AP Environmental Science Intro Sustainability and Ethics.

AP Environmental Science Intro

Sustainability and Ethics

Introduction

• Environment– External conditions that affect

living organisms

• Ecology– Study of relationships between

living organisms and their environment

• Environmental Science– how nature works.– how the environment effects us.– how we effect the environment.– how we can live more sustainably

without degrading our life-support system.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: CAUSES AND CONNECTIONSCAUSES AND CONNECTIONS

The major causes of environmental The major causes of environmental problems are:problems are: Population growthPopulation growth

Wasteful resource useWasteful resource use

PovertyPoverty

Poor environmental accountingPoor environmental accounting

Ecological ignoranceEcological ignorance

Tragedy of the Commons

• Degradation of the renewable resources

• Reasoned by “If I don’t use this resource, someone else will.”

• Problem: too many people resource get depleted and no one benefits.

Environmental Ethics Worldviews

• Planetary management- separate from nature

• Stewardship worldview- earth for our benefit but we have ethical responsibility to be caring sewards

• Environmental Wisdom- our success depends sustainable practices

Aldo Leopold’s Environmental EthicsAldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethics

Individuals matter.Individuals matter.

… land is to be loved … land is to be loved and respected is an and respected is an extension of ethics.extension of ethics.

We abuse land We abuse land because we regard it because we regard it as a commodity…as a commodity…

Figure 1Figure 1--AA

Earth-Wisdom Worldview

• Nature exists for all of the earth’s species, not just for us

• There is not always more• Not all forms of economic

growth is beneficial to the environment

• Our success depends on learning to cooperate with one another and with the earth

Planetary Management Worldview

• There is always more• All economic growth is

good• Potential for economic

growth is limitless• Our success depends on

how well we manage earth’s system for our benefit

• Sustainability, is the ability of earth’s various systems to survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitely.

• The steps to sustainability must be supported by sound science.

Figure 1-3Figure 1-3

Sustainability: The Integrative Theme

Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability: Copy Nature

• Reliance on Solar Energy

• Biodiversity• Population Control• Nutrient Recycling

Figure 1-16Figure 1-16

Depletion of nonrenewableresources

Degradation & depletionof renewable resources usedfaster than replenished

Pollution, waste from overloading nature’s waste disposal & recycling systems

Fig. 24-4, p. 573

Sun EARTHEARTH

HeatEconomic Economic SystemsSystems

Natural Capital Production

Air, water, land, soil, biodiversity, minerals, raw materials, energy resources; dilution, decomposition, & recycling services Consumption

Recyclingand reuse

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

Nonpoint Source Pollutants

• Dispersed and often difficult to identify sources– Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides

– Storm Drains (#1 source of oil spills in oceans)

Point Source Pollutants

• From a single, identifiable sources– Smokestack of a

power plant

– Drainpipe of a meat-packing plant

– Exhaust pipe of an automobile

Negativity of Pollutant

• Chemical Nature– How active and harmful

it is to living organisms

• Concentration– Amount per unit

volume or weight of air, water, soil or body weight

• Persistence– Time it stays in the air,

water, soil or body

Water Pollution

• Sediment• Nutrient overload• Toxic chemicals• Infectious agents• Oxygen depletion• Pesticides• Oil spills• Excess heat

Air Pollution

• Global climate change• Stratospheric ozone

depletion• Urban air pollution• Acid deposition• Outdoor pollutants• Indoor pollutants• Noise

Solutions: Pollution Prevention

• Input Pollution Control or Throughput Solution– Slows or eliminates the

production of pollutants, often by switching to less harmful chemicals or processes

• Four R’s– Reduce, reuse, refuse,

recycle

Our Ecological FootprintOur Ecological Footprint

Humanity’s ecological Humanity’s ecological footprint has exceeded footprint has exceeded earths ecological earths ecological capacity.capacity. Figure 1Figure 1--77

STUFF

• http://www.storyofstuff.org