What is Environmental Science?

The present state of the environment poses a challenge to every sector of society:
• To the individual citizen this calls for a reexamination of how one relates to the environment.
• To the businessman this could mean a redirecting of one’s goals and objectives that would take into consideration the industry’s impact on the environment.
• To the government this could mean the promulgation and stricter implementation of environmental laws and regulations.
But the greatest challenge of all is directed to the educator, one whose shoulder rests on the acquisition and comprehension of knowledge about the environment and the imparting and nurturing of values and attitudes towards it (Santiago et. al. 1996).

Due to this challenge, a new subject was introduced in college campuses and in some high school courses. This was called environmental science. Eventually as the growing need for a more precise body of knowledge concerning the environment arises, environmental science became a baccalaureate degree.

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary area of study that includes both applied and theoretical aspects of human impact on the world. Since humans are generally organized into groups, environmental science must deal with politics, societal organization, economics, ethics and philosophy. Thus, environmental science is a mixture of traditional science, societal values, and political awareness. in short environmental science involves an understanding of scientific principles, economic influences and political action (Enger and Smith 2001).

Environmental scientists solve problems relating to power generation, waste reduction, recycling, land use, forestry, agriculture, economics, and a wide range of other areas. They study our relationship to nature and to each other, using the tools of science and mathematics, as well as principles from other disciplines, they develop solutions that prevent or reverse environmental deterioration and results in sustainability.

Environmental science is an action-oriented problem solving profession. In order to learn environmental science, you must do environmental science (Merril 2005).

See also: 5 Reasons why I want to be an environmental scientist

SOURCES:
1. Enger and Smith. 2001. Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationship. (McGraw-Hill:Singapore).
2. Merril, D.P. (http://www.rit.edu/~932www/ugrad_bulletin/colleges/cos/envirosci.html) last updated: November 17, 2005
3. Santiago, et. al. 1996. Environmental Science: A Shared Responsibility Towards the Earth. (Rex Bookstore: Sampaloc, Manila)

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