THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

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Environment
Humanshavealwaysinhabitedtwoworlds.Oneisthenaturalworldofplants,animals,soils,air,andwaterthatprecededusbybillionsofyearsandofwhichweareapart.Theotheristheworldofsocialinstitutionsandartifactsthatwecreateforourselvesusingscience,technology,andpoliticalorganization.Bothworldsareessentialtoourlives,butintegratingthemsuccessfullycausesenduringtensions.
Whereearlierpeoplelimitedabilitytoaltertheirsurroundings,wenowhavepowertoextractandconsumeresources,producewastes,andmodifyourworldinwaysthatthreatenbothourcontinuedexistenceandthatofmanyorganismswithwhichwesharetheplanet.Toensureasustainablefutureforourselvesandfuturegenerations,weneedtounderstandsome-thingabouthowourworldworks,whatwearedoingtoit,andwhatwecandotoprotectandimproveit.
EnvironmentandEnvironmentScience
Environment(fromtheFrenchenvironner:toencircleorsurround)canbedefinedas(1)thecircumstanceorconditionsthatsurroundanorganismorgroupoforganisms,or(2)thecomplexofsocialorculturalconditionsthataffectanindividualorcommunity.Sincehumansinhabitthenaturalaswellasthe“built”ortechnological,social,andculturalworld,allcon-stituteimportantpartsofourenvironment.
Environmentalscience,then,isthesystematicstudyofourenvironmentandourproperplaceinit.Arelativelynewfield,environmentalscienceishighlyinterdisciplinary,integrating