Science and Sustainability: An Introduction to Environmental Science Chapter 1 Science and Sustainability: An Introduction to Environmental Science

Our island, Earth The Earth may seem enormous to us But Earth and its systems are finite and limited We can change Earth and damage its systems Environment: all the living and nonliving things around us Continents, oceans, clouds, ice caps Animals, plants, forests, farms, etc. Structures, urban centers, living spaces Social relationships and institutions

Environmental science explores our interactions with the world Environmental science is the study of: How the natural world works How the environment affects humans and vice versa We need to understand our interactions with the environment To creatively solve environmental problems Global conditions are rapidly changing We are also rapidly gaining knowledge We still have the opportunity to solve problems

We rely on ecosystem services Natural resources are “goods” produced by nature Earth’s natural resources provide “services” to us Ecosystem services: arise from the normal functioning of natural services and allow us to survive Purify air and water, cycle nutrients, regulate climate Pollinate plants, receive and recycle wastes We degrade ecosystem services by depleting resources, destroying habitat, generating pollution Increased human affluence and population have intensified degradation

Our ecological footprint Affluence increases consumption Ecological footprint: the environmental impact of a person or population The area Ecological footprint of biologically productive land + water To supply resources and dispose/recycle waste People in rich nations have much larger ecological footprints If everyone consumed the amount of resources the U.S. does, we would need 4.5 Earths!

Calculate your ecological footprint Go to this website (or google ‘footprintnetwork’ and quiz) Click on ‘take the quiz’ and answer the questions with as much detail as possible. You do not need to set up an account or register an email. Print or email your results for an in class assignment!

Overshoot Overshoot: humans have surpassed Earth’s capacity to sustainably support us Remember J shaped vs S shaped growth curves? We are using renewable resources 50% faster than they are being replenished

Environmental science helps us avoid past mistakes How will resource consumption and population growth impact today’s global society? Civilizations have fallen when population growth and consumption overwhelm resource availability Easter Island; Greek, Roman and Mayan empires Once lush regions (e.g., Iraq) are now barren deserts Civilizations succeed or fail according to how they interact with the environment and respond to problems Environmental science can help build a better world

The nature of environmental science Environment  impacts  Humans Its applied goal: solving environmental problems Solutions are applications of science It is a broad, interdisciplinary field Natural sciences: examine the natural world Environmental science programs Social sciences: examine human interactions and institutions Environmental studies programs

Environmental science: an integrated approach An integrated approach to addressing environmental problems can solve problems Example: leaded gasoline makes car engines run smoothly But emissions cause brain damage and death Multiple professions worked together and banned the largest source of atmospheric lead emissions in the U.S.

Environmental science is not environmentalism Environmental science: the pursuit of knowledge about the environment and our interactions with it Scientists try to remain objective and free from bias, personal values, preconceptions Environmentalism: a social movement Tries to protect the natural world from human-caused changes

Applications of science Engineering and technology Policy and management Energy-efficient electric car Prescribed burning restores healthy forests

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 tell us how we ought to behave People use criteria, standards or rules when making judgments of right or wrong Different cultures or worldviews lead to different values, leading to different “right or wrong” actions Relativists: ethics varies with social context Universalists: notions of right and wrong remain the same across cultures and situations

Ethical standards Ethical standards: criteria that help differentiate right from wrong Categorical imperative: the “Golden Rule,” which tells us to treat others as we want to be treated Utility: principle holding that the right action is the one that produces the most benefits for the most people

Environmental ethics Environmental ethics: application of ethical standards to relationships between human and nonhuman entities Hard to resolve: it depends on the person’s ethical standards and domain of ethical concern Should we conserve resources for future generations? Is it OK to destroy a forest to create jobs for people? Should we drive other species to extinction? Is it OK for some communities to be exposed to excess pollution?

Three ethical perspectives Anthropocentrism: only humans have rights Costs and benefits are measured only by their impact on people Anything not providing benefit to people has no value Biocentrism: certain living things have value All life – human and nonhuman – has ethical standing Opposes development that destroys life – even if it creates jobs Ecocentrism: whole ecological systems have value Values the well-being of species, communities, ecosystems Holistic – it preserves connections between entities

Expanding ethical consideration

The preservation ethic John Muir’s (right, with President Roosevelt) ecocentric viewpoint advocated for the preservation of wilderness Nature deserves protection for its own inherent value We should protect our environment in a pristine, unaltered state

The conservation ethic Gifford Pinchot’s anthropocentric viewpoint promoted prudent, efficient, sustainable use of resources Use natural resources wisely A utilitarian standard that calls for using resources for the greatest good for the most people for the longest time

The land ethic Aldo Leopold’s ecocentric ethical outlook calls for people to view themselves and the land as members of the same community Healthy ecological systems depend on protecting all parts We are obligated to treat the land ethically The land ethic will help guide decision making A thing is right when it preserves the biotic community

Environmental justice (EJ) Involves the fair treatment of all people with respect to the environment, regardless of race, income, or ethnicity The poor and minorities are exposed to more pollution, hazards, and environmental degradation Despite progress, they still suffer substandard conditions

Sustainability and our future A guiding principle of environmental science Sustainability: living within our planet’s means Earth can sustain humans AND all life for the future Leaving our descendants with a rich, full world Conserving resources for future generations Developing solutions that work in the long term Requires keeping fully functioning ecological systems We cannot sustain human civilization without sustaining Earth’s natural systems

Earth’s resources are like a bank account If we deplete resources, we draw down the account Natural capital: the accumulated wealth of Earth’s resources We are withdrawing our planet’s natural capital 50% faster than it is being produced We must live off nature’s interest – its replenishable resources – to be sustainable Drawing down resources faster than they are replaced eats into nature’s capital We cannot do this for long

We are increasing our burden on the planet Human population growth amplifies all environmental impacts We add over 200,000 people to the planet each day Our consumption of resources has risen even faster Life has become more pleasant for us But rising consumption increases the demands we make on our environment Increased affluence has not been equal The gap between rich and poor countries has tripled in the past 40 years

Resource consumption exerts pressures Growth in resource consumption is also a problem Garrett Hardin’s tragedy of the commons: unregulated exploitation of public resources leads to depletion and damage Grazing land, forests, air, water Resource users are motivated by self-interest They increase use until the resource is gone Solutions to the tragedy of the commons? Private ownership? Voluntary organization to enforce responsible use? Governmental regulations?

Ecological footprints are not all equal The ecological footprints of countries vary greatly The U.S. footprint is much greater than those developing countries

Increased population and consumption cause: Erosion from agriculture Deforestation Toxic substances Mineral extraction and mining Depletion of fresh water Air and water pollution Global climate change Loss of Earth’s biodiversity

Humans have heavily influenced the U.S.

The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment The most comprehensive scientific assessment of the condition of the world’s ecological systems And their capacity to continue supporting us 2,000 leading environmental scientists found: Our degradation of environmental systems is having negative impacts on all of us With care and diligence we can still turn many of these trends around

Sustainable solutions abound Sustainable solutions must: Enhance quality of life Protect and restore the environment that supports us Many solutions exist: Renewable energy sources Improved agricultural practices Habitat and species protection Reduced emissions of greenhouse gases

Sustainable development We must use resources to satisfy our needs But leave enough resources for the future Satisfies the triple bottom line – environmental, economic, and social goals are all met We must limit our environmental impact while promoting economic development and social justice Make an ethical commitment to current and future generations Apply science to solve problems The single most important question we face is: “How can we develop sustainably?”

Conclusion Finding ways to live sustainably on Earth requires: A solid ethical grounding Scientific understanding of our natural and social systems Environmental science helps us: Understand our relationship with the environment Informs our attempts to solve and prevent problems Identifying a problem is the first step in solving it Environmental science can help find balanced solutions to environmental problems