Environmental Science

How would you describe an ecosystem to someone using examples from your own region or country? What roles do producers, consumers and decomposers play in maintaining healthy ecosystems? How do different biomes—such as forests, deserts or wetlands—respond differently to human pressures? What are some examples of keystone species, and what happens when they decline or disappear? How does viewing humans as part of, rather than separate from, ecosystems change environmental decisions?

What forms of pollution—air, water, soil, noise, light—most affect the place where you live? How do industrial processes, agriculture and urbanization each contribute to environmental degradation? What are some 'hidden' or less visible forms of pollution that people often overlook? How can regulatory policies and community activism help reduce pollution and restore damaged environments? Which environmental problems feel most urgent to you personally, and why?

Why is biodiversity—variety within and between species—considered so crucial for ecosystem resilience? What are the main drivers of species extinction in the modern era? How do protected areas, wildlife corridors and indigenous land rights contribute to conservation? What ethical questions arise when conservation efforts prioritize some species or places over others? How can everyday choices, such as diet or consumption habits, influence biodiversity far from where we live?

What does it mean in practice for resource use—like logging, fishing or mining—to be sustainable? How can circular economy ideas change the way products are designed, used and disposed of? What are some examples of renewable resources that are still being managed unsustainably? How do economic incentives and subsidies push societies toward either sustainable or destructive practices? If your community aimed for a more sustainable lifestyle, what changes would be most realistic to start with?

How do environmental laws and regulations shape corporate and individual behavior? What is environmental justice, and how does it highlight who bears the burdens of pollution and resource extraction? How do international agreements attempt to manage shared resources like the atmosphere or oceans? What obstacles—political, economic or cultural—make global environmental cooperation difficult? How might local grassroots movements connect with international efforts to protect the environment?