Sustainability and Globalization

II. & III. Natural Capital and its degradation

Sustainability:

“meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

-from the United Nations General Assembly (1987) Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future.

Sustainability is multifaceted, with economic, social, and environmental elements all vying for attention, but without a healthy environment, the other two elements, economic and social, will have no place.

-paraphrased from Ott, K., 2003.

Natural capital:In business, capital is: Assets available for use in the production of further assets.

On the globe, natural capital is: The natural resources and services that keep life on Earth alive and support the global economy.

Natural resources:

Natural resources are materials and energy sources found in nature that we use:solar energy, coal, oil, soil, water, air, trees, fish,copper, aluminum, etc.

Natural resources:

Natural Resources are either:

renewable OR

non-renewable

Natural resources:

Renewable resources are replenished at a rate equal to, or greater than, the rate at which they are used.solar, soil, water, air, trees, fish

Natural resources:

Non-renewable resources are not replenished as fast as they are used.

coal, oil, copper, aluminum, etc.

Natural services:

Processes that occur in nature and replenish renewable resources.clean the air and water, create soil, control pests, recycle nutrients, produce food, etc.

Natural services:

Also called “Ecosystem services” because they occur within specific ecosystems.

Ecosystems:The physical factors (i.e. water, soil, air) and biological entities (plants, animals) that interact within a habitat.

Large marine wetlands

Ecosystem Services:Definition: “The benefits that a natural ecosystem provides, including products, processes that regulate and maintain the system, and cultural benefits.”World Resource Institute:http://pdf.wri.org/esr_definitions_of_ecosystem_services.pdf

Examples include: Nutrient Cycling, Water Purification, Biodiversity, Soil Formation, Food Production, Climate Regulation

Nutrient Cycling:

Nutrients: the elements/molecules that organisms need to live, grow, and reproduce.

Nutrient Cycling:

Water cycle – water purificationCarbon cycle – climate regulationPhosphorus cycle – food productionNitrogen cycle – food production

Nutrients cycle through the environment on their own, but human activities affect the cycles

What are some important aspects of ecosystems and ways human activities affect them?

Example: the nitrogen cycleExample: the water cycleExample: biodiversityExample: mineral extraction and

consumption

Nitrogen Cycle:

Nitrogen is an element that is part of many proteins and vitamins

•Nitrogen cycles from the atmosphere to bacteria in the soil.

Nitrogen Cycle:

Nitrogen is an element that is part of many proteins and vitamins

•Nitrogen cycles from the atmosphere to bacteria in the soil.•Bacteria change it so that plants can use it.

Nitrogen Cycle:

Nitrogen is an element that is part of many proteins and vitamins

•Nitrogen cycles from the atmosphere to bacteria in the soil•Bacteria change it so that plants can use it.•Animal eat the plants and build their bodies with it.

Nitrogen Cycle:

• Animal eat the plants and build their bodies with it.

• Animal waste return Nitrogen to the soil.

Nitrogen Cycle:

• Animal eat the plants and build their bodies with it.

• Animal waste return Nitrogen to the soil.

•Bacteria beak it down to a gas.

Nitrogen Cycle:

• Animal eat the plants and build their bodies with it.

• Animal waste return Nitrogen to the soil.

•Bacteria beak it down to a gas.• The Nitrogen gas returns to the

atmosphere.

Nitrogen Cycle:

Where do we interfere with it?

1. We modify the cycle by adding nitrogen to the soil in the form of fertilizer.

2. If we add more than can be taken up by the plants, then the nitrates end up in surface and ground water.

Nitrogen Cycle:

Why is this a problem?

1. In surface water, excess nitrogen will cause algae to grow faster than it can be removed by natural processes upsetting the chemical balance in the body of water (similar to the effect of excess phosphorus).

Nitrogen Cycle:

Why is this a problem?

2. Nitrates in groundwater used for human consumption can cause health problems for babies (born and unborn) and young by decreasing the oxygen carrying capacity of blood.

Nutrient Cycling:

Water cycle – water purificationCarbon cycle – climate regulationPhosphorus cycle – food productionNitrogen cycle – food production

These cycle through the environment on their own, but we play a part in them and we modify them.

Water Cycle:

An Ecosystem Service that renews the renewable resource of clean water.

Water Cycle:

• Only about 0.024% of the earth’swater is readily available for life to use.

Water Cycle:

• Only about 0.024% of the earth’swater is readily available for life to use.

• Most of the Earth’s water is in the oceans and too salty to use.

Water Cycle:

• Only about 0.024% of the earth’swater is readily available for life to use.

• Most of the Earth’s water is in the oceans and too salty to use.

• As water moves through the watercycle, it is cleaned and brought within our reach.

The Water Cycle is Global:

The Water Cycle purifies:

• Evaporation only moves the water molecule to the atmosphere

• Salt and other dissolved chemicals are left behind.

• Precipitation returns the water to land.

The Water Cycle purifies:

• Bacteria can break down some waste in streams and in groundwater.

• Groundwater is naturally filtered as it moves through soil and rock

How we modify it:

• We use freshwater for agriculture and industry.

• We pollute parts of the region the water cycles through.

How we modify it:

We use freshwater faster than it can be replenished, e.g.,

Sea of Aral

Photo by NASA

Photos by NASA1989 2003

2009

Today, the Aral Sea is only 10% of its original size

How we modify it:

• We use freshwater faster than it can be replenished.

• Clearing land for agriculture and urbanization causes more run-off and less water soaking into the ground to replenish the groundwater supply—and leads to more flooding.

We pollute parts of the cycle:

• Oceans: affects the biodiversity, but only water is evaporated into the atmosphere.

We pollute parts of the cycle:

• Oceans: affects the biodiversity, but only water is evaporated into the atmosphere.

• Streams and lakes: can cleanse through natural processes only if they are not overloaded with pollutants.

We pollute parts of the cycle:

• Oceans: affects the biodiversity, but only water is evaporated into the atmosphere

• Streams and lakes: can cleanse through natural processes only if they are not overloaded with pollutants.

• Groundwater: Slow to cleanse, best to prevent from occurring

Biodiversity as an Ecosytem service:

• Biodiversity is the variety of the species on the Earth.

• Also, within species there is genetic variation.

Benefits of Biodiversity:

• Supplies us with food, medicine, building materials and energy.

• Preserves quality of water, air and soil.

• Controls disease and pests.

Threats to Biodiversity:• Lost of habitat:

caused by: agriculture, urbanization, climate change, pollution

• Introduced species (Invasive species)

Intentional

Unintentional

Threats to Biodiversity:• Introduced species (Invasive species)

– Kudzu

Photo: Kentucky Division of Forestry

Threats to Biodiversity:• Introduced species (Invasive species)

– Gypsy moth

Photos: Illinois Dept of Agriculture

Non-renewable Resources:• If it isn’t grown, it’s mined.

• Mineral resources include:

• copper, iron, lithium, silicon…

Non-renewable Mineral Resources:

• Appear plentiful to us in the USA because we import what we don’t supply.

• If world-wide demand increases, there will be less to import.

• New technology increases demands for minerals, which are not mined in the US.

Non-renewable Mineral Resources:

• New technology increases demands for minerals, which are not mined in the US.

• Lithium is not mined in the US.

• But demand is increasing as lithium is used in batteries for electric cars.

• Lithium is mined in China.

Non-renewable Mineral Resources:

• Reducing use where possible and recycling are needed to make non- renewable mineral resources sustainable.

• Effect of mining on the environmental is not fully included in the cost of extracting these resources.

Non-renewable Energy Resources:

• Gas, oil, coal, uranium

• In US we are aware that we import much of our oil.

• Effect of extracting and using on the environmental is not fully included in the cost of these resources.

The effect of extracting oil on the environ-ment is not fully included in the cost.