Five Rules

of the

Environment

The basics of environmental awareness & action

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Th

The Earth is a

limited System

We need five key

components to sustain

life in our environment

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1. Population drives every issue in the environment.

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2. You can’t appreciate what you don’t understand… and If you don’t appreciate our environment, its easy to treat it with disrespect

Solid Waste Go?

What is your Water Footprint?Where does your Electricity Come from?

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Gas?

Where Does your Water Go?

“June Hog” Columbia RiverChinook Salmon run before Grand Coulee hydroelectric

dam completed. Up to 125 lbsThis 85-pound Chinook salmon, a true June hog, was caught at Astoria by fisher

Tony Canessa (pictured) in 1925. Photo: Columbia River Maritime Museum

3. The “Tragedy of the Commons” happens everyday! People acting independently & in their own self-interest will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource… ….even when it is clearly not in anyone’s long term interest for this to happen or……. Even though you may know that what you want to do is not good for future generations…….you are inclined to do so because it is in your own best interest.

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4. No one Silver Bullet can solve an environmental issue The Lone Ranger quagmire – competing “goods

Kramer USFWS

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The Trade-Offs involved in solving any Environmental issue are very involved

due to all the competing interests.

5. With great power comes great

responsibility….

The Spider Man dilemma

Using Power… for Good?

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All that is necessary for

the destruction of our

environment is for good

people to do nothing. Edmund Burke (modified)

The basics of the Spider Man dilemma

Humans are the only species on Earth that have the capability of destroying all other major life forms

on the planet. Our species has great power over all others.

With this power comes great responsibility. The responsibility the ensure that our planet is clean

and healthy for all living things. It’s a choice.

5. With great power comes great responsibility….

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5 Messages to help guide Environmental Learning 1. Population drives most issues in our environment. 2. You can’t appreciate what you don’t understand… and If you don’t appreciate the environment, its easy to treat it with disrespect

3. What is the Tragedy of the Commons? the commons: Air, Water, Soil, Oceans, Energy, Fish and Land Animals… People acting independently and in their own self-interest will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource… even when it is clearly not in anyone’s long term interest for this to happen …. Even though you may know that what you want to do is not good for future generations, you are inclined to do so because it is in your own best interest.

4. No one Silver Bullet can solve an environmental issue.

The Lone Ranger quagmire – competing “goods” 5. With great power, comes great responsibility.

The Spider Man dilemmajschmied©2013

Who speaks for nature?

We have Senators, Congressmen, Judges and other elected officials… but no one is elected to represent the natural world….

So who speaks for Nature…. the air, soil, water, and the plants and animals in the environment?

If you don’t…. who will???

A parting thought for you….

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