Chapter 1 Environmental Problems Their Causes and Sustainability

Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability

Living in an Exponential Age Ø Human population growth: J-shaped curve Figure 1 -1

What is Environmental Science? Ø The goals of environmental science are to learn: l l how nature works. how the environment effects us. how we effect the environment. how we can live more sustainably without degrading our life-support system.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Earth's Life-Support System Air (atmosphere) Water (hydrosphere) Soil and rocks (lithosphere) Life (biosphere) Human Culturesphere Population Size Worldviews and ethics Economics Politics Fig. 1 -2, p. 7

Sustainability: The Integrative Theme Sustainability, is the ability of earth’s various systems to survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitely. Ø Must be supported by sound science. Ø

Environmentally Sustainable Societies Ø … meets basic needs of its people without degrading the natural capital that supplies these resources. And without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Ø Economic growth provides people with more goods and services. l Ø Measured in gross domestic product (GDP) and purchasing power parity (PPP). Economic development uses economic growth to improve living standards. l The world’s countries economic status (developed vs. developing) are based on their degree of industrialization and GDP-PPP.

Ø Comparison of developed and developing countries. Figures 1 -5 and 1 -6

RESOURCES Ø Perpetual: On a human time scale are continuous. Ø Renewable: On a human time scale can be replenished rapidly (e. g. hours to several decades). Ø Nonrenewable: On a human time scale are in fixed supply.

Nonrenewable Resources Ø Exist as fixed quantity l Becomes economically depleted. Ø Recycling and reusing extends supply l l Recycling processes waste material into new material. Reuse is using a resource over again in the same form.

Our Ecological Footprint Ecological footprint – a measure of human impact on the environment Ø How much a person consumes, expressed in area of land Ø How much land is required to support a person’s lifestyle. Ø

The US, Europe, and Japan use half of Earth’s capacity When broken down person, Looks even worse

Our Ecological Footprint Ø Has humanity’s ecological footprint has exceeded earths?

Ø The major causes of environmental problems are: l l l Population growth Wasteful resource use Poverty Poor environmental accounting Ecological ignorance

Externalities © The cost / impact of a good or service not included in the price of that good or service. © Ex. The air pollution & increased asthma rates & medical costs for children living next to shoe factory.

Nature provides many services - usually aren’t accounted for in cost of goods: Externalized Costs

Valuation: put a dollar value on natural resources & services Ø How much value do bees provide farmers by pollinating crops? Ø How much value does a coral reef which protects coastlines from strong waves have? Ø How much are the natural water purification & waste decomposition of soil worth?

Using Valuation

Valuation helps us compare costs of landuse alternatives

SOLAR CAPITAL EARTH Goods and services Heat Human Capital Natural Capital Human Economic and Cultural Systems Depletion of nonrenewable resources Degradation of renewable resources Pollution and waste Fig. 1 -10, p. 17

Natural capital degradation Ø The exponential increasing flow of material resources through the world’s economic systems depletes, degrades and pollutes the environment. Figure 1 -11

Humans Alter Natural Systems Ø Mining tar sands in Alberta Canada

Degrading the Environment: POLLUTION Ø Found at high enough levels in the environment to cause harm to organisms. l l Point source Nonpoint source Figure 1 -9

Natural v. Anthropogenic Ø Natural Pollution l l Pollution created by nature unavoidable Ø Anthropogenic pollution l l Man-made pollution preventable

Solutions: Prevention vs. Cleanup Ø Problems with relying on cleanup: l l l Temporary bandage without improvements in control technology. Often moves a pollutant from one part of the environment to cause problems in another. Pollutants at harmful levels can cost too much to reduce them to acceptable levels.

Poverty and Environmental Problems Ø Billions suffer from lack 1 of 3 children under 5, suffer from severe malnutrition.

Resource Consumption and Environmental Problems Ø Underconsumption Ø Overconsumption l Affluenza: unsustainable addiction to overconsumption and materialism.

IPAT Formula

CULTURAL CHANGES AND THE ENVIRONMENT Ø Agricultural revolution l Allowed people to stay in one place. Ø Industrial-medical revolution l l Led shift from rural villages to urban society. Science improved sanitation and disease control. Ø Information-globalization revolution l Rapid access to information.

Trade-Offs Industrial-Medical Revolution Advantages Mass production of useful and affordable products DIsadvantages Increased air pollution Increased water pollution Higher standard of living for many Increased waste pollution Greatly increased agricultural production Soil depletion and degradation Lower infant mortality Groundwater depletion Longer life expectancy Increased urbanization Lower rate of population growth Habitat destruction and degradation Biodiversity depletion Fig. 1 -15, p. 23

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS Ø Technological optimists: l suggest that human ingenuity will keep the environment sustainable. Ø Environmental pessimists: l present the problems - our environmental situation seems hopeless.

Aldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethics Founded the US Wilderness Society in 1935. Leader of the conservation and environmental movements Ø Individuals matter. Ø We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity… Ø Right action is always to preserve the stability of the biotic community. Humans are a part of nature not a part from nature

Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability: Copy Nature

Implications for us: Copy Nature Solutions Principles of Sustainability How Nature Works Runs on renewable solar energy. Lessons for Us Rely mostly on renewable energy sources Recycles nutrients and wastes – very little waste Prevent /reduce pollution and recycle/ reuse resources. Uses biodiversity to maintain itself and adapt to new environmental conditions. Preserve biodiversity by protecting ecosystem habitats prevent species extinction Controls a species’ population size and resource use by interactions with its environment and other species. Reduce human births and wasteful resource use to prevent environmental overload Fig. 1 -17, p. 25

Fig. 1 -18, p. 25