Unit 1 Powerpoint Chapters 1 & 2 What do you think. What is Capital… Unit 1 Powerpoint Chapters 1 & 2 What do you think? What is Capital…. Solar Capital, Social Capital, Earth Capital?

Capital I think of capital as …Value….. Social Capital… When you think about yourself… How good is you word?

Solar Capital and Earth Capital Energy from the sun Provides 99% of the energy used on earth Earth Capital Life-support and Economic Services Environment Planet’s air, water, soil, wildlife, minerals, natural purification, recycling, pest control,…

Introduction Environment Ecology Environmental Science External conditions that affect living organisms Ecology Study of relationships between living organisms and their environment Environmental Science how nature works. how the environment effects us. how we effect the environment. how we can live more sustainably without degrading our life-support system.

Which would you vote on… Public or Private control of Natural Resources? Think Back… The New Oil…Public or Private and why? Fishing Game…Common lands… Public or Private…Why? What is the difference? Consider location… Bolivia, US…. How are they different?

Life without water!

Carrying Capacity Lets go fishing… Your pond could only support 40 fish…Explain What would happen if you put too many fish? The maximum number of organisms of a local, regional, or global environment can support over a specified period Variables Location Time Short term ~ seasonal changes Long-term ~global changes in factors such as climate Technology K.. Carrying Capacity is NOT STATIC… Explain…..

Sustainability Here is the Deal… The ability of a specified system to survive and function over time $1,000,000 10% interest Live on up to $100,000 per year Examples: Sustainable earth, resource harvest, and society Here is the Deal… Can your way of life support your children’s, children’s children????? That is sustainability!

Sustainable Development Assumes the right to use the earth’s resources and earth capital to meet needs It is our obligation to create sustainability Environmentally sustainable societies meets basic needs of its people in a just and equitable manner without degrading the natural capital that supplies these resources.

Potentially Renewable Resources Renewable Non-Renewable Potentially Renewable Direct solar energy Fossil fuels Fresh air Winds, tides, flowing water Metallic minerals (iron, copper, aluminum) Fresh water Nonmetallic minerals (clay, sand, phosphates) Fertile soil Plants and animals (biodiversity)

Biodiversity Genetic Diversity Species Diversity Ecological Diversity Variety in a genetic makeup among individuals within a single species Species Diversity Variety among the species or distinct types of living organisms found in different habitats of the planet Ecological Diversity Variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, streams, lakes, oceans, wetlands, and other communities

Environmental Degradation Common Property Resources Tragedy of the Commons Resources owned by none, but available to all users free of charge May convert potentially renewable resources into nonrenewable resources

Natural capital degradation The exponential increasing flow of material resources through the world’s economic systems depletes, degrades and pollutes the environment. Figure 1-11

Nonrenewable Resources Nonrenewable/Exhaustible Resources Exist in a fixed quantity in the earth’s crust and can be used up Mineral Any hard, usually crystalline material that is formed naturally Reserves Known deposits from which a usable mineral can be profitably extracted at current prices

Nonrenewable Resources Recycling Collecting and reprocessing a resource into new products Reuse Using a resource over and over in the same form

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: CAUSES AND CONNECTIONS The major causes of environmental problems are: Population growth Wasteful resource use Poverty Poor environmental accounting Ecological ignorance

Poverty and Environmental Problems 1 of 3 children under 5, suffer from severe malnutrition. Figure 1-12 and 1-13

Our Ecological Footprint Humanity’s ecological footprint has exceeded earths ecological capacity. Figure 1-7

Pollution Any addition to air, water, soil, or food that threatens the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms Solid, liquid, or gaseous by-products or wastes

Point Source Pollutants From a single, identifiable sources Smokestack of a power plant Drainpipe of a meat-packing plant Exhaust pipe of an automobile

Nonpoint Source Pollutants Dispersed and often difficult to identify sources Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides Storm Drains (#1 source of oil spills in oceans)

Negativity of Pollutant Chemical Nature How active and harmful it is to living organisms Concentration Amount per unit volume or weight of air, water, soil or body weight Persistence Time it stays in the air, water, soil or body

Types of Pollutants Factors that determine the severity of a pollutant’s effects: chemical nature, concentration, and persistence. Pollutants are classified based on their persistence: Degradable pollutants Biodegradable pollutants Slowly degradable pollutants Nondegradable pollutants

Water Pollution Sediment Nutrient overload Toxic chemicals Infectious agents Oxygen depletion Pesticides Oil spills Excess heat

Air Pollution Global climate change Stratospheric ozone depletion Urban air pollution Acid deposition Outdoor pollutants Indoor pollutants Noise

Solution: Pollution cleanup Output Pollution Cleanup Involves cleaning up pollutants after they have been produced Most expensive and time consuming

Solutions: Pollution Prevention Input Pollution Control or Throughput Solution Slows or eliminates the production of pollutants, often by switching to less harmful chemicals or processes Four R’s Reduce, reuse, refuse, recycle