Introductions

BIOL1040 Environmental Science

BIOL1040 Environmental Science

http://people.nnu.edu/jocossel/BIOL1040/BIOL1040_index_2012.htm

Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and

Sustainability

Chapter 1

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE?

Environmental science is a study of connections in nature

• Environment…

• Science…

• Ecology…

• Environmentalism…

WHAT ARE THREE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY?

Three principles of sustainability

Sustainability has certain key components

• Life depends on ________________, ________________and ______________.

• Many human activities can degrade natural capital.

• Solutions are being found and implemented.

• Sustainability begins at personal and local levels.

Key natural resources and services

Fig. 1-3, p. 9

Natural CapitalSolar

energy

Air

Air purification

Climate control

UV protection (ozone layer)

Life (biodiversity)

Water Population control

Pest control

Waste treatment

Nonrenewable minerals

(iron, sand)

Soil Land

Soil renewal Food production

Natural gas Nutrient recycling

Nonrenewable energy

(fossil fuels)

Coal seam

Natural resources

Natural services

Oil

Natural Capital = Natural Resources + Natural Services

Renewable energy (sun, wind, water

flows)

Water purification

Nutrient cycling

Fig. 1-4, p. 10

Organic matter in animals

Dead organic matter

Organicmatter

in plantsDecomposition

Inorganic matter in soil

Some resources are renewable and some are not

• Humans depend on resources to meet our needs.• A perpetual resource is …

• A renewable resource is …

• Sustainable yield is …

Some resources are renewable and some are not

• Some resources are not renewable.– Nonrenewable resources exist in fixed

quantities.– – –

• Sustainable solutions: 3Rs

Rich and poor countries have different environmental impacts

• Developed countries include the high income ones– e.g.

• Developing countries include the low income ones– e.g.

HOW ARE OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS AFFECTING THE

EARTH?

We are living unsustainably

• Environmental, or natural capital, degradation is occurring.

• We have solutions to these problems that can be implemented.

Degradation of normally renewable natural resources

Fig. 1-5, p. 11

Natural Capital Degradation

Degradation of Normally Renewable Natural Resources

Climate change

Shrinkingforests

Air pollutionDecreased wildlifehabitats

Species extinction

Soil erosion

Water pollution

Declining ocean fisheriesAquifer

depletion

Pollution comes from a number of sources

• Point sources are …

• Nonpoint sources are …

• We can ____________ or ____________.

• Which is “better”? Why?

The tragedy of the commons: overexploiting shared renewable resources

• In 1968, the biologist Garrett Hardin called the degradation of openly shared resources the tragedy of the commons.

• Reducing degradation.– Reduce use by government regulations.– Shift to private ownership.

Ecological footprints: our environmental impacts

• Ecological footprint is …

• Per capita ecological footprint is …

Ecological footprints: our environmental impacts

• Ecological deficit means the ecological footprint is ________ than the biological capacity to replenish resources and absorb wastes and pollution.

• Humanity is living ________________.

• Footprints can also be expressed as …

Fig. 1-8, p. 14

Total Ecological Footprint (million hectares) and Share of Global Biological Capacity (%)

Per Capita Ecological Footprint (hectares per person)

United States 2,810 (25%) United States 9.7

European Union 2,160 (19%) European Union 4.7

China 2,050 (18%) China 1.6

India 780 (7%) India 0.8

Japan 540 (5%) Japan 4.8

2.5Unsustainable living

2.0

1.5Projected footprint

1.0

Nu

mb

er o

f E

arth

s

0.5

Ecological footprint Sustainable living

1961 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

Year

0

I = P x A x T

WHY DO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?

Fig. 1-10, p. 16

Causes of Environmental Problems

Population growth

Unsustainable resource use

Poverty Excluding environmental costs from market prices

The human population is growing exponentially at a rapid rate

• Human population is increasing at a fixed percentage so that we are experiencing doubling of larger and larger populations.

• Human population in 2009 was about ____ billion.

• Based on the current increase rate there will be ____ billion people by 2050.

• We can slow population growth.

?

Industrial revolution

Black Death—the Plague

2–5 million years

4000

B. C. A. D.

8000 6000 2000 2000 2100

Hunting and gathering

Agricultural revolution Industrial revolution

Time

Billio

ns o

f peo

ple

0

13

1211

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Fig. 1-11, p. 16

Affluence has harmful and beneficial environmental effects

• Wealth results in high levels of …

• Average American consumes _____ times as much as the average consumer in India.

• “Shop-until-you-drop” affluent consumers are afflicted with a disorder called ___________.

• Affluence has provided what positives?

Poverty has harmful environmental and health effects

• How do you know if you are “poor”?

• One in every five people live in extreme poverty (<$ ), and more are susceptible.

Poverty has harmful environmental and health effects

• Poverty causes harmful environmental and health effects.–

– –

– –

Fig. 1-13, p. 18

Lack of access to

Number of people (% of world's population)

Adequate sanitation facilities

2.6 billion (37%)

Enough fuel for heating and cooking 2 billion (29%)

Electricity 2 billion (29%)

Clean drinking water

1.1 billion (16%)Adequate health care

1 billion (14%)Adequate housing

Enough food for good health

900 million (13%)

1 billion (14%)

Malnutrition

Prices of goods and services due not include harmful environmental and health costs

• •

• ________________ may increase environmental degradation.

• There are ways to include harmful costs of goods and services.– –

People have different views about environmental problems and their solutions

• Each individual has their own environmental worldview—

• Environmental ethics are …

• ______________________________ holds that we are separate from and in charge of nature.

People have different views about environmental problems and their solutions

• _____________________ holds that we can and should manage the earth for our benefit, but that we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers.

• ______________________ holds that we are part of, and dependent on, nature and that nature exists for all species, not just for us.

WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY?

What is an environmentally sustainable society?

• Environmentally sustainable societies protect natural capital and live off its income.– –

• We can work together to solve environmental problems.–

–

Three Big Ideas

1.

2.

3.