chapters 1 & 2 humans and sustainability: an overview
TRANSCRIPT
Chapters 1 & 2Chapters 1 & 2
HUMANS AND HUMANS AND SUSTAINABILITY:SUSTAINABILITY:
AN OVERVIEWAN OVERVIEW
Chapter Overview QuestionsChapter Overview Questions
What keeps us alive? What is an What keeps us alive? What is an environmentally sustainable society?environmentally sustainable society?
How fast is the human population increasing?How fast is the human population increasing?
What are economic growth, economic What are economic growth, economic development, and globalization?development, and globalization?
What are the earth’s main types of What are the earth’s main types of resources? How can they be depleted or resources? How can they be depleted or degraded?degraded?
Chapter Overview Questions (cont’d)Chapter Overview Questions (cont’d)
What are the principal types of pollution? What are the principal types of pollution? What can we do about pollution?What can we do about pollution?
What are the basic causes of today’s What are the basic causes of today’s environmental problems? How are these environmental problems? How are these causes connected?causes connected?
Is our current course sustainable? What is Is our current course sustainable? What is environmentally sustainable development?environmentally sustainable development?
Chapter Overview Questions (cont’d)Chapter Overview Questions (cont’d)
What major beneficial and harmful effects What major beneficial and harmful effects have hunter-gatherer societies, agricultural have hunter-gatherer societies, agricultural societies, and industrialized societies had on societies, and industrialized societies had on the environment? What might be the the environment? What might be the environmental impact of the current environmental impact of the current information and globalization revolution?information and globalization revolution?
What are the major phases in the history of What are the major phases in the history of land and wildlife conservation, public health, land and wildlife conservation, public health, and environmental protection in the United and environmental protection in the United States?States?
Chapter Overview Questions (cont’d)Chapter Overview Questions (cont’d)
What is Aldo Leopold’s land ethic?What is Aldo Leopold’s land ethic?
Core Case Study: Core Case Study: Living in an Exponential AgeLiving in an Exponential Age
Human population growth: Human population growth: JJ-shaped curve-shaped curve
Figure 1-1Figure 1-1
LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLYLIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
… … the study of how the earth works, how we the study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth and how to deal with interact with the earth and how to deal with environmental problems.environmental problems.
What is Environmental Science?What is Environmental Science?
The goals of environmental science are to The goals of environmental science are to learn:learn: how nature works.how nature works. how the environment effects us.how the environment effects us. how we effect the environment.how we effect the environment. how we can live more sustainably without how we can live more sustainably without
degrading our life-support system.degrading our life-support system.
Sustainability, is the ability of earth’s various Sustainability, is the ability of earth’s various systems to survive and adapt to systems to survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitely.environmental conditions indefinitely.
The steps to sustainability must be The steps to sustainability must be supported by sound science.supported by sound science.
Sustainability: The Integrative ThemeSustainability: The Integrative Theme
Environmentally Sustainable SocietiesEnvironmentally Sustainable Societies
… … meets basic needs of its people in a just meets basic needs of its people in a just and equitable manner without degrading the and equitable manner without degrading the natural capital that supplies these resources.natural capital that supplies these resources.
POPULATION GROWTH, POPULATION GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Economic growth provides people with more Economic growth provides people with more goods and services.goods and services. Measured in gross domestic product (GDP).Measured in gross domestic product (GDP).
Economic development uses economic Economic development uses economic growth to improve living standards.growth to improve living standards. The world’s countries economic status The world’s countries economic status
(developed vs. developing) are based on their (developed vs. developing) are based on their degree of industrialization and GDP.degree of industrialization and GDP.
Global OutlookGlobal Outlook
Comparison of Comparison of developed and developed and developing countries.developing countries.
Percentage of World's
Population
Developing countriesDeveloped countries
Pollutionand waste
Resourceuse
Wealth andIncome
PopulationGrowth
18
82
0.1
1.5
85
15
12
75
25
88
RESOURCESRESOURCES
PerpetualPerpetual: : On a human time scale are On a human time scale are continuous.continuous.
RenewableRenewable:: On a human time scale can be On a human time scale can be replenished rapidly (e.g. hours to several replenished rapidly (e.g. hours to several decades).decades).
NonrenewableNonrenewable: : On a human time scale are On a human time scale are in fixed supply.in fixed supply.
Nonrenewable ResourcesNonrenewable Resources
Exist as fixed quantityExist as fixed quantity Becomes economically Becomes economically
depleted.depleted. Recycling and reusing Recycling and reusing
extends supplyextends supply Recycling processes waste Recycling processes waste
material into new material.material into new material. Reuse is using a resource Reuse is using a resource
over again in the same form.over again in the same form.
Our Ecological FootprintOur Ecological Footprint
Humanity’s ecological Humanity’s ecological footprint has exceeded footprint has exceeded earths ecological earths ecological capacity.capacity.
POLLUTIONPOLLUTION
Found at high enough Found at high enough levels in the levels in the environment to cause environment to cause harm to organisms.harm to organisms. Point sourcePoint source Nonpoint sourceNonpoint source
PollutionPollution Pollutants can have three types of unwanted Pollutants can have three types of unwanted
effects:effects: Can disrupt / degrade life-support systems.Can disrupt / degrade life-support systems. Can damage health and property.Can damage health and property. Can create nuisances such as noise and Can create nuisances such as noise and
unpleasant smells, tastes, and sights.unpleasant smells, tastes, and sights.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: CAUSES AND CONNECTIONSCAUSES AND CONNECTIONS
The major causes of environmental The major causes of environmental problems are:problems are: Population growthPopulation growth Wasteful resource useWasteful resource use PovertyPoverty Poor environmental accountingPoor environmental accounting Ecological ignoranceEcological ignorance
Depletion of nonrenewable resources
SOLAR CAPITAL
Human Capital Human Economic
and Cultural Systems
Pollution and waste
Degradation of renewable resources
Heat
Goods and services
Natural Capital
EARTH
Natural capital degradationNatural capital degradation
The exponential increasing flow of material The exponential increasing flow of material resources through the world’s economic resources through the world’s economic systems depletes, degrades and pollutes the systems depletes, degrades and pollutes the environment.environment.
Solutions: Prevention vs. CleanupSolutions: Prevention vs. Cleanup
Problems with relying on cleanup:Problems with relying on cleanup: Temporary bandage without improvements in Temporary bandage without improvements in
control technology.control technology. Often removes a pollutant from one part of the Often removes a pollutant from one part of the
environment to cause problems in another.environment to cause problems in another. Pollutants at harmful levels can cost too much to Pollutants at harmful levels can cost too much to
reduce them to acceptable levels.reduce them to acceptable levels.
Poverty and Environmental ProblemsPoverty and Environmental Problems
1 of 3 children 1 of 3 children under 5, suffer under 5, suffer from severe from severe malnutrition.malnutrition.
Resource Consumption and Resource Consumption and Environmental ProblemsEnvironmental Problems
UnderconsumptionUnderconsumption OverconsumptionOverconsumption
Affluenza: unsustainable addiction to Affluenza: unsustainable addiction to overconsumption and materialism.overconsumption and materialism.
Connections between Environmental Connections between Environmental Problems and Their CausesProblems and Their Causes
CULTURAL CHANGES AND THE CULTURAL CHANGES AND THE ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT
Agricultural revolutionAgricultural revolution Allowed people to stay in one place.Allowed people to stay in one place.
Industrial-medical revolutionIndustrial-medical revolution Led shift from rural villages to urban society.Led shift from rural villages to urban society. Science improved sanitation and disease control.Science improved sanitation and disease control.
Information-globalization revolutionInformation-globalization revolution Rapid access to information.Rapid access to information.
Which single Which single advantage and advantage and disadvantage are disadvantage are the most important?the most important?
SUSTAINABILITY ANDSUSTAINABILITY ANDENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWSENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS
Technological optimists:Technological optimists: suggest that human ingenuity will keep the suggest that human ingenuity will keep the
environment sustainable.environment sustainable. Environmental pessimists:Environmental pessimists:
overstate the problems where our environmental overstate the problems where our environmental situation seems hopeless. situation seems hopeless.
How Would You Vote?How Would You Vote?
Is the society you live in on an unsustainable Is the society you live in on an unsustainable path?path? a. Yes: Without readily available green products a. Yes: Without readily available green products
and services, converting to a sustainable society and services, converting to a sustainable society is unrealistic.is unrealistic.
b. Not entirely: I'm doing what I can to improve b. Not entirely: I'm doing what I can to improve sustainability, including recycling and using less sustainability, including recycling and using less energy. energy.
Four Scientific Principles of Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability: Copy NatureSustainability: Copy Nature
Reliance on Solar Reliance on Solar EnergyEnergy
BiodiversityBiodiversity Population ControlPopulation Control Nutrient RecyclingNutrient Recycling
Aldo Leopold’s Environmental EthicsAldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethics
Individuals matter.Individuals matter. … … land is to be loved land is to be loved
and respected is an and respected is an extension of ethics.extension of ethics.
We abuse land We abuse land because we regard it because we regard it as a commodity…as a commodity…
Implications of the Four Scientific Implications of the Four Scientific Principles of SustainabilityPrinciples of Sustainability