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