CHAPTER ONE:Our Changing Environment

CHAPTER ONE:Our Changing Environment

seven super subjectsSavannah Devore

seven super subjectsSavannah Devore

Subject One:GREEN ARCHITECTURESubject One:GREEN ARCHITECTURE

Subject One:Green ArchitectureSubject One:Green Architecture

Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, Oberlin College

Ways the building is environmentally friendly:

motion sensors for lights, waste water recycled for toilet use, triple pane windows

Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, Oberlin College

Ways the building is environmentally friendly:

motion sensors for lights, waste water recycled for toilet use, triple pane windows

DEFINITION: DEFINITION: describes environmentally-conscious design techniques in the field of

architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the

pressing economic and political issues of our world.

Subject Two:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESubject Two:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Environmental Science

DEFINITION: interdisciplinary study of humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the nonliving physical environment

POLLUTION= any alteration of air, water, or soil that harms the health, survival or activities of living organisms

What do we need? / What’s cheapest? POLLUTION PREVENTION

Environmental Science

DEFINITION: interdisciplinary study of humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the nonliving physical environment

POLLUTION= any alteration of air, water, or soil that harms the health, survival or activities of living organisms

What do we need? / What’s cheapest? POLLUTION PREVENTION

continued...

One goal of environmental science is to use ECOLOGY to address human population growth

ECOLOGY= discipline of biology that studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environments

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Earth’s natural capital..

renewable=LIVING, replenishable=NONLIVING

continued...

One goal of environmental science is to use ECOLOGY to address human population growth

ECOLOGY= discipline of biology that studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environments

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Earth’s natural capital..

renewable=LIVING, replenishable=NONLIVING

WHY aren’t we sustainable?WHY aren’t we sustainable?we’re using non-renewable resources as if they’re we’re using non-renewable resources as if they’re

infinite, renewable faster than can be infinite, renewable faster than can be replenished, polluting, populationreplenished, polluting, population

Why can’t we stop?Why can’t we stop?ecological, societal, economic factorsecological, societal, economic factors

Challenge= meet immediate needs AND protect Challenge= meet immediate needs AND protect the environment in the long term. the environment in the long term.

Subject Three:EVOLUTION OF PEOPLESubject Three:EVOLUTION OF PEOPLE

EVOLUTION OF PEOPLE

a. Hunter Gatherers- used “earth wisdom”, had only three energy sources (sun, fire, muscle power), attempted to live sustainably

b. Agricultural Revolution- began 10,000-12,000 years ago, gradually settled into communities, urbanization, farming, large families, domesticated animals, birth rates up, accumulating material goods, survival of plants and animals became less important. focused on farming/managing nature

EVOLUTION OF PEOPLE

a. Hunter Gatherers- used “earth wisdom”, had only three energy sources (sun, fire, muscle power), attempted to live sustainably

b. Agricultural Revolution- began 10,000-12,000 years ago, gradually settled into communities, urbanization, farming, large families, domesticated animals, birth rates up, accumulating material goods, survival of plants and animals became less important. focused on farming/managing nature

c. Industrial Revolution- began around 1870s, production, commerce, trade, shifted dependence from renewable to non-renewable resources, new machines, BIGGERBIGGERBIGGER

d. Technological Revolution- new technologies are enabling people to deal with more information more rapidly, impact is not yet clear.

c. Industrial Revolution- began around 1870s, production, commerce, trade, shifted dependence from renewable to non-renewable resources, new machines, BIGGERBIGGERBIGGER

d. Technological Revolution- new technologies are enabling people to deal with more information more rapidly, impact is not yet clear.

continued...continued...

Subject Three: MEETING THE CHALLENGESubject Three: MEETING THE CHALLENGE

2002 World Summit2002 World Summit

1992- UN Conference on Environment and Development

Focused on: pollution, deterioration of atmosphere and ocean, decline in species diversity, deforestation

AGENDA 21-

recommended over 2500 actions to deal with the most urgent problems

2002- World Summit on Sustainable Development

assessed progress/failures

agreements don’t help unless ENFORCED

1992- UN Conference on Environment and Development

Focused on: pollution, deterioration of atmosphere and ocean, decline in species diversity, deforestation

AGENDA 21-

recommended over 2500 actions to deal with the most urgent problems

2002- World Summit on Sustainable Development

assessed progress/failures

agreements don’t help unless ENFORCED

Subject Five: OUR IMPACT Subject Five: OUR IMPACT

a. Increasing human population

poverty... World Bank estimates 2.8 billion live in EXTREME poverty

b. Population, Consumption, and Environment Impact

Impact on the environment can be calculated with I=PAT

I- environmental impact

P- # of people

A- affluence per person (amount of resource used)

T- environmental effects of technologies used

a. Increasing human population

poverty... World Bank estimates 2.8 billion live in EXTREME poverty

b. Population, Consumption, and Environment Impact

Impact on the environment can be calculated with I=PAT

I- environmental impact

P- # of people

A- affluence per person (amount of resource used)

T- environmental effects of technologies used

Subject Six: SUSTAINABLE YIELD Subject Six: SUSTAINABLE YIELD

Sustainable YieldSustainable Yield

SY may be calculated as the rate of increase in natural capital

two ways of looking at it...

a. SY= (TOTAL BIOMASS at a time t+1)- (TOTAL BIOMASS at a time t)

b. SY= (annual growth and recruitment)-(annual death and emigration)

SY may be calculated as the rate of increase in natural capital

two ways of looking at it...

a. SY= (TOTAL BIOMASS at a time t+1)- (TOTAL BIOMASS at a time t)

b. SY= (annual growth and recruitment)-(annual death and emigration)

Subject Six: The Role of ETHICS, VALUES, and WORLDVIEWS in Addressing Environmental Problems

Subject Six: The Role of ETHICS, VALUES, and WORLDVIEWS in Addressing Environmental Problems

ETHICSETHICS

definition= branch of philosophy that is derived through the logical application of human values

values= principles that an individual or society considers important or worthwhile

can change as society changes

environmental ethics= applied ethics considering the moral basis of environmental responsibility and how far it extends

definition= branch of philosophy that is derived through the logical application of human values

values= principles that an individual or society considers important or worthwhile

can change as society changes

environmental ethics= applied ethics considering the moral basis of environmental responsibility and how far it extends

AP... AP...

There are TWO worldviews.

western worldview

“expansionist” “frontier”

deep ecology worldview

“sustainable development ethic”

There are TWO worldviews.

western worldview

“expansionist” “frontier”

deep ecology worldview

“sustainable development ethic”

IB...IB...

Ecocentrism- nature centered

Anthropocentrism- people centered

Technocentrism- technology centered

and under these fall...

Deep Ecologists

Self-reliance Soft Ecologists

Environmental Managers

Cornucopians

Ecocentrism- nature centered

Anthropocentrism- people centered

Technocentrism- technology centered

and under these fall...

Deep Ecologists

Self-reliance Soft Ecologists

Environmental Managers

Cornucopians

DONE.DONE.