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Introduction to Environmental Science

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationships between nature and society, focusing on biological, air, water, and soil systems, and how human activities impact them. It encompasses various natural science disciplines and is distinct from environmental engineering, which applies scientific principles to solve environmental problems related to public health, waste management, and pollution control. Key principles include understanding the environment as a dynamic system and promoting sustainability to ensure resource availability for future generations.

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Charles Portinto
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15 views

Introduction to Environmental Science

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationships between nature and society, focusing on biological, air, water, and soil systems, and how human activities impact them. It encompasses various natural science disciplines and is distinct from environmental engineering, which applies scientific principles to solve environmental problems related to public health, waste management, and pollution control. Key principles include understanding the environment as a dynamic system and promoting sustainability to ensure resource availability for future generations.

Uploaded by

Charles Portinto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to

Environmental
Science
What is Environmental Science?

 Natural Science

In the broadest sense, science is systematized knowledge


derived from and tested by recognition and formulation of a problem,
collection of data through observation, and experimentation. We
differentiate between social science and natural science in that the
former deals with the study of people and how they live together as
families, tribes, communities, races, and nations, and the latter deals
with the study of nature and the physical world. Natural science
includes such diverse disciplines as biology, chemistry, geology,
What is Environmental Science?

 Environmental Science

Whereas the disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics (and


their subdisciplines of micro-biology, organic chemistry, nuclear physics,
etc.) are focused on a particular aspect of natural science, environmental
science in its broadest sense encompasses all the fields of natural science.
The historical focus of study for environmental scientists has been, of
course, the natural environment. By this, we mean the atmosphere, the
land, the water and their inhabitants as differentiated from the build
environment. Modern environmental science has also found applications to
the build environment or, perhaps more correctly. To the effusions from the
What is Environmental Engineering?

 Engineering

is a profession that applies science and


mathematics to make the properties of matter and sources
of energy useful in structures, machines, products, systems,
and processes.
What is Environmental Engineering?

 Environmental Engineering

The Environmental Engineering Division of the


American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has published
the following statement of purpose that may be used to
show the relationship between environmental science and
environmental engineering:
 Environmental Engineering

is manifest by sound engineering thought and


practice in the solution of problems of environmental
situation, notably in the provision of safe, palatable, and
ample public water supplies; the proper disposal of or
recycle of wastewater and solid wastes; the adequate
drainage of urban and rural areas proper sanitation; and the
control of water, soil, and atmospheric pollution, and the
social and environmental impact of these solutions.
 Environmental Engineering

Furthermore, it is concerned with engineering


problems in the field of public health, such as control of
arthropod-borne diseases, the elimination of industrial
health hazards, and the provision of adequate sanitation in
urban, rural, and recreational areas, and the effect of
technological advances on the environment.
 Environmental Engineering

Neither environmental science nor environmental


engineering should be confused with heating ventilating, or
air conditioning (HVAC), nor with landscape architecture.
Neither should they be confused with the architectural and
structural engineering functions associated with built
environments, such as homes, offices and other workplaces.
Overview of Environmental Science and its
Importance in Engineering
Before we begin in earnest, we thought it worth taking a look at the
problems to be discussed in this text in a larger perspective. Engineers and
scientists like to call this the systems approach, that is, looking at all the
interrelated parts and their effects on one another. In environmental systems
it is doubtful that mere mortals can ever hope to identify all the interrelated
parts, to say nothing of trying to establish their effects on one another. The
first thing the systems engineers or scientist does, then, is to simplify the
system to a tractable size that behaves in a fashion similar to the real
systems. The simplified model does not behave in detail as the systems does,
but it gives a fair approximation of what is going on.
 Systems as Such
 Water Resource Management System
Water supply Subsystem
Wastewater Disposal Subsystem

 Air Resource Management System


 Solid Waste Management
 Multimedia Systems
 Sustainability
Fundamental Principles of Environmental Science

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary topic that


investigates the relationships between nature and society.
It includes the study of the biological, air, water, and soil
systems on Earth as well as how human activity affects
them. Environmental science aids in the development of
solutions to lessen and adapt to these problems by offering
a framework for comprehending the intricate relationships
between pollution, climate change, natural resources, and
Fundamental Principles of Environmental Science

One of the key principles of environmental science is


the understanding that the environment is a complex and
dynamic system that is affected by many different
factors. Environmental scientists examine the environment
and understand how it is changing over time using a
variety of tools and techniques, including GIS, remote
sensing, and statistical analyses.
Fundamental Principles of Environmental Science

Another important principle of environmental science


is the idea of sustainability. This means the use of natural
resources in a way that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. Environmental scientists work to
develop sustainable resource management strategies that
balance economic development with the protection of
natural resources.
Understanding the Impact of Engineering
Solutions in a Global, Economic,
Environmental, and Societal Context (PO h – I)

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