Sustainability is the ultimate goal of sound environmental science & policy. SUSTAINABILTY: Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. WELL-BEING: the status of being healthy, happy, & prosperous Remember: sustainability is the ultimate goal of environmental science Problem: we have degraded natural resources to temporarily improve human well-being

Economics studies how scarce resources are allocated. ECONOMICS: examines how humans either as individuals or as companies allocate scarce resources in the production, distribution, and consumption of goods & services.Supply, Demand, & the Market Most economies are market economies

Where people engage in trade Costs of goods and services are determined by supply and demand Supply (S): amount available Demand (D): amount consumers want to buy The cost will reach an equilibrium point (E) when supply is equal to demand Does not take the cost of externalities into account E.g. air, land, and water pollution, health care costs, cleanup after environmental disasters, more severe storms, climate change, etc.

Wealth & Productivity Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Measures the value of all goods and services produced by a country in a year. Calculated based on spending and imports vs. exports Misleading because externalities are not taken into account

Intended as an indicator of well-being but not accurate Higher spending on disaster cleanup or illness would raise GDP but indicates lower well-being

GDP increases when: society has great deal of illness, costs for health care, population slows down

Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) Includes consumption, income distribution, education, health, resource depletion, and

pollution. More accurate than GDP GPI is stable or declining in most places as GDP rises

The Kuznets Curve As per capita income increases, environmental degradation first increases then decreases Worsens as people become wealthier and use more energy and resources Decreases as technology improves and ideals shift Not applicable to all situations

E.g. greenhouse emissions and waste generation Some problems aren’t solved with wealth and technology Technology in Developing Countries May advance much quicker than developed countries Can adopt technology (technology transfer) or leapfrog outdated technologies entirely

Ex: no electricity to solar power Can alter Kuznets Curve and lessen environmental degradation MICROLENDING: small amounts of money to many small businesses also helps jumpstart economies and reduce environmental damage.Benefits of Microlending

Economic health depends on the availability of natural capital & basic human welfare.Economic Assets Natural Capital Resources of the planet Air, water, minerals, etc. Human Capital Knowledge and abilities Manufactured Capital Goods and services that we produce All economic systems require a foundation of natural capital Most important typeEnvironmental and Ecological Economics Take natural systems into account Assign monetary value to natural capital through valuation Based on: What someone will pay for their benefit (e.g. tourism) Public surveys Difficult to estimate Likely over $30 trillionSustainable Economic Systems Based on maximizing the utilization of resources, energy, & human laborLess Sustainable Economy Maximize resource extraction Large waste stream Ecosystem services are underutilized More Sustainable Economy Greater use of ecosystem services Less resource extraction Minimize waste stream

Agencies, laws, and regulations are designed to protect our natural and human capital.Environmental Worldviews ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEW: it is how you think the world works, how you view your role in it, and

what you believe to be proper environmental behavior. ANTHROPOCENTRIC: human-centered…worldview considers that human beings have intrinsic value STEWARDSHIP: life-centered…worldview holds that humans are just one of many species BIOCENTRIC: life-centered…worldview holds that humans are just one of many species on Earth, all of which have = intrinsic values ECOCENTRIC: Earth-centered…worldview places = value on all living organisms and the ecosystems in which they live, and it demands that we consider nature free of any associations with our own existencePrecautionary Principle

World Agencies UNITED NATIONS (UN): institutions dedicated to promoting dialogue among countries with the goal of maintain world peace. UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME (UNEP): gathers environmental info., conducts research, & assess environmental problems…international agency for negotiating certain environmental treaties. WORLD BANK:

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO):

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP): help people obtain a better life thru development: addresses issues like: dem. Gov., poverty reduction, crisis prevention/recovery, environmental/energy issues, and prevention of the spread of AIDS/HIV. Other Agencies would be like nongov. organizations (NGOs)US Agencies dedicated to monitoring the human impact on the environment and promoting environmental and human health ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA): oversees all gov. efforts related to the environment OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ADMINISTRAION (OSHA): responsible for the enforcement of health and safety regulations. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE): gathers data on the use of energy in the US and elsewhere

There are several approaches to measuring and achieving sustainability. Human Development Index (HDI) Depends on: Life expectancy Literacy rate & education Standard of living (per capita GDP and individual purchasing power) Used to : Determine if a country is underdeveloped, developing, or developed Rank countries by level of development Human Poverty Index (HPI) Counterpart of HDI First used to investigate suffering in a country with a high HDI

Depends on: Longevity (% of the population expected to die before 40) Knowledge (illiteracy rate) Standard of living (% of the country without access to clean water and health care & # of

underweight children under 5)US Policies for Promoting SustainabilityThe Policy Process in the US

Deterrents and Incentives Command-and-control approach Regulations and fines Incentive-based approach Money for desired changes Green tax Placed on destructive activities (e.g. pollution) Tax credits/rebates For green technology Cap-and-trade Companies can sell pollution rights to others Triple Bottom Line Take into account econ., environ., social factors in making decisions about business, the econ., and development

Two major challenges of our time are reducing poverty and stewarding the environment.Poverty & Inequity 1/6 of pop. is in poverty & 1/6 of that pop. earns less than $1/day & half earns less than $2/day over the past 100 years, GDP has increased in developed nations UNMD IS TRYING TO: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger achieve universal primary education promote gender equality & empower women improve maternal health combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases ensure environmental sustainability develop a global partnership for developmentEnvironmental Justice social movement and a field of study Individual & Community Action ”If the people lead, the leaders will follow.” Green for All Energy Independence & Security Act