Introduction to the Environment

What is the Environment?Common view of the environment as a wildlife area

Traditional societies view the environment in reverential terms, fear the destruction of nature

New perspectives of the environment due to space travel

Perspective of the ”Big Blue Marble”

Big Blue Marble

What is the significance of this picture of the earth?Meaning of such terms as “ecosphere” or “spaceship earth”Inter-relatedness of the earth’s basic systems of land, water, oceans, seas, clouds and other physical phenomenaEnvironmental problems do not respect state boundariesMajor environmental concepts- ecosystem, carrying capacity, and tragedy of the commons

EcosystemInterrelationship of species (both plant and animals) in a given environment

Changes in one part of system has an effect on other systems

Diversity of systems crucial to survival

Influence of modernity on ecosystems

Fragility of all ecosystems- ecosystems can be destroyed if devastated

Carrying CapacityMaximum rate of exploitation of a given resource that can be carried on indefinitely

Regenerative capability of a resource dependent on the consumptive habits of the population

Consumptive habits of Americans and South Asians

Average American uses 5 to 20 times the food, water, mineral resources, and energy as a person from South Asia

Tragedy of the CommonsConcept developed by Garrett Hardin

Practice of English farmers grazing on the town commons area

Commons was a “free good”, ie. Didn’t cost anybody to use it.

No incentive to restrict herbs

English commons was destroyed just like the global commons is being destroyed by air pollution, ocean pollution, deforestation, hunting of species to extinction