Final answer:
Perception of the environment is shaped by both objective facts and subjective interpretations, including personal emotions, cultural backgrounds, and biases.
Step-by-step explanation:
Our perception of the environment and its uncertainty is influenced and constrained by both objective information and subjective interpretations. Characteristics of the physical universe, indeed, can be perceived and objectively measured. However, our perception does not just rely on these facts alone but is shaped by various factors including our subjective realities, emotions, cultural backgrounds, and personal preferences. Personal biases, socioeconomic status, and education can also significantly shape how we perceive and react to our environment.
Moreover, historical context and societal changes can influence our views and interpretations of the environment. For instance, the shift from diverse cropping to monoculture agriculture in North America was not just a technological change but also a societal one that led to numerous environmental impacts. Consequently, society's response to ecological challenges is a complex interplay of objective measurements and subjective valuation.
In essence, reality is filtered through a personal lens, thereby blending facts and feelings into our unique worldview, which constantly evolves as we engage with the world around us. Our perception of the environment is therefore a product of both the information received from our senses (bottom-up processing) and the interpretations made by our brains (top-down processing).