Introduction. Chapter 1. Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability. Environment: Ecology: Environmental Science: 11_apes_01_a.

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1 Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Environment: Ecology: Environmental Science: Introduction 1

2 Environmentalists and Economists can draw disparate conclusions from the same data; what do you see below? Solar Capital and Earth Capital Solar Capital: Earth Capital: Environment: 2

3 What is a sustainable system? Sustainability a system that can survive and function a sustainable society manages it s economy and population size without Carrying Capacity Carrying capacity is the maximum Variables 3

4 Living Off Earth's Capital Would you eat the goose that lays the golden egg? If you have one million in the bank at 10% interest, you earn $100,000 year. If you spend just $110,000 per year you will be bankrupt in 18 years Natural cycles will provide for us if we Sustainable Resource Harvest: More Sustainability Sustainable Earth: Sustainable Society: 4

5 Linear vs. Exponential Growth Linear growth: Exponential Growth: Described as a Used to find the Rule of = Doubling % growth rate Time How many years will it take the world population to double if the growth rate is 1.35% *Important to simplify the math because calculators are not allowed on the APES Exam. 5

6 Population Growth Rate Population is growing exponentially at a worldwide rate of 1.35%. In developing countries it is 1.7%. In developed countries it is.1%. ountry&idim=country:usa:chn:tcd&tdim=true&tstart= &tunit=Y&tlen=49 &hl=en&dl=en Population Growth 6

7 Economic Growth Economic growth is the capacity to Gross National Product: Gross Domestic Product: Gross World Product: Economic Growth The problem with GNP is the higher the GNP the more resource depletion and environmental damage. GNP is NOT the best indicator of quality of life. More Developed Countries (MDC) Average per capita GNP is above Less Developed Countries (LDC) Average per capita GNP is below 7

8 Economic Development Countries are classified at either developing or developed based on the per capita GNP and their level of industrialization. Developed countries: U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and all of Europe. per capita GNP greater than $10,000 generate 75% of pollution use 88% of resources have 85% of wealth make up 20% of population Developing countries: Africa, Asia, Latin America 80% of population some are middle income $1,000 to $10,000 per capita GNP like South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Malaysia some are low income with a per capita GNP of less than 1,000 like India, Pakistan, China 95% of population growth will take place in developing countries Rich vs. Poor Countries 8

9 Environmentally Sustainable Development Economic growth has allowed us to Live longer be healthier have more comfort It has not allowed us to stop environmental problems Wipe out poverty Environmentally Sustainable Environment encourages sustainable forms of economic growth that meets the basic needs of the current generations of humans without preventing future generations and other species from meeting their basic needs discourages environmentally harmful and unsustainable forms of economic growth it requires that governments, businesses and individuals integrate environmental goals into their decision making process 9

10 The Wealth Gap The gap between the per capita GNP of the rich, middle income and poor has widened More than 1 billion people survive on less than one dollar per day Situation has worsened since 1980 Resources anything that we get from the environment to meet our needs and desires perpetual resource: something that is continually renewed like solar energy renewable: On a human time scale something that can be renewed fairly rapidly (Within decades) 10

11 Resources Biodiversity Genetic Diversity Variety in a genetic makeup among individuals within a single species Species Diversity Variety among the species or distinct types of living organisms found in different habitats of the planet Ecological Diversity Variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, streams, lakes, oceans, wetlands, and other communities 11

12 Sustainable Yield Renewable resources SUSTAINABLE YIELD: Tragedy of The Commons by Garrett Hardin : Overuse of common property resources, which are owned by no one but available to everyone free of charge. For example clean air, oceans, fish, Antarctica. This leads to exploitation then no one can use the resource. If I don t use this resource then someone else will, the little bit I pollute is not enough to matter This may convert potentially renewable resources into non renewable resources. Non Renewable Resources Resources that exist in energy resources like coal, gas, uranium which are burned and lost metallic mineral resources that can recycled Non metallic mineral resources that are difficult to recycle Reserves: 12

13 Pollution Any addition to air, water, soil, or food that threatens the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms Solid, liquid, or gaseous by products or wastes Point Source Pollutants From a single, identifiable sources Smokestack of a power plant Drainpipe of a meat packing plant Exhaust pipe of an automobile 13

14 Nonpoint Source Pollutants Dispersed and often difficult to identify sources Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides Storm Drains (#1 source of oil spills in oceans) Chemical Nature Negativity of Pollutant Concentration Persistence 14

15 Pollution: Solutions Pollution Prevention Pollution Cleanup Four R's of Resource Management Key Environmental Problems and their Root Causes rapid population growth rapid and wasteful use of resources with little emphasis on pollution prevention degradation of life support systems poverty failure of economic and political systems to have market prices that include environmental costs Our urge to dominate and manage nature for our use with far too little knowledge of how nature works Population x Affluence x Technology = Environmental Impact 15

16 P x A x T = EI 16

17 Environmental Worldviews How people think the world works, what they think their role in the world should be and what they believe is right and wrong environmental behaviors. Environmental management worldview: human beings, earth s dominant species should manage the planet for their own benefit. Part of this is that we are apart from nature, the earth has an unlimited supply of resources, economic growth increases human well being and the potential for human growth is unlimited and our success depends on how well we control and exploit nature. Earth wisdom worldview: the belief that we are a part of nature and it does not just exist for us. Resources are limited; our success depends on learning how the earth changes and adapting to it. Environmental Worldviews Who should we believe? The precautionary principle Try not to be overwhelmed by the environmental bad news because there is a lot of good environmental news. 17

18 Chapter 2 Environmental History 18

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