Matter, Energy And Life (Environmental, Science And Engineering)

Matter, Energy, and LifeLESSON 1Thislessondiscussesfirstthedifferencebetweenenvironmentalscienceandenvironmentalengineering.Asareviewofpreviouscourse,conceptslikematter,atomsandmoleculeswillbedefined.Here,wewilllearntheconceptsofecologyrelatingtoenergy,livingorganisms,ecosystems,trophiclevels,andmaterialcycles.IntroductionLearning OutcomesIntendedLearningOutcome1(Syllabus)Acquirehighlevelofawarenessabouttheenvironmentanditssignificance.TopicOutcomes:Recognizetheconceptofecologyandtheirinterrelationtotheenvironmentandlife.Definespecies,populations,communities,andecosystems,andsummarizetheecologicalsignificanceoftrophiclevels.Tocomparethewaysthatwater,carbon,nitrogen,sulfur,andphosphoruscyclewithinecosystems.Environmental Science and EngineeringAsdefinedinthebookEnvironmentalScience:AGlobalConcern12thEdition,environmentisfromtheFrenchenvironnerwhichmeanstoencircleorsurround.Environmentcanbedefinedintwo:Thecircumstancesorconditionsthatsurroundanorganismorgroupoforganisms,orThecomplexofsocialorculturalconditionsthataffectanindividualorcommunity.What is Environmental Science?Thesystematicstudyofourenvironmentandourproperplaceinit.Ahighlyinterdisciplinarythatintegratesnaturalsciences,socialsciences,andhumanitiesinabroad,holisticstudyoftheworldaroundus.Mission-orientedbecauseitseeksnew,valid,contextualknowledgeaboutthenaturalworldandourimpactsonit.Withthis,weareabletolearnabouttheproblemswehavecreatedwiththeenvironmentandtakeresponsibilityofouractions.Environmentalsciencemakeus:oAwareandappreciatethenaturalandbuiltenvironment;oKnowledgeableofnaturalsystemsandecologicalconcepts;oUnderstandthecurrentenvironmentalissues;andoAbletousecritical-thinkingandproblem-solvingskillsonenvironmentalissues.WhatisEnvironmentalEngineering?Environmentalengineeringisabranchofengineeringthataimstoimprovethequalityofenvironmentandpromotesprotectionofpeoplefromadverseenvironmentaleffectslikepollution.AccordingtotheU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics,themissionofenvironmentalengineersistoimproverecycling,wastedisposal,publichealth,andwaterandairpollutioncontrol(Lucas,2014).History of Environmental Engineering (Vesilind, Morgan, & Heine, 2010)Fromthebeginningofcivilization,environmentalengineersprovidedcleanwaterandmanagedwastesasitwasnecessarywheneverpeoplecongregatedinorganizedsettlements.Intheancientcities,theavailabilityofareliablewatersupplybecameadefensivenecessity.Thesocalledengineersofantiquitywerethebuildersofwellsandaqueducts.Theywerealsothepeoplewhobuiltthecitywallsandmoats,aswellasthecatapultsandotherenginesofwar.Duringmid-1700s,thetermcivilengineeringwasbornasengineerswhobuiltfacilitiesforthecivilianpopulationbegantodistinguishthemselvesfromtheengineersprimarilyengagedinmattersofwarfare.IntheformativeyearsoftheUnitedStates,engineersweremostlyself-educatedorweretrainedatthenewlyformedUnitedStatesMilitaryAcademy.With the arrival of industrialization, unsanitary conditions in the cities were unbelievably great due to the lack of water and waste management. Though, there was no public outcry until they found out that water carry diseases. From then on, the civil engineers were also tasked to make sure the water would not be a vector for disease transmission. In the late 19th century, the major objective was to eliminate the waterborne disease. Public health became a primary concern of the civil engineers as they were entrusted with providing water supplies to the population centers. The civil engineers who were concerned with the drainage of cities and the provision of clean water supplies became public health engineers (in Britain) and sanitary engineers (in the United States).Elements of LifeEcologyisdefinedasthescientificstudyofrelationshipsbetweenorganismsandtheirenvironment.Itisessentialinecologytounderstandthefunctionofnutrientsandenergyinasystemthatiswheretheycomefromandwheretheygo.Wecanunderstandlifebasedonthemovementofmatterandenergythatisfromlivingorganismstoecosystem.Thefoundationsoforganismsarethecarbon-based(organic)compounds.MATTER-Everything that takes up space and has mass.-Four states of matter are: Solid, Liquid, Gas and Plasma-Water is the best example of matter as it can be in solid (ice), liquid (drinking water), or gas (water vapour).Examples of plasma are sun, lightning and very hot flames. It occurs when matter is intensely heated that causes