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1、Unit1TheEnvironmentandEnvironmentalProblemsHumanshavealwaysinhabitedtwoworlds.Oneisthenaturalworldofplants,animals,soils,air,andwaterthatprecededusbybillionsofwhichweareapart.Theotheristheworldofsocialinstitutionsandartifactsthatwecreateforourselvesusingscience,tech
2、nology,andpoliticalorganization.Bothworldsareessentialtoourlive,butintegratingthemsuccessfullycausesenduringtensions.Whereearlierpeoplelimitedabilitytoaltertheirsurroundings,wenowhavepowertoextractandconsumeresources,producewastes,andmodifyourworldinwaysthatthreaten
3、bothourcontinuedexistenceandthatofmanyorganismswithwhichwesharetheplanet.Toensureasustainablefutureforourselvesandfuturegenerations,weneedtounderstandsomethingabouthowourworldworks,whatwearedoingtoit,andwhatwecandotoprotectandimproveit.EnvironmentandEnvironmentScien
4、ceEnvironment(fromtheFrenchenvironner:toencircleorsurround)canbedefinedas(1)thecircumstanceorconditionsthatsurroundanorganismorgroupoforganisms,or(2)thecomplexofsocialorculturalconditionsthataffectanindividualorcommunity.Sincehumansinhabitthenaturalaswellasthe“built
5、”ortechnological,social,andculturalworld,allconstituteimportantpartsofourenvironment,Environmentalscience,then,isthesystematicstudyofourenvironmentandourproperplaceinit.Arelativelynewfield,environmentalscienceishighlyinterdisciplinary,integratingnaturaloftheworldaro
6、undus.Incontrasttomoretheoreticaldisciplines,environmentalscienceismission-oriented.Thatis,itseeksnew,valid,generalizableknowledgeaboutthenaturalworldandourimpactsonit,butobtainingthisinformationcreatesaresponsibilitytogetinvolvedintryingtodosomethingabouttheproblem
7、swehavecreated.AsdistinguishedeconomistBarbaraWardpointsout,foranincreasingnumberofenvironmentalissues,thedifficultyisnottoidentifyremedies.Remediesarenowwellunderstood.Theproblemistomakethemsocially,economically,andpoliticallyacceptable.Forestersknowhowtoplanttrees
8、,butnottoestablishconditionsunderwhichvillagersindevelopingcountriescanmanageplantationsforthemselves.Engineersknowhowtocontrolpollution,b
