...............................................................................................................................................
Environmental
Science
What Is Environmental Science?
By Frederic Beaudry
Environmental science is the study of the interactions between the
physical, chemical, and biological components of nature.
As such, it is a multidisciplinary science: it involves a number of
disciplines like geology, hydrology, soil sciences, plant physiology, and
ecology.
Environmental scientists may have training in more than one
discipline; for example, a geochemist has expertise in both geology and
chemistry.
Most often, the multidisciplinary nature of environmental scientists’
work comes from collaborations they foster with other scientists from
complementary research fields.
A Problem-Solving Science
Environmental scientists rarely just study natural systems, but
instead usually work towards solving problems stemming from our interactions
with the environment.
Normally the basic approach taken by environmental scientists first
involves using data to detect a problem and evaluate its extent.
Solutions to the issue are then designed and implemented.
Finally, monitoring is done to determine whether the problem was
fixed.
Some examples of the types of projects environmental scientists may be
involved with include:
· Coordinating cleanup efforts at an abandoned oil refinery labeled as
a Superfund site, determining the extent of the
pollution problem and putting together a restoration plan.
· Forecasting the effects of global climate change and sea level rise on
a coastal bay system, and assisting with finding solutions to limit damages on
coastal wetlands, shoreline property, and public infrastructure.
· Consulting with a construction team to help them with minimizing sediment pollution coming from the site of a
future grocery store.
· Assisting the managers of a state government’s fleet of vehicles with
taking steps to reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas
emissions.
· Designing a restoration plan to bring acreage of oak savanna in the
proper ecological state to host the endangered Karner blue butterfly and its
host plant, the blue lupine.
A Quantitative Science
To evaluate the condition of a field site, the health of an animal
population, or the quality of a stream most scientific approaches require
extensive data collection.
That data then needs to be summarized with a suite of descriptive
statistics, then used to verify if a particular hypothesis is supported or not.
This type of hypothesis testing requires complex statistical tools.
Trained statisticians are often part of large research teams to assist
with complicated statistical models.
Other types of models are often used by environmental scientists.
For example, hydrological models help understand groundwater flow and
the spread of spilled pollutants, and spatial models implemented in a
geographical information system (GIS) will help track deforestation and habitat fragmentation in remote areas.
An Education in Environmental Science
Whether it is a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS), a
university degree in environmental science can lead to a wide range of
professional roles.
Classes typically include earth science and biology courses,
statistics, and core courses teaching sampling and analytical techniques
specific to the environmental field.
Students generally complete outdoor sampling exercises as well as
inside laboratory work.
Elective courses are usually available to provide students with the
appropriate context surrounding environmental issues, including politics,
economics, social sciences, and history.
Adequate university preparation for a career in environmental science
can also take different paths. For example, a degree in chemistry, geology, or
biology can provide a solid educational basis, followed by graduate studies in
environmental science.
Good grades in the basic sciences, some experience as an intern or
summer technician, and positive letters of recommendation should allow
motivated students to get into a Master’s program.
Environmental Science as a Career
Environmental science is practiced by people in a wide variety of
sub-fields.
Engineering firms employ environmental scientists to evaluate the
condition of future project sites.
Consulting companies can assist with remediation, a process where
previously polluted soil or groundwater is cleaned up and restored to
acceptable conditions.
In industrial settings, environmental engineers use science to find
solutions to limit the amount of polluting emissions and effluents.
There are state and federal employees who monitor air, water, and soil
quality to preserve human health.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts
an 11% growth in environmental science positions between the years 2016 and
2026. The median salary was $69,400 in 2017.
Frederic Beaudry
Professor of Environmental Science
Education
Ph.D., Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine
M.A., Natural Resources, Humboldt State
University
B.S., Biology, Université du Québec à
Rimouski
Introduction
Associate professor of environmental science,
Alfred University
Academic publication credits
include Biological Conservation and Journal of Applied Ecology
Experience
Frederic Beaudry, Ph.D., is a former writer
for ThoughtCo who contributed articles on pollution, global warming, and
climate science for three years. He is an associate professor of environmental
science at Alfred University in New York.
Prior to teaching, Dr. Beaudry worked as a
wildlife biologist, focusing on the ecology and conservation of birds and
turtles. He has authored several scientific papers on land use and conservation
and has conducted research examining land use changes and their effects on
bird and amphibian communities. Dr. Beaudry's work can be found in
peer-reviewed journals such as Biological Conservation, Journal of
Applied Ecology, and the Journal of Wildlife Management.
Education
Dr. Beaudry has a B.S. in biology
from Université du Québec à Rimouski and an M.A. in natural resources
from Humboldt State University. He earned a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology at
the University of Maine. He also completed postdoctoral research at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
ThoughtCo and Dotdash
ThoughtCo is
a premier reference site focusing on expert-created education content. We are
one of the top-10 information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a
leading Internet measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers
seek answers to their questions on ThoughtCo.
For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands
have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are
one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to
comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands
collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and
recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry
publication.
No comments:
Post a Comment