Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability

Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability1

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Overview of Chapter 1

Human Impacts on The Environment Population, Resources and the Environment Sustainability Environmental Science Addressing Environmental Problems


The Environment (Earth)

Life has existed on earth for 3.8 billion yrs

Earth well suited for life Water over ¾ of planet Habitable temperature,

moderate sunlight Atmosphere provides

oxygen and carbon dioxide

Soil with essential minerals for plants


Human Impacts on Environment- Population

Expected to add several billion more people in 21st century

Earth’s Human Population is at 6.9 billion Growing exponentially


Extreme Poverty

1 in 4 people in the world live in extreme poverty

Cannot meet basic need for Food Safe drinking water Clothing Shelter Health Sanitation & Education


Extreme poverty was defined in 1996 by Joseph Wresinski Defined as : the absence of one or more factors

enabling individuals and families to assume basic responsibilities and to enjoy fundamental rights.

The World Bank defined the new international poverty line as $1.25 a day for 2005

Extreme Poverty


Less vs. Highly Developed

81% of the world’s population live in poor countries

Development Ranges of Countries Less developed (LDC’s – Bangladesh, Ethiopia & Laos) Moderately developed (MDC’s - Mexico, South Africa &

Thailand) Highly developed (HDC’s – Canada, Japan, USA & most

of Europe)


Gap Between Rich and Poor

Less Developed Countries (LDC) Low level of industrialization very high fertility rate high infant mortality rate low per capita income


Gap Between Rich and Poor

Highly Developed Countries (HDC) Complex industrialized bases low population growth high per capita incomes Ex: US, Canada, Japan


Population/Resources&Environment

Nonrenewable resources Present in limited supplies and are depleted by use Aluminum, tin, copper, fossil fuels

Renewable resources Replaced by nature fairly rapidly and can be used

forever as long as they are not overexploited in the short term

Trees, animals, soils, fresh water


Types of Natural Resources


Consumption

Consumption Human use of materials and energy People in HDCs are big consumers

Children born in HDC’s cause a greater impact on the environment and on resource depletion then 12 or more born in developing countries.

Unsustainable Consumption Occurs when the level of demand on a country’s

resources damages or depletes the resource enough to reduce the quality of life for future generations

Caused by overpopulation and/or overconsumption


Ecological Footprint

The average amount of land, water and ocean required to provide that person with all the resources they consume

Earth’s Productive Land and Water 11.4 billion hectares

Amount Each Person is Allotted (divide Productive Land & Water by Human Pop.)

1.8 hectares

Current Global Ecological Footprint of each person

2.7 hectares

A Hectare = 10,000 square meters (100 m x 100 m)Primarily used in the measurement of land (A football field is 0.54 hectares)


Ecological Footprint

Humans have an ecological overshoot


IPAT Model

Measures 3 factors that affect environmental impact (I)

I = P A TI = P A T

Environmental Impact

Number of people

Affluence per person

Environmental effect of

technologies


IPAT Model

P = Population The number of people

A = Affluence (wealth) represents the average consumption of each person

in the populationT = Technology

represents how resource intensive the production of affluence is; how much environmental impact is involved in creating, transporting and disposing of the goods, services and amenities used.


Environmental Sustainability

The ability to meet current human need for natural resources without compromising the needs of future generations

Requires understanding: The effects of our actions on the

earth An understanding that earth’s

resources are not infinite


Tragedy of the Commons (1968 Paper)

Garrett Hardin (1915–2003) an American ecologist who warned of the dangers of

overpopulation

called attention to “the damage that innocent actions by individuals can

inflict on the environment”

He is also known for Hardin's First Law of Human Ecology: "You cannot do only one thing", which expresses the

interconnectedness of every action


Sustainable Development

Economic development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising future generations


Environmental Science

An interdisciplinary study of human relationship with other organisms and the earth Biology Ecology Geography Chemistry Geology

Physics Economics Sociology Demography Politics


Earth System and Environmental Science

System A set of components that interact & function as a whole

Model Used to describe interactions of environmental systems

Global Earth Systems Climate, atmosphere, land, coastal zones, ocean

Ecosystem A natural system consisting of a community of

organisms and its physical environment


Earth Systems and Environmental Science

Negative feedback Change triggers a

response that counteracts the changed condition


Positive Feedback

Positive feedback Change triggers a

response that intensifies the changing condition


Scientific Method


Controls and Variables in Experiment

Variable A factor that influences a process The variable may be altered in an experiment to see

its effect on the outcome

Control The variable is not altered Allows for comparison between the altered variable

test and the unaltered variable test


Five Steps to Addressing Environmental Problem

Case Study: Lake Washington

Five steps are idealistic Scientific Assessment Risk analysis Public Education & Involvement Political Action Long-term Evaluation


Assessing Environmental ProblemCase Study: Lake Washington

Large, freshwater pond Suburban sprawl in 1940’s

10 new sewage treatment plants dumped effluent into lake

Effect = excessive cyanobacteria growth that killed off fish and aquatic life


Scientific Assessment Aquatic wildlife assessment done in 1933 was

compared to the 1950 assessment Hypothesized treated sewage was introducing

high nutrients causing growth of cyanobacteria Risk Analysis

After analyzing many choices, chose new location (freshwater) and greater treatment for sewage to decrease nutrients in effluent



Public Education/Involvement Educated public on why changes were necessary

Political Action Difficult to organize sewage disposal in so many

municipalities Changes were not made until 1963!

Evaluation Cyanobacteria slowly decreased until 1975

(gone)



Results



To discuss:

Come up with 10 reasons why Children born in HDC’s cause a greater impact on the

environment and on resource depletion then 12 or more born in developing countries.

Ted talks – Building a toaster from scratch http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_thwaites_how_i_built_a_t

oaster_from_scratch.html

Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability

Documents

john wiley sons

fundamental rights

hdcs canada

human impacts

extreme poverty1

centuryearths human

fresh water

developing countries