1. The Environment & Society
Chapter 1, Section 2
Environmental Science
Miss Napolitano & Mrs. Rodriguez

2. Supply & Demand
Law of Supply & Demand: as the demand for a good or service increases, the value also increases
Ex: oil production

3. Costs & Benefits Environmental solutions are often costly
Cost-benefit analysis: balances cost of action against benefits expected
Ex: pollution control
Costly to industry, worth paying the price to a nearby community

4. Developed & Developing Countries
Differences in societies caused by unequal distribution of wealth & resources

5. Developed vs. Developing Countries
Developed Countries
Developing Countries
Higher incomes
Lower incomes
Slower population growth
Rapid population growth
Diverse industrial economies
Agriculture-based communities
Strong social support

6. Population & Consumption
Almost all environmental problems can be traced back to two main causes:
The human population in some areas is growing too quickly for the local environment to support.
People are using up, wasting, or polluting many natural resources faster than they can be renewed, replaced, or cleaned up.

7. “The Tragedy of the Commons”
Garrett Hardin: conflict between short-term interests of individuals & long-term welfare of society
Commons = areas of land that belonged to the whole village
Individual: put as many animals in the commons as possible
Too many animals = destroyed grass
Destroyed grass = no more animals, everyone suffers

8. “The Tragedy of the Commons”
Hardin: someone or some group must take responsibility for maintaining a resource or it will become depleted
Hardin’s point can be applied to our modern commons, natural resources
Humans can solve environmental problems by planning, organizing, considering the scientific evidence, & proposing a solution
Solution: override short-term interests of individual & improve the environment for everyone in the end

9. “The Tragedy of the Commons”

10. Local Population Pressures
Rapid population growth – not enough resources for everyone to live a healthy, productive life
Severe overpopulation = stripped forests, exhausted topsoil, & extinct animals
Causes malnutrition, starvation, & disease
Happens in developing countries – food production, education, & job creation cannot keep up with population growth
Each person gets fewer resources

11. Consumption Trends
Developed countries are using much more of Earth’s resources
Using 75% of resources, make up only 20% of population
Creates more waste & pollution per person

12. Ecological Footprints
Ecological footprints: calculations that show the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country
Eliminates land used for crops, grazing, forests, products, & housing
Includes ocean area (seafood) & forest area (absorbs air pollution from fossil fuels)
Expresses the differences in consumption between nations

13. Critical Thinking & the Environment
People on either side of an environmental issue can distort information to mislead people about the issue
Scientific research is often misinterpreted or oversimplified
When considering an environmental issue stance:
Be prepared to listen to many viewpoints
Investigate the source of information you encounter
Gather all the information you can before drawing conclusions

14. A Sustainable World
Sustainability: condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely
Key goal of environmental science!
Not unchanging – technological advances
Current world is not sustainable since developed countries are using resources faster than they can be replaced
Sustainable world requires participation from all