AP Environmental Science Intro Sustainability and Ethics

Introduction Environment –External conditions that affect living organisms Ecology –Study of relationships between living organisms and their environment Environmental Science –how nature works. –how the environment effects us. –how we effect the environment. –how we can live more sustainably without degrading our life-support system.

Tragedy of the Commons Degradation of the renewable resources Reasoned by “If I don’t use this resource, someone else will.” Problem: too many people resource get depleted and no one benefits.

Environmental Ethics Worldviews Planetary management- separate from nature Stewardship worldview- earth for our benefit but we have ethical responsibility to be caring sewards Environmental Wisdom- our success depends sustainable practices

Earth-Wisdom Worldview Nature exists for all of the earth’s species, not just for us There is not always more Not all forms of economic growth is beneficial to the environment Our success depends on learning to cooperate with one another and with the earth

Planetary Management Worldview There is always more All economic growth is good Potential for economic growth is limitless Our success depends on how well we manage earth’s system for our benefit

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. Figure 1-3 Sustainability: The Integrative Theme

Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability: Copy Nature Reliance on Solar Energy Biodiversity Population Control Nutrient Recycling Figure 1-16

Depletion of nonrenewable resources Degradation & depletion of renewable resources used faster than replenished Pollution, waste from overloading nature’s waste disposal & recycling systems Fig. 24-4, p. 573 Sun EARTH Heat Economic Systems Natural Capital Production Air, water, land, soil, biodiversity, minerals, raw materials, energy resources; dilution, decomposition, & recycling services Consumption Recycling and reuse

Pollution Any addition to air, water, soil, or food that threatens the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms Solid, liquid, or gaseous by-products or wastes

Nonpoint Source Pollutants Dispersed and often difficult to identify sources –Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides –Storm Drains (#1 source of oil spills in oceans)

Point Source Pollutants From a single, identifiable sources –Smokestack of a power plant –Drainpipe of a meat- packing plant –Exhaust pipe of an automobile

Negativity of Pollutant Chemical Nature –How active and harmful it is to living organisms Concentration –Amount per unit volume or weight of air, water, soil or body weight Persistence –Time it stays in the air, water, soil or body

Water Pollution Sediment Nutrient overload Toxic chemicals Infectious agents Oxygen depletion Pesticides Oil spills Excess heat

Air Pollution Global climate change Stratospheric ozone depletion Urban air pollution Acid deposition Outdoor pollutants Indoor pollutants Noise

Solutions: Pollution Prevention Input Pollution Control or Throughput Solution –Slows or eliminates the production of pollutants, often by switching to less harmful chemicals or processes Four R’s –Reduce, reuse, refuse, recycle

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