What is your worldview?• Earth’s resources can support continued economic growth.

• It’s not possible to protect the environment without having a growing economy.

• Problems created by past technologies will be solved by future technologies.

• Perpetual growth is both good and possible.

• Nature is a storehouse of raw materials to be used to satisfy increasing human needs.

• Continued material growth is necessary to increase human quality of life.

• Technological innovations can sustain an ever-increasing human population.

• Progress means the satisfaction of increasing levels of human wishes.

• Development means essentially the same thing as growth.

• There is always an “away” to throw things to.

Expansionist Worldview: Material Growth is necessary for human happiness and is possible because of an ever-advancing technology and abundant resources.

Ecological Worldview: Earth is a finite system that cannot exhibit endless growth.

• All ten statements reflect beliefs of the Expansionist Worldview.

– If you agreed with seven or more of the statements, count yourself among the Expansionists.

– If you agreed with three or less, you probably hold the Ecological View.

– Scores from four to six suggest your worldview is mixed.

Common aspects of environmental problems

• Overpopulation

Too many people using too many resources

(Growing by 78 million/year. Future prediction based on an assumption of continued decline in birthrates)

linear

exponential

Carrying capacity??

Common aspects of environmental problems

• Overpopulation

• Resource depletion and habitat destruction

Soil erosion on farm lands

North Atlantic bluefin tuna auctioned in a Japanese fish market

Deforestation in the United States

Tropical deforestation

Fragmentation of a forest ecosystem (Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon)

The history of habitat reduction and fragmentation in a Wisconsin forest(Cadiz township)

Ohio farmland

Our Thirsty World: Efficiency or Else

Running out of Water and Time

Science Magazine(August 2006)

Water Scarcity Index

Common aspects of environmental problems

• Overpopulation

• Resource depletion and habitat destruction

• Pollution

Gulf war of 1991. Oil well fires

Figure Distribution of acid precipitation in North America and Europe(acidity compared with normal rainwater)

Acid deposition in the United States

Common aspects of environmental problems

• Overpopulation

• Resource depletion

• Pollution

All human environmental problems have their roots in one or more of the fundamental principles of ecology.

• Changes in values

Fig. 1-9. Sustainable solutions require that the concerns of sociologists, economists and ecologists intersect

Sustainable: Providing humans with a better life without depleting resources that will harm future generations.

The human factor – a brief look into the past (Ch. 2 p 49-52)

• Neolithic Revolution– The development of agriculture by humans some 10,000 years

ago leading to more permanent settlement and population increases.

• Industrial Revolution– The development of manufacturing processes using fossil fuels

and based on the application of scientific knowledge and technology (19th century).

• Environmental Revolution– A change in the adaptation of humans to the rising

deterioration of the environment.

Some U.S. History of environmental problems• Late 18th- early 19th century - European explorers claimed new lands.

Deforestation, farming, settlement and introduction of new plants, animals, and diseases.

• 19th century - frontier moved ever westward, land development, growing population

• Mid 19th century - Onset of industrialization resource depletion, pollution, but also start of first environmental movements

Some U.S. History of environmental problems• Late 18th- early 19th century - European explorers claimed new lands.

Deforestation, farming, settlement and introduction of new plants, animals, and diseases.

• 19th century - frontier moved ever westward, land development, growing population

• Mid 19th century - Onset of industrialization resource depletion, pollution, but also start of first environmental movements

• 1930s - Conversion of large tracts of former prairie to farmland. “Sod busting”, dustbowl of the 1930, depletion of soil resources spurred conservation movement

1930s Dust Bowl

Some U.S. History of environmental problems• Late 18th- early 19th century - European explorers claimed new lands.

Deforestation, farming, settlement and introduction of new plants, animals, and diseases.

• 19th century - frontier moved ever westward, land development, growing population

• Mid 19th century - Onset of industrialization resource depletion, pollution, but also start of first environmental movements

• 1930s - Conversion of large tracts of former prairie to farmland. “Sod busting”, dustbowl of the 1930, depletion of soil resources spurred conservation movement

• Early 1950s - rapid industrialization, fast population growth (“baby boom”), cheap energy

• 1960s, civil activism and environmental activism (Cuyahoga River fires, Rachel Carson’s book ‘Silent Spring’ 1962), development of environmental laws and regulations.

Rachel Carson (1962) Silent Spring

Spraying of DDT

Some U.S. History of environmental problems• Late 18th- early 19th century - European explorers claimed new lands. Deforestation,

farming, settlement and introduction of new plants, animals, and diseases.

• 19th century - frontier moved ever westward, land development, growing population

• Mid 19th century - Onset of industrialization resource depletion, pollution, but also start of first environmental movements

• 1930s - Conversion of large tracts of former prairie to farmland. “Sod busting”, dustbowl of the 1930, depletion of soil resources spurred conservation movement

• Early 1950s - rapid industrialization, fast population growth (“baby boom”), cheap energy

• 1960s, civil activism and environmental activism (Cuyahoga River fires, Rachel Carson’s book ‘Silent Spring’ 1962), development of environmental laws and regulations.

• 1970s – energy shortages, new laws, scientific search for alternative energy sources. First Earth Day. Environmental movement - first local and regional issues, then national and global concerns

• 1980s – (perception of) too much government intervention slows meaningful clean-up (‘Superfund’).

• 1990 – present - Increased recognition for longer term, more global concerns.

The growth and industrialization in the U.S. and Europe in the early 1950s was in large part due to

a) government intervention.

b) environmental activism.

c) the first law of thermodynamics.

d) the discovery of gold out west.

e) cheap energy.