part i: humans and sustainability chapter 1: environmental problems, their causes, and...
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PART I: HUMANS AND SUSTAINABILITY
CHAPTER 1: ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, THEIR CAUSES, AND SUSTAINABILITY
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11 Billio
ns o
f peo
ple
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02-5 million
years8000 6000 4000 2000 2000 2100
Hunting and gathering
Black Death–the Plague
Time
Industrialrevolution
Agricultural revolution
B.C. A.D.
THE WORLD IS IN AN EXPONENTIAL AGE
World total
Developingcountries
Developedcountries
Po
pu
lati
on
(b
illi
on
s)
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11
10
9
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7
6
5
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3
2
1
1950
2000 2050 2100
Year
THIS CENTURY POPULATION GROWTH WILL OCCUR IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Solar Energy is perpetual
Air
Water
Soil
Energy
Minerals
RESOURCES OR NATURAL CAPITAL
PopulationControl
NutrientRecycling
ClimateControl
PollutionControl
WasteTreatment
Biodiversity
Pest &DiseaseControl
SERVICES
Resources
Perpetual Nonrenewable
Renewable
Freshair
Freshwater
Fertilesoil
Plants andanimals
(biodiversity)
Directsolar
energy
Winds, tides,
flowing water
Fossilfuels
Metallic minerals
Non- metallic
minerals
(iron, copper,
aluminum)
(clay, sand,
phosphates)
RESOURCES ARE:1. PERPETUAL;2. RENEWABLE; OR,3. NON-RENEWABLE
WAYS TO MEASURE (CURRENT $) ECONOMIC GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, POVERTY AND GLOBALIZATION
• GROSS NATIONAL INCOME (PRODUCT) (GNI) is the market value in of all goods and services produced in and outside of a country during a year (contrast with Gross Domestic Product).
• GROSS WORLD PRODUCT (GWP) is the market value of all goods and services produced in the world during a year.
• GNI IN PURCHASING POWER PARITY (GNI PPP) is the market value of a country's GNI in terms of goods and services it would buy in U.S. This is a good way to compare living standards among countries.
• GENUINE PROGRESS INDICATOR (GPI) evaluates economic output by subtracting expenses that do not improve the environment from the GDP and adding services that improve the environment not currently in the GDP.
United States
The Netherlands
India
CountryPer Capita Ecological Footprint(Hectares of land per person)
10.9
5.9
1.0
CountryTotal Ecological Footprint
(Hectares)
United States
The Netherlands
India
3 billion hectares
94 million hectares
1 billion hectares
Time
Res
ou
rce
pro
du
ctio
n Area under curveequals the totalamount of the
resource. Economic depletion(80% used up)
NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCE USE AND DEPLETION FOLLOWS A PREDICTABLE PATTERN
Air Pollution
• Global climate change• Stratospheric ozone
depletion• Urban air pollution• Acid deposition• Outdoor pollutants• Indoor pollutants• Noise
Biodiversity Depletion
• Habitat destruction• Habitat degradation• Extinction
Water Pollution
• Sediment• Nutrient overload• Toxic chemicals• Infectious agents• Oxygen depletion• Pesticides• Oil spills• Excess heat
Waste Production
• Solid waste• Hazardous waste
Food Supply Problems
• Overgrazing• Farmland loss
and degradation• Wetlands loss
and degradation• Overfishing• Coastal pollution• Soil erosion• Soil salinization• Soil waterlogging• Water shortages• Groundwater depletion• Loss of biodiversity• Poor nutrition
MajorEnvironmental
Problems
• Rapid population growth
• Unsustainable resource use
• Poverty
• Not including the environmental costs of economic goods and services in their market prices
• Trying to manage and simplify nature with too little knowledge about how it works
FIVE BASIC CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
MILLER IGNORES NO EDUCATION, GENDER/RACE DISCRIMINATION AND WAR AS CAUSES
Earth’s Life-Support System Human Culturesphere
Air(atmosphere)
Water(hydrosphere)
Soil and rocks(lithosphere)
Life(biosphere)
Population Technology
Economics Politics
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE INVOLVES THE INTERACTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND SERVICES WITH HUMAN SOCIETIES. THIS SEPARATES IT
FROM ECOLOGY
3
Harvesting for2 to 5 years
1 Clearingand burningvegetation
2
Planting
4Allowingto revegetate10 to 30 years
SLASH/BURN PRACTICES IN TROPICAL FORESTS INVOLVE A CONTEMPORARY TYPE OF NOMADIC/AGRICULTURAL LIFE STYLE THAT FORMERLY WAS
HARMLESS, BUT TODAY IS ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE
Figure 1-14Page 14
Agricultural Revolution
Bad NewsGood News
More Food
Supported a larger population
Higher standardof living for manypeople
Longer lifeexpectancy
Formation ofvillages, towns,and cities
Towns and citiesserved as centersfor trade,government,and religion
Destruction ofwildlife habitats fromclearing forests andgrasslands
Killing of wildanimals feeding ongrass or crops
Fertile land turnedinto desert bylivestockovergrazing
Soil eroded intostreams and lakes
Towns and citiesconcentratedwasted and pollutionand increasedspread of diseases
Increase in armedconflict and slaveryover ownership ofland and waterresources
THIS IS A HIGH ENERGY & RESOURCE INDUSTRY THAT IS PRODUCTIVE
BUT NOT SUSTAINABLE
Figure 1-15Page 14
Industrial Revolution
Bad NewsGood News
Mass productionuseful and affordable products
Higher standard ofliving For many
Greatly increasedagriculturalproduction
Lower infantmortality
Longer lifeexpectancy
IncreasedUrbanization
Lower rate ofpopulation growth
Increased waterpollution
Increased airpollution
Increased wasteproduction
Soil depletion anddegradation
Groundwaterdepletion
Habitat destructionand degradation
Biodiversitydepletion
STARTED 200 YEARS AGO SUPPORTS THE AGRICULTURAL GREEN REVOLUTION
Figure 1-16Page 15
Information Revolution
Bad NewsGood News
Computer-generated modelsand maps of theearth’senvironmentalsystems
Remote sensingsatellite surveysthe world’s environmentalsystems
Ability to respondto environmentalproblems moreeffectively andrapidly
Information overloadcan cause confusionand sense ofhopelessness
Globalized economycan increaseenvironmentaldegradation byhomogenizing thethe earth’s surface
Globalized economycan decreasecultural diversity
Figure 1-17Page 16Pollution cleanup
Waste disposal(bury or burn)
Protecting species
Environmentaldegradation
Increased resourceuse
Population growth
Depleting anddegrading naturalcapital
SustainabilityEmphasisCurrent
Emphasis
Pollution prevention (cleaner production)
Waste prevention and reduction
Protecting where species live (habitat protection)
Environmental restoration
Less wasteful (more efficient) resource use
Population stabilization by decreasing birth rates
Protecting natural capital and living off the biological interest it provides
THE METHODS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY EXIST