Important Environmental Issues Earthrise Apollo 8 – Christmas Eve 1968

1. Exponential population growth Growth is exponential b/c . . . . - increased food supplies - better healthcare & sanitation Doubling time  # of years it takes a population to double * Rule of 70  70 = doubling time % growth rate

* Most population growth occurs in developing countries 2. Poverty Over 2.1 billion humans survive on less than $3.10 a day. * Per capita GNI  avg income per person - low income under $1025 - middle income $1026-12475 - high income over $12476 developing countries developed countries * Most population growth occurs in developing countries

Percentage of population living on less than $2 a day.

3. Global climate change * Shifts weather patterns * Alters water supplies * Shifts where crops can be grown

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/climate-change-global-processes-and-effects

4. Increasing resource use anything obtained from the environment to meet human needs & wants * Renewable  forests, animals, H2O & soil BUT can be depleted or degraded if used faster than nature’s replacement rate  Environmental degradation (often caused by TOTC)

* Nonrenewable  fixed quantity on Earth when considering the time it would take to replace ex. fossil fuels Ecological Footprint  amount of resources that a person, city or country uses

5. Pollution  any addition to air, H2O, soil or food that threatens healthy survival /activity of humans or other organisms Can be . . . . 1. natural ex. volcanoes

2. Anthropogenic  caused by humans * Nonpoint – difficult to identify source * Point – easy to identify one source

Premature extinction of plants & animals  results mostly from expanding resource use Quagga 8/12/1883 Dodo mid-late 17th century Pyrenean Ibex 1/6/00 Passenger Pigeon 9/1/14