September 29, 2008
Short introduction
more details on Thursday
ESR220 - overview of the discipline
ESR221 - problem solving and modeling
ESR222 - institutions and regulations that implement policies
see links.html for a list of learning objects that were used in this lecture
Environmental Science is an applied discipline
integrates across disciplines to solve problems
requires grounding in many disciplines and approaches
why we study environmental sciences -link
We address a range of problems
lists of problems
problem typology
Values are an important part of problem solving
4 world views
focus on Industrial Ecol vs. Committed Environmentalist
"Natural processes" - why don't we just go back?
McKibben
The End of Nature 1989
Vitousek
Human Domination of Earth's Ecosystems
Vitousek et al.
Science 25 July 1997: 494
Problems that I'm working on or very interested in
UKL
toxic cyanobacteria
water resources
environmental path after disasters
Interwoven theme in this course
complex problems
multiple actors and objects interacting
can't predict the exact outcome
can describe the patterns
example:
understand thresholds and resilience, manage these scientifically, socially, politically, economically
Role of science
two types of science
curiosity driven
problem driven
traditional scientific method - link
adaptive management - link