1. From the four earth systems we’ve covered —Geosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere and Hydrosphere— we’ve learned each connect and affect each other. Some more connecting with others, as a whole, they help to create our climate, which then effects all on our planet. Our atmosphere (air) and hydrosphere (water) come together to form condensation, which then produces clouds. Those clouds then begin precipitating, raining which helps our biosphere and geosphere, providing water to then sustain a full ecosystem. This ecosystem, in our biosphere and geosphere then goes back to our atmosphere to create photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process of plants (from the biosphere) converting carbon dioxide and water (from the hydrosphere) into glucose, energy for the plant. This then creates oxygen that we all breathe, put into the atmosphere.

2. Understanding environmental science is beneficial to better handle natural disasters because having a clear understanding of anything helps create, if possible, clearer solutions. If we know how one thing functions we can understand how it’ll effect other systems as a whole, being that they all intertwine together. Knowing when one system is being threatened by, say a hurricane, we can better prepare the ares that would be affected after, creating less ‘cleanup’ after.

3. To create a sustainable future we must first take action into the disasters going on right now. Better cover the mishaps so many unknown natural disasters have caused outside of our own world (America). Just be more eco-friendly in our daily lives. Because, although our world is structured to use so much plastic, fossil fuels, etc. so many people have made ways around it, have made more eco-friendly options, it’s our decision on whether we’re capable of changing our ways for a better future.

Link to our Slides:

1. How do the earth systems affect each other? The Atmosphere and he Hydrosphere come together in order to make clouds, which makes rain, which helps the biosphere which makes air in the atmosphere and makes photosynthesis. The Biosphere and Geosphere come together to cause things to decompose. The Atmosphere and Biosphere come together to cause photosynthesis. The Biosphere and the Atmosphere make the air. The Hydrosphere and Geosphere come together to cause shaping within the earth. All of these things within the Earth System help us as a species, and also helps the earth have living things on it and maintain it.

2. How can an understanding of environmental science aid in handling natural disasters? Since we’re learning about the natural disasters, we’re also talking about how we can prepare or help with the disaster if it were to happen. Us talking about that is helping us know how to help, by going to organizations, donating, or just providing time to go to the place and help the situation. This could also help other people by us spreading the information and that helps people know they can help or prepare for a situation that might be on the way to where they live.

3. What efforts can we make to create a sustainable future? What we can do is be more clean, don’t use all these fossil fuels or at least lessen what’s being used, we can also quit production of all the fast food places and keep animals in a less green house gas produced way. However, those are more bigger things that most people can’t do much about, but if everyday people eat more healthy, walk places they can walk to, use less plastic, and have reusable things then I think we can help decrease the harm happening to the earth so that these natural disasters don’t happen as harshly as they have been meaning to happen recently because of Global Warming.

Reaction to findings:

I think it was really interesting with finding out how there’s ways that tornados effect everything in the earth, I didn’t think that it would effect the hydrosphere too much but it actually effects it a lot and can cause something more dangerous as well if it’s too high of a category tornado.

The Geosphere can cause earthquakes which when underwater can cause other natural disasters like tsunamis to form. These tsunamis can then kill off parts of the biosphere such as plants, humans and land animals by drowning them in the water and then dragging them back into the ocean. Environmental science as the name suggests studies the environment of our planet. However, it runs far deeper than that as environmental science also teaches us why the Earth is the way it is, how changes in it occur as well as how the Earth’s systems affect things like climate changes and even natural disasters. Therefore, by understanding environmental science we can learn to predict and avoid these natural disasters in order to create a safer society. Finally, while we can’t do anything to prevent or even predict the attacks of tsunamis there are still ways to avoid them. Some methods include avoiding buildings within several hundred feet of the coastline and going to a spot about 100 ft above sea level. After completing our research we were most surprised to discover how some natural disasters can have a part in creating other natural disasters. Specifically how earthquakes can cause tsunamis if caused underwater.