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1、Unit1TheEnvironmentandEnvironmentalProblemsHumanshavealwaysinhabitedtwoworlds.Oneisthenaturalworldofplants,animals,soils,air,andwaterthatprecededusbybillionsofwhichweareapart.Theotheristheworldofsocialinstitutionsandartifactsthatwecreateforourselvesusingscience,techno
2、logy,andpoliticalorganization.Bothworldsareessentialtoourlive,butintegratingthemsuccessfullycausesenduringtensions.Whereearlierpeoplelimitedabilitytoaltertheirsurroundings,wenowhavepowertoextractandconsumeresources,producewastes,andmodifyourworldinwaysthatthreatenboth
3、ourcontinuedexistenceandthatofmanyorganismswithwhichwesharetheplanet.Toensureasustainablefutureforourselvesandfuturegenerations,weneedtounderstandsomethingabouthowourworldworks,whatwearedoingtoit,andwhatwecandotoprotectandimproveit.EnvironmentandEnvironmentScienceEnvi
4、ronment(fromtheFrenchenvironner:toencircleorsurround)canbedefinedas(1)thecircumstanceorconditionsthatsurroundanorganismorgroupoforganisms,or(2)thecomplexofsocialorculturalconditionsthataffectanindividualorcommunity.Sincehumansinhabitthenaturalaswellasthe“built”ortechn
5、ological,social,andculturalworld,allconstituteimportantpartsofourenvironment,Environmentalscience,then,isthesystematicstudyofourenvironmentandourproperplaceinit.Arelativelynewfield,environmentalscienceishighlyinterdisciplinary,integratingnaturaloftheworldaroundus.Inco
6、ntrasttomoretheoreticaldisciplines,environmentalscienceismission-oriented.Thatis,itseeksnew,valid,generalizableknowledgeaboutthenaturalworldandourimpactsonit,butobtainingthisinformationcreatesaresponsibilitytogetinvolvedintryingtodosomethingabouttheproblemswehavecreat
7、ed.AsdistinguishedeconomistBarbaraWardpointsout,foranincreasingnumberofenvironmentalissues,thedifficultyisnottoidentifyremedies.Remediesarenowwellunderstood.Theproblemistomakethemsocially,economically,andpoliticallyacceptable.Forestersknowhowtoplanttrees,butnottoestab
8、lishconditionsunderwhichvillagersindevelopingcountriescanmanageplantationsforthemselves.Engineersknowhowtocontrolpollution,b
