The environmental science perspective

The environmental science perspective recognizes that the large-scale natural elemental cycles (e.g., the global carbon cycle, which includes exchange with atmospheric CO2, CH4 and black carbon/soot aerosols) is intertwined with human emissions of other pollutants such as greenhouse gases and aerosols as well as other perturbations such as land-use change. These combine to produce anthropogenic effects ranging from climate change to degradation of air and water quality. These in turn, may produce feedbacks and thus affect how the Earth system works (e.g., change the carbon cycle and nutrient dynamics, cause eutrophication and lake/ocean acidification).