Unit 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 6 - Assignment Example For the sake of customer safety and service, a similar language needs to be in place. The employees need to maintain excellent public relation patterns with the target customers. In doing so, customers feel welcomed and valued. It also promotes the business sales. In another way, a few employees without English knowledge may feel left out and alienated from others who are quick in expressing themselves in English. They may think they are being gossiped in the workplace. Differences in workplace subsides managers institute such changes. The disciplinary action needs to be clear to everyone. The disciplinary policy in workplace ensures that every member sticks to the directives. The employees are hence aware of the repercussions that accompany breaking of the law. Knowledge of the effects of law breaking will deter them from poor acts in the workplace. Therefore, in personal view, measures enforcing English speaking only at the workplace are good if implemented well. They result to good customer care and an improvement in public relation patterns (Ekkens and Winke 270). Ekkens, Kristin, and Paula Winke. â€Å"Evaluating Workplace English Language Programs.† Language Assessment Quarterly 2009 : 265–287. Retrieved from

Organ System of the Human Body

Organ System of the Human Body The human body is composed of different organs with each performing a specific function. These organs do not work alone, but combine their functionality to work as systems. An organ system is usually composed of different organs which perform closely related functions and work collectively to perform a common purpose (Anatomy 1). The human body is composed of ten major organ systems. The endocrine system is among these ten major organ systems. Its main role is to relay chemical messages, known as hormones, throughout the body. It is usually integrated with the nervous system and together distributes these hormones which regulate growth, nutrient absorption, water re absorption among other processes. The endocrine system is composed of many glands which secrete different endocrine hormones. These glands include the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, adrenal gland, pineal body, thyroid gland, pancreas, lay-dig cells in the testes and the ovaries. The hypothalamus acts as the major link between the endocrine system and the nervous system (Hoskins 15). The pituitary gland located at the base of the brain is commonly referred to as the master gland, due to its secretions of many hormones which regulate the activities of the other glands (Nussey and Whitehead 41). These glands are ductless and they secrete hormones into the blood system where they are transported to their target tissues (endocrinology). Although we may not always think about them, these glands and the hormones they produce influence nearly all the functions of the body, and control almost all the cells, organs and organ systems. This systems controls metabolism, tissue function, growth, regulates the mood and reproduction processes (Nussey and Whitehead 39). The system regulates its self mainly through negative feedback mechanism where production of a specific hormone acts as the check mechanism to avoid over production. The pancreas which is one of the glands of the endocrine system produces two major hormones (among others) which are glucagon and insulin. These two hormones work in conjunction to regulate the glucose levels in the body at appreciable levels. The secretion is specifically done by special cells called the islets of Langerhans (islets of Langerhans). Islets of Langerhans are divided into alpha and beta cells. The beta cells produce insulin while the alpha cells produce glucagon. Like all the other organ systems of the body, the endocrine system can also be affected by different diseases. One of these diseases is diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disorder directly related to the dysfunction of the pancreas. This disease is caused by the decreased secretion of insulin by the islets of Langerhans leading to diabetes mellitus type I closely associated with young individuals or decreased responsiveness of the target cells to the action of insulin leading to diabetes mellitus type II, closely associated with the aged (McDowell, Matthews and Brown 97). Diabetes type one is mostly autoimmune where the body marks its beta cells for destruction. It is also thought to be caused by a certain virus which destroys the beta cells. There has been mounting evidence that diabetes is caused by a form of genetic predisposition, leading to some degree of heredity. Diabetes symptoms are; excessive thirst leading to increased water or fluid intake, production of excess urine, weight loss, fatigue and lethargy. Excessive urination is caused by the presence of glucose in the urine after the amounts of glucose in the blood exceeds the renal threshold, a condition known as glycosuria (Colwell 85). This disease is wide spread in the US, with almost eight per cent of the whole population being affected. The most prevalent type of diabetes is type two and its evident in about ninety per cent of all diabetes cases. Diabetes is a life style disease mostly affecting the obese, people who dont exercise frequently and people with the tendency of eating junk food. It is also a hereditary disease, polygenic in nature, and only expressed by a specific combination of genes. Diabetes not only affects the endocrine system but the whole body at large. It deprives all the body cells of the required energy leading to weight loss and lethargy. Some cells of the body like brain cells utilize only glucose for energy purposes and suffer a lot in the event of untreated diabetes. The whole endocrine system is affected especially the mechanisms dealing with osmoregulation. The body has to strain to maintain a steady body pressure regardless of the increased out put of fluids (McDowell, Matthews and Brown 67). The pituitary gland which is responsible for maintaining a constant body pressure through the production of vasopressin hormone has to work against these challenges and ensure constant re-absorption of water. As mentioned earlier on, all endocrine glands suffer loss of energy leading to slowing of their functions. Among the other organ systems affected by this disease, the excretory system is the most affected as it is charged with the duties of filtering the excess glucose out of the body. Kidneys and ureters are overworked till they can reach their maximum rates (threshold) where they can no longer handle the amount of glucose (MedicineNet 4). Economically, this disease affects not only the victim, but also the family. It is expensive to treat, and one does not cease medication once affected. The patients take insulin shots or tablets most part of their remaining life. Some of other therapies available are also very expensive to conduct and will affect the patients finance. When the condition is extreme or is not diagnosed early enough, the victim may be required to quit or suspend some his/her economically rewarding activities to concentrate on treatment. Hospitalization also causes withdrawal from normal daily activities. This disease impacts negatively on the social activities of the affected individuals. One is forced to quite some social habits like drinking which may even cause him some friends. Some social events such as meetings, parties, family outings may be affected especially in the event of hospitalization. Works cited Anatomy. Microsoft ® Student 2007 [DVD]. .Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2006. Endocrinology. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica 2007 Deluxe Edition. Chicago: Encyclop?dia Britannica, 2009. Islets of Langerhans. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 28 Jul. 2009 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/329670/islets-of-Langerhans Colwell, John. Diabetes. Gulf Professional Publishing, 2003 Hoskins, Graham. Endocrinology: the glands and their functions. Taylor Francis, 1944 McDowell, Joan, Matthews, David and Brown, Florence. Diabetes: a handbook for the primary care healthcare team. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2007 MedicineNet. Diabetes Mellitus. Retrieved on 28th July, 2009 from http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/discussion-17.htm Nussey, Stephen and Whitehead, Saffron. Endocrinology: an integrated approach. Taylor Francis, 2001

Protecting The Symbol of Our Country :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Protecting The Symbol of Our Country    On June 12,1997 the Flag Amendment was passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 310 to 114. The Amendment gives Congress the right to prevent the physical desecration of the American flag. â€Å"Today’s vote is strong evidence that the voice of the American people has been heard and heeded by the US House of Representatives†(Flag Alliance, Inc. 1), says Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, who is the head of the Citizens Flag Alliance(CFA). Today, forty-nine state legislatures have made it clear to Congress that they want flag protection laws. However, not everyone is in favor of these laws. These â€Å"radicals† or â€Å"revolutionists† as they like to call themselves, feel that burning the flag is their constitutional right under the first amendment: freedom of speech. (You might want to go ahead and establish your thesis here.   It shows up in the next paragraph, and that's okay too though.)    I strongly support the flag protection amendment. â€Å"The flag is a symbol of our great nation and all that we stand for. No other American symbol has been as universally honored or has bestowed such honor as the flag†(Flag Alliance, Inc. 1), says Rep. William Lipinski of Illinois. Those who destroy the flag, or view it as just a design on a piece of cloth lack the understanding of our nations(AP) history, and take their American citizenship for granted. They burn the flag only to get attention, or because they are angry with the government, and see it as a way of getting back at them. My solution to these people who are aggravated with our government is to move somewhere else. Try living in China or Cuba, and see if you agree with the way they run their government. When you burn the flag you break the chains that holds you together in unity with the rest of the nation. (This is a pretty extreme metaphor.   You need to clearly establish why the desecration of the flag is s o damaging.   Also, look at your solution.   It is also extreme.   Will you effectively convince people who don't agree with you by being so extreme?   Some drama and emotion is good.   But remember that your audience will expect you to show open-mindedness as well.)    An astonishing eighty-one percent of Americans are in favor of the amendment.   This number shows how much of an affect the flag has on our country.

Musical Analysis Essay

The first piece I chose was Frederic Chopin’s Prelude in E-Minor (op. 28 no. 4). It was performed by Aldona Dvarionaite (2009). Chopin was a composer in the Romantic period. This is a sad piano piece. Chopin wrote primarily for the piano. The piece range was almost monotone in nature. The sound was in scale rising and lowering using the same melody throughout the piece. The tones were kept uniform repeating over and over again. I found this piece of music one dimensional. It was dark and depressing in nature. It is not music that I would seek out to relax and enjoy. Piece number two was composed by Johannes Brahms – OP. 49 No. 4 Wiegenlied / Lullaby written in the romantic period. This piece was performed by Das Slovakische Kammerochester (2007), I found this music comforting an familiar. Kammerochester performed this from the original composition on the violin. I played this music to my children and my grandchildren to relax them and put them to sleep, singing the lyrics, as my mother sang to me. The melody was rythmatic and soothing to my ears. Johannes Brahms repeated the same tones in the beginning, middle, ending. I was able to discern both the violin and harp in the music, mimicking each other. The lullaby has so many precious memories for me, I cannot help feeling joy with this music. Moving on to the Classical Period I chose to listen to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Requiem, conducted by Karl Bohm (2007). This piece had much more depth in texture and tonality. Mozart raised and lowered the power of the piece using both instrumental diversity and note volume to emphasize the piece. Listening to this piece brought me memories of going to the cathedral with my Grandmother. The entire mass was sung in Latin, so it was the music that led you to understanding the mass. The beginning of the piece was sad changing the tone to almost a jubilation or celebration of life. I enjoyed this piece immensely. My second classical selection is Ludwig Von Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, performed by Elisso Bolkvadeze (2010). This is a piano piece with complexity in the melody I find myself feeling melancholy. I cannot help but feel that there was deep sorrow in the person who wrote this music. It is almost that the person was lost amidst his sorrow. The melody repeats itself but is different though out the performance. I almost wanted to find this person and hug them to remove such pain from their life. I was strangely mesmerize, unsure whether to enjoy the music or turn away from the pain. From the Baroque Period I selected one of my favorite pieces, Sebastian Bach Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (2011). There is a complexity in Bach’s compositions that I have not heard in the other composures. I felt energized and excited by this rendition. Bach uses Texture, tonality, melody, and complexity in this piece. The range of emotions changes from moment to moment. It is whimsical at one moment, changing veracity in a moment notice. One does not have to do anything but allow themselves to get lost in the music. There are distinct differences in styles, each with their own merits and shortcomings. In order to appreciate music, one only needs to listen, and let the emotions go through them. I may have my preferences to what I enjoy, but a person needs to make that decision on their own. Music would not be what it is today, if we did not have artist with the imagination and passion to bring it to the public.

Our Environment: the Sum Total of Our Surroundings

I. Our environment is the sum total of our surroundings A photograph of Earth reveals a great deal, but it does not convey the complexity of our environment. Our environment (a term that comes from the French environner, â€Å"to surround†) is more than water, land, and air; it is the sum total of our surroundings. It includes all of the biotic factors, or living things, with which we interact. It also includes the abiotic factors, or nonliving things, with which we interact.Our environment includes the continents, oceans, clouds, and ice caps you can see in the photo of Earth from space, as well as the animals, plants, forests, and farms that comprise the landscapes around us. In a more inclusive sense, it also encompasses our built environment, the structures, urban centers, and living spaces humans have created. In its most inclusive sense, our environment also includes the complex webs of scientific, ethical, political, economic, and social relationships and institutions t hat shape our daily lives.From day to day, people most commonly use the term environment in the first, narrow sense—of a nonhuman or â€Å"natural† world apart from human society. This connotation is unfortunate, because it masks the very important fact that humans exist within the environment and are a part of nature. As one of many species of animals on Earth, we share with others the same dependence on a healthy functioning planet. The limitations of language make it all too easy to speak of â€Å"people and nature,† or â€Å"human society and the environment,† as though they are separate and do not interact.However, the fundamental insight of environmental science is that we are part of the natural world and that our interactions with other parts of it matter a great deal. II. Environmental science explores interactions between humans and our environment Appreciating how we interact with our environment is crucial for a well-informed view of our place in the world and for a mature awareness that we are one species among many on a planet full of life.Understanding our relationship with the environment is also vital because we are altering the very natural systems we need, in ways we do not yet fully comprehend. We depend utterly on our environment for air, water, food, shelter, and everything else essential for living. However, our actions modify our environment, whether we intend them to or not. Many of these actions have enriched our lives, bringing us longer life spans, better health, and greater material wealth, mobility, and leisure time. However, these improvements have often degraded the natural systems that sustain us.Impacts such as air and water pollution, soil erosion, and species extinction can compromise human well-being, pose risks to human life, and threaten our ability to build a society that will survive and thrive in the long term. The elements of our environment were functioning long before the human species ap peared, and we would be wise to realize that we need to keep these elements in place. Environmental science is the study of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us, and how we affect our environment.We need to understand our interactions with our environment because such knowledge is the essential first step toward devising solutions to our most pressing environmental problems. Many environmental scientists are taking this next step, trying to apply their knowledge to develop solutions to the many environmental challenges we face. It can be daunting to reflect on the sheer magnitude of environmental dilemmas that confront us today, but with these problems also come countless opportunities for devising creative solutions.The topics studied by environmental scientists are the most centrally important issues to our world and its future. Right now, global conditions are changing more quickly than ever. Right now, through science, we as a civilization are gaining know ledge more rapidly than ever. And right now, the window of opportunity for acting to solve problems is still open. With such bountiful challenges and opportunities, this particular moment in history is indeed an exciting time to be studying environmental science. III. Natural resources are vital to our survivalAn island by definition is finite and bounded, and its inhabitants must cope with limitations in the materials they need. On our island, Earth, human beings, like all living things, ultimately face environmental constraints. Specifically, there are limits to many of our natural resources, the various substances and energy sources we need to survive. Natural resources that are virtually unlimited or that are replenished over short periods are known as renewable natural resources. Some renewable resources, such as sunlight, wind, and wave energy, are perpetually available.Others, such as timber, food crops, water, and soil, renew themselves over months, years, or decades, if we are careful not to use them up too quickly or destructively. In contrast, resources such as mineral ores and crude oil are in finite supply and are formed much more slowly than we use them. These are known as nonrenewable natural resources. Once we use them up, they are no longer available. We can view the renewability of natural resources as a continuum (Figure 1. 1). Some renewable resources may turn nonrenewable if we overuse them.For example, overpumping groundwater can deplete underground aquifers and turn a lush landscape into a desert. Populations of animals and plants we harvest from the wild may be renewable if we do not overharvest them but may vanish if we do. In recent years, our consumption of natural resources has increased greatly, driven by rising affluence and the growth of the largest human population in history. IV. Human population growth has shaped our relationship with natural resources For nearly all of human history, only a few million people populated Earth at any one time.Although past populations cannot be calculated precisely, Figure 1. 2 gives some idea of just how recently and suddenly our population has grown beyond 6 billion people. Two phenomena triggered remarkable increases in population size. The first was our transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to an agricultural way of life. This change began to occur around 10,000 years ago and is known as the agricultural revolution. As people began to grow their own crops, raise domestic animals, and live sedentary lives in villages, they found it easier to meet their nutritional needs.As a result, they began to live longer and to produce more children who survived to adulthood. The second notable phenomenon, known as the industrial revolution, began in the mid-1700s. It entailed a shift from rural life, animal-powered agriculture, and manufacturing by craftsmen, to an urban society powered by fossil fuels (nonrenewable energy sources, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, produce d by the decomposition and fossilization of ancient life). The industrial revolution introduced improvements in sanitation and medical technology, and it enhanced agricultural production with fossil-fuel-powered equipment and synthetic fertilizer.Thomas Malthus and population growth   Ã‚  Ã‚  At the outset of the industrial revolution in England, population growth was regarded as a good thing. For parents, high birth rates meant more children to support them in old age. For society, it meant a greater pool of labor for factory work. British economist Thomas Malthus (1766–1834) had a different opinion. Malthus claimed that unless population growth were controlled by laws or other social strictures, the number of people would outgrow the available food supply until starvation, war, or disease arose and reduced the population (Figure 1. ). Malthus’s most influential work, An Essay on the Principle of Population, published in 1798, argued that a growing population would eventually be checked either by limits on births or increases in deaths. If limits on births (such as abstinence and contraception) were not implemented soon enough, Malthus wrote, deaths would increase through famine, plague, and war. Malthus’s thinking was shaped by the rapid urbanization and industrialization he witnessed during the early years of the industrial revolution, but debates over his views continue today.As we will see in Chapter 8 and throughout this book, global population growth has indeed helped spawn famine, disease, and social and political conflict. However, increasing material prosperity has also helped bring down birth rates—something Malthus did not foresee. Paul Ehrlich and the â€Å"population bomb†   Ã‚  Ã‚  In our day, biologist Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University has been called a â€Å"neo-Malthusian† because he too has warned that population growth will have disastrous effects on human welfare.In his 1968 book, The Populat ion Bomb, Ehrlich predicted that the rapidly increasing human population would unleash widespread famine and conflict that would consume civilization by the end of the 20th century. Like Malthus, Ehrlich argued that population was growing much faster than our ability to produce and distribute food, and he maintained that population control was the only way to prevent massive starvation and civil strife. Although human population nearly quadrupled in the past 100 years—the fastest it has ever grown (see Figure1. a)—Ehrlich’s predictions have not materialized on the scale he predicted. This is due, in part, to agricultural advances made in recent decades. As a result, Ehrlich and other neo-Malthusians have revised their predictions accordingly and now warn of a postponed, but still impending, global crisis. V. Resource consumption exerts social and environmental impacts Population growth affects resource availability and is unquestionably at the root of many envir onmental problems. However, the growth in consumption is also to blame.The industrial revolution enhanced the material affluence of many of the world’s people by considerably increasing our consumption of natural resources and manufactured goods. Garrett Hardin and the â€Å"tragedy of the commons†   Ã‚  Ã‚  The late Garrett Hardin of the University of California, Santa Barbara, disputed the economic theory that unfettered exercise of individual self-interest will serve the public interest. According to Hardin’s best-known essay, â€Å"The Tragedy of the Commons,† published in the journal Science in 1968, resources that are open to unregulated exploitation will eventually be depleted.Hardin based his argument on a scenario described in a pamphlet published in 1833. In a public pasture, or â€Å"common,† that is open to unregulated grazing, Hardin argued, each person who grazes animals will be motivated to increase the number of his or her animals in the pasture. Ultimately, overgrazing will cause the pasture’s food production to collapse (Figure 1. 4). Because no single person owns the pasture, no one has incentive to expend effort taking care of it, and everyone takes what he or she can until the resource is depleted.Some have argued that private ownership can address this problem. Others point to cases in which people sharing a common resource have voluntarily organized and cooperated in enforcing its responsible use. Still others maintain that the dilemma justifies government regulation of the use of resources held in common by the public, from forests to clean air to clean water. Weighing the issues:| The Tragedy of the Commons| Imagine you make your living fishing for lobster. You are free to boat anywhere and set out as many traps as you like.Your harvests have been good, and nothing is stopping you from increasing the number of your traps. However, all the other lobster fishers are thinking the same thing, and the fishing grounds are getting crowded. Catches decline year by year, until one year the fishery crashes, leaving you and all the others with catches too meager to support your families. Some of your fellow fishers call for dividing the waters and selling access to individuals plot-by-plot. Others urge the fishers to team up, set quotas among themselves, and prevent newcomers from entering the market.Still others are imploring the government to get involved and pass laws regulating how much fishers can catch. What do you think is the best way to combat this tragedy of the commons and restore the fishery? Why? | Wackernagel, Rees, and the ecological footprint   Ã‚  Ã‚  As global affluence has increased, human society has consumed more and more of the planet’s limited resources. We can quantify resource consumption using the concept of the â€Å"ecological footprint,† developed in the 1990s by environmental scientists Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees.The ecologica l footprint expresses the environmental impact of an individual or population in terms of the cumulative amount of land and water required to provide the raw materials the person or population consumes and to dispose of or recycle the waste the person or population produces (Figure 1. 5). It measures the total amount of Earth’s surface â€Å"used† by a given person or population, once all direct and indirect impacts are totaled up. For humanity as a whole, Wackernagel and Rees have calculated that our species is using 30% more resources than are available on a sustainable basis from all the land on the planet.That is, we are depleting renewable resources 30% faster than they are being replenished—like drawing the principal out of a bank account rather than living off the interest. Furthermore, people from wealthy nations have much larger ecological footprints than do people from poorer nations. If all the world’s people consumed resources at the rate of N orth Americans, these researchers concluded, we would need the equivalent of two additional planet Earths. VI.Environmental science can help us avoid mistakes made by past civilizations It remains to be seen whether the direst predictions of Malthus, Ehrlich, and others will come to pass for today’s global society, but we already have historical evidence that civilizations can crumble when pressures from population and consumption overwhelm resource availability. Easter Island is the classic case (see â€Å"The Science behind the Story†), but it is not the only example. Many great civilizations have fallen after depleting resources from their environments, and each has left devastated landscapes in its wake.The Greek and Roman empires show evidence of such a trajectory, as do the Maya, the Anasazi, and other civilizations of the New World. Plato wrote of the deforestation and environmental degradation accompanying ancient Greek cities, and today further evidence is acc umulating from research by archaeologists, historians, and paleoecologists who study past societies and landscapes. The arid deserts of today’s Middle Eastern countries were far more vegetated when the great ancient civilizations thrived there; at that time these regions were lush enough to support the very origin of agriculture.While deforestation created deserts in temperate regions, in more tropical climates, the ancient cities of fallen civilizations became overgrown by jungle. The gigantic stone monuments of the Angkor civilization in Southeast Asia, like those of the Maya in Mexico and Central America, remained unknown to Westerners until the 19th century, and most of these cities remain covered by rainforest. Researchers have learned enough by now, however, that scientist and author Jared Diamond in his 2005 book, Collapse, could synthesize this information and formulate sets of reasons why civilizations succeed and persist, or fail and collapse.Success and persistence , it turns out, depend largely on how societies interact with their environments. I. People vary in their perception of environmental problems Environmental science arose in the latter half of the 20th century as people sought to better understand environmental problems and their origins. An environmental problem, stated simply, is any undesirable change in the environment. However, the perception of what constitutes an undesirable change may vary from one person or group of people to another, or from one context or situation to another.A person’s age, gender, class, race, nationality, employment, and educational background can all affect whether he or she considers a given environmental change to be a â€Å"problem. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  For instance, today’s industrial societies are more likely to view the spraying of the pesticide DDT as a problem than those societies viewed it in the 1950s, because today more is known about the health risks of pesticides (Figure 1. 6). At the same time, a person living today in a malaria-infested village in Africa or India may welcome the use of DDT if it kills mosquitoes that transmit malaria, because malaria is viewed as a more immediate health threat.Thus an African and an American who have each knowledgeably assessed the pros and cons may, because of differences in their circumstances, differ in their judgment of DDT’s severity as an environmental problem. | Different types of people may also vary in their awareness of problems. For example, in many cultures women are responsible for collecting water and fuelwood. As a result, they are often the first to perceive environmental degradation affecting these resources, whereas men in the same area simply might not â€Å"see† the problem.As another example, in most societies information about environmental health risks tends to reach wealthy people more readily than poor people. Thus, who you are, where you live, and what you do can have a huge ef fect on how you perceive your environment, how you perceive and react to change, and what impact those changes may have on how you live your life. In Chapter 2, we will examine the diversity of human values and philosophies and consider their effects on how we define environmental problems.II. Environmental science provides interdisciplinary solutions Studying and addressing environmental problems is a complex endeavor that requires expertise from many disciplines, including ecology, earth science, chemistry, biology, economics, political science, demography, ethics, and others. Environmental science is thus an interdisciplinary field—one that borrows techniques from numerous disciplines and brings research results from these disciplines together into a broad synthesis (Figure 1. 7).Traditional established disciplines are valuable because their scholars delve deeply into topics, uncovering new knowledge and developing expertise in particular areas. Interdisciplinary fields ar e valuable because their practitioners take specialized knowledge from different disciplines, consolidate it, synthesize it, and make sense of it in a broad context to better serve the multifaceted interests of society. Environmental science is especially broad because it encompasses not only the natural sciences (disciplines that study the natural world), but also the social sciences (disciplines that study human interactions and institutions).The natural sciences provide us the means to gain accurate information about our environment and to interpret it reasonably. Addressing environmental problems, however, also involves weighing values and understanding human behavior, and this requires the social sciences. Most environmental science programs focus predominantly on the natural sciences as they pertain to environmental issues. In contrast, programs incorporating the social sciences heavily often prefer using the term environmental studies to describe their academic umbrella. Whic hever approach one takes, these fields reflect many diverse perspectives and sources of knowledge.Just as an interdisciplinary approach to studying issues can help us better understand them, an integrated approach to addressing problems can produce effective and lasting solutions. One example is the dramatic improvement in one aspect of air quality in the United States over the past few decades. Ever since automobiles were invented, lead had been added to gasoline to make cars run more smoothly, even though medical professionals knew that lead emissions from tailpipes could cause health problems, including brain damage and premature death.In 1970 air pollution was severe, and motor vehicles accounted for 78% of U. S. lead emissions. But over the following years, engineers, physicians, atmospheric scientists, and politicians all merged their knowledge and skills into a process that eventually resulted in a ban on leaded gasoline. By 1996 all gasoline sold in the United States was unl eaded, and the nation’s largest source of atmospheric lead emissions had been completely eliminated. III.Environmental science is not the same as environmentalism Although many environmental scientists are interested in solving problems, it would be incorrect to confuse environmental science with environmentalism, or environmental activism. They are not the same. Environmental science is the pursuit of knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interactions with it. Environmentalism is a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world—and, by extension, humans—from undesirable changes brought about by human choices (Figure 1. ). Although environmental scientists may study many of the same issues environmentalists care about, as scientists they attempt to maintain an objective approach in their work. Remaining free from personal or ideological bias, and open to whatever conclusions the data demand, is a hallmark of the effective scientist. We will now proceed with a brief overview of how science works and how scientists go about this enterprise that brings our society so much valuable knowledge.