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EnvSci - Chapter 1

This chapter introduces the key themes and concepts around environmental problems, their causes, and sustainability. It discusses that environmental science aims to understand how nature works, how the environment affects us, how we affect the environment, and how we can live more sustainably. The chapter then explores topics like population growth, economic growth, poverty, pollution, nonrenewable resources, and cultural changes that have impacted the environment. It concludes by outlining the four scientific principles of sustainability and different worldviews on environmental issues.

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88 views

EnvSci - Chapter 1

This chapter introduces the key themes and concepts around environmental problems, their causes, and sustainability. It discusses that environmental science aims to understand how nature works, how the environment affects us, how we affect the environment, and how we can live more sustainably. The chapter then explores topics like population growth, economic growth, poverty, pollution, nonrenewable resources, and cultural changes that have impacted the environment. It concludes by outlining the four scientific principles of sustainability and different worldviews on environmental issues.

Uploaded by

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Chapter 1

Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability

Chapter Overview Questions


What What How

are the main themes of this book?

keeps us alive? What is an environmentally sustainable society? fast is the human population growing? is the difference between economic growth, economic development, and environmentally sustainable economic development?

What

Chapter Overview Questions (contd)


What

are the harmful environmental effects of poverty and affluence? What three major human cultural changes have taken place since humans arrived? What are the four scientific principles of sustainability and how can we use them and shared visions to build more environmentally sustainable and just societies during this century?

Updates Online
The latest references for topics covered in this section can be found at the book companion website. Log in to the books e-resources page at www.thomsonedu.com to access InfoTrac articles.

InfoTrac: Rescuing a planet under stress. Lester R. Brown. The Futurist, July-August 2006 v40 i4 p18(12). InfoTrac: Save the planet. Tod Goldberg. Better Nutrition, April 2006 v68 i4 p56(1). InfoTrac: Redefining American Beauty, by the Yard. Patricia Leigh Brown. The New York Times, July 13, 2006 pF1(L). Ideal Bite Treehugger Earth Day Network

Core Case Study: Living in an Exponential Age


Human

population growth: J-shaped curve

Figure 1-1

LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY

the study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth and how to deal with environmental problems.
Figure 1-2

What is Environmental Science?


The

goals of environmental science are to learn:


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.

Sustainability: The Integrative Theme

Sustainability,

is the ability of earths various systems to survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitely. The steps to sustainability must be supported by sound science. Figure 1-3

Environmentally Sustainable Societies

meets basic needs of its people in a just and equitable manner without degrading the natural capital that supplies these resources.
Figure 1-4

POPULATION GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT


Economic

growth provides people with more goods and services.


Measured in gross domestic product (GDP) and purchasing power parity (PPP).

Economic

development uses economic growth to improve living standards.


The worlds countries economic status (developed vs. developing) are based on their degree of industrialization and GDP-PPP.

Global Outlook

Comparison

of developed and developing countries.


Figures 1-5 and 1-6

RESOURCES
Perpetual:

On a human time scale are

continuous. Renewable: On a human time scale can be replenished rapidly (e.g. hours to several decades). Nonrenewable: On a human time scale are in fixed supply.

Nonrenewable Resources
Exist

as fixed quantity

Becomes economically depleted.

Recycling

and reusing extends supply


Recycling processes waste material into new material. Reuse is using a resource over again in the same form.
Figure 1-8

Our Ecological Footprint

Humanitys

ecological footprint has exceeded earths ecological capacity. Figure 1-7

POLLUTION
Found

at high enough levels in the environment to cause harm to organisms.


Point source Nonpoint source

Figure 1-9

Pollution
Pollutants

can have three types of unwanted

effects:

Can disrupt / degrade life-support systems. Can damage health and property. Can create nuisances such as noise and unpleasant smells, tastes, and sights.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: CAUSES AND CONNECTIONS


The

major causes of environmental problems are:


Population growth Wasteful resource use Poverty Poor environmental accounting Ecological ignorance

SOLAR CAPITAL

EARTH
Goods and services

Heat

Human Capital

Human Economic and Cultural Systems

Depletion of nonrenewable resources Degradation of renewable resources

Natural Capital

Pollution and waste

Fig. 1-10, p. 17

Natural capital degradation

The

exponential increasing flow of material resources through the worlds economic systems depletes, degrades and pollutes the environment.
Figure 1-11

Solutions: Prevention vs. Cleanup


Problems

with relying on cleanup:

Temporary bandage without improvements in control technology. Often removes a pollutant from one part of the environment to cause problems in another. Pollutants at harmful levels can cost too much to reduce them to acceptable levels.

Poverty and Environmental Problems


1

of 3 children under 5, suffer from severe malnutrition.

Figure 1-12 and 1-13

Resource Consumption and Environmental Problems


Underconsumption Overconsumption

Affluenza: unsustainable addiction to overconsumption and materialism.

Connections between Environmental Problems and Their Causes

Figure 1-14

CULTURAL CHANGES AND THE ENVIRONMENT


Agricultural

revolution revolution

Allowed people to stay in one place.

Industrial-medical

Led shift from rural villages to urban society. Science improved sanitation and disease control.

Information-globalization

revolution

Rapid access to information.

Which

single advantage and disadvantage are the most important?

Figure 1-15

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS


Technological

optimists:

suggest that human ingenuity will keep the environment sustainable.

Environmental

pessimists:

overstate the problems where our environmental situation seems hopeless.

How Would You Vote?


To conduct an instant in-class survey using a classroom response system, access JoinIn Clicker Content from the PowerLecture main menu for Living in the Environment.

Is

the society you live in on an unsustainable path?


a. Yes: Without readily available green products and services, converting to a sustainable society is unrealistic. b. Not entirely: I'm doing what I can to improve sustainability, including recycling and using less energy.

Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability: Copy Nature


Reliance

on Solar

Energy Biodiversity Population Control Nutrient Recycling

Figure 1-16

Aldo Leopolds Environmental Ethics


Individuals

matter. land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity

Figure 1-A

Implications of the Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability

Figures 1-17 and 1-18

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