The Environmental Problems we Face

Sustainability The ability of the earth to survive and adapt to change forever

Natural Capital The resources and services that sustain all life and economies Natural capital = natural resources + natural services

Natural Resources Air Water Soil Land Life Renewable energy sun Wind water Nonrenewable Energy fossil fuels Nuclear power Nonrenewable Minerals iron sand soil

Natural Services – things nature does for us Air purification Water purification Water storage Soil renewal Nutrient recycling Food production Conservation of biodiversity Wildlife habitat Grassland and forest renewal Waste treatment Climate control Population control Pest control

How does this impact us? In life you will get a job and earn a salary You shouldn’t spend more than you earn If you do you go into debt and suddenly it becomes much harder to make ends meet It would have been better to save BEFORE debt In nature we take resources as we need them We shouldn’t use more than is necessary If we use more than we need we can’t replenish them and must struggle to maintain our lifestyle It would have been better to manage our resources when we still had them

Problem 1 - Human Population

Problem 1 – Population Growth

More people? So what?

Answer: Food Water Shelter “Stuff”

Problem 2 - Economic Growth Economies around the world are growing It used to be America, Canada, and Europe that lead the charge Now we have growing markets in: South Korea China India

That is good right? More jobs worldwide! It is good, in a sense More jobs More income Less third world living situations What about the environment?

Problem 3 – Renewable Resources Perpetual resource – things that we can’t run out of in our lifetimes Examples – solar energy, wind Renewable resource – things that CAN be replenished fairly rapidly naturally. Can’t be used up faster than we use them! Sustainable yield – the highest rate at which a resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply Environmental degradation – once yield isn’t sustainable the environment is harmed Examples – deforestation, removal of top soil, urbanization

Strip Mining

Problem 4 – Nonrenewable resources These either are impossible to replenish or take far longer than humans can wait examples – fuel sources Minerals – salt, clay, phosphates Metals – iron, copper, aluminum

Problem 5 - Pollution Point sources Easy to identify Come from a single identifiable source Examples – smokestacks, factories Non-point sources Hard to identify Come from large hard to locate sources Pesticides, fertilizer runoff, oil dumbing

Sulfur Bog

Smog

Solutions? P….. C…. Front of the pipe and end of the pipe

Problem 6 - Affluence The feeling that buying things makes us happy Leads to: Overconsumption Waste Misuse of resources

Problem 7 – Health Care We have the best health care system in the world! Yay! People are living longer and surviving things that would have killed them 20 years ago! Wait. Why is this a problem?

Problem 7 – Health Care Overpopulation Huge waste of power and mineral resources to sometimes only extend death, not prolong life

Population growth – How do you slow ethically? Economic growth – How can you decide who gets what resources? Renewable Resources – How do you force people to slow consumption to maintain sustainable yield? Nonrenewables – How do you decide to use what limited quantities remain? Pollution – cleanup is expensive. Who pays for it in a tough economy? Affluence – How do shift a consumer mindset? What about all the millions of jobs it would cause to be lost? Health care – How do you decide who lives and dies?