Lucy Szczerba (Y12): Environmental Systems & Societies IB course
Although few people may have heard of the Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) course it is one that is incredibly exciting for anyone who wants to learn more about caring for our planet’s environment.
Recently our ESS class got the opportunity to conduct independent fieldwork for our Internal Assessment at the Hyde Park LookOut Centre. Over the course of a couple days we learned about different sampling techniques and equipment.
What I found particularly interesting were the kits we used to investigate the oxygen and nitrogen levels in different bodies of water around Hyde Park – something I had never done previously. This way of investigating how healthy bodies of water really are made me consider how we as a society impact and value the green spaces in our cities and how crucial it is to maintain them. It was also great to work outdoors and experience how professional Environmental Scientists might collect data and evaluate the results and limitations of their own studies.
Back in class at WA we have examined soil and water systems and how human activity has contributed to unbalancing these delicate and interdependent Earth systems. For instance, the excessive use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in agriculture can change the soil pH and in turn affect the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling within the soil. Moreover, fertiliser can run-off into rivers and lakes, which can result in eutrophication - harmful algal blooms - that can damage the aquatic ecosystems that we rely on for fresh water and food. It can also disrupt biodiversity that ensures the health of the planet as a whole.
This highlights my favourite aspect of ESS: its interdisciplinary nature. I find that it does a wonderful job of combining and applying other sciences, such as Chemistry and Biology, to the very real and pressing issue of climate change.
However, it is not all ‘doom and gloom’, there is also a great emphasis placed on ways in which we can solve climate issues and we get very energised in class debating the advantages and disadvantages of different solutions and recent environmental agreements.
Lucy Szczerba (Y12)
Science subject prefect