Science, Technology, and Social Perspectives

• -harmful or poisonous substances • -some is natural (volcanic eruptions, fire) human caused • -fossil fuels (coal and oil) • -gas byproducts of fossil fuels: carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, and nitrogen oxide • -contrib to smog and rain • -impact animal and plant health pesticides: insecticides, herbicides enter waterways from soil as runoff - -accumulate in plants and animals that consume this water - -birth defects and disease pollution mitigation: reduce negative impacts of pollution • -green building: energy and water efficient, uses sustainable wood, concrete, insulation • -environmental cleanup: physically remove contaminants from water, soil, and air using incineration, chemical treatment, and air stripping

• -goal is to use Earths natural resources in a sustainable efficient manner • -natural resource use MUST result in minimal waste or pollution • -will always be waste produced • -therefore waste management used • -recycling: recover waste and convert to new products • -reduce overall waste and consumption of natural resources while reducing harmful byproducts

• -protecting natural resources, environments, and ecological communities • -done thru habitat conservation (preserve natural habitats) and habitat restoration (return habitat back to former state) • -must alter soil content, use controlled fire, remove silt • -species protection for sp in danger of extinction • -place restrictions • -protect habitats For proper protection species protection plans rely on scientific understandings of: • –species biology • –niche • –relationship w/environment

• -harder to link to specific output • -these pollutants enter environment over wide area, thru runoff into waterways this includes: lawn fertilizers, pesticides, urban storm drain water, sediment from erosion prone environments Point source pollution • -directly linked to place water is discharged • -drains and pipes • -easily identified and managed

–hamper economic growth and societal needs

• -minimize disasters: prepare, respond, recovery • -disasters lead to human, environmental, and economic losses • -weather forecasts, radars, surveillance aircraft, satellite data for potential natural hazards • -post disaster clean up dangerous • -due to mold, bacteria, chemicals hurricane cleanup: water pumps, dehumidifiers oil spill cleanup: physical barriers (booms) –contain oil and prevent spreads of dispersants

• -global warming due to rapid inc in greenhouse gases • -climate change: long term shift in Earths climate so precip, wind, temp • —led to more storms, droughts, floods • -rising sea levels due to thermal expansion (water expands as warmed up) • —-damage to life, property, natural habitats • —glaciers melting, ice sheets moved at poles, they melt and break off • —less snowfall

• -study of causes, effects, control of diseases • -how disease affects large pops • -determine source of epidemics • -informs policy decisions regarding public health malaria, influenza (respiratory, viral), Ebola (viral infection) –public health: practice of protecting health of ppl in their communities

Erosion: land, rock, or soil being worn away by wind and water • -natural • -humans influence by tillage and overgrazing • -both of these reduce vegetation cover • -vegetation protects soil form erosion Ensures vegetation will be present to reduce erosion • -crop rotation (diff crops in diff seasons on same field) • -conservation tillage (leaves residue of previous crops for next growing season) Accelerated Erosion • -first layer stripped away forces topsoil (rich layer) to be closest to surface • -loss of topsoil is bad bc it has nutrients and org matter • -water exists land with little vegetation it carriers off eroded soil particles as sediment • -drains back into ground/ runoff carrying sediment into streams and lakes • –degrades water quality by introducing: • —silt, excess nutrients, pesticides, waste

• -wetlands: marshes, bogs, swamps, any land mas covered with water • -wetlands found on edges of estuaries • -estuaries: where rivers empty out into sea Wetlands: • -productive, fertile soil • -constant moving water • -biological diversity • -good habitat • -buffer zones: protect from erosion • -natural filters: soil traps pollution and sediment • -flood protection Wetland Degradation: • -wetland draining • -construction of levees • -stream diversion • —alters water flow • —inc sediment • —dec soil fertility • —loss of biological diversity • —dec water quality/ flood protection

• -planning for water storage/use, distrib water, conserve water • -water resources; surface water • -70% for agriculture • -planning and allocating water resources • -water treatment techniques: • –enhance water quality • –make it usable • –chlorination, filtration, disinfection wastewater: used for agriculture, industrial, domestic - -sewage: water not lost as runoff or evaporation, treated at wastewater treatment plant to be reused

–every material undergoes similar product life cycle raw materials: production and manufacturing stage • -unprocessed state (crude oil, lumber) • -processed into usable material (plastics) • -brought to stores and bought by consumers • -disposed in landfills • -each stage of this cycle is accompanied by environmental impact • -obtaining raw materials means moving resources from environment • -processing stage: use of water, energy, chemicals, and release of byproducts • -product distribution: use of fossil fuels • -recycling: requires energy • -disposal: groundwater contamination, methane production, litter, impact on wildife and environment

• -distinct from habitat conservation • -goal to promote sustainable use and management of natural resources and habitats for cont. human use and maintain habitats in their natural unaltered state without further human influence • -public policy • -restrict or eliminating human development • -establish lands such as natural forests, wildlife refugees and national parks • -Endangered Species Act of 1973: land to federal govt to protect critical habitat areas • -National Environmental Policy Act: agencies must undertake environmental impact studies prior to new project to ensure habitat preservation and conservation

• -include iron, aluminum, and copper • -extracted from mineral deposits in ground –energy sources such as coal and oil found in reserves below Earths surface Technologies used for extraction of mineral and energy resources • -mining: mines created by drilling holes in rocks and explosives in holes to break apart and extract minerals • —exposes dust particles and carcinogens in atmosphere, displaces wildlife, runoff • -drilling: for oil or gas, from deep within earths surface, hole bored into resource reserve and extracted thru series of pipes • —incr erosion, wildlife habitat at surface, inc air and noise pollution, soil and water contamination • -fracking: extract resources deeper from Earths surface, called hydraulic fracking, done by injecting high pressure liquid deep within Earths surface to break apart rock and extract oil or gas • —inc water contamination, air pollution, exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens, alters seismic activity and induces earthquakes

–agricultural management: control invasive plant and animal pests, eliminate disease, inc soil quality –forestry: replacing harvested trees with seedlings –fisheries management: overfishing and unsustainable fishing led to declines in number and diversity of fish, therefore establishing protecting area, cycling bw diff sp of fish, curbing illegal fishing practices • -wildlife management: protect ecosystem while accomodating human use of lands and wildlife • –management of game and hunting • —control of invasive sp • —preserve and restore habitats

Sustainable Resource • -natural resources harvested without resource depletion or causing harm to environment • -can provide subsistence when harvested and managed in sustainable manner Renewable Resource • -resource that can be replenished or replaced in time • –examples: wood, water, wind, solar Nonrenewable: fossil fuels and minerals

• -stems cells: unspecialized cells that can differentiate into different cell types as they divide • adult cells can only differentiate into certain kinds of cells • embryonic stem cells can develop into any type of human cell • IVF, left over embryos and these used in research but are destroyed in process • -Animal research • -potential harm to test subjects • -when new chemical substances are synthesized must not overlook their potential toxicity or harmful potential to biological life • -practice safely, ensure proper development, use and disposal • -example: DDT, probable carcinogen and led to decimation of multiple ecosystems and species

• -GMOs: genetic material altered to create more desirable traits in a living thing • -long term effects on environment and human health yet to be determined –artificial cloning: make identical copies of genetic material • -gene cloning: produce specific copies of specific genes or DNA segments to study genetic sequence of the DNA, can be manipulated and transferred to a new organism for genetic modification • -done to create new organism as in reproductive cloning or produce embryonic stem cells for research and disease treatment (therapeutic cloning)

• -security and safe storage of genetic info • -have been able to get individual specific genetic info known as genetic markers (easily identifiable DNA sequences) with known physical location of a chromosome • -used to identify humans or predict genetic diseases, DNA fingerprinting • -equal access to medical treatment