Environmental Issues, Their Causes, and Sustainability G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 13 th Edition Chapter 1 G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 13 th Edition Chapter 1 Dr. Richard Clements Chattanooga State Technical Community College Dr. Richard Clements Chattanooga State Technical Community College

Key Concepts  Growth and Sustainability  Resources and Resource Use  Pollution  Causes of Environmental Problems

Living More Sustainably  Ecology (Biologists)  Ecology (Biologists)  Environmental Science (Natural and social scientists study the earth, our interactions with it, and how to deal with problems.  Environmental Science (Natural and social scientists study the earth, our interactions with it, and how to deal with problems.  Sustainable Society 1.Living off interest vs. capital 2.Carrying capacity  Sustainable Society 1.Living off interest vs. capital 2.Carrying capacity

Population Growth  Exponential Growth  Doubling Time/ Rule of 70 Fig. 1-2 p. 4

Fig. 1-1 p. 2 World Population

Economic Growth  Gross National Product (GNP) (Our Total)  Gross National Product (GNP) (Our Total)  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Our Inside Part)  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Our Inside Part)  Gross World Product (GWP) (World Total)  Gross World Product (GWP) (World Total)  Per Capita GNP (Average)  Per Capita GNP (Average)

Economic Development  Developed Countries (US, Canada, Japan, Australia, NZ, Europe)  Developed Countries (US, Canada, Japan, Australia, NZ, Europe)  Developing Countries  Positive Aspects (Life expectancy doubled, food production outpaces population growth, SDW increase, more goods/less materials, pollution decline in developed countries)  Positive Aspects (Life expectancy doubled, food production outpaces population growth, SDW increase, more goods/less materials, pollution decline in developed countries)  Negative Aspects (Life expectancy and pollution control lag in developing countries, unsustainable natural resource use, population competing with wildlife habitats, self-inflict climate changes)  Negative Aspects (Life expectancy and pollution control lag in developing countries, unsustainable natural resource use, population competing with wildlife habitats, self-inflict climate changes)

Globalization Economic (Trade) Economic (Trade) Information and Communication (Internet) Information and Communication (Internet) Environmental Effects (Transport of species/disease) Environmental Effects (Transport of species/disease)

Resources  Perpetual  Renewable  Non-renewable Fig. 1-6 p. 9

Renewable Resources  Sustainable Yield  Environmental Degradation (exceeding sustainable yield)  Environmental Degradation (exceeding sustainable yield)  Tragedy of the Commons

Non-Renewable Resources  Energy Resources  Metallic Resources  Non-Metallic Resources  Reuse  Recycle Economic Depletion Fig. 1-7 p. 10

Ecological Footprint Fig. 1-8 p. 10

Pollution  What is pollution? (Anthropogenic vs. natural)  What is pollution? (Anthropogenic vs. natural)  Effects of Pollution Sources  Point  Nonpoint

Dealing With Pollution  Prevention (Input Control)  Cleanup (Output Control)

Environmental and Resource Problems  Major Problems ( See Fig. 1-9 p. 12 )  Five Root Causes Fig p. 12

Environmental Impact Fig p. 13

Environmental Interactions Fig p. 14

Environmental Worldviews  Planetary Management 1.We’re in charge, 2.There’s always more, 3.All economic growth is good, 4.Success depends on understanding, controlling, and managing the earth for our benefit.  Planetary Management 1.We’re in charge, 2.There’s always more, 3.All economic growth is good, 4.Success depends on understanding, controlling, and managing the earth for our benefit.  Environmental Wisdom 1.Nature’s in charge, 2.Some things are limited, 3.Technology and economic growth can be bad, 4.Success depends on learning how the earth adapts and integrating how nature acts in to how we act.  Environmental Wisdom 1.Nature’s in charge, 2.Some things are limited, 3.Technology and economic growth can be bad, 4.Success depends on learning how the earth adapts and integrating how nature acts in to how we act.

Environmentally-Sustainable Economic Development Fig p. 17 Decision making in a sustainable society Decision making in a sustainable society SocialEconomic Environmental Sustainable Solutions Traditional decision making Traditional decision making Environmental SocialEconomic