ENVS 101 WW & WX & WY - Unit 1 Objectives

Introduction to Environmental Science on the World Wide Web

Unit 1: Introduction To Environmental Science

Purpose:

The term "environment" is used quite often in today's society, yet its' meaning can change. The use of the term in the phrase "I'm going hiking in the environment" is different than its use in "My environment led me to do it" or "This place sure is a funny environment". This course is called "Introduction to Environmental Science". In this first unit, we'll try and determine what the phrase "environmental science" means and get a better sense of what the course is about.

Objectives:

1. To define the term "environment".
2. To describe how environmental science emerged historically.
3. To summarize the principal concepts of "Sustainable Development".
4. To describe how the earth operates as a system composed of five major subsystems.
5. To understand environmental impact, environmental change, and pollution.
6. To differentiate between environmental science, policy, technology and education.

Readings for Unit 1:

Introduction, Chapters 1, 2