Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Chapter 1

Environmental Problems, Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Their Causes, and

SustainabilitySustainability

Chapter 1Chapter 1

Question #1:Question #1:

What are the 6 major themes of What are the 6 major themes of this book?this book?

AnswerAnswer

Central Theme: SustainabilityCentral Theme: Sustainability Subthemes:Subthemes:

• Natural CapitalNatural Capital• Natural Capital DegradationNatural Capital Degradation• SolutionsSolutions• Trade-OffsTrade-Offs• Individuals MatterIndividuals Matter• ……. Sound Science. Sound Science

Question #2:Question #2:

What is an environmentally What is an environmentally stable society?stable society?

Living More SustainabilityLiving More Sustainability

EnvironmentEnvironment

EcologyEcology

Environmental scienceEnvironmental science

EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism

SustainabilitySustainability

Fig. 1-2, p. 7

A Pa t h t o S u s t a i n a b i l i t yNatural Capital Natural Capital

DegradationSolutions Trade-Offs Individuals

Matter

S o u n d S c i e n c e

Path to SustainabilityPath to Sustainability

ExampleExample

Imagine you win $1 million in a lottery. Imagine you win $1 million in a lottery. If you invest this money and earn 10% If you invest this money and earn 10% interest a year, you will have interest a year, you will have sustainable income of $100,000. if you sustainable income of $100,000. if you spend $200,000 per year, your $1 spend $200,000 per year, your $1 million will be gone early in the 7million will be gone early in the 7thth year. year.• Even if you spent $110,000 a year you Even if you spent $110,000 a year you

would be bankrupt in the 18would be bankrupt in the 18thth year. year.

Natural CapitalNatural Capital

Earth’s natural capitalEarth’s natural capital

CapitalCapital

Financial incomeFinancial income

Biological incomeBiological income

Degrading capitalDegrading capital

Fig. 1-3, p. 7

NATURAL CAPITAL

NATURAL CAPITAL

NATURAL RESOURCES

NATURAL RESOURCES

Air

Water

Soil

Land

Life (biodiversity)

Nonrenewable minerals (iron, sand)

Renewable energy(sun, wind, water flows)

Nonrenewable energy(fossil fuels, nuclear power)

NATURAL SERVICES

NATURAL CAPITAL

Air purification

Water purification

Soil renewal

Nutrient recycling

Food production

Pollination

Grassland renewal

Forest renewal

Waste treatment

Climate Control

Population control(species interactions)

Pest control

Fig. 1-3, p. 7Stepped ArtNatural CapitalNatural Capital

=

=

+

+

Solutions to Environmental ProblemsSolutions to Environmental Problems

Trade-offs (compromises)Trade-offs (compromises)

Individuals matterIndividuals matter

Sound scienceSound science

Environmentally sustainable societiesEnvironmentally sustainable societies

Question #3:Question #3:

How fast is the human How fast is the human population increasing?population increasing?

World PopulationWorld Population

Exponential growthExponential growth

PovertyPoverty

Extinction and biodiversityExtinction and biodiversity

Climate changesClimate changes

Good news: possible Good news: possible solutionssolutions

Fig. 1-1, p. 1

Fig. 1-1, p. 1

Hunting andgathering

Agricultural revolution Industrialrevolution

Black Death—the Plague

World PopulationWorld Population

?

Time

Billio

ns o

f pe

op

le

Fig. 1-5, p. 9

Developedcountries

Developingcountries

World total

Human Population GrowthHuman Population Growth

Po

pu

lati

on

(b

illi

on

s)

Year

Fig. 1-4, p. 9

Percentageof World's

Developed countries Developing countries

Population

Populationgrowth

Wealth andincome

Resourceuse

Pollutionand waste

19

81

0.1

1.5

85

15

88

12

75

25

Global OutlookGlobal Outlook

Question #4:Question #4:

What is the difference between What is the difference between economic growth and economic economic growth and economic

development?development?

EconomicsEconomics Economic growth – increase in the capacity of a Economic growth – increase in the capacity of a

country to provide people with goods and country to provide people with goods and services.services.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – the annual market value of all goods and services produced market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations in a country. by all firms and organizations in a country.

Per capita GDP – the GDP divided by the total Per capita GDP – the GDP divided by the total population midyear. population midyear.

EconomicsEconomics

Economic development – the improvement Economic development – the improvement of human living standards by econoic of human living standards by econoic growthgrowth

Developed and developing countriesDeveloped and developing countries• What is the difference?What is the difference?

Fig. 1-6, p. 10

Global life expectancy doubled since 1950

Infant mortality cut in half since 1955

Food production ahead of population growth since 1978

Air and water pollution down in most developed countries since 1970

Number of people living in povertydropped 6% since 1990

Life expectancy 13 years less indeveloping countries than indeveloped Countries

Infant mortality rate in developing countries over 9times higher than in developedcountries

Harmful environmental effects ofagriculture may limit future foodproduction

Air and water pollution levels inmost developing countries too high

Half of world's workers trying tolive on less than $2 (U.S.) per day

Economic DevelopmentEconomic DevelopmentTrade-Offs

Economic Development

Good News Bad News

Question #5:Question #5:

What are the main types of What are the main types of pollution, and what can you do pollution, and what can you do

about pollution?about pollution?

ResourcesResources Perpetual – renewed continuouslyPerpetual – renewed continuously

• SOLAR EnergySOLAR Energy

Renewable – replenished fairly rapidlyRenewable – replenished fairly rapidly• Forests, grasslands, wild animals, fresh water, Forests, grasslands, wild animals, fresh water,

and fresh airand fresh air

Nonrenewable – exist in a fixed quantity on Nonrenewable – exist in a fixed quantity on EarthEarth• Coal, oil, natural gas, salt, clay, sand, etcCoal, oil, natural gas, salt, clay, sand, etc

Nonrenewable ResourcesNonrenewable Resources

Energy resourcesEnergy resources

Metallic mineral resourcesMetallic mineral resources

Nonmetallic mineral resourcesNonmetallic mineral resources

Economic depletionEconomic depletion

Recycling and reuseRecycling and reuse

Perpetual and Renewable ResourcesPerpetual and Renewable Resources

Sustainable yield – a renewable resource Sustainable yield – a renewable resource can be reused but never lose its available can be reused but never lose its available supply.supply.

Environmental degradation – exceeding Environmental degradation – exceeding the natural replacement rate of resources.the natural replacement rate of resources.

Tragedy of the Commons – “If I don’t use it Tragedy of the Commons – “If I don’t use it someone else will…” mentalitysomeone else will…” mentality

Fig. 1-7, p. 11

Ecological FootprintEcological Footprint

Fig. 1-7a, p. 11

Ecological FootprintEcological FootprintCountry

Per Capita Ecological Footprint(Hectares per person)

CountryTotal Ecological Footprint

(Hectares)

United States

The Netherlands

India

United States

The Netherlands

India

9.6

3.8

0.8

3 billionhectares

62 million hectares

880 millionhectares

Fig. 1-7, p. 11

Ecological FootprintEcological Footprint

Nu

mb

er o

f E

arth

s

Year

Earth'sEcologicalCapacity

Humanity's Ecological Footprint

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20100

0.3

0.6

0.9

1.2

1.5

PollutionPollution What is pollution? What is pollution?

• Any addition to air, water soil or food that threatens Any addition to air, water soil or food that threatens health, survival, or activities, of humans or other health, survival, or activities, of humans or other organisms. organisms.

Point Source – single identifiable source Point Source – single identifiable source Nonpoint sources – dispersed and hard to Nonpoint sources – dispersed and hard to

identifyidentify

What are some unwanted effects of pollution?What are some unwanted effects of pollution?

Point-source Air PollutionPoint-source Air Pollution

Fig. 1-8, p. 13

Solutions to PollutionSolutions to Pollution

Pollution prevention (input control)Pollution prevention (input control)

Pollution cleanup (output control)Pollution cleanup (output control)

Disadvantages of output controlDisadvantages of output control

Environmental Problems: Environmental Problems: Causes and ConnectionsCauses and Connections

First step: Understanding the causesFirst step: Understanding the causes

Poverty and population growthPoverty and population growth

Premature death among the poorPremature death among the poor

Fig. 1-9, p. 13

Natural Capital Use, Depletion and Natural Capital Use, Depletion and DegradationDegradation

EARTHSOLAR

CAPITAL

HumanEconomic

andCulturalSystems

Human Capital

Natural Capital

Goods and services

Heat

Depletion of nonrenewable resources

Degradation of renewable resources

Pollution and waste

Recycling and reuse

Question #6:Question #6:

What are the harmful What are the harmful environmental effects of poverty environmental effects of poverty

and affluence?and affluence?

Fig. 1-10, p. 14

Causes of Environmental Problems

Populationgrowth

Unsustainableresource use

Poverty Not including theenvironmental costsof economic goodsand services in theirmarket prices

Trying to manage andsimplify nature with toolittle knowledge abouthow it works

Causes of Environmental ProblemsCauses of Environmental Problems

Fig. 1-11, p. 14

Lack ofaccess to

Number of people(% of world's population)

Adequatesanitation

Electricity

Clean drinkingwater

Adequatehealth care

Enough fuel forheating and

cooking

Enough foodfor good health

2.4 billion (37%)

2 billion (31%)

1.6 billion (25%)

1.1 billion (17%)

1.1 billion (17%)

1.1 billion (17%)

Some Harmful Results of PovertySome Harmful Results of Poverty

MalnutritionMalnutrition

Fig. 1-12, p. 15

Economics and EthicsEconomics and Ethics Affluenza – addiction to consumptionAffluenza – addiction to consumption

How does globalization and global advertising How does globalization and global advertising impact affluenza?impact affluenza?

Law of Progressive Simplification – transfer of Law of Progressive Simplification – transfer of energy from material to nonmaterial things. energy from material to nonmaterial things.

What are the positive environmental effects of What are the positive environmental effects of affluenza?affluenza?

Question #7:Question #7:

What are the basic causes of What are the basic causes of today’s environmental problems, today’s environmental problems,

and how are these causes and how are these causes connected?connected?

Fig. 1-13, p. 16

Environmental Problems Environmental Problems and Their Causesand Their Causes

Developing Countries

X X =

X X =

X X =

Developed Countries

Population (P)Consumption per

person (affluence, A)

Technological impact per unit of consumption (T)

Environmental impact of

population (I)

Historical Changes in Human CultureHistorical Changes in Human Culture

Hunter-gatherers Hunter-gatherers

Agricultural revolutionAgricultural revolution

Industrial-medical revolutionIndustrial-medical revolution

Information-globalization revolutionInformation-globalization revolution

Eras of US Environmental HistoryEras of US Environmental History

Tribal era Tribal era

Frontier eraFrontier era

Early conservation eraEarly conservation era

EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism

Is Our Present Course Sustainable?Is Our Present Course Sustainable?

Different views Different views

• Technological optimists – overstate the situation by Technological optimists – overstate the situation by reminding us that technological advances will save us reminding us that technological advances will save us all. all.

• Environmental pessimists – overstate the problem by Environmental pessimists – overstate the problem by stating that our environmental situation is hopeless. stating that our environmental situation is hopeless.

How Would You Vote? ExerciseHow Would You Vote? Exercise

CurrentEmphasis

SustainabilityEmphasis

Pollution cleanup

Waste disposal(bury or burn)

Protecting species

Environmentaldegradation

Increased resourceuse

Population growth

Depleting anddegrading naturalcapital)

Pollution prevention(cleaner production)

Waste prevention& reduction

Protecting wherespecies live(habitat protection)

Environmentalrestoration

Less wasteful (more efficient)resource use

Population stabilization bydecreasing birth rates

Protecting natural capitaland living off the biological interest it provides

Fig. 1-14, p. 18

Sustainability RevolutionSustainability Revolution

Global Global Ecological Ecological FootprintsFootprints