Environmental Science Ch1 Sec 2 The Environment and Society Mr. I

Learning Objectives Describe “The Tragedy of the Commons”. Explain the law of supply and demand. List three differences between developed and developing countries. Explain what sustainability is, and describe why it is a goal of environmental science.

The Environment and Society Society plays a big role in identifying and solving environmental problems A good way to think about society and the environment is how do we use common resources

“The Tragedy of the Commons” In his essay (1968), ecologist Garrett Hardin argued that the main difficulty in solving environmental problems is the conflict between the short-term interests of the individual and the long-term welfare of society. Ex… the‘commons’ = land that belonged to the whole village

“The Tragedy of the Commons” Individuals wanted to put as many animals in the commons as possible. However, if too many animals grazed on the commons, they destroyed the grass. Once the grass was destroyed, everyone suffered because no one could raise animals on the commons. What is the lesson learned? – Someone must be given the responsibility of maintaining resources, or else they will be overused.

Long Term vs Short Term Hardin’s point can be applied to modern times: Humans live in societies, and in societies, we can solve environmental problems by planning, organizing, considering the scientific evidence, and proposing a solution. The solution may be to override the short-term interests of the individual and improve the environment for everyone in the long run.

Economics and the Environment Social Pressures and economics are the driving force behind how resources are used. Economic Considerations in Environmental Science : Supply and Demand – Greater supply = Lower value, Lower Supply = Greater value Cost and Benefits – Compare the benefits to the costs of an action. Risk Assessment – How dangerous and what are the total possible negative effects.

Oil Production

Developed vs Developing Counties Wealth is not spread equally in the world. There are basically two different types of counties : Developed – Higher average incomes, diverse industrial and service based economies, slow population growth, and stronger social support mechanisms. Ex… U.S.A, U.K, France, Germany Developing - Lower average incomes, simple manufacturing and agriculture based economies, and rapid population growth. Ex… Zimbabwe, Mexico, Brazil, etc…

Population and Consumption There are two root causes of all environmental problems : Local Population Pressures – too many people, not enough resources to support them in a given area. Consumption and Polluting natural resources faster then they can be cleaned up or replaced.

Who Are The Worst consumers?? Developed nations use 75% of the worlds resources! Why? – Life is better, more money and therefore consume more because they can This high rate of consumption causes highest rates of pollution and waste per a person

Ecological Footprints An Ecological Footprint is show the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country. Estimates the land used: - land used for crops, - grazing, - forests products, - housing, - energy production - ocean area - forest

Critical Thinking and the Environment People on either side on an environmental issue may feel passionately about their cause and can distort information to mislead people about the issue. Research done by scientists is often used to make a political point or is misinterpreted to support controversial data.

Critical Thinking and the Environment Also, the economic dimension of an environmental issue may be oversimplified. And to complicate matters still, the media often sensationalizes environmental issues. For these reasons and others you must use your critical thinking skills when making decisions about environmental issues.

Critical Thinking First, be prepared to listen to many viewpoints over a particular issue. Second, investigate the source of the information you encounter. Third, gather all the information you can before drawing a conclusion.

Sustainability - human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely. This is the main goal of environmental science.

A Sustainable World . . . . is not unchanging as technological advances and human civilizations continue to be productive. However, our current world is not sustainable as the developed countries are using resources faster than they can be replaced. Achieving a sustainable world requires everyone’s participation including individual citizens, industry, and the government.