Environment - Revision history

Jmdonev: 1 revision imported

2021-09-27T00:02:49Z

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energy>Luisa at 22:29, 9 September 2021

2021-09-09T22:29:43Z

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	[[category:Lecture 1B_Human_effects]]		[[category:Lecture 1B_Human_effects]]
	[[Category:Done 2017-07-01]]		[[Category:Done 2017-07-01]]
			[[Category:Translated to Spanish]]
			[[es:Medio ambiente]]
	[[File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. The term environment has many different meanings, but many associate it strongly with the natural world and all [[flora]] and fauna within it.<ref> "Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda (15687275351)" by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg</ref>]]		[[File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. The term environment has many different meanings, but many associate it strongly with the natural world and all [[flora]] and fauna within it.<ref> "Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda (15687275351)" by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg</ref>]]

Jmdonev: 1 revision imported

2017-08-29T01:46:51Z

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Jmdonev at 17:09, 28 July 2017

2017-07-28T17:09:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:09, 28 July 2017
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	[[category:371 topics]]		[[category:371 topics]]
	[[category:Lecture 1B_Human_effects]]		[[category:Lecture 1B_Human_effects]]
	[[Category:Done ~~2015~~-09-05]]		[[Category:Done 2017-07-01]]
	[[File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. The term environment has many different meanings, but many associate it strongly with the natural world and all flora and fauna within it.<ref> "Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda (15687275351)" by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg</ref>]]		[[File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. The term environment has many different meanings, but many associate it strongly with the natural world and all [[flora]] and fauna within it.<ref> "Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda (15687275351)" by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg</ref>]]

	<onlyinclude>The term '''environment''' is a broad term with many different definitions, and the term is used differently by different people. Thus it makes it difficult to define exactly what the environment is. </onlyinclude>Generally, in the context of public discussions around [[energy]], especially the [[environmental impact\|negative consequences]] of energy, the term environment is defined (4th definition) by the [http://oed.com\|Oxford English Dictionary]:		<onlyinclude>The term '''environment''' is a broad term with many different definitions, and the term is used differently by different people. Thus it makes it difficult to define exactly what the environment is. </onlyinclude>Generally, in the context of public discussions around [[energy]], especially the [[environmental impact\|negative consequences]] of energy, the term environment is defined (4th definition) by the [http://oed.com\|Oxford English Dictionary]:

J.williams: 1 revision imported

2015-09-03T18:22:22Z

1 revision imported

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Jmdonev at 22:22, 27 August 2015

2015-08-27T22:22:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:22, 27 August 2015
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	[[category:371 topics]]		[[category:371 topics]]
	[[category:Lecture 1B_Human_effects]]		[[category:Lecture 1B_Human_effects]]
	[[Category:Done 2015-02-15]]		[[Category:Done 2015-09-05]]
	[[File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. The term environment has many different meanings, but many associate it strongly with the natural world and all flora and fauna within it.<ref> "Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda (15687275351)" by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg</ref>]]		[[File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg\|400px\|framed\|right\|Figure 1. The term environment has many different meanings, but many associate it strongly with the natural world and all flora and fauna within it.<ref> "Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda (15687275351)" by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg</ref>]]

	<onlyinclude>The term '''environment''' is a broad term with many different definitions, and the term is used differently by different people. Thus it makes it difficult to define exactly what the environment is. </onlyinclude>Generally, in the context of public discussions around [[energy]], especially the [[environmental ~~harm~~\|negative consequences]] of energy, the term environment is defined (4th definition) by the [http://oed.com\|Oxford English Dictionary]:		<onlyinclude>The term '''environment''' is a broad term with many different definitions, and the term is used differently by different people. Thus it makes it difficult to define exactly what the environment is. </onlyinclude>Generally, in the context of public discussions around [[energy]], especially the [[environmental impact\|negative consequences]] of energy, the term environment is defined (4th definition) by the [http://oed.com\|Oxford English Dictionary]:

	:"The natural world or physical surroundings in general, either as a whole or within a particular geographical area, esp. as affected by human activity."<ref name = "OED">The Oxford English Dictionary, accessed from oed.com on January 19th, 2015</ref>		:"The natural world or physical surroundings in general, either as a whole or within a particular geographical area, esp. as affected by human activity."<ref name = "OED">The Oxford English Dictionary, accessed from oed.com on January 19th, 2015</ref>
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	[[File:Oil-spill.jpg\|400px\|framed\|left\| Figure 2. At times it is difficult to ignore the immediate effects of human pollution. Shown above is an oil spill, which undoubtedly has some negative impacts on the environment. <ref> "Oil-spill" Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oil-spill.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Oil-spill.jpg</ref>]]		[[File:Oil-spill.jpg\|400px\|framed\|left\| Figure 2. At times it is difficult to ignore the immediate effects of human pollution. Shown above is an oil spill, which undoubtedly has some negative impacts on the environment. <ref> "Oil-spill" Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oil-spill.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Oil-spill.jpg</ref>]]
	One particular use of the word environment bears special attention: [[waste]] and [[pollution]]. Waste is the unwanted part of a process (everything from [[waste heat]] to [[carbon dioxide]] to [[nuclear waste]]), while pollution is waste that has a direct, negative impact on the local [[~~ecology~~]]. Effective regulatory practices make sure that the waste does not pollute the environment beyond specific levels, which, when regulated properly correspond to levels of degradation that are manageable. While there are rare cases in which the environment is helped by human waste products, for the most part the human effect on local ecology is disruptive and usually negative.		One particular use of the word environment bears special attention: [[waste]] and [[pollution]]. Waste is the unwanted part of a process (everything from [[waste heat]] to [[carbon dioxide]] to [[nuclear waste]]), while pollution is waste that has a direct, negative impact on the local [[ecosystem]]s. Effective regulatory practices make sure that the waste does not pollute the environment beyond specific levels, which, when regulated properly correspond to levels of degradation that are manageable. While there are rare cases in which the environment is helped by human waste products, for the most part the human effect on local ecology is disruptive and usually negative.

	Humans have had a profound effect on their local environment. Humans are <u>not</u> the only species to have a profound effect on their environment. [[Photosynthesis]] first rusted the rocks of the planet by freeing [[oxygen]] from [[carbon dioxide]] and eventually making [[atmospheric oxygen]] in such concentrations that it allowed animals to develop. In fact, changing the [[atmosphere]] and all of the rocks on the planet the way that those initial cyanobacteria did is probably a more profound environment change (and for that matter [[climate change]]) than anything humans have ever done!		Humans have had a profound effect on their local environment. Humans are <u>not</u> the only species to have a profound effect on their environment. [[Photosynthesis]] first rusted the rocks of the planet by freeing [[oxygen]] from [[carbon dioxide]] and eventually making [[atmospheric oxygen]] in such concentrations that it allowed animals to develop. In fact, changing the [[atmosphere]] and all of the rocks on the planet the way that those initial cyanobacteria did is probably a more profound environment change (and for that matter [[climate change]]) than anything humans have ever done!

J.williams: 1 revision imported

2015-08-26T21:31:04Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:31, 26 August 2015
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J.williams at 16:53, 12 August 2015

2015-08-12T16:53:18Z

New page

[[category:371 topics]]
[[category:Lecture 1B_Human_effects]]
[[Category:Done 2015-02-15]]
[[File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg|400px|framed|right|Figure 1. The term environment has many different meanings, but many associate it strongly with the natural world and all flora and fauna within it.<ref> "Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda (15687275351)" by Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Beetle and Water Hyacinth, Uganda. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Beetle_and_Water_Hyacinth,_Uganda_(15687275351).jpg</ref>]]

<onlyinclude>The term '''environment''' is a broad term with many different definitions, and the term is used differently by different people. Thus it makes it difficult to define exactly what the environment is. </onlyinclude>Generally, in the context of public discussions around [[energy]], especially the [[environmental harm|negative consequences]] of energy, the term environment is defined (4th definition) by the [http://oed.com|Oxford English Dictionary]:

:"The natural world or physical surroundings in general, either as a whole or within a particular geographical area, esp. as affected by human activity."<ref name = "OED">The Oxford English Dictionary, accessed from oed.com on January 19th, 2015</ref>

When discussing '''environment''' in a physics or chemistry context (and sometimes in engineering, but the above definition applies in some engineering situations), the more relevant definition from the Oxford English Dictionary would be:

:"The area surrounding a place or thing; the environs, surroundings, or physical context." <ref name = "OED"/>

Another way to think of the chemistry/physics definition of environment, is anything that's not the [[system]] that is being discussed. If a ball is rolling down a hill, the system is usually considered the ball and the hill and anything acting on the ball noticeably (like the [[atmosphere]] providing [[air drag]] and the rain falling on the ball) are the environment.

Both ideas come from an earlier definition listed first in the dictionary:<ref name = "OED"/>:
:"The action of circumnavigating, encompassing, or surrounding something; the state of being encompassed or surrounded."

This definition seems to be the original, going back at least to the early 17th century. The idea has come to mean the complex interplay of all of the systems in a particular region, often systems governed by non-human driven processes.

==Are humans part of the environment?==
This leaves open a very important question: "Are humans part of the environment?"

From a historical interpretation of the definition, humans wouldn't be part of the environment. Also, people tend to think of the environment as the Earth's systems that aren't human to begin with. However in the far more important definition of the word ''environment'', as the complex interplay between living systems, humans are very much a part of the environment. Humans are affected by and affect the natural world in deep ways. Moreover, humans have been doing so for as long as humans have existed. Hunting patterns, agricultural practices, and human waste have always had a major impact on the world's ecology. It has only been within the past hundred years or so that humans have begun to take a significant interest in these effects.

[[File:Oil-spill.jpg|400px|framed|left| Figure 2. At times it is difficult to ignore the immediate effects of human pollution. Shown above is an oil spill, which undoubtedly has some negative impacts on the environment. <ref> "Oil-spill" Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oil-spill.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Oil-spill.jpg</ref>]]
One particular use of the word environment bears special attention: [[waste]] and [[pollution]]. Waste is the unwanted part of a process (everything from [[waste heat]] to [[carbon dioxide]] to [[nuclear waste]]), while pollution is waste that has a direct, negative impact on the local [[ecology]]. Effective regulatory practices make sure that the waste does not pollute the environment beyond specific levels, which, when regulated properly correspond to levels of degradation that are manageable. While there are rare cases in which the environment is helped by human waste products, for the most part the human effect on local ecology is disruptive and usually negative.

Humans have had a profound effect on their local environment. Humans are <u>not</u> the only species to have a profound effect on their environment. [[Photosynthesis]] first rusted the rocks of the planet by freeing [[oxygen]] from [[carbon dioxide]] and eventually making [[atmospheric oxygen]] in such concentrations that it allowed animals to develop. In fact, changing the [[atmosphere]] and all of the rocks on the planet the way that those initial cyanobacteria did is probably a more profound environment change (and for that matter [[climate change]]) than anything humans have ever done!

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Uploaded]]