Environment and Society The Need for Sustainability

Key Concepts… Sustainable Systems Resources Biological Diversity The Earth Community Common Property Resources Recycling/Reuse Point and Non-Point Sources of Pollution

Resources… Non-Renewable: Produced over millions of years and are in fixed quantities including: Energy Resources (fossil fuels); Mineral Resources (gold, aluminum, zinc); Non-metallic resources (sand, clay and water Renewable: Inexhaustible supply of resources including: energy (wind, solar, flowing water nrg); Potentially renewable (air, water, soil and biodiversity)

Pollution… Point source vs. Non-Point Source Classification including Concentration, Composition, Persistence Degradable vs. Non- Degradable “The solution to pollution is not dilution”

NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Leading Environmental Indicators Factsheets. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/indicators/shellfish.pdf

Root Causes of Environmental Problems Rapid Exponential Growth Population doubled between 1950 and 1997 (by 2014 should be 7.2 billion people) A massive degradation of “life support systems” Poverty – lack of choices and lack of environmental education (this will be discussed more) Use of “quick fix” methods using non-renewable resources

Root Causes of Environmental Problems 5. Lack of solutions with little emphasis on pollution control and waste reduction 6. Failure to encourage Earth- sustaining forms of economic development (recycle and reuse) 7. Urge to dominate and manage Nature for our use “Approximately ¾ of the Earth has only 15% of the income and uses only 12% of the resources”

Fun Facts “ In all Lesser Developed Countries (LDC’s), 1,000,000 people are added to the population count every four days” “Developed Countries use over 90% of the non-renewable fossil fuel supplies”

Source: Sustainability Initiative, University of Maryland

Sustainability? Defined (video) An opposite point of view Things you can do: World Change TED talks Alex Steffen

Sustainable Societies… Reduce Waste of Matter & Energy Emphasize Pollution Prevention Improve Recycling Efforts & Reuse Efforts to 60% in Each Community Longer Lived Products Increase RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES Better Protect the Earth’s Habitats and Species

Sustainable Society 7. Establish a RENEWABLE RESOURCE Balance 8. Value the Importance of Natural Resources 9. “Slow” Population Growth Rates 10. Reduce Poverty and Improve Living Conditions in LDC’s 11. Improve Environmental Education Practices

Population Clock U.S. 320,499,950 World 7,176,606,100 01:05 GMT (EST+5) Sept. 4, 2013 NOTE: The U.S. POP Clock has been recalibrated to be consistent with Census 2010 data. U.S. 305,753,417 Feb. 5, 2009 World 6,758,521,649 Feb. 5, 2009

2013 7.1 billion

Population/Age Pyramids of the Developed and Developing World From the University of Michigan’s Population Growth Over Human History

The United Nation’s Millennium Goals eradicating extreme poverty achieving universal primary education promoting gender equality reducing child mortality improving maternal health combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development