1. Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
G. Tyler Miller’s
Living in the Environment
16th Edition
Chapter 1
Angela Wranic
Environmental Science 1

2. Exams
TAKE NOTES—The Powerpoint notes are not comprehensive by themselves. You must write what I say also. If you need a recorder that is fine.
Study,study,study…flash cards, reading your book, write out concepts. Each week and when an exam comes along.
Focus on the Powerpoint notes. You text covers a lot of material this helps you narrow down material.

3. Environmental Science Is an Interdisciplinary Study

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

5. Sustainability Is the Central Theme of This Book
Natural capital: supported by solar capital
Natural resources
Natural services
E.g., nutrient cycling
Degradation of natural capital through human activities
Scientific solutions

6. Natural Capital = Natural Resources + Natural Services
1-3

7. Nutrient Cycling
1-4

8. Degradation of Normally Renewable Natural Resources and Services
1-7

9. How Can Environmentally Sustainable Societies Grow Economically?
Societies can become more environmentally sustainable through economic development dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone without degrading the earth's life support systems.

10. 1-18
Figure 1.18
Solutions: some shifts involved in bringing about the environmental or sustainability revolution.
Fig. 1-18, p. 25

11. Some Resources Are Not Renewable
Nonrenewable resources-consumption
Energy resources
mineral resources
Examples?
Reuse
Recycle

12. Population Growth Linear Growth Exponential Growth
Doubling Time Rule of 70
70/Percentage growth

13. World Population
Fig. 1-1

14. Global Outlook
Examples of
Developed and
Developing
Countries?
1-5

15. Results of Poverty 1-13 Lack of Number of people access to
(% of world's population)
Results of
Poverty
Adequate
sanitation facilities
2.6 billion (38%)
Enough fuel for
heating and cooking
2 billion (29%)
Electricity
2 billion (29%)
Clean drinking
water
1.1 billion (16%)
Adequate
health care
Figure 1.13
Some harmful results of poverty. Question: Which two of these effects do you think are the most harmful? Why? (Data from United Nations, World Bank, and World Health Organization)
1.1 billion (16%)
1-13
Adequate
housing
1 billion (15%)
Enough food
for good health
0.86 billion (13%)
Fig. 1-13, p. 18

16. POLLUTION
Found at high enough levels in the environment to cause harm to organisms.
Point source
Nonpoint source

17. Solutions: Prevention vs. Cleanup
Problems with relying on cleanup:
Often removes 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.

18. Pollution Pollutants can have three types of unwanted effects:
Can disrupt / degrade life-support systems.
Can damage health and property.
Can create nuisances such as noise and unpleasant smells, tastes, and sights.

19. Our Ecological Footprints Are Growing
Ecological footprint concept
Biological capacity
Ecological footprint
Average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country is called per capita ecological footprint.
The WWF estimates human’s global ecological footprint exceeded the earth’s biological capacity by how much? 25%
U.S consumption would only support 1.3 billion people.

20. Natural Capital Use and Degradation
1-10

21. Case Study: China’s New Affluent Consumers (1)
Leading consumer of various foods and goods
Wheat, rice, and meat
Coal, fertilizers, steel, and cement
Second largest consumer of oil

22. Case Study: China’s New Affluent Consumers (2)
Two-thirds of the most polluted cities are in China
Projections, by 2020
Largest consumer and producer of cars
World’s leading economy in terms of GDP PPP 22

23. Causes of Environmental Problems
1-12

24. Prices Do Not Include the Value of Natural Capital
Companies do not pay the environmental cost of resource use
Goods and services do not include the harmful environmental costs
Companies receive tax breaks and subsidies
Economy may be stimulated but there may be a degradation of natural capital

25. We Can Learn to Make Informed Environmental Decisions
Scientific research
Identify problem and multiple solutions
Consider human values

26. Individuals Matter: Aldo Leopold
5–10% of the population can bring about major social change
Aldo Leopold: environmental ethics
A leader of the conservation and environmental movements of the 20th century
Land ethic
Wrote: A Sand County Almanac

27. Homework
Estimate your own ecological footprint by visiting the website What are 3 things you could do to reduce your ecological footprint?
(10 points)

28. Chapter 1 exercises
Each person will turn in a paper with notes-Worth 15 points.

29. Discussions
Be able to discuss your answers with other groups or the class. It is more important that you be able to discuss rather than writing everything out perfectly. If you are not participating I will mark your grade down.
It is important to express your opinion. This does not mean attacking each other. Ask the question am I talking too much or too little.
You of course can disagree with my opinions. Usually everyone has a different view and that is OK.

30. Henry David Thoreau
What’s the use of a house if you don’t have a decent planet to put it on? End chapter 1