Introduction to Environmental Science

This is something I have wanted to do for a long, long, long time -even before I ever went to Sweden to study. It's also something I have tried to start doing several times, but for some reason of other it always ends up dying.

What? ↑menu

The plan is to dedicate a new section of my blog to the basics of Environmental Science.

I'll be following the outline and concepts found below, as presented in Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future, the textbook I used a few years ago to introduce myself to the concept of environmental science and sustainability. As much as time allows, supplementing this with articles and research from both on and off-line, as well as, hopefully, the experiences and knowledge of anyone following along that wishes to comment.

1. Ecosystems and how They Work
2. The Human Population
3. Renewable Resources
4. Energy
5. Pollution and Prevention
6. Toward a Sustainable Future

The textbook was initially chosen based on it's availability (Tomoe lent it to me). I am using the 7th edition, published in 2000. The 8th edition was published in 2002. I will do my best to find the latest facts and figures for any charts.

Why? ↑menu

Well, one obvious reason.

• This is something that everyone should know.

But also, after having attended a graduate program in Sweden about sustainable development, I am looking for an excuse to revisit this text, looking at it through my "more learned" eyes.

• Question what I think I know.
• Explore what I don't know so well.
• Share what I learn.
• Translate knowledge into action.

And finally,

• I have secreat fantasies that other people will find this intersting enough to follow along, maybe even on their own blog... and maybe... maybe an entire blog-ring style learning community could develop and we could learn about it together... maybe... maybe...

Guts ↑menu

I tell myself that the reason I never did this before (although I once started it, I never made it public), despite thinking about it every time I sit down to blog, was that I never had the time. I'm not sure I reall buy that, in fact, the main reason I am finding the time now is to prove to myself that despite my previous failure, I do have the guts... the guts to expose my own ignorance, to advertise to the world how much of, what seems like such a simple concept once I read it, I didn't already know.

So, if what I write sometimes seems excrutiatingly elementary, please bear with me. If what I write sometimes is excrutiatingly mis-informed, please correct me. But, in the other hand, if what I write is sometimes new, interesting, or helpful to you, I'd appreciate a comment or two.