environmental problems, their causes, and sustainability chapter 1
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Environmental Problems, Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Their Causes, and
SustainabilitySustainability
Chapter 1Chapter 1
Question #1:Question #1:
What are the 6 major themes of What are the 6 major themes of this book?this book?
AnswerAnswer
Central Theme: SustainabilityCentral Theme: Sustainability Subthemes:Subthemes:
• Natural CapitalNatural Capital• Natural Capital DegradationNatural Capital Degradation• SolutionsSolutions• Trade-OffsTrade-Offs• Individuals MatterIndividuals Matter• ……. Sound Science. Sound Science
Question #2:Question #2:
What is an environmentally What is an environmentally stable society?stable society?
Living More SustainabilityLiving More Sustainability
EnvironmentEnvironment
EcologyEcology
Environmental scienceEnvironmental science
EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism
SustainabilitySustainability
Fig. 1-2, p. 7
A Pa t h t o S u s t a i n a b i l i t yNatural Capital Natural Capital
DegradationSolutions Trade-Offs Individuals
Matter
S o u n d S c i e n c e
Path to SustainabilityPath to Sustainability
ExampleExample
Imagine you win $1 million in a lottery. Imagine you win $1 million in a lottery. If you invest this money and earn 10% If you invest this money and earn 10% interest a year, you will have interest a year, you will have sustainable income of $100,000. if you sustainable income of $100,000. if you spend $200,000 per year, your $1 spend $200,000 per year, your $1 million will be gone early in the 7million will be gone early in the 7thth year. year.• Even if you spent $110,000 a year you Even if you spent $110,000 a year you
would be bankrupt in the 18would be bankrupt in the 18thth year. year.
Natural CapitalNatural Capital
Earth’s natural capitalEarth’s natural capital
CapitalCapital
Financial incomeFinancial income
Biological incomeBiological income
Degrading capitalDegrading capital
Fig. 1-3, p. 7
NATURAL CAPITAL
NATURAL CAPITAL
NATURAL RESOURCES
NATURAL RESOURCES
Air
Water
Soil
Land
Life (biodiversity)
Nonrenewable minerals (iron, sand)
Renewable energy(sun, wind, water flows)
Nonrenewable energy(fossil fuels, nuclear power)
NATURAL SERVICES
NATURAL CAPITAL
Air purification
Water purification
Soil renewal
Nutrient recycling
Food production
Pollination
Grassland renewal
Forest renewal
Waste treatment
Climate Control
Population control(species interactions)
Pest control
Fig. 1-3, p. 7Stepped ArtNatural CapitalNatural Capital
=
=
+
+
Solutions to Environmental ProblemsSolutions to Environmental Problems
Trade-offs (compromises)Trade-offs (compromises)
Individuals matterIndividuals matter
Sound scienceSound science
Environmentally sustainable societiesEnvironmentally sustainable societies
Question #3:Question #3:
How fast is the human How fast is the human population increasing?population increasing?
World PopulationWorld Population
Exponential growthExponential growth
PovertyPoverty
Extinction and biodiversityExtinction and biodiversity
Climate changesClimate changes
Good news: possible Good news: possible solutionssolutions
Fig. 1-1, p. 1
Fig. 1-1, p. 1
Hunting andgathering
Agricultural revolution Industrialrevolution
Black Death—the Plague
World PopulationWorld Population
?
Time
Billio
ns o
f pe
op
le
Fig. 1-5, p. 9
Developedcountries
Developingcountries
World total
Human Population GrowthHuman Population Growth
Po
pu
lati
on
(b
illi
on
s)
Year
Fig. 1-4, p. 9
Percentageof World's
Developed countries Developing countries
Population
Populationgrowth
Wealth andincome
Resourceuse
Pollutionand waste
19
81
0.1
1.5
85
15
88
12
75
25
Global OutlookGlobal Outlook
Question #4:Question #4:
What is the difference between What is the difference between economic growth and economic economic growth and economic
development?development?
EconomicsEconomics Economic growth – increase in the capacity of a Economic growth – increase in the capacity of a
country to provide people with goods and country to provide people with goods and services.services.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – the annual market value of all goods and services produced market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations in a country. by all firms and organizations in a country.
Per capita GDP – the GDP divided by the total Per capita GDP – the GDP divided by the total population midyear. population midyear.
EconomicsEconomics
Economic development – the improvement Economic development – the improvement of human living standards by econoic of human living standards by econoic growthgrowth
Developed and developing countriesDeveloped and developing countries• What is the difference?What is the difference?
Fig. 1-6, p. 10
Global life expectancy doubled since 1950
Infant mortality cut in half since 1955
Food production ahead of population growth since 1978
Air and water pollution down in most developed countries since 1970
Number of people living in povertydropped 6% since 1990
Life expectancy 13 years less indeveloping countries than indeveloped Countries
Infant mortality rate in developing countries over 9times higher than in developedcountries
Harmful environmental effects ofagriculture may limit future foodproduction
Air and water pollution levels inmost developing countries too high
Half of world's workers trying tolive on less than $2 (U.S.) per day
Economic DevelopmentEconomic DevelopmentTrade-Offs
Economic Development
Good News Bad News
Question #5:Question #5:
What are the main types of What are the main types of pollution, and what can you do pollution, and what can you do
about pollution?about pollution?
ResourcesResources Perpetual – renewed continuouslyPerpetual – renewed continuously
• SOLAR EnergySOLAR Energy
Renewable – replenished fairly rapidlyRenewable – replenished fairly rapidly• Forests, grasslands, wild animals, fresh water, Forests, grasslands, wild animals, fresh water,
and fresh airand fresh air
Nonrenewable – exist in a fixed quantity on Nonrenewable – exist in a fixed quantity on EarthEarth• Coal, oil, natural gas, salt, clay, sand, etcCoal, oil, natural gas, salt, clay, sand, etc
Nonrenewable ResourcesNonrenewable Resources
Energy resourcesEnergy resources
Metallic mineral resourcesMetallic mineral resources
Nonmetallic mineral resourcesNonmetallic mineral resources
Economic depletionEconomic depletion
Recycling and reuseRecycling and reuse
Perpetual and Renewable ResourcesPerpetual and Renewable Resources
Sustainable yield – a renewable resource Sustainable yield – a renewable resource can be reused but never lose its available can be reused but never lose its available supply.supply.
Environmental degradation – exceeding Environmental degradation – exceeding the natural replacement rate of resources.the natural replacement rate of resources.
Tragedy of the Commons – “If I don’t use it Tragedy of the Commons – “If I don’t use it someone else will…” mentalitysomeone else will…” mentality
Fig. 1-7, p. 11
Ecological FootprintEcological Footprint
Fig. 1-7a, p. 11
Ecological FootprintEcological FootprintCountry
Per Capita Ecological Footprint(Hectares per person)
CountryTotal Ecological Footprint
(Hectares)
United States
The Netherlands
India
United States
The Netherlands
India
9.6
3.8
0.8
3 billionhectares
62 million hectares
880 millionhectares
Fig. 1-7, p. 11
Ecological FootprintEcological Footprint
Nu
mb
er o
f E
arth
s
Year
Earth'sEcologicalCapacity
Humanity's Ecological Footprint
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20100
0.3
0.6
0.9
1.2
1.5
PollutionPollution What is pollution? What is pollution?
• Any addition to air, water soil or food that threatens Any addition to air, water soil or food that threatens health, survival, or activities, of humans or other health, survival, or activities, of humans or other organisms. organisms.
Point Source – single identifiable source Point Source – single identifiable source Nonpoint sources – dispersed and hard to Nonpoint sources – dispersed and hard to
identifyidentify
What are some unwanted effects of pollution?What are some unwanted effects of pollution?
Point-source Air PollutionPoint-source Air Pollution
Fig. 1-8, p. 13
Solutions to PollutionSolutions to Pollution
Pollution prevention (input control)Pollution prevention (input control)
Pollution cleanup (output control)Pollution cleanup (output control)
Disadvantages of output controlDisadvantages of output control
Environmental Problems: Environmental Problems: Causes and ConnectionsCauses and Connections
First step: Understanding the causesFirst step: Understanding the causes
Poverty and population growthPoverty and population growth
Premature death among the poorPremature death among the poor
Fig. 1-9, p. 13
Natural Capital Use, Depletion and Natural Capital Use, Depletion and DegradationDegradation
EARTHSOLAR
CAPITAL
HumanEconomic
andCulturalSystems
Human Capital
Natural Capital
Goods and services
Heat
Depletion of nonrenewable resources
Degradation of renewable resources
Pollution and waste
Recycling and reuse
Question #6:Question #6:
What are the harmful What are the harmful environmental effects of poverty environmental effects of poverty
and affluence?and affluence?
Fig. 1-10, p. 14
Causes of Environmental Problems
Populationgrowth
Unsustainableresource use
Poverty Not including theenvironmental costsof economic goodsand services in theirmarket prices
Trying to manage andsimplify nature with toolittle knowledge abouthow it works
Causes of Environmental ProblemsCauses of Environmental Problems
Fig. 1-11, p. 14
Lack ofaccess to
Number of people(% of world's population)
Adequatesanitation
Electricity
Clean drinkingwater
Adequatehealth care
Enough fuel forheating and
cooking
Enough foodfor good health
2.4 billion (37%)
2 billion (31%)
1.6 billion (25%)
1.1 billion (17%)
1.1 billion (17%)
1.1 billion (17%)
Some Harmful Results of PovertySome Harmful Results of Poverty
MalnutritionMalnutrition
Fig. 1-12, p. 15
Economics and EthicsEconomics and Ethics Affluenza – addiction to consumptionAffluenza – addiction to consumption
How does globalization and global advertising How does globalization and global advertising impact affluenza?impact affluenza?
Law of Progressive Simplification – transfer of Law of Progressive Simplification – transfer of energy from material to nonmaterial things. energy from material to nonmaterial things.
What are the positive environmental effects of What are the positive environmental effects of affluenza?affluenza?
Question #7:Question #7:
What are the basic causes of What are the basic causes of today’s environmental problems, today’s environmental problems,
and how are these causes and how are these causes connected?connected?
Fig. 1-13, p. 16
Environmental Problems Environmental Problems and Their Causesand Their Causes
Developing Countries
X X =
X X =
X X =
Developed Countries
Population (P)Consumption per
person (affluence, A)
Technological impact per unit of consumption (T)
Environmental impact of
population (I)
Historical Changes in Human CultureHistorical Changes in Human Culture
Hunter-gatherers Hunter-gatherers
Agricultural revolutionAgricultural revolution
Industrial-medical revolutionIndustrial-medical revolution
Information-globalization revolutionInformation-globalization revolution
Eras of US Environmental HistoryEras of US Environmental History
Tribal era Tribal era
Frontier eraFrontier era
Early conservation eraEarly conservation era
EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism
Is Our Present Course Sustainable?Is Our Present Course Sustainable?
Different views Different views
• Technological optimists – overstate the situation by Technological optimists – overstate the situation by reminding us that technological advances will save us reminding us that technological advances will save us all. all.
• Environmental pessimists – overstate the problem by Environmental pessimists – overstate the problem by stating that our environmental situation is hopeless. stating that our environmental situation is hopeless.
How Would You Vote? ExerciseHow Would You Vote? Exercise
CurrentEmphasis
SustainabilityEmphasis
Pollution cleanup
Waste disposal(bury or burn)
Protecting species
Environmentaldegradation
Increased resourceuse
Population growth
Depleting anddegrading naturalcapital)
Pollution prevention(cleaner production)
Waste prevention& reduction
Protecting wherespecies live(habitat protection)
Environmentalrestoration
Less wasteful (more efficient)resource use
Population stabilization bydecreasing birth rates
Protecting natural capitaland living off the biological interest it provides
Fig. 1-14, p. 18
Sustainability RevolutionSustainability Revolution
Global Global Ecological Ecological FootprintsFootprints
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