Introduction to environmental systems

Introduction to Introduction to Environmental SystemsEnvironmental Systems

Overview QuestionsOverview Questions• What is an “environmental issue?” What is an “environmental issue?” • What are the basic causes of current What are the basic causes of current

environmental problems? environmental problems? • What does it mean to be an environmentally What does it mean to be an environmentally

sustainable society? sustainable society? • What is your impact, or “ecological footprint,” What is your impact, or “ecological footprint,”

on the environment? on the environment?

Why study Environmental Why study Environmental Systems?Systems?To learn…To learn………how nature works. how nature works. ……how the how the

environment environment affects us and how affects us and how we affect the we affect the environment.environment.

……how humans can how humans can live sustainably on live sustainably on Earth. Earth.

Key Environmental Key Environmental Problems Problems • Habitat destruction Habitat destruction

and degradationand degradation• Depletion of Depletion of

renewable and non-renewable and non-renewable resourcesrenewable resources

• PollutionPollution• Climate changeClimate change• Loss of species Loss of species

biodiversitybiodiversity

Causes of Environmental Causes of Environmental ProblemsProblems• Human population growthHuman population growth• Wasteful use of resourcesWasteful use of resources• Poverty Poverty • Poor environmental accounting Poor environmental accounting • Lack of environmental education Lack of environmental education

What is Sustainability?What is Sustainability?• Sustainability creates Sustainability creates

and maintains the and maintains the conditions under which conditions under which humans and nature can humans and nature can exist in productive exist in productive harmony, that permit harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, fulfilling the social, economic and other economic and other requirements of requirements of present and future present and future generationgenerationUnited States Environmental Protection Agency,

http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm#sustainability

What is a sustainable What is a sustainable society? society? • ““An environmentally sustainable society An environmentally sustainable society

meets the basic resource needs of its meets the basic resource needs of its people in a just and equitable manner people in a just and equitable manner without degrading or depleting the without degrading or depleting the natural capital that supplies these natural capital that supplies these resources.” resources.”

--Living in the Environment; 15Living in the Environment; 15thth ed.; G. Tyler Miller, Jr. ed.; G. Tyler Miller, Jr. • Think about it ... How does a society Think about it ... How does a society

achieve sustainability?achieve sustainability?

What is an Ecological What is an Ecological Footprint?Footprint?• The ecological footprint The ecological footprint

is a measure of human is a measure of human demand on the Earth's demand on the Earth's ecosystems. ecosystems.

• The amount of The amount of biologically productive biologically productive land and water needed land and water needed to supply an individual to supply an individual with the renewable with the renewable resources he/she uses resources he/she uses and to absorb or and to absorb or dispose of the wastes dispose of the wastes from such resource use. from such resource use.