Full disclosure, this is coming from a practicing atmospheric scientist and recovering engineer.
I'm entirely grateful for your boots-on-the ground perspective! My view of the matter is restricted to undergraduate ES programs only, so your quote concerning 60 hours of physical science, econ, and social science dovetails with what I've read of some Eastern schools' curriculum, one of which requires only 12 hours of physical science and plus 15 hours of social science. With but 12 hours (4 three hour courses?) spread out among chemistry, physics, biology, and geology, my own perspective is that the graduate has little claim to being a scientist, no more than my own claim to be a chemist because I passed 2 semesters of chem, a physicist because of 2 semesters of physics, or an economist because I earned a minor (15 hours) in economics. I'm none of those in that I am a geologist, having earned 29 semester hours in geology courses in addition to the chemistry, physics, biology, and general college social science credits. MS and PhD graduates are a whole different group, again IMHO.
Thanks again!
Foy