Living in an Exponential Age: 1.Describe the concept of exponential growth. 2.How has the growth rate of the human population changed since 1963? 3.Assuming.

Living in an Exponential Age:

1. Describe the concept of exponential growth.

2. How has the growth rate of the human population changed since 1963?

3. Assuming static growth and death rates, it is estimated that the population will surpass 9 billion by 2050. Why are environmentalists concerned? (consumption/production)

4. The # of people the earth can sustain is yet to be determined. What are some disturbing signs that we are nearing that limit?(2)

Living in an Exponential Age

Fig. 1-1, p. 1

Hunting and gathering

Agricultural revolution

Industrial revolution

Black Death—the Plague

Industrial revolution

Fig. 1-1, p. 5

Living in an Exponential Age:1. Describe the concept of exponential growth.

Quantities increase by a fixed percentage over time2. How has the growth rate of the human population changed

since 1963? Slowed

3. Assuming static growth and death rates, it is estimated that the population will surpass 9 billion by 2050. Why are environmentalists concerned? (consumption/production) Consumption of food, water, raw materials and energy Production of solid waste and pollution

4. The # of people the earth can sustain is yet to be determined. What are some disturbing signs that we are nearing that limit?(2) Loss of species (1/31/2) Climate change caused by deforestation and burning of fossil

fuels

Is there a solution to the impending environmental crisis?

Understand our environment

Practice sustainability

Chapter 1(1.1)Environmental Problems,

Their Causes, and Sustainability

Objectives:1. Define environmental science as an

interdisciplinary science2. Understand the term sustainability

and key components3. How do you we become

environmentally sustainable

I. Studying Connections in Nature (4)

1. Environment Everything around us

both living and nonliving

2. Environmental science Interdisciplinary study

of humanities relationship with the environment

Philosophyand

religion Biology

Ethics

Chemistry

Ecology

Physics

Geology

Geography

Anthropology

Demography

Economics

Politicalscience

Fig. 1-2, p. 7

Continued….

3. Ecology Biological science studying the relationship

between living things and their environment Ecosystems

• Set of organisms interacting with each other and within a defined area containing nonliving matter and energy

4. Environmentalism A social science dedicated to protecting the

earth More political than science

II. Sustainability

Sustainability• Ability of the earth, humans, and economies to

survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely without depletion of capital

A. Components of Sustainability (2)

1. Natural capital• The natural resources and natural services

provided by nature (figure 1-3) Ex. Air air purification Water water purification Life population Control

Components cont…..

A. Natural Resources Materials and energy in nature that are

essential useful or necessary for humans

a. Materials• Renewable

• Nonrenewable

b. Energy• Solar capital

• Photosynthesis

Components cont….

B. Natural Services Functions of nature

• Purification of air, water

• Nutrient cycling critical for “life” chemicals to cycle back and forth

between living and nonliving parts of the environment

Nutrient Cycling

Deadorganicmatter

Organicmatter inanimals

Organicmatter in

plants

Inorganicmatter in soil

Decomposition

Fig. 1-4, p. 9

Components cont….

2. Consumption rate > renewal rate Human activities degrading renewable

resources faster than the rate at which they are renewed• Ex. Deforestation, overfishing

3. Scientific search for solutions Implementation involves economic and political

systemsEx. Stop deforestation will have an economic

impact and require laws and regulations Conflict!

4. Trade-off or compromise to satisfy needs

Ex. Establishing tree farms in areas that have already been cleared

2. Sustainable Living from Natural Capital

Environmentally sustainable society Meets the resource needs currently without

compromising future generations• Protect the natural capital while living off the

natural income

Natural capital and natural income

Bad news: signs of natural capital depletion at exponential rates• Overusing 62% of the earth’s natural services

Summary:

What Is an Environmentally Sustainable Society?

Our lives and economies depend on energy from the sun (solar capital) and natural resources and natural services (natural capital) provided by the earth.

Sustainable living means living off earth’s natural income without depleting or degrading the natural capital that supplies it.

1-2 How Can Environmentally Sustainable Societies Grow Economically?

Concept 1-2 Societies can become more environmentally sustainable through economic development dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone without degrading the earth’s life-support systems.

Economics

Economic growth

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Per capita GDP – PPP

Economic development

Developed countries

Developing countries

Global Outlook

Fig. 1-5, p. 10

Percentage of World's:

Population

Populationgrowth

Wealth andincome

Resourceuse

Pollutionand waste

18%

77 years

0.1%

85%15%

88%

12%

75%

25%

Life expectancy

82%

1.5%

66 years

1-3 How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth?

Concept 1-3 As our ecological footprints grow, we are depleting and degrading more of the earth’s natural capital.

Natural Resources (1)

Perpetual – renewed continuously• Solar energy

Renewable – hours to decades• Water, air

• Forest, grasslands

Natural Resources (2)

Sustainable yield • Highest use while maintaining supply

Environmental degradation• Exceed natural replacement rate

Natural Resources (3)

Nonrenewable – fixed quantities• Energy (fossil fuels)

• Metallic minerals

• Nonmetallic minerals

Recycling

Reuse

Natural Capital Degradation

Fig. 1-6, p. 12

Reuse and Recycling

Fig. 1-7, p. 12

Measuring Environmental Impact

Ecological footprint• Biological capacity to replenish resources and

adsorb waste and pollution

Per capita ecological footprint• Renewable resource use per individual

Ecological Footprint

Fig. 1-8, p. 13

Fig. 1-8, p. 13

Stepped Art

Projected footprint

Ecological footprint

Earth’s ecological capacity

Total Ecological Footprint (million hectares) and share of Global Ecological Capacity (%)

Per Capita Ecological Footprint (hectares per person)

Case Study: China

Rapidly developing country• Middle-class affluent lifestyles

World’s leading consumer in:• Wheat, rice, meat, coal, fertilizers, steel, cement• Televisions, cell phones, refrigerators

Future consumption• 2/3 world grain harvest• Twice world’s current paper production• Exceed current global oil production

1-4 What Is Pollution and What Can We Do about It?

Concept 1-4 Preventing pollution is more effective and less costly than cleaning up pollution.

Pollution

What is pollution?

Point sources

Nonpoint sources

Unwanted effects of pollution

Point Source Air Pollution

Fig. 1-9, p. 15

Solutions to Pollution

Pollution prevention (input control)• Front-of-the-pipe

Pollution cleanup (output control)• End-of-the-pipe

Disadvantages of Output Control

Temporary• Growth in consumption may offset technology

Moves pollutant from one place to another• Burial

• Incineration

Dispersed pollutants costly to clean up

1-5 Why Do We Have Environmental Problems?

Concept 1-5A Major causes of environmental problems are population growth, wasteful and unsustainable resource use, poverty, excluding the environmental costs of resource use from the market prices of goods and services, and trying to manage nature with insufficient knowledge.

Concept 1-5B People with different environmental worldviews often disagree about the seriousness of environmental problems and what we should do about them.

Causes of Environmental Problems

Population growth

Wasteful and unsustainable resource use

Poverty

Failure to include environmental costs of goods and services in market prices

Too little knowledge of how nature works

Five Basic Causes of Environmental Problems

Fig. 1-10, p. 16

Fig. 1-10, p. 16

Trying to manage nature without knowing enoughabout it

Populationgrowth

Unsustainableresource use

Poverty Excludingenvironmental costs from market prices

Fig. 1-10, p. 16

Stepped Art

Causes of Environmental Problems

Trying to manage nature without knowing enoughabout it

Excludingenvironmental costs from market prices

PovertyUnsustainableresource use

Populationgrowth

Some Harmful Results of Poverty

Fig. 1-11, p. 16

Number of people(% of world's population)

0.84 billion (13%)

1 billion (15%)

1.1 billion (16%)

1.1 billion (16%)

2 billion (30%)

2 billion (30%)

2.6 billion (39%)

Enough foodfor good health

Adequatehousing

Adequatehealth care

Clean drinkingwater

Electricity

Enough fuel forheating and cooking

Adequatesanitation facilities

Lack ofaccess to

Global Connections

Fig. 1-12, p. 16

Environmental Effects of Affluence

Harmful effects• High consumption and waste of resources

• Advertising – more makes you happy

Beneficial effects• Concern for environmental quality

• Provide money for environmental causes

• Reduced population growth

Evaluating Full Cost of Resources Use

Examples• Clear-cutting + habitat loss

• Commercial fishing + depletion of fish stocks

Tax breaks

Subsidies

Environmental Viewpoints

Environmental worldview

Environmental ethics

Planetary management worldview

Stewardship worldview

Environmental wisdom worldview

Social capital

Case Study: Chattanooga, Tennessee (1)

1960s • Dirtiest air in the United States

• Toxic waste in Tennessee River

• High unemployment, crime

1984• Vision 2000 – grassroots consensus

Case Study: Chattanooga, Tennessee (2)

1995• Zero emission industries, buses

• Low-income renovations, downtown renewal

Individuals matter!

1-6 What Are Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability?

Concept 1-6 Nature has sustained itself for billions of years by using solar energy, biodiversity, population regulation, and nutrient cycling – lessons from nature that we can apply to our lifestyles and economies.

Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability

Fig. 1-13, p. 20

Population Control

Reliance onSolar Energy

Biodiversity

Nutrient Cycling

Learning to Live More Sustainably

Fig. 1-14, p. 20

Increasing resource use

Sustainability EmphasisCurrent Emphasis

Pollution prevention

Waste prevention

Protecting habitat

Environmental restoration

Less resource waste

Population stabilization

Protecting natural capital

Waste disposal(bury or burn)

Pollution cleanup

Protecting species

Environmentaldegradation

Depleting and degrading natural capital

Population growth

Animation: Levels of organization

Animation: Two views of economics

Animation: Resources depletion and degradation interaction

Animation: Exponential growth

Animation: Capture-recapture method

Animation: Life history patterns