ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, THEIR CAUSES, AND SUSTAINABILITY

I. W HAT IS THE P ATH TO S USTAINABILITY ? What is sustainability? Meeting the needs of the PRESENT without limiting the ability of people, other species, and future generations to meet their needs.

I. W HAT IS THE P ATH TO S USTAINABILITY ?  Natural Capital: Earth’s natural resources and services that sustain life and our economies  Examples:  Air, Water, Soil, Land  Diversity of Life (aka Biodiversity)  Nonrenewable minerals (iron, sand, etc.)  Renewable Energy (solar, wind, water flows)  Nonrenewable Energy (fossil fuels, nuclear power)

I. W HAT IS THE P ATH TO S USTAINABILITY ?  Examples of Natural Services:  Air & Water Purification  Soil Renewal  Nutrient Cycling  Food Production  Pollination  Grassland & Forest Renewal  Waste Treatment  Climate Control  Population & Pest Control Through Species Interactions

II. W HAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY ? One that meets the basic resource needs of its people indefinitely without degrading or depleting the natural capital that supplies these resources Degradation – Reduce the amount or worth of something

III. C ULTURAL C HANGES AND S USTAINABILITY 3 major cultural changes that have INCREASED our impact on the environment 10,000-12,000 years ago: Agricultural Revolution 275 years ago: Industrial-Medical Revolution 50 years ago: Information-Globalization Revolution New ways to control the planet to meet our needs, increased the population, increase resource use/pollution

Trade-Offs Industrial-Medical Revolution AdvantagesDisadvantages Increased air pollution Increased water pollution Increased waste pollution Soil depletion and degradation Groundwater depletion Habitat destruction and degradation Biodiversity depletion Mass production of useful and affordable products Higher standard of living for many Greatly increased agricultural production Lower infant mortality Longer life expectancy Increased urbanization Lower rate of population growth

III. C ULTURAL C HANGES AND S USTAINABILITY Eras of Environmental History Tribal Era – when Native Americans occupied North America before the 1600’s Frontier Era ( ) – Europeans settle in North America; see the continent as having seemingly inexhaustible resources Early Conservation Era ( ) – first signs of concern for the environment 1870-present – increased role of the federal gov’t & private citizens in resource conservation, public health, & environmental protection

IV. P OPULATION GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Human population is growing exponentially!!

IV. P OPULATION GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT U.N. classifies countries as economically developed or developing based on: Degree of Industrialization Per Capita GDP Per Capita – per person GDP – Value of ALL GOODS & SERVICES produced within a country

IV. P OPULATION GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Developed : U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the countries of Europe Most are highly industrialized and have high average per capita GDP Developing: Most are in Africa, Asia, and Latin America Some are middle income, moderately developed & some are low income countries

IV. P OPULATION GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Carbon Dioxide Emissions Per Capita

IV. P OPULATION GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

V. R ESOURCES Three Kinds Perpetual - sunlight, winds, flowing water Renewable - fresh air & water, soils, forest products, and food crops Non-renewable -fossil fuels, metals, sand

V. R ESOURCES Sustainable Yield : the highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply Environmental Degradation : when we exceed a resource’s natural replacement rate & the supply begins to shrink

VI. N ONRENEWABLE R ESOURCES Exist in a finite quantity Time scale: can be renewed in millions or billions of years through geological processes Examples: Energy – coal, oil, natural gas Metallic Minerals – iron, copper, aluminum Nonmetallic Minerals – salt, clay, sand

VII. P OLLUTION Any addition to air, water, soil or food that threatens the health, survival, or activities of living organisms Sources of Pollution: Points sources – single, identifiable, easier/cheaper to control Non point Sources – dispersed and often difficult to identify

VII. P OLLUTION Effects Damage the earth, wildlife, human health, and property Can create nuisances Solutions Prevention Pollution Cleanup (Cleaning up OR diluting)

VII. T RAGEDY OF THE C OMMONS Common Property or Free-Access Resources No one owns these Available at little/no charge Examples Air Ocean Wildlife species Gases of the lower atmosphere Space

IX. E NVIRONMENTAL P ROBLEMS Causes of Environmental Problems Population Growth Wasteful Resource Use Poverty Poor Environmental Accounting Ecological ignorance

IX. E NVIRONMENTAL P ROBLEMS Affluenza : unsustainable addiction to overconsumption and materialism exhibited in the lifestyles of affluent consumers in the U.S. and other developed countries Shop-’til- you-drop! Takes about 27 tractor-trailer loads of resources per year to support one American Interesting to note: Affluent countries have more funding for improving environmental quality via technological advances…

IX. E NVIRONMENTAL P ROBLEMS Developing vs. Developed Footprints Developing Countries’ Impact From: Population Size Resulting degradation of renewable resources Developed Countries’ Impact From: High Rates of Usage Per Capita Resulting High Levels of Pollution and Environmental Degradation

X. O UR E COLOGICAL F OOTPRINTS What’s your ecological footprint? Humanity’s ecological footprint exceeds the earth’s ecological capacity to replenish its renewable resources and absorb waste by about 21%.

X. O UR E COLOGICAL F OOTPRINTS

F OOD FOR T HOUGHT Law of Progressive Simplification True growth occurs as civilizations transfer an increasing proportion of energy and attention from the material side of life to the nonmaterial side and thereby develop their culture, capacity for compassion, sense of community, and strength of democracy …Nom nom nom nom nom…