Defining Environmental Science
Here's how the popular textbooks we use define Environmental Science. Miller and Spoolman's definition used in 2018-2020 is succinct: Environmental science is a study of connections in nature. It is an interdisciplinary study of (1) how the earth (nature) works and has survived and thrived, (2) how humans interact with the environment, and (3) how we can live more sustainably. It strives to answer several questions: What environmental problems do we face? How serious are they? How do they interact? What are their causes? How has nature solved such problems? How can we solve such problems? To answer such questions, environmental science integrates information and ideas from fields such as biology, chemistry, geology, geography, economics, political science, and ethics. Miller, G.T. & Spoolman, S.E. 2020. Living in the environment, Boston, Cengage Learning. An even more succinct definition present in the 2007 edition of the textbook has been removed. Environmental science is