
UNIFORMITARIANISM
Basic patterns and processes are
uniform across time and space;
today's forces are the same as
those that shaped the world in
the past, and they will continue
to do so in the future.
PARSIMONY
When two plausible explanations
are reasonable, the more
straightforward (more
parsimonious) one is preferable.
This rule is also known as
Ockham's razor, after the English
philosopher who proposed it.
UNCERTAINTY
Knowledge changes as new
evidence appear, and
explanations (theories) change
with new evidence. Approaches
based on current evidence
should be tested on additional
evidence, with the understanding
that new data may disprove the
best theories.
REPEATABILITY
For the tests and experiments
should be repeatable as trial and
error, if the same results of the
study cannot be reproduced,
then the conclusions are
probably incorrect.
THE PROOF IS ELUSIVE
We rarely expect science to
provide absolute proof that a
theory is correct because new
evidence may always undermine
our current understanding.
TESTABLE QUESTIONS
This is to find out whether a
theory is correct or not; it must
be tested with different
experiments; we formulate
testable statements (hypotheses)
to test theories based on the
observable facts.
MATTER, ENERGY, AND
LIFE
Matter. By definition, it is anything that
can occupy space and has a mass. Solid,
liquid, gas, plasma, and Bose-Einstein
Condensate are the phases of matter
that constitute the arrangement of the
structures and properties of atoms. For
example, water can exist as ice (solid), as
liquid water, or as water vapor.
Under ordinary circumstances, the
matter is neither created nor destroyed
but instead is recycled over and over
again. (Law of conservation of mass and
energy)
MATTER, ENERGY, AND
LIFE
Compounds
The four major categories of organic
compounds in living things (“bio-organic
compounds”) are:
1. carbohydrates
2. lipids
3. proteins, and
4. nucleic acids.
MATTER, ENERGY, AND
LIFE
CARBOHYDRATES
(Including sugars, starches, and cellulose) also,
store energy and provide structure to cells. Like
lipids, carbohydrates have a basic structure of
carbon atoms, but hydroxyl (OH) groups
replace half of the hydrogen atoms in their
basic structure, usually consisting of long-chain
sugars. Glucose is an example of very simple
sugar.
MATTER, ENERGY, AND
LIFE
LIPIDS
Store energy for cells and they provide the core
of cell membranes and other structures. Lipids
do not readily dissolve in water, and their basic
structure is a chain of carbon atoms with
attached hydrogen atoms. This structure makes
them part of the family of hydrocarbons.
MATTER, ENERGY, AND
LIFE
PROTEINS
Are composed of chains of subunits called
amino acids. Most enzymes, such as those that
release energy from lipids and carbohydrates,
are proteins. Proteins also help identify
disease-causing microbes, make muscles
move, transport oxygen to cells, and regulate
cell activity.
MATTER, ENERGY, AND
LIFE
NUCLEIC ACID
Are complex molecules that are made of a
five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), one
or more phosphate groups, and an organic
nitrogen containing base. They can be a purine
or a pyrimidine. Nucleotides are essential as
signaling molecules(they carry information
between cells, tissues, and organs) and as
sources of intracellular energy.
ENERGY FOR LIFE
Where does the energy needed by living
organisms come from? How is it captured and
used to do work? For nearly all plants and
animals living on the Earth's surface, the sun is
the ultimate energy source.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
SPECIES TO
ECOSYSTEM
In biology, species refers to all
organisms of the same kind that
are genetically similar enough to
breed in nature and produce live,
fertile offspring.
CHAINS, WEBS,
AND TROPHIC
LEVELS
FOOD CHAIN
Food chain, in ecology, the
sequence of transfers of matter and
energy in the form of food from
organism to organism.
FOOD WEB
A food web consists of all the food
chains in a single ecosystem. Each
living thing in an ecosystem is part
of multiple food chains.
ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID
An ecological pyramid is a
graphical representation of the
relationship between the different
living organisms at different trophic
levels.
