How does physics contribute to environment and sustainability?

[luminus]

I am a highschool physics teacher from Brazil seeking ways to approach this subject within such themes, in a way that is integrated with other subjects such as history, geography, philosophy, biology, chemistry; all at once. I acknowledge that such an approach is both unrealistic and detrimental to learning, it also gives me a throughly bitter taste in my mouth on how heavily politicized the demand is, which obfuscates the sense of wonder that the study of natural sciences gives and also the reason why I am a teacher in the first place, but alas, gone are the days when one could teach solely physics and I am planning my way out of this profession. While that does not happen, I come here not asking for something mainstream such as an educational resource such as a book, but papers that touches on those two themes, that is, environment (which is supposed to somehow work with biology and chemistry), and sustainability (which is also supposed to somehow work with biology and chemistry).

By sustainability it can be better understood as something that touches the Sustainable Development Goals or anything that is discussed in the Club of Rome reports, starting with United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, The Limits to Growth, further going to Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future, these references are only here to bring clarity to this theme. Closely linked to it is the theme of environment (which goes along with health, but the health part can be covered with ease by approaching the fundamentals of quantum physics). All of that is covered based on the concept of "habilities", which takes its root in works related to pedagogy of competencies, beginning in the page number 494 of this reference, which is in portuguese - I am not telling you to read all that as it takes a lot of work, even the topic of psychophysics is mentioned, possibly for the purpose of integrating the content of the physics curriculum with the subject of psychology, mostly approached by humanities. Just give your best shot, something that doesn't feel like physics is being shoehorned just to give a show of pointless complexity, but an use case of our subject that is legitimate, either in the workforce and/or uh... Climatology I suppose, for a bunch of students that comes from low income families (personal note: it feels heavily out of place to teach this subject to such an audience).

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to PF.

I acknowledge that such an approach is both unrealistic and detrimental to learning, it also gives me a throughly bitter taste in my mouth on how heavily politicized the demand is, which obfuscates the sense of wonder that the study of natural sciences gives and also the reason why I am a teacher in the first place, but alas, gone are the days when one could teach solely physics and I am planning my way out of this profession.

Hmm, way to sell your question...

Just give your best shot, something that doesn't feel like physics is being shoehorned just to give a show of pointless complexity, but an use case of our subject that is legitimate, either in the workforce and/or uh... Climatology I suppose, for a bunch of students that comes from low income families (personal note: it feels heavily out of place to teach this subject to such an audience).

I definitely sense that you don't like being in the position of having to ask these questions...

How does physics contribute to environment and sustainability?

It's probably better for us to focus on this question in your thread title. Can you give us your thoughts on just the question in your title? That would be the best way to start off this thread. You can refer to sections of the long references you included in your OP, but please tell us what you think. Thank you.

 

[Ammaniya]

It sounds like you're in a tough spot. I feel you on the pressure to mix subjects, especially in an environment that doesn’t always appreciate physics on its own. Maybe look into interdisciplinary papers on climate change that include physics principles but also tie into sociology or economics. There are some case studies on sustainable tech that could work, but I get how hard it is to find the right balance without feeling like you’re watering things down.

 

[Andy Resnick]

I am a highschool physics teacher from Brazil seeking ways to approach this subject within such themes, in a way that is integrated with other subjects such as history, geography, philosophy, biology, chemistry; all at once.

My colleague Thijs Heus teaches a course "Environmental Physics" which seems like a good match to your question. I'm not sure what textbook he uses, but the course is geared towards non-physics majors and is usually in high demand. Feel free to contact him for specific suggestions, I know he does incorporate a lot of history/geography/chemistry in the course.

 

[luminus]

My colleague Thijs Heus teaches a course "Environmental Physics" which seems like a good match to your question. I'm not sure what textbook he uses, but the course is geared towards non-physics majors and is usually in high demand. Feel free to contact him for specific suggestions, I know he does incorporate a lot of history/geography/chemistry in the course.

Oh man this guy is awesome, I have just seen a page with his academic details and he explores exactly what I have attempted to explore before, but without much success, thank you very, very much.

It's probably better for us to focus on this question in your thread title. Can you give us your thoughts on just the question in your title? That would be the best way to start off this thread. You can refer to sections of the long references you included in your OP, but please tell us what you think. Thank you.

I will try to be less opiniated this time. A few, vague contributions I have explored before can be summed up to the word "optimization" or "efficiency" in the use of energy for the different human activities that includes the use of machines or production of tools, think about improving the efficiency of a thermal machine or the transmission of forces in an engine (e.g. gears does not transfer the full torque to the chains or to the next gear, there is a small loss that comes from friction and the sponge-like nature of any object, that becomes relevant in the design of engines, it's a subject studied in machine elements).

So, if we can optimize such machines to more efficiently convert heat to work, we are reducing the need for energy to perform a given task, be that traveling, be that the production of gears and hammers, indirectly contributing for the reduction of carbon emissions and the the usage of fossil fuels. All of that could be explored during the study of thermodynamics and newtonian mechanics, my only grip with this rationale is that such an approach seems to be difficult even for adults due to the lack of hands on experience (that is the kind of problem the automobile industry wrestles with constantly, or so I believe).

After a brief exploration of biophysics, I have come to develop a grasp of where and how physics could be useful to biologists, a very limited one. Physics is a tool for them to investigate life, but I don't know what is relevant for them, just like a mathematician may be a little lost whenever physicists decides to tolerate a small margin of error and interpreting the rationale during a lecture, or a derivation (I don't say this to diminish mathematicians or the role of mathematics, just highlighting how one field of knowledge is reduced to a tool for another, and that is fine).

It is obvious where optics would be useful to a student of biology, but they don't think much about the phenomena, they take a microscope (or outside of optics, a sphygmomanometer). The integration is in the machine or a tool for any other given field, a calculator, a stethoscope, I don't know if that happens outside of tools, if the analytics of the environment happens in any other way - the medium for analysis always appears to be tools. Then there is oceanography and climatology, two fields I know nothing about other than a very vague parallel to the transfer of heat via convections, and that is the problem, I don't have any details (or at least I think that is my problem).

Now I know that I have made indirect mentions of hidrostatics and hydrodynamics, but I need more, that is what inspires me to ask:
Where is hydrostatics? Where is hydrodynamics? Where is optics? Where is acoustics? Where is electromagnetism? Relativity? Quantum mechanics? Newtonian physics (this one is particularly painful both for chemistry and biology)? All of these appears to be innocent, dumb questions, but they are actually terrible when it comes to lecturing and developing activities for students, insanely terrible.

 

[berkeman]

Where is hydrostatics? Where is hydrodynamics? Where is optics? Where is acoustics? Where is electromagnetism? Relativity? Quantum mechanics? Newtonian physics

Sorry, what do you mean by "where"?

 

[luminus]

Sorry, what do you mean by "where"?

Where, in the subjects of biology and chemistry, in the themes of sustainability and environment (to a lesser extent, health), are the fields of study in physics are present and relevant? Apologies for lack of clarity at the end.

 

[BillTre]

Where is hydrostatics? Where is hydrodynamics? Where is optics? Where is acoustics? Where is electromagnetism? Relativity? Quantum mechanics? Newtonian physics (this one is particularly painful both for chemistry and biology)? All of these appears to be innocent, dumb questions, but they are actually terrible when it comes to lecturing and developing activities for students, insanely terrible.

Where, in the subjects of biology and chemistry, in the themes of sustainability and environment (to a lesser extent, health), are the fields of study in physics are present and relevant?

In Biology:

• hydrostatics? Where is hydrodynamics?: In metabolism (cardiovasculalr flow issues, hydraulically driven movement (see @Orodruin's recent spider comment), movement of animals through the water.
• optics: in visual processes, in camouflage.
• acoustics: hearing, auditory communication, using sound to affect prey.
• electromagnetism: electroreceptive fish, magnetic sensing (bird navgation).
• Relativity: there is a lot of relativity in biology, just not the physics kind.
• Quantum mechanics: molecular interactions in general, photosynthesis and vision, some interactions in the electron transport chain.
• Newtonian physics: just about everything having to do with movement of animals as the basis of mechanical interactions.

Biology and medicine would probably be very similar, but health issues are more compelling to the non-biologist student.
Ecology does use a lot of chemistry and physics since it involves resources and wastes external to organisms.
Neurobiology involves a lot of these issues, both conceptually and in making experiments work.

In general, biophysics is probably something you would like. There are many specific aspects that would match up with your list. However, in biology, biophysics is an advanced area (upper level courses at least). You would need to have a general understanding of biological processes (probably more than an introductory class) as well as at least the understanding of physics and chemistry you would get from the typical courses required of biology majors (probably a year of physics and two years of chemistry at least).

 

[Tom.G]

Regarding Acoustics: Communication done by most two-legged and four-legged creatures, some of which is to attract a mate. Also, some aquatic creatures and flying creatures use echo-location to locate prey.

Regarding Electromagnetism: Electric Eels can generate a few hundred volts to stun their next meal.

 

[BillTre]

WRT the environmental aspect of your question, almost everything climate change involves physical and chemical processes that will affect biological processes like us.
That makes it important physics.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Where, in the subjects of biology and chemistry, in the themes of sustainability and environment (to a lesser extent, health), are the fields of study in physics are present and relevant? Apologies for lack of clarity at the end.

The clearest application of physics to these topics is thermodynamics, which is concerned with the flow and transformation of energy.

 

[gleem]

Humans are the first creatures to use and develop tools on an ongoing basis. We first did this by using what was at hand that nature provided, trees and other vegetation. Wood is a renewable resource but in some places, humankind used it faster than it could be replaced. We know that most resources are limited and will eventually run out if they are not or cannot be replaced. Physics has produced principles and discovered many phenomena that allow us to use our energy to do things that would otherwise be impossible or extend the resources by increasing the efficiency of their use. Physics has found ways to show us the limits of the utilization of resources. Physics works "backstage" so to speak giving us tools to develop our civilization and the knowledge to keep it developing sustainably and safely.

Most students who take physics will not be physicists. It has always been traditional to show applications of physical principles be they mechanical, electrical, thermodynamic, or nuclear to give them an appreciation of the utility of physics. Physics produces the basis for technology which in most cases helps us do more with less or faster. The discovery of ionizing radiation advances medicine with imaging. The theory of General Relativity was necessary for GPS, Quantum Mechanics for semiconductors (computers, smartphones, internet, solar power), lasers (cartography, surgery), MRI (medical imaging), and nuclear fission (medical isotopes, electricity). Physics gives us the basis for developing tools (technology) to address environmental issues. By demonstrating applications you give the student building blocks of knowledge to cement together an understanding of our complex world and its problems.

How you teach may well determine how your students use these tools.

 

[berkeman]

in the themes of sustainability and environment (to a lesser extent, health), are the fields of study in physics are present and relevant?

It may have been mentioned already above, but figuring out how to use renewable energy sources (wind, hydro, solar, waves,...) is a big part of sustainability:

 

[gleem]

Just give your best shot, something that doesn't feel like physics is being shoehorned just to give a show of pointless complexity, but an use case of our subject that is legitimate, either in the workforce and/or uh... Climatology I suppose, for a bunch of students that comes from low income families (personal note: it feels heavily out of place to teach this subject to such an audience).

Physics should help make complex problems from climate change more soluble. Students from low-income families are the inheritors of our current problems. Give it your best shot and help them find solutions.