The Environment and Society Chapter 1.2

“Tragedy of the Commons” Garrett Hardin, 1968  Short term interests of individuals vs. long term welfare of society.

Economics & Environment  Supply & Demand  Greater the demand, greater the worth  Ex: oil  Costs and Benefits  Cost-benefit analysis balances cost of the action against the benefits one expects from it.  Risk Assessment  Part of cost-benefit analysis.  Tool that helps create cost-effective ways to protect health/ environment  Which is more risky: riding a bike or nuclear power?

The “haves” and “have nots”  Unequal distribution of wealth in world.  Developed countries: have higher economies, slower pop. Growth, diverse industrial economies, stronger social support systems.  Ex: U.S., Canada, Japan, Western Europe.

 Developing Countries: have lower average incomes, simple and agriculture based economies, rapid population growth.  Developed and developing countries have different consumption patterns.

Population Consumption  Most enviro problems-> 2 problems  Human population is increasing  Human consumption is increasing

Local Population Pressures  Area’s population to resources ratio  Overpopulated area: struggle for survival.  Forests->bare  Topsoil->exhausted  Animals->extinction  Malnutrition, starvation, disease

 Can’t keep up: food production, education, job creation.  Approx 7 billion in world.  Over 5 Billion in developing countries  Less than half have access to enough food, drinking water, sanitation.

Consumption Trends  Developed nations (20% of world’s pop.) use 75% of world’s resources  Creates more waste and pollution per person than in developing countries

Ecological Footprint  Productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country.  Crops, grazing, forest products, housing, ocean area for seafood and forest area to absorb air pollution.

What’s YOUR footprint?  Computer Lab Activity

Enviro Science in Context  Different sides of issues are complex.  Humans are biased= can distort information.  Education leads to informed decisions.  Listen to opinions of other, identify your own bias.

A Sustainable World  Sustainability : humans needs are met in a way in which human population can survive indefinitely.  Is today’s world sustainable?  NO!  We are consuming, consuming!

 We MUST find solutions to allow people and organisms on all parts our our planet live in a clean, healthy environment and have the resources they need for a good life.