What's ecology?

Ecology

1873, coined by German zoologist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) as Okologie, from Greek oikos "house, dwelling place, habitation" + -logia "study of." Ecosystem is from 1935. Ecosphere (1953) is the region around a star where conditions allow life-bearing planets to exist.

Environment

1603, "state of being environed"; sense of "nature, conditions in which a person or thing lives" first recorded 1827 (used by Carlyle to render German Umgebung); specialized ecology sense first recorded 1956. Environmentalism was coined 1923 as a psychological term (in the nature vs. nurture debate); the ecological sense is 1972 (environmentalist in this sense is attested from 1970).

(Source: Online Etymology Dictionary)

Eco -- it certainly isn't a new word. In Greek ("oikos"), it means the home, the place where we live. And ecology means the science of how all living creatures interact within our home - our environment on this fascinating, complex Spaceship Earth.

Yet, "environment" and "ecology" are extended to encompass the inseparable universe. Mankind was not the first organism to leave the Earth's atmosphere. Mankind, plants and animals are now living in space for extended periods. The Earth, and survival of all species, is reliant upon the harmony of its existence among billions of other planets and space objects. With mankind's entry and enterprises in space since the early 1960s, there is valid and increasing reason to extend environmental and ecological concerns to the farthest regions of our home in space.

Environmental unity exists everywhere, and the survival of all species on Earth depends on its continuance. One of our objectives is to connect space science, exploration and its discoveries with Earth, its immediate environment and ecology, by using the media to connect people.

It isn't surprising that while the interest of our world on many other issues tends to fluctuate, public interest in our environment remains constantly high. It is ever more apparent today when people consider the increasing energy demands coupled with rising gasoline process, the loss of habitat coupled with a rapidly increasing human population, the struggles to produce enough food to feed the masses, and many, many other facts of daily life.

Taken from: http://www.ecology.com