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Environmental Science
What is Environmental Science? Environmental Science studies connections in Nature How do you define Environment? – all living and nonliving things with which an organism interacts Ecology studies the relationships between organisms – an important part of environmental science Environmental science – The interdisciplinary study of how earth works, our interaction with earth and how we deal with environmental problems Unlike: Environmentalism – a social movement to protect the environment
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What Is an Environmentally Sustainable Society?
Brainstorm key question: Miller: we are seriously degrading our own life support system – living unsustainably “Tragedy of the commons” simulation activity Meets current and future basic resource needs of people in a just and equitable way w/out compromising the environment for future generations 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. Economic growth provides goods and services needed to sustain population growth.
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What Is an Environmentally Sustainable Society?
SUSTAINABILITY The ability of earth’s natural and human cultural systems to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely An environmentally sustainable society meets current and future basic resource needs of people in a just and equitable way without compromising the environment for future generations
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Key Principles of Sustainability
PRESERVING NATURAL CAPITAL Natural resources Renewable (renews in hrs – decades) Nonrenewable (fixed quantities) Natural services Functions of nature RELIANCE ON SOLAR CAPITAL Perpetual energy from the sun Creates renewable energy Wind, hydropower, biomass Concept 1-1A We depend on energy from the sun (solar capital) and natural resources and natural services (natural capital) provided by the sun and earth. Concept 1-1B Living sustainably means living off earth’s natural income without depleting or degrading the natural capital that supplies it. Examples: renewable – forests, air / nonrenewable – fossil fuels, minerals MUST understand our environment and practice sustainability - Consider Your Consumption Factor (Jared Diamond)
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Environmental Sustainability and Economic Growth
The economy and the environment are closely linked The environment contains all resources used in the economy The economy supports the development (and preservation) of resources Environmentally sustainable economic growth and development Increasing productivity of goods and services while improving the quality of life without degrading the earth’s natural capital
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Key Natural Resources and Services
Environmental Sustainability – living off the earth’s natural income without depleting or degrading the natural capital Human activities degrade natural capital Normally renewable resources are used faster than nature can renew them Trade-offs (compromises) must be made based on sound science and participation by economic and political systems Individuals matter Fig. 1-3, p. 8
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Industrial revolution Black Death—the Plague Agricultural revolution
World population Exponential Growth Industrial revolution Projections 225,000 people added per day (adds population of U.S. < 4 years) by 2050 ~ 9.2 billion people Resource consumption, degradation, depletion - Possible results Huge amount of pollution and wastes; Disrupt economies; Loss of species, farm land, water supplies; Climate change; Political fallout Black Death—the Plague Hunting and gathering Agricultural revolution Industrial revolution Fig. 1-1, p. 1 Fig. 1-1, p. 5
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Percentage of World's: 18% Population 82% Population growth 0.1% 1.5%
Life expectancy 77 years 66 years Wealth and income 85% 15% Figure 1.5: Global outlook: comparison of developed and developing countries, 2007. Question: Why do you think less developed, less wealthy countries have higher population growth rates? (Data from the United Nations and the World Bank) Resource use 88% 12% Pollution and waste 75% 25% Fig. 1-5, p. 10
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How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth?
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The Lorax Part 1 Part 2
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How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth?
We are depleting and degrading more and more of the earth’s natural capital. Sustainable yield Applies to renewable resources Highest use while maintaining supply Environmental degradation Use more than the sustainable yield Exceed natural replacement rate
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Since the beginning of agriculture, human activities have accelerated natural soil erosion -1 cm can take hundreds of years to form Fig. 1-6, p. 12
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Measuring Environmental Impact
Ecological footprint Amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply renewable resources and adsorb the waste and pollution produced Ecological deficit When ecological footprint exceeds biological capacity Currently exceeding earth’s biological capacity by over 25% Expected to reach 100% by 2050 Per capita ecological footprint
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Per Capita Ecological Footprint (hectares per person)
Total Ecological Footprint (million hectares) and share of Global Ecological Capacity (%) Per Capita Ecological Footprint (hectares per person) Projected footprint Ecological footprint Earth’s ecological capacity Figure 1.8: Natural capital use and degradation: total and per capita ecological footprints of selected countries (top). In 2003, humanity’s total or global ecological footprint was about 25% higher than the earth’s ecological capacity (bottom) and is projected to be twice the planet’s ecological capacity by 2050. Question: If we are living beyond the earth’s ecological capacity, why do you think the human population and per capita resource consumption are still growing exponentially? (Data from Worldwide Fund for Nature, Global Footprint Network) Stepped Art Fig. 1-8, p. 13
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Why do we have Environmental Problems?
Environmental problems are growing exponentially Fig. 1-9, p. 15
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Pollution is an obvious environmental problem
What is pollution? Any chemical or physical change in the environment – harmful to living organisms Natural – volcano Human induced - industry Point sources – single, identifiable Smokestack, oil spill, car exhaust Nonpoint sources – dispersed, difficult to identify Fertilizer runoff, acid rain Unwanted effects of pollution? What are some of the Unwanted effects of pollution? Degrade life support systems Damage health Create nuisances
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Solutions to Pollution
Pollution prevention (input control) Less expensive in the long run Pollution cleanup (output control) Temporary Example: Catalytic converter - pop. growth offsets technologic advances Costly There is no “away” in “throw it away”! Pollutants move from one place to another Burial in landfills leachate formation Incineration air pollution
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Five basic causes of the environmental problems.
Causes of Environmental Problems Population growth Unsustainable resource use Poverty Excluding environmental costs from market prices Trying to manage nature without knowing enough about it By the end of the century – resource consumption by the growing population will be responsible for loss of 1/3 to ½ of all known species Stepped Art Fig. 1-10, p. 16
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Harmful Effects of Poverty
Fig. 1-12, p. 16
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Lack of access to Number of people (% of world's population) Adequate
sanitation facilities 2.6 billion (39%) Enough fuel for heating and cooking 2 billion (30%) Electricity 2 billion (30%) Clean drinking water 1.1 billion (16%) Adequate health care Figure 1.11: 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%) Adequate housing 1 billion (15%) Enough food for good health 0.84 billion (13%) Fig. 1-11, p. 16
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Environmental Effects of “Affluence”
Harmful effects Obtain resources from anywhere in the world Don’t count environmental cost of resource use High consumption and waste of resources False advertising – more makes you happy “Affluenza”: The addiction to overconsumption of material goods Beneficial effects Concern for environmental quality Provide money for environmental causes Reduced population growth Do you agree with Jared Diamond? Why or why not? Do you think it is an American’s global responsibility to reduce consumption so that others in the world will have access to resources? Do you think it is an American’s global responsibility to reduce consumption so that future generations in America will have access to resources?
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Moving Towards an Environmentally Sustainable Society
Brainstorm key question: Miller: we are seriously degrading our own life support system – living unsustainably “Tragedy of the commons” simulation activity Meets current and future basic resource needs of people in a just and equitable way w/out compromising the environment for future generations 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. Economic growth provides goods and services needed to sustain population growth.
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Sustainability Emphasis
Current Emphasis Sustainability Emphasis Pollution cleanup Pollution prevention Waste disposal (bury or burn) Waste prevention Protecting species Protecting habitat Environmental restoration Environmental degradation Increasing resource use Less resource waste Figure 1.14: Solutions: some shifts involved in bringing about the environmental or sustainability revolution. Question: Which three of these shifts do you think are most important? Why? Environmental worldviews Planetary management worldview –nature exists to meet our needs Stewardship worldview – ethical responsibility to be stewards of nature Environmental wisdom worldview – we are totally dependent on nature / success depends on learning how earth sustains itself Population growth Population stabilization Depleting and degrading natural capital Protecting natural capital Fig. 1-14, p. 20
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What Are the Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability?
Reliance on Solar Energy Biodiversity Figure 1.13: Four scientific principles of sustainability: these four interconnected principles of sustainability are derived from learning how nature has sustained a variety of life on the earth for about 3.7 billion years. The top left oval shows sunlight stimulating the production of vegetation in the Arctic tundra during its brief summer (solar energy) and the top right oval shows some of the diversity of species found there during the summer (biodiversity). The bottom right oval shows Arctic gray wolves stalking a caribou during the long cold winter (population control). The bottom left oval shows Arctic gray wolves feeding on their kill. This, plus huge numbers of tiny decomposers that convert dead matter to soil nutrients, recycle all materials needed to support the plant growth shown in the top left and right ovals (nutrient cycling). Nutrient Cycling Population Control Fig. 1-13, p. 20
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AP - Chapter 1 test - Free Response
Developed countries are the largest consumers and wasters of resources (overconsumption) while poorer developing countries under consume. This imbalance of resource utilization has led to a growing condition known as affluenza. 1. Define affluenza in terms of sustainability. Where does the problem exist and what are some of the causes? 2. How can affluenza be implicated in having both negative and positive effects on the environment?
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