AP Environmental Science Environmental Problems Their Causes and

AP Environmental Science Environmental Problems: Their Causes and Sustainability

What is Environmental Science? The interdisciplinary study of how humanity affects the relationships among other organisms and the nonliving physical environment

Goal of Environmental Science To develop viable solutions to environmental problems

Ecology A discipline of biology that studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environment.

Sustainability The ability of the environment to function indefinitely without going into a decline from the stresses imposed by human society on natural systems

Impact of People on the Environment Increased Population Poverty Hormone Disrupters Introduction of Exotic Species Degradation of Soils

Impact of People on the Environment (cont’d) Water Pollution Damage to the Atmosphere Global Warming and Ozone Depletion Loss of Biodiversity Destruction of Tropical Rainforests (other habitats)

Three Unifying Themes Sustainability Env. Public Policy Stewardship Indiv. Responsibility Sound Science

Key Terms to Know Environment Solar Capital Earth Capital Carrying Capacity Linear Growth Exponential Growth

Key Terms to Know (cont’d) Doubling Time Rule of 70 GNP GDP Per capita GNP Developed countries Developing countries

Key Terms to Know (cont’d) Economic development Sustainable development Ecological resource Economic resource Renewable resource Potentially renewable resource

Key Terms to Know (cont’d) Non-renewable resource Sustainable yield Biodiversity Environmental degradation Economically depleted resource Recycling / reuse / Reserves

Key Terms to Know (cont’d) Pollution Point sources Nonpoint sources

Pollution Factors that determine how severe the harmful effects of pollution are: – Chemical Nature – Concentration – Persistence

Dealing with Pollution Prevention Clean-up – Temporary – Transfers a pollutant to another area – Very costly

Causes of Environmental Problems Rapid population growth Rapid and wasteful use of resources Degradation of Earth’s life-support systems Poverty Failure of economic and political systems Our urge to dominate nature

Environmental Impact (I) Determined by three factors: – Number of people (P) – Number of resource units/person (A) – Amt. of environmental degradation produced per unit of resource (T) Px. Ax. T=I

Evolution of People Hunters and Gatherers (>10, 000 yrs ago) The Agricultural Revolution (10, 000 -12, 000 yrs ago) Industrial Revolution (~1790 s – Gr. Britain) Information Revolution (~1980 s)

Sustainability Is our current course sustainable? – Two opposing views: Planetary Management Beliefs Earth-Wisdom Worldview

Planetary Management Beliefs We are Earth’s most important species There is always more All economic growth is good; more is better Our success depends on how well we understand, control and manage Earth’s life-support systems

Earth-Wisdom Worldview Nature exists for all species on Earth There is not always more Some forms of economic growth are environmentally beneficial and should be encouraged Our success depends on learning to cooperate with one another and the rest of nature