Understanding Our Environment Chapter 1 Cunningham Saigo Environmental

Understanding Our Environment Chapter 1 Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Outline: • • Environmental Science - Definitions Historical Perspectives v Pragmatic, Moral/Aesthetic, v Health and Ecological, Global Citizenship Current Conditions North /South Divisions v Resource Divisions v Sustainable Development v Human Development Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Introduction • • Humans have always inhabited both the natural world and the social world. Environment: The complex of social or cultural conditions that affect an individual or community. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Introduction • Environmental Science: Systematic study of our environment, and our proper place in it. v Interdisciplinary v Integrative - Natural Sciences - Social Sciences - Humanities v Mission Oriented Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE • Four Distinct Stages v Pragmatic Resource Conservation v Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation v Health and Ecological Damage Concerns v Global Environmental Citizenship Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Pragmatic Resource Conservation • George Perkins Marsh v Early Conservationist - Influenced Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot. Ø Pragmatic Utilitarian Conservation § “Greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time” § Multiple Use Policies of USFS. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation • John Muir - President Sierra Club v Nature deserves to exist for its own sake regardless of degree of usefulness to humans. (Biocentric Preservation) Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Modern Environmentalism • • Industrial explosion of WWII added new concerns to the environmental agenda. v Rachel Carson - Silent Spring (1962) Environmental Agenda expanded in 1960’s and 70’s to include: v Atomic Weapons Testing v Fossil Fuel Issues v Air and Water Pollution v Wilderness Protection Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Global Concerns • Increased technology has greatly expanded international communications. v Daily events now reported worldwide instead of locally or regionally. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

CURRENT CONDITIONS • Human Population > 6 Billion. v Food shortages and famines exist in many densely populated areas. v Water Quantity and Quality Issues v Fossil Fuel Burning - Air and Water Pollution v Landscape Destruction - Loss of Biodiversity Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Signs of Hope • Progress had been made on many fronts. v Population has stabilized in many industrialized countries. v Incidence of life-threatening diseases has been reduced in some countries. v Average life expectance nearly doubled. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

NORTH / SOUTH DIVISIONS • • Poor countries tend to be located in Southern Hemisphere. World Bank estimates more than 1. 3 billion people (1/5 world population) live in acute poverty of < $1 (U. S. ) per day. v 70% women and children v Self-Sustaining - Daily survival necessitates overharvesting resources thus degrading chances of long-term sustainability. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

North/South Divisions • • • Wealthy countries tend to be located in the Northern Hemisphere. About 1/5 of world population live in countries with per capita income > $25, 000. 00 (U. S. ). v Poor people exist here as well. Gap between rich and poor continues to increase. v Wealthiest 200 people in the world have combined wealth of $1 trillion - more than total wealth of poorest half (3 billion) of the world’s population. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

North/South Divisions Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Division of Resources • Affluent lifestyles of richer countries consume inordinate share of natural resources and produces high proportion of pollutants. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Political Economies • • First World - Industrialized, market-oriented democracies of Western Europe, North America. Second World - Centrally-planned socialist countries such as former USSR. Third World - Ex-colonial nations such as India, Malaysia, Iran, etc. Fourth World - Poorest nations and indigenous communities within wealthy nations. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT • • United Nations releases Human Development Index (HDI). Based on social factors - ranges from 0 -1. 0. v In 2000: Canada had highest with 0. 96 and Sierra Leone had lowest with 0. 19. Aggregate numbers hide many important inequity issues: v Gender v Race Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Sustainable Development • “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. ” v Benefits must be available to all humans, not just sub-set of privileged group. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Sustainable Development Many economists see continual economic growth as essential in providing more resources to more people. v Most ecologists view continual growth as impossible in the long-run due to nonrenewable resources and limited ecological waste-disposal capabilities. v Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

20: 20 Compact • 1995 United Nations Summit for Social Development called all nations to ensure basic needs for everyone. v 20: 20 Compact - Wealthy countries contribute 20% of aid to humanitarian concerns and social development. - Developing countries contribute 20% of budget to human primary concerns. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Indigenous People • Indigenous (native) people are often least powerful, most neglected people in the world. v At least half the world’s 6, 000 distinct languages are dying. v Indigenous homelands may harbor vast percentage of world’s biodiversity. v Recognizing native land rights and political rights may often be a solid ecological safeguard. Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Summary: • • Environmental Science - Definitions Historical Perspectives v Pragmatic, Moral/Aesthetic, v Health and Ecological, Global Citizenship Current Conditions North /South Divisions v Resource Divisions v Sustainable Development v Human Development Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.

Cunningham - Saigo: Environmental Science 7 th Ed.