Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Ch 1 and some other important

1. Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Ch 1 and some other important Information 

2. "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine”

3. Three Scientific Principles of Sustainability: Copy Nature • Reliance on Solar Energy(photosynthesis) • Biodiversity(variety of genes and species and ecological services) • Nutrient Recycling (nature recycles all chemicals-very little waste) Figure 1-16

4. LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY … the study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth and how to deal with environmental problems. Figure 1-2

5. Environmental Science Is a Study of Connections in Nature • Environment: everything around us • Environmental science: interdisciplinary science connecting information and ideas from: • Natural sciences: ecology, biology, geology, chemistry • Social sciences: geography, politics, economics • Humanities: ethics, philosophy

6. Core Case Study: Living in an Exponential Age • Human population growth: J-shaped curve Figure 1-1

7. Sustainability!

8. Sustainability: The Integrative Theme • Sustainability, is the ability of earth’s various systems to survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitely. Figure 1-3

9. A Path toSustainability NaturalCapital Degradation Individuals Matter Natural Capital Solutions Trade-Offs Sound Science Natural capital- not fixed, has changed over time (global warming/cooling, asteroids etc.) Degrade natural capital- using normally renewable resources faster than they are replenished. Solutions- laws to protect forests and animals. Trade offs- tree plantations. Individuals matter- scientists can come up with new tech- nologies, individuals can make life changes. Fig. 1-3, p. 8

10. Natural Capital Natural Capital = Natural Resources + Ecosystem Services Solar energy Air Renewable energy (sun, wind, water flows) Air purification Climate control UV protection (ozone layer) Life (biodiversity) Population control Water Water purification Pest control Waste treatment Soil Land Nonrenewable minerals (iron, sand) Food production Soil renewal Natural gas Nutrient recycling Oil Nonrenewable energy (fossil fuels) Coal seam Natural resources Ecosystem services Fig. 1-3, p. 7

11. Environmentally Sustainable Societies • … meets basic needs of ALL its people • …. in a just and equitable manner • …..does not degrade the natural capital that supplies these resources • ….does not compromise future generations ability to survive and thrive • …..achieved by two main things; reduce population size and reduce resource consumption Figure 1-4

12. HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH

13. That’s a lot of people!!!!!

14. Developed vs. Developing countries

25. U.S. Japan Canada Australia New Zealand Western Europe The US, Germany,and Japan account for more than ½ of the worlds economic output (1.2 billion people) African countries Asian countries Latin American countries China, India, and Mexico (middle income) 5.4 billion people 97% of world’s pop. growth expected to take place in developing countries Developed vs. Developing

26. Global Outlook • Comparison of developed and developing countries. Figures 1-5 and 1-6

27. Economic growth What does this ship almost going over the edge symbolize????

28. RESOURCES • Perpetual: On a human time scale are continuous. (Solar power!) • Renewable:On a human time scale can be replenished rapidly (e.g. hours to several decades; forests, fresh air, clean water, fertile soil). • Nonrenewable: On a human time scale are in fixed supply. (oil, coal, natural gas, minerals etc) Play renewable non renewable here

30. Nonrenewable Resources Figure 1-8

32. Explain this tragedy of the commons

34. With all this resource use comes………POLLUTION • Chemicals found at high enough levels in the environment to cause harm to organisms. • Point source-single identifiable source (Ex. Smokestack of a coal burning power plant) • Nonpoint source-Larger, dispersed and difficult to identify source (Ex. Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farmland) Figure 1-9

35. Point or nonpoint?????? POINT

36. Point or nonpoint?????? POINT

37. Point or nonpoint?????? nonpoint

38. nonpoint Point or nonpoint??????

39. Pollution • Pollutants can have three types of unwanted effects: • Can disrupt / degrade life-support systems. • Can damage health and property. • Can create nuisances such as noise and unpleasant smells, tastes, and sights.

40. Two basic solutions for pollution are; Prevention and cleanup -reduces or eliminates pollutant • Problems with relying on cleanup: • Pollutants at harmful levels can cost too much to reduce them to acceptable levels • Temporary bandage without improvements in control technology. • Often removes a pollutant from one part of the environment to cause problems in another.

44. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: CAUSES AND CONNECTIONS • The major causes of environmental problems are: • Population growth • Wasteful resource use • Poverty • Poor environmental accounting • Ecological ignorance (trying to manage nature with too little knowledge about how it works. ex. Draining the Everglades)

45. Unsustainable resource use