Chapter 1

1. One of the major concerns in environmental science is how to successfully integrate the natural world and the socio-cultural-technological world of our own creation. 2. Human actions now impact natural systems in ways that threaten earth’s life- support systems on which we depend. 3. Earth has the capacity to support about ten billion people on a sustainable basis. 4. The world population is increasing at a rate comparable to adding four new Californias of people every year.

5. The vast majority of global villagers dwell in urban centers as opposed to the countryside. 6. About one in three residents in the global village is a child under Illiteracy among adults in the global village is about 50%

 Environment: all external conditions and factors that affect living organisms  Ecology: the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment  Environmental science: interdisciplinary study that examines the role of humans on earth.  Carrying Capacity: the maximum number of organisms a local, regional, or global environment can support over a specified period.

Energy from the Sun Our planet’s air, water, soil, wildlife, minerals, and natural purification, recycling, and pest control processes Interdependent and Interconnected

60,000 years to reach 1 billion people 130 years to add the 2 nd billion people 30 years for the 3 rd billion (1960) 17 years for the 4 th billion (1977) 12 years for the 5 th billion (1989) 10 years for the 6 th billion (1999) Expected Growth th billion th billion th billion We will have grown from 5.9 billion to 8 billion between 1998 and 2025 (Just…16 years)

 What is the population of the world? about 6.5 billion  One teaspoon of rice = 200 grains of rice  One cup of rice = 9600 grains of rice (48 tsp)  How many cups are in a gallon? 16 cups  How many grains of rice are there in 16 cups? (9,600 X 16 = 153,600 grains of rice)

 How many gallons would it take to equal 1 million grains of rice? 1,000,000/ 153,600 = 6.5 gallons = 1 million grains of rice  If 6.5 gallons equals 1 million grains of rice, how many gallons would it take to equal 1 billion grains of rice? 6.5 gallons (1 million) X 1,000 = 6,500 gallons = 1 billion

 How many gallons of rice would it take to equal 6 billion? 39,000 gallons of rice = 6 billion

The red line shows linear growth Exponential Population Growth

 73% of the habitable area of the planet has been altered by human activities.

 Manages it’s economy and population size without exceeding all or part of the planet’s ability to absorb environmental insults, replenish its resources, and sustain human and other forms of life over a specified period (usually hundreds to thousands of years)

Living sustainably means living off of income and not depleting the capital that supplies the income.  Inherit $1 million dollars  Invest this capital at 10% interest  Sustainable income of $100,000  You can spend $100,000 each year without touching your capital

 If you choose to spend $200,000 – your million will be gone in the 7 th year!  If you choose to spend $110,000 – your million will be gone in the 18 th year Deplete your capital and you move from a sustainable to an unsustainable lifestyle. During the last 40 years the U.S. alone has used more resources than the rest of humanity in all previous years.

 Highly industrialized  20% of the world’s population  Command about 85 % of the world’s wealth  Uses about 88% of Earth’s natural resources  Generate abut 75% of the Earth’s pollution and wastes ( including about 90% of the world’s estimated hazardous waste)

 Low to moderate industrialization and per capita GNP  Africa, Asia, and Latin America  15% of the wealth and income  Use only about 12% of the world’s natural resources  1 million people are added every 4 days!!!

DevelopedDeveloping Average GNP per person $30,000$3,000 Annual Growth Rate 0.1% (slow1.7% (very rapid) Infant deaths per 1000 live births 964 Population under age 15 19%35% Average life expectancy 78 years63 years Adult literacy97%48% Population with safe water 96%45%

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Renewable Nonrenewable Potentially Renewable

When the available supply of a renewable resource begin to shrink because a resource’s natural replacement rate is exceeded. Tragedy of the Commons If I don’t use this resource someone else will… the little bit I use or pollute is not enough to matter!

Wetland Destruction Deforestation

Air Pollution Ground Water Depletion

 Model developed in the early 1970’s by Paul Ehrlich (biologist) John Holdren (physicist)

P = Population A = Affluence (resource use) T = Technology (environmental degradation and pollution per unit of resource used) Number of People Number of units of resource use per person Environmental impact unit of resource use X X

Commonly shared perspectives based on a collection of our basic values that help us make sense of the world. Western Worldview – Frontier Worldview Deep Ecology Worldview – Earth Wisdom

 Expansionist worldview  Human centered/dominance over nature  Utilitarian  Frontier attitude: a desire to conquest and exploit nature as quickly as possible  Unrestricted use of natural resources  Increased economic growth/accumulation of wealth  Unlimited consumption of goods and services to provide material comforts  Concerns for environment are based on human interests  Anthropogenic

 Stresses harmony with nature  Spiritual respect for life  Belief that humans and all other specie have an equal worth  All forms of life have the right to exist  Advocates sharply curbing human population growth  Proposes rethinking of how we use technology today  Asks individuals and societies to share an inner spirituality connected to the natural world  biocentric