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

"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”

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

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

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

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

Sustainability!

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

Natural capital- not fixed, has changed over time (global A Path to Sustainability Natural Capital 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. Figure 1.3 A path to sustainability: five subthemes are used throughout this book to illustrate how we can make the transition to more environmentally sustainable or durable societies and economies, based on sound science—concepts widely accepted by natural and social scientists in various fields. Fig. 1-3, p. 8

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) Water Population control Water purification Pest control Waste treatment Figure 1.3 Natural capital consists of natural resources (blue) and natural or ecosystem services (orange) that support and sustain the earth’s life and human economies (Concept 1-1A). Nonrenewable minerals (iron, sand) Soil Land Soil renewal Food production Natural gas Nutrient recycling Oil Nonrenewable energy (fossil fuels) Coal seam Natural resources Ecosystem services Fig. 1-3, p. 7

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

HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH

That’s a lot of people!!!!!

Developed vs. Developing countries

Developed vs. Developing 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

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

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

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

Nonrenewable Resources Figure 1-8

Explain this tragedy of the commons

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

Point or nonpoint?????? POINT

Point or nonpoint?????? POINT

Point or nonpoint?????? nonpoint

nonpoint Point or nonpoint??????

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.

Prevention and cleanup 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.

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)

Unsustainable resource use

Developing countries lack infrastructure

Poverty and pollution

Poverty and deforestation

The cost of bringing people out of poverty----industrialization

Environmental accounting

Man dominating nature

Diverse grassland

monoculture

Ecological Footprint-amount of land and ocean area required to supply resource use and absorb waste. (measured in hectares) 3 things that have the greatest impact on footprint are; -agriculture -transportation -heating and cooling buildings

Cultural Changes Can Grow or Shrink Our Ecological Footprints Humans were hunters and gatherers 12,000 years ago Three major cultural events Agricultural revolution Industrial-medical revolution Information-globalization revolution Current need for a sustainability revolution

Affluence Has Harmful and Beneficial Environmental Effects Harmful environmental impact due to: High levels of consumption High levels of pollution Unnecessary waste of resources Affluence can provide funding for developing technologies to reduce: Pollution Environmental degradation Resource waste

A More Sustainable Future is Possible Overall attitude that combines environmental wisdom with compassion for all life Social scientists suggest it only takes 5-10% of the population to bring about major social change Significant social change can occur more quickly than we often think

Three Big Ideas A more sustainable future will require that we: Rely more on energy from the sun and other renewable energy sources Protect biodiversity through the preservation of natural capital Avoid disrupting the earth’s vitally important chemical cycles

A major goal for becoming more sustainable is full-cost pricing—the inclusion of harmful environmental and health costs in the market prices of goods and services

Tying It All Together The key to environmental solutions Apply the principles of sustainability to the design of our economic and social systems, and individual lifestyles The 21st century’s transition generation will decide the path which humanity takes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-0luL6nCws

Review part one 1. In a perfect world, what would be the three components of a sustainable society? 2. What would be the two main ways we humans could reduce our global impact on the Earth to achieve a sustainable global planet? 3. What does “poor environmental accounting” refer to? 4. What is a monoculture and how does it impact the earth’s natural systems? 5. How does poverty lead to environmental degradation? 6. How does wealth lead to environmental degradation?

Review Questions part 2 1. Name three traits of developing countries 2. Name three traits of developed countries 3. Name three nonrenewable resources 4. Name three renewable resources 5. Describe one example of tragedy of the commons 6. What is the “external cost of pollution” ? 7. What is passive solar heating? 8. Name two strategies for green building.

Review con’t 9. What are two environmental problems caused by suburban sprawl? 10. Name two benefits to the environment of compact urban living 11. Describe three ways the people in developing countries contribute to environmental degradation 12. Two reasons why poverty leads to overpopulation

Review Continue 13. Describe two reasons why it is more environmentally efficient for people to have more vegetable based diets as opposed to more meat based diets? 14. In what areas of the world is the human population expected to increase the most over the next 20 years? 15. Describe two benefits to eating seasonally and locally. 16. Measure of economic growth? 17. Name one example of nonpoint pollution 18. Earth is a ________system for matter, and an _________ system for energy

review 19. Give an example of how humans try to simplify nature without really knowing the long-term consequences. 20. What prompted the beginning of the industrial revolution? 21. Describe the second law of thermodynamics.