Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1 Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability

What is Environmental Science? The study of connections in nature How the earth works Our interaction with the earth The methods/procedures we use to deal with environmental problems With a goal of attaining a sustainable society Considers everything that affects a living organism

Environmental Science Is a Study of Connections in Nature 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

What is Environmental Science? Ecology studies relationships between living organisms and their environment. Environmentalism is a social movement dedicated to protecting life support systems for all species.

What is an environmentally sustainable society? The human population is growing exponentially, consuming vast amounts of resources It is uncertain how many people the earth can sustain, particularly in light of the pollution they create

Sustainability Has Certain Key Components Natural capital—natural resources and services that keep us and other species alive as well as serving human economics Natural resources: useful materials and energy in nature such as sun, air, plants, and coal Natural/ecosystem services: important nature processes such as renewal of air, water, and soil Recognizing natural capital degradation linked to human activities—when human activities use renewable resources unsustainably.

Sustainability Has Certain Key Components Coming up with solutions—are sought to address degradation of natural resources. Trade-offs—or compromises are made to resolve conflicts. Realizing individuals matter—to search for solutions to environmental problems.

1-1: What Are Some Principles of Sustainability? Nature has sustained itself for billions of years by using solar energy, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling Our lives and economies depend on energy from the sun and on natural resources and natural services (natural capital) provided by the earth

1-1: What Are Some Principles of Sustainability? Shift toward living more sustainably by: Applying full-cost pricing, searching for win- win solutions Committing to preserving the earth’s life- support system for future generations

Three Scientific Principles of Sustainability 1.Dependence on solar energy The sun provides warmth and fuels photosynthesis 2.Biodiversity Astounding variety and adaptability of natural systems and species 3. Chemical cycling From the environment to organisms and then back to the environment

Solar Energy Chemical Cycling Biodiversity Three Principles of Sustainability Solar Energy Figure 1.2 Three scientific principles of sustainability based on how nature has sustained a huge variety of life on the earth for 3.5 billion years, despite drastic changes in environmental conditions Chemical Cycling Biodiversity 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

Other Principles of Sustainability Come from the Social Sciences Full-cost pricing (from economics) Include harmful health and environmental costs into the costs of goods and services Example? Win-win solutions (from poli sci) Both people and the environment benefit 3.A responsibility to future generations (from ethics) Accept responsibility to protect our planet

Principles of Sustainability ECONOMICS Full-cost pricing POLITICS Win-win results Responsibility to future generations ETHICS Figure 1.5 Three social science principles of sustainability can help us make a transition to a more environmentally and economically sustainable future.

Some Resources Are Renewable and Some Are Not Anything we obtain from the environment to meet our needs Some directly available for use: sunlight Some not directly available for use: petroleum

Some Resources Are Renewable and Some Are Not (cont’d.) Inexhaustible resource Solar energy Renewable resource Several days to several hundred years to renew Examples: forests, grasslands, and fertile soil Highest rate at which we can use a renewable resource without reducing available supply is called the sustainable yield 16

Some Resources Are Renewable and Some Are Not (cont’d.) Nonrenewable resources Exist in fixed quantity or stock in the earth’s crust. The resource is economically depleted when it costs too much to obtain what is left. Energy resources oil, coal, natural gas Metallic mineral resources lead, zinc, gold, iron, silver, copper, alluminum Nonmetallic mineral resources Silicon, phosphorous, sulfur (salt, clay, sand)

Countries Differ in their Resource Use and Environmental Impact More-developed countries (MDC) Industrialized nations with high average income; US, Canada, Japan, Australia, most of Europe 17% of the world’s population Less-developed countries (LDC) 83% of the world’s population Africa, Asia, and Latin America

The Tragedy of the Commons: Degrading Commonly Shared Renewable Resources Types of resources: 1.Open access renewable resources 2. Shared resources Tragedy of the commons Common property and open-access renewable resources are degraded from overuse Solutions? 1. use resources within sustainable yield 2. privatize ownership of shared resources

Solutions for an economically depleted resource Try to find more of the resource. Recycle the resource. Waste less Use less 3 R’s

What is our impact on the environment? Ecological footprint The per capita ecological footprint is the biologically productive land and water needed to supply renewable resources and absorb waste for each individual. individual (per capita), national, and global Ecological deficiet Humanity’s ecological footprint exceeds by about 39% the earth’s ecological capacity (or biocapacity) to replenish its renewable resources and absorb the resulting waste products and pollution.

Natural Capital Use and Degradation Figure 1-11: Natural capital use and degradation. These graphs show the total and per capita ecological footprints of selected countries.

1-2: How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth? As our ecological footprints grow, we are depleting and degrading more of the earth’s natural capital

We Are Living Unsustainably Environmental degradation: We are wasting, depleting, and degrading the earth’s natural capital Happening at an accelerating rate

Natural Capital Degradation Degradation of Normally Renewable Natural Resources Shrinking forests Climate change Decreased wildlife habitats Air pollution Species extinction Soil erosion Water pollution Figure 1.7 Natural capital degradation: Examples of the degradation of normally renewable natural resources and natural services (Figure 1-3) in parts of the world, mostly as a result of growing populations and rising rates of resource use per person. Declining ocean fisheries Aquifer depletion Fig. 1-7, p. 11

IPAT is Another Environmental Impact Model I = P x A x T I = Environmental impact P = Population A = Affluence T = Technology Which factor do you believe most greatly influences environmental impact in a MDC? LDC?

IPAT Less-Developed Countries Consumption per person (affluence, A) Technological impact per unit of consumption (T) Environmental impact of population (I) Population (P) X X = Figure 1.14 This simple model demonstrates how three factors—population size, affluence (resource use per person), and technology—help to determine the environmental impacts of populations in lessdeveloped countries (top) and more-developed countries (bottom). Red arrows show generalized harmful impacts and green arrows show generalized beneficial impacts. More-Developed Countries Figure 1.14 This simple model demonstrates how three factors—population size, affluence (resource use per person), and technology—help to determine the environmental impacts of populations in less developed countries (top) and more-developed countries (bottom). Red arrows show generalized harmful impacts and green arrows show generalized beneficial impacts.

Case Study: China’s Growing Number of Affluent Consumers The number of affluent consumers will soon double, as people in underdeveloped countries attain a middleclass lifestyle. China is already a leading consumer of many resources, and its economy and population are continuing to grow at a rapid rate. Thus, its ecological footprint and overall level of resource consumption are expected to continue to grow.

Case Study: China’s Growing Number of Affluent Consumers World’s largest population Second largest economy Two-thirds of the most polluted cities are in China Projections for next decade Largest consumer and producer of cars

Cultural Changes Can Grow or Shrink Our Ecological Footprints Humans were hunters and gatherers 12,000 years ago Three major cultural events 1.Agricultural/Green revolution (~10,000-12,000 years ago) 2.Industrial-medical revolution (~275 years ago) 3.Information-globalization revolution (~50 years ago) Current need for a sustainability revolution

What is pollution? Pollutants are chemicals at high enough levels in the environment to harm people or other living organisms. Pollutants may enter the environment naturally (e.g., volcanic eruptions) or through human activities.

Pollution Comes from a Number of Sources Sources of pollution Point sources Single, identifiable source Nonpoint sources Disbursed and difficult to identify

Point-Source Air Pollution Figure 1-8: Point-source air pollution from smokestacks in a coal burning industrial plant. Fig. 1-8, p. 11

Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Figure 1-9: The trash in this river came from a large area of land and is an example of nonpoint water pollution. Fig. 1-9, p. 11

Effects of pollution Three unwanted effects of pollutants are: They can disrupt or degrade life-support systems of any organism. They damage human health, wildlife, and property They can produce nuisances in the form of noise, smells, tastes, and sights

What can we do about pollution? We use two basic approaches to deal with pollution. Pollution prevention/input pollution control reduces or eliminates production of pollutants. Pollution cleanup/output pollution control cleans up or dilutes pollutants after they have been produced. Problems with pollution clean up include: Temporary bandage without long-term pollution control technology, like the catalytic converter. Pollutant is removed but causes pollution in another place: burning garbage/burying it. Expensive to reduce pollution to an acceptable level. Prevention is less expensive. Pollution prevention: Efforts on reducing or eliminating production of pollutants Pollution cleanup Involves cleaning up or diluting pollutants after we have produced them

1-3: Why Do We Have Environmental Problems? Major causes of environmental problems Population growth, unsustainable resource use, poverty, avoidance of full-cost pricing, and increasing isolation from nature Our environmental worldviews play a key role in determining whether we live unsustainably or more sustainably

Experts Have Identified Several Causes of Environmental Problems Population growth Wasteful and unsustainable resource use/Affluence Poverty Failure to include the harmful environmental costs of goods and services in market prices (poor environmental accounting) Increasing isolation from nature (ecological ignorance)

Causes of Environmental Problems Excluding environmental costs from market prices Increasing isolation from nature Population growth Unsustainable resource use Poverty Figure 1-15: Environmental and social scientists have identified four basic causes of the environmental problems we face (Concept 1-3). Question: For each of these causes, what are two environmental problems that result? Fig. 1-15, p. 16

1. The Human Population is Growing at a Rapid Rate Exponential growth Population increases at a fixed percentage per unit time No one knows how many people the earth can support indefinitely

Industrial revolution Exponential Growth of Human Population ? Billions of people Industrial revolution Figure 1.16 Exponential growth: The J-shaped Industrial revolution Black Death—the Plague curve represents past exponential world population growth, with projections to 2100 showing possible population stabilization as the J-shaped curve of growth changes to an S-shaped curve. (This figure is not to scale.) Black Death—the Plague Time Hunting and gathering Agricultural revolution Industrial revolution Fig. 1-16, p. 17

2. Affluence Has Harmful and Beneficial Environmental Effects Affluence is the addiction to over- consumption of material goods. Symptoms: high debt level, declining health, increased stress, more bankruptcies. Solutions: admit the problem, shop less, avoid malls and other shopping addicts. Toynbee’s law of progressive simplification: transfer energy and attention to the nonmaterial side of life.

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

Affluence of developed countries can lead to environmental improvements Money is available for technological improvements. Since 1970, air and water are cleaner than previously. Money was spent on environmental improvements.

3. Poverty Has Harmful Environmental and Health Effects Unable to fulfill basic needs Adequate food, water, shelter, health care, and education 900 million people live in extreme poverty (< $1.25 a day) 2.6 billion live on < $2.25 a day. Working to survive; degrade forests, topsoil, grasslands, fisheries, and wildlife

4.Prices of Goods and Services Do Not Include the Harmful Environmental Costs Companies do not pay the environmental cost of resource use Goods and services do not include the harmful environmental costs Companies receive tax breaks and subsidies ***Gas should be $12/gallon. Would you be willing to pay the full cost?

5.We are Increasingly Isolated from Nature Increasing populations in urban areas Nature deficit disorder Not having enough contact with nature

People Have Different Views on Environmental Problems/Solutions Environmental ethics: What is right and wrong with how we treat the environment? Environmental worldviews and ethics determine the way people view the seriousness of environmental problems. Planetary management worldview We are separate from and in charge of nature Exist to meet our needs

People Have Different Views on Environmental Problems/Solutions Stewardship worldview Manage earth for our benefit with ethical responsibility to be stewards Environmental wisdom worldview We are part of nature and must engage in sustainable use Nature exists for all species equally

Case Study: Chattanooga is an example of what can be accomplished when cities build their social capital. Chattanooga, Tennessee, was once one of the most polluted cities in the United States. In the mid-1980s civic leaders gathered together community members to identify problems and brainstorm solutions. After years of encouraging zero-emission industries, implementing recycling programs, and renovating much of the city.

1-4: What Is an Environmentally Sustainable Society? Living sustainably Live off the earth’s natural income without depleting or degrading the natural capital that supplies it

Environmentally Sustainable Societies Environmentally sustainable society Ultimate goal Meets current needs in a just and equitable manner without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their needs Living on natural income, the renewable resources and not depleting natural capital Overall attitude that combines environmental wisdom with compassion for all life

A More Sustainable Future is Possible 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

How can environmentally sustainable societies grow economically? Economic growth provides people with the goods and services needed. Gross domestic product (GDP) is the market value for goods and services produced within the country. Standard of living is the GDP divided by total population at midyear. Economic development is improving living standards through growth

How can environmentally sustainable societies grow economically? Most developed countries have high industrialization and high per capita income. Developing countries have moderate to low income. Economic developments reflect good and bad economic news. Poverty produces harmful environmental effects.

How can environmentally sustainable societies grow economically? Developed countries enjoy a higher standard of living. Longer life expectancy Decrease in infant mortality Environmentally sustainable development rewards sustainable activities and discourages harmful activities.

Core Case Study: A Vision of a More Sustainable World in 2065 A transition in human attitudes toward the environment, and a shift in behavior, can lead to a much better future for the planet in 2065. Everything you do, or do not do, will play a role in our collective choice of which path we will take. One of the goals of this class is to provide a realistic environmental vision of the future that, instead of immobilizing you with fear, gloom, and doom, will energize you by inspiring realistic hope.

Core Case Study: A Vision of a More Sustainable World in 2065 A transition in human attitudes toward the environment, and a shift in behavior, can lead to a much better future for the planet in 2065. Scientific evidence indicates that we have perhaps 40 years and no more than 90 years to make such crucial cultural changes. If this is correct, sometime during this century we could come to a critical fork in the road, at which point we will choose a path toward sustainability or continue on our current unsustainable course.