Environmental Science Why study Environmental Science Environmental Science

Environmental Science Why study Environmental Science?

Environmental Science l Environmental l An Science is… interdisciplinary study of how the earth works l How we interact with the planet l How to deal with environmental problems l It affects all aspects of your life

Interdisciplinary Ethics Philosophy Biology Political science Ecology Economics Chemistry Demography Physics Anthropology Geography Geology

Humans exist within the environment l Humans exist within the environment and are part of nature. l Our survival depends on a healthy, functioning planet. l We l are part of the natural world. Our interactions with its other parts matter a great deal. l This idea is fundamental to environmental science and conservation biology

Causes of Environmental Problems • Major causes of environmental problems: population growth, unsustainable resource use, poverty, avoidance of full-cost pricing, and increasing isolation from nature Causes of Environmental Problems Population growth Unsustainable resource use Poverty Excluding Increasing environmental costs isolation from market prices from nature

Affluence Has Harmful and Beneficial Environmental Effects l Harmful environmental impact due to: High levels of consumption l High levels of pollution l Unnecessary waste of resources l l Affluence can provide funding for developing technologies to reduce: Pollution l Environmental degradation l Resource waste l

Prices of Goods and Services Do Not Include the Harmful Environmental Costs l Companies do not pay the environmental cost of resource use l Goods and services do not include the harmful environmental costs l Companies receive tax breaks and subsidies

Humans and the world Humans depend on the resources of the environment. l Anything obtained from environment to meet our needs and wants is a resource. l Types of resources l Renewable Resources: can be replenished fairly rapidly l Nonrenewable Resources: exist in a limited quantity l But natural systems have been degraded l Environmental Degradation - when resource demands exceed its replacement rate l Pollution, erosion, and species extinction l Environmental changes threaten long-term health and survival. l

Natural resources: vital to human survival Perpetually available: sunlight, wind, wave energy Renewable over short periods of time: timber, water, soil, wildlife? l These can be destroyed l Non-renewable resources: Oil, coal, minerals l l

Pollution Comes from a Number of Sources l Point sources l l of pollution Single, identifiable source Nonpoint sources l Disbursed and difficult to identify l What are some strategies for pollution cleanup and prevention?

Global Environmental Concerns l 1. Population Growth l Human population today is approximately 7. 4 billion l l Concern over economic growth in developing nations, e. g. China and India l l Estimates for the year 2050 could reach over 9 billion people Populations are exploding in these countries and they want a westernized middle class life style. Three major cultural events increased population l l l Agricultural revolution Industrial-medical revolution Information-globalization revolution

Carrying Capacity l Maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely. l If our population continues to grow we will exceed ours.

13 12 11 Billions of people ? 1 09 8 7 6 5 4 Industrial revolution Black Death—the Plague 2– 5 million years 8000 Hunting and gathering 6000 4000 2000 Time B. C. A. D. 3 2 1 0 2000 2100 Agricultural revolution Industrial revolution Fig. 1 -1, p. 5

Resource consumption exerts impacts l Many great civilizations have fallen after depleting their resources like Easter Island. The lesson of Easter Island: people annihilated their culture by destroying their environment. Common property and open-access renewable resources are often degraded from overuse

The Tragedy of the Commons: Degrading Commonly Shared Renewable Resources Garret Hardin’s “tragedy of the commons” (1968) • Unregulated exploitation causes resource depletion • Grazing lands, forests, air, water • No one has the incentive to care for a resource. • Everyone takes what he or she can until the resource is depleted. • Solution? • Private ownership? • Voluntary organization to enforce responsible use? • Governmental regulations? •

Global Environmental Concerns l 2. l Decline of Ecosystems Ecosystem: A group of plants, animals, and other organisms that work/interact with each other in a specific environment l Biodiversity: The variety of organism found within an ecosystem l Species: A single kind of any plant, animal or microbe that can reproduce and have viable offspring

Loss of Biodiversity l Endangered Species l every day one species goes extinct l there are thousands of animals on the Endangered Species List which increases every year l few animals ever get de-listed l once an animal species is gone, it can never be replaced and stability within the environment decreases

Global Environmental Concerns l 3. Global Atmospheric Changes l l l Increase of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can be directly related to global warming. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels are responsible for atmospheric change. Changes in the atmosphere can have major impacts on biodiversity as well has humans.

Sustainability l We are increasing our burden on the planet each year. l Population growth, affluence, consumption l Natural capital: the accumulated wealth of Earth. Includes Natural resources and Natural Services l Resources are all resources humans use and services are what species naturally do for us l We are withdrawing our planet’s natural capital 30% faster than it is being produced

Sustainability A guiding principle of environmental science Sustainability l A habitat that can continue indefinitely without depleting its resources

Sustainable Future l Shift l l l toward living more sustainably by: Applying full-cost pricing, searching for win-win solutions Committing to preserving the earth’s life-support system for future generations Living within our planet’s means Developing solutions that work in the long term Requires keeping fully functioning ecological systems Conservation: the management of natural resources for future generations

Natural Capital Solar Natural Capital = Natural Resources + Ecosystem Services energy Air Renewable energy (sun, wind, water flows) Air purification Climate control UV protection (ozone layer) Life (biodiversity) Population control Water purification Pest control Waste treatment Soil Nonrenewable minerals (iron, sand) Natural gas Oil Soil renewal Nonrenewable energy (fossil fuels) Land Food production Nutrient recycling Coal seam Natural resources Ecosystem services Fig. 1 -3, p. 7

Environmental ethics Ethics: the study of good and bad, right and wrong. The set of moral principles or values held by a person or society that tells us how we ought to behave Should we conserve wildlife for future generations? Should we drive other species to extinction to maintain economic growth? Is it OK to destroy a forest to create certain jobs for people? Is it OK to hunt or trap animals?

Three ethical perspectives or world viewpoints Anthropocentrism (Planetary Management): only humans have rights l We are separate from and in charge of nature l Costs and benefits are measured only according to their impact on people l Anything not providing benefit to people has no value l Biocentrism(Stewardship): certain living things also have value l All life has ethical standing l Manage earth for our benefit with ethical responsibility to be stewards l Development is opposed if it destroys life, even if it creates jobs l Ecocentrism(Environmental Wisdom): whole ecological systems have value l Values the well-being of species, communities, or ecosystems l We are part of nature and must engage in sustainable use l

Ecological Footprint l What is your Ecological Footprint? l The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It compares human demand with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate. l Ecological Footprints measures humanities demands on Nature. Everything we do has consequences… l Ecological l deficit Footprint is larger than biological capacity for replenishment

How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth? l As our ecological footprints grow, we are depleting and degrading more of the earth’s natural capital Also called a carbon footprint

Natural Capital Degradation of Normally Renewable Natural Resources Climate change Air pollution Soil erosion Shrinking forests Decreased wildlife habitats Species extinction Water pollution Aquifer depletion Declining ocean fisheries Fig. 1 -7, p. 11

Ecological footprints are not all equal

Sustainable solutions abound l Sustainable development: using resources to satisfy current needs without compromising future availability of resources l Sustainability involves: l Renewable energy sources l Soil conservation, high-efficiency irrigation, organic agriculture l Pollution reduction l Habitat and species protection l Recycling l Fighting global climate change Humanity’s challenge is to develop solutions that further our quality of life while protecting and restoring the environment.

A More Sustainable Future is Possible l Overall attitude that combines environmental wisdom with compassion for all life l Social scientists suggest it only takes 510% of the population to bring about major social change l Significant social change can occur more quickly than we often think