(完整版)环境科学交叉关系学科课后题答案第一章

环境学概论第一周作业

1.Environmental problems are complex and interrelated.

Within the ecosystem every component seems to be interconnected and interacted with each other as illustrated in the Darwin's theory of the relation between the production of seeds in red clover and numbers of cats

Environmental problems often involve social, ethical, political and economic issues. It’s not easy to achieve acceptable solutions to environmental issues; an environmental decision that is supportable from an economic point of view may not be plausible from the political perspective. As the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone manifested, the solution has an ethical side and influence not only natural but also economic and social realms. What's more, environmental problems do not necessarily coincide with political boundaries, thus require the collaboration of multiple states or even nations.

It's gettin more complicated as the globalization accelerates and the scale of environmental problems expands and requires better governance to ensure sustainable developments.

2. The ecosystem approach is the comprehensive and integrated management of human activities, based on the scientific knowledge about ecosystem and its dynamics, and achieve

sustainable use of ecosystem goods and services and maintenance of ecosystem integrity.

It is the right approach because an ecosystem involves not only all organisms but also the abiotic environment, and they form a complex network of interrelationships. Only by thinking systematically, can we understand the dynamics of the ecosystem and take the right action which satisfies human needs while preserving health of the ecosystem.

3.The security consists of economic, political, cultural, social and

environmental aspects.

Urbanization and human migration can put great pressure on environment, leading to land degradation and eutrophication, which destroyed the aquatic ecosystem. These would affect the economic and environmental security.

The environmental change also threatens environmental resources and caused social instability or even conflicts and wars, thus posing a threat to social and political security.

4.Defining human well-being is difficult due to differing views on

its definition.

first is the resources that people possess, including money and other assets. Such view implies weak sustainability, in which the environment can contribute to development merely by promoting economic growth.

second is how people feel about their lives. It means people value the environment for its traditional or cultural aspects.

third is what people are able to be and to do. The impacts that the environment have on human well-being are regarded as multidimensional.

Above all, human well-being and the quality of the environment are strongly interrelated, and the impact is prominent in various ecosystem services, including provisioning services, regulating services cultural services and supporting services.

5. There is difference in how social, political and environmental decisions are made. Most social and political decisions are made with respect to political jurisdictions, while environmental problems do not necessarily coincide with these artificial political boundaries. The problem between Mexico and United States showed that tackling the environmental problem often requires thinking on a ecosystem level instead of as a single nation.

There shouldn't be a difference as the economic and political decisions are supposed to adjust to environmental needs and emphasize the environmental concerns. In fact, there should be integrated decision-making that takes in all the above factors, which gives us the best solution.