Understanding Human Impact on the Environment: A Path to Sustainability

1. Chapter 1 Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability

2. Human Impacts on the Environment • Increasing Human Numbers

3. Human Impacts on the Environment • Most populous countries: • 1) China 1,374,853,000 • 2) India 1,155,011,000 • 3) United States 309,163,000 • 4) Indonesia 258,825,000 • 5) Brazil 195,580,000 Source: US Census Bureau, Global Population Profile: 2002

4. Human Impacts on the Environment

5. Human Impacts on the Environment Leads to . . . • Poverty : • per capita income of less than $1 a day • 1.2 billion worldwide currently live at this level Inadequate health care Unsanitary water Poor nutrition Lower life expectancy

6. Population, Resources, and the Environment • The contrast between less developed and highly developed countries is great:

7. Population, Resources, and the Environment Renewable, but only when managed in a sustainable way • Types of resources:

8. Population, Resources, and the Environment Resource Consumption: • because of our greater consumption rates, 1 US child has the environmental impact of 12+ children in less developed countries.

9. Population, Resources, and the Environment • People Overpopulation: • when excess # of people cause environmental damage. • Consumption Overpopulation: • when people consume enormous amounts of natural resources.

10. Population, Resources, and the Environment • Ecological footprint

11. Population, Resources, and the Environment Environmental Impact Affluence per person I = P A T Environmental effect of technologies Number of people • IPAT Model

12. Environmental Sustainability • Sustainability: • stewardship of natural resources leading to their perpetual availability for successive generations. (The Lorax)

13. Environmental Sustainability • Sustainability and the Tragedy of the Commons • Commons = a resource available to all and owned by none. Garrett Hardin

14. Environmental Science • Interdisciplinary study of the interconnected problems associated with the environment. • Heavily leans upon ecology.

15. Environmental Science Hypothesis development Experimentation Analysis NO YES Other scientists New knowledge Share knowledge • The Process of Science Problem recognition or question Make predictions Hypothesis supported?

16. Environmental Science Controls and Variables in Experimental Design Variable: • factors influencing processes being examined. • hypothesis examines ONE variable, holding others constant. • This is the experimental group. • Control group : • examined variable is left unaltered

17. Environmental Science • Hypothesis: Burning will increase frequency of prairie wildflowers. Which is the control group?

18. Environmental Science • How does the view of a theory differ between scientists and the public?

19. Environmental Science • Inductive and Deductive Reasoning • Inductive examines a series of facts for commonalities that can be concluded. • Example: • Fact: an ant has six legs • Fact: a wasp has six legs • Fact: a beetle has six legs • Conclusion: all insects have six legs

20. Environmental Science • Deductive examines for relationships among data moving from generalities to specifics. • Example: • General rule: all insects have six legs • Specific example: a grasshopper is an insect • Therefore: a grasshopper has six legs

21. Addressing Environmental Problems Risk Analysis Public education and involvement Political action Evaluation Scientific Assessment

22. Addressing Environmental Problems • Case in Point: Lake Washington • Scientific assessment • Public education and involvement • Political action

23. Addressing Environmental Problems • Case in Point: Lake Washington Evaluation

24. Addressing Environmental Problems • Case in Point: Lake Washington Evaluation