Living in an Exponential Age: 1.Describe the concept of exponential growth. 2.How has the growth...
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Transcript of Living in an Exponential Age: 1.Describe the concept of exponential growth. 2.How has the growth...
Living in an Exponential Age:
1. Describe the concept of exponential growth.
2. How has the growth rate of the human population changed since 1963?
3. Assuming static growth and death rates, it is estimated that the population will surpass 9 billion by 2050. Why are environmentalists concerned? (consumption/production)
4. The # of people the earth can sustain is yet to be determined. What are some disturbing signs that we are nearing that limit?(2)
Living in an Exponential Age
Fig. 1-1, p. 1
Hunting and gathering
Agricultural revolution
Industrial revolution
Black Death—the Plague
Industrial revolution
Fig. 1-1, p. 5
Living in an Exponential Age:1. Describe the concept of exponential growth.
Quantities increase by a fixed percentage over time2. How has the growth rate of the human population changed
since 1963? Slowed
3. Assuming static growth and death rates, it is estimated that the population will surpass 9 billion by 2050. Why are environmentalists concerned? (consumption/production) Consumption of food, water, raw materials and energy Production of solid waste and pollution
4. The # of people the earth can sustain is yet to be determined. What are some disturbing signs that we are nearing that limit?(2) Loss of species (1/31/2) Climate change caused by deforestation and burning of fossil
fuels
Is there a solution to the impending environmental crisis?
Understand our environment
Practice sustainability
Chapter 1(1.1)Environmental Problems,
Their Causes, and Sustainability
Objectives:1. Define environmental science as an
interdisciplinary science2. Understand the term sustainability
and key components3. How do you we become
environmentally sustainable
I. Studying Connections in Nature (4)
1. Environment Everything around us
both living and nonliving
2. Environmental science Interdisciplinary study
of humanities relationship with the environment
Philosophyand
religion Biology
Ethics
Chemistry
Ecology
Physics
Geology
Geography
Anthropology
Demography
Economics
Politicalscience
Fig. 1-2, p. 7
Continued….
3. Ecology Biological science studying the relationship
between living things and their environment Ecosystems
• Set of organisms interacting with each other and within a defined area containing nonliving matter and energy
4. Environmentalism A social science dedicated to protecting the
earth More political than science
II. Sustainability
Sustainability• Ability of the earth, humans, and economies to
survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely without depletion of capital
A. Components of Sustainability (2)
1. Natural capital• The natural resources and natural services
provided by nature (figure 1-3) Ex. Air air purification Water water purification Life population Control
Components cont…..
A. Natural Resources Materials and energy in nature that are
essential useful or necessary for humans
a. Materials• Renewable
• Nonrenewable
b. Energy• Solar capital
• Photosynthesis
Components cont….
B. Natural Services Functions of nature
• Purification of air, water
• Nutrient cycling critical for “life” chemicals to cycle back and forth
between living and nonliving parts of the environment
Nutrient Cycling
Deadorganicmatter
Organicmatter inanimals
Organicmatter in
plants
Inorganicmatter in soil
Decomposition
Fig. 1-4, p. 9
Components cont….
2. Consumption rate > renewal rate Human activities degrading renewable
resources faster than the rate at which they are renewed• Ex. Deforestation, overfishing
3. Scientific search for solutions Implementation involves economic and political
systemsEx. Stop deforestation will have an economic
impact and require laws and regulations Conflict!
4. Trade-off or compromise to satisfy needs
Ex. Establishing tree farms in areas that have already been cleared
2. Sustainable Living from Natural Capital
Environmentally sustainable society Meets the resource needs currently without
compromising future generations• Protect the natural capital while living off the
natural income
Natural capital and natural income
Bad news: signs of natural capital depletion at exponential rates• Overusing 62% of the earth’s natural services
Summary:
What Is an Environmentally Sustainable Society?
Our lives and economies depend on energy from the sun (solar capital) and natural resources and natural services (natural capital) provided by the earth.
Sustainable living means living off earth’s natural income without depleting or degrading the natural capital that supplies it.
1-2 How Can Environmentally Sustainable Societies Grow Economically?
Concept 1-2 Societies can become more environmentally sustainable through economic development dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone without degrading the earth’s life-support systems.
Economics
Economic growth
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Per capita GDP – PPP
Economic development
Developed countries
Developing countries
Global Outlook
Fig. 1-5, p. 10
Percentage of World's:
Population
Populationgrowth
Wealth andincome
Resourceuse
Pollutionand waste
18%
77 years
0.1%
85%15%
88%
12%
75%
25%
Life expectancy
82%
1.5%
66 years
1-3 How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth?
Concept 1-3 As our ecological footprints grow, we are depleting and degrading more of the earth’s natural capital.
Natural Resources (1)
Perpetual – renewed continuously• Solar energy
Renewable – hours to decades• Water, air
• Forest, grasslands
Natural Resources (2)
Sustainable yield • Highest use while maintaining supply
Environmental degradation• Exceed natural replacement rate
Natural Resources (3)
Nonrenewable – fixed quantities• Energy (fossil fuels)
• Metallic minerals
• Nonmetallic minerals
Recycling
Reuse
Natural Capital Degradation
Fig. 1-6, p. 12
Reuse and Recycling
Fig. 1-7, p. 12
Measuring Environmental Impact
Ecological footprint• Biological capacity to replenish resources and
adsorb waste and pollution
Per capita ecological footprint• Renewable resource use per individual
Ecological Footprint
Fig. 1-8, p. 13
Fig. 1-8, p. 13
Stepped Art
Projected footprint
Ecological footprint
Earth’s ecological capacity
Total Ecological Footprint (million hectares) and share of Global Ecological Capacity (%)
Per Capita Ecological Footprint (hectares per person)
Case Study: China
Rapidly developing country• Middle-class affluent lifestyles
World’s leading consumer in:• Wheat, rice, meat, coal, fertilizers, steel, cement• Televisions, cell phones, refrigerators
Future consumption• 2/3 world grain harvest• Twice world’s current paper production• Exceed current global oil production
1-4 What Is Pollution and What Can We Do about It?
Concept 1-4 Preventing pollution is more effective and less costly than cleaning up pollution.
Pollution
What is pollution?
Point sources
Nonpoint sources
Unwanted effects of pollution
Point Source Air Pollution
Fig. 1-9, p. 15
Solutions to Pollution
Pollution prevention (input control)• Front-of-the-pipe
Pollution cleanup (output control)• End-of-the-pipe
Disadvantages of Output Control
Temporary• Growth in consumption may offset technology
Moves pollutant from one place to another• Burial
• Incineration
Dispersed pollutants costly to clean up
1-5 Why Do We Have Environmental Problems?
Concept 1-5A Major causes of environmental problems are population growth, wasteful and unsustainable resource use, poverty, excluding the environmental costs of resource use from the market prices of goods and services, and trying to manage nature with insufficient knowledge.
Concept 1-5B People with different environmental worldviews often disagree about the seriousness of environmental problems and what we should do about them.
Causes of Environmental Problems
Population growth
Wasteful and unsustainable resource use
Poverty
Failure to include environmental costs of goods and services in market prices
Too little knowledge of how nature works
Five Basic Causes of Environmental Problems
Fig. 1-10, p. 16
Fig. 1-10, p. 16
Trying to manage nature without knowing enoughabout it
Populationgrowth
Unsustainableresource use
Poverty Excludingenvironmental costs from market prices
Fig. 1-10, p. 16
Stepped Art
Causes of Environmental Problems
Trying to manage nature without knowing enoughabout it
Excludingenvironmental costs from market prices
PovertyUnsustainableresource use
Populationgrowth
Some Harmful Results of Poverty
Fig. 1-11, p. 16
Number of people(% of world's population)
0.84 billion (13%)
1 billion (15%)
1.1 billion (16%)
1.1 billion (16%)
2 billion (30%)
2 billion (30%)
2.6 billion (39%)
Enough foodfor good health
Adequatehousing
Adequatehealth care
Clean drinkingwater
Electricity
Enough fuel forheating and cooking
Adequatesanitation facilities
Lack ofaccess to
Global Connections
Fig. 1-12, p. 16
Environmental Effects of Affluence
Harmful effects• High consumption and waste of resources
• Advertising – more makes you happy
Beneficial effects• Concern for environmental quality
• Provide money for environmental causes
• Reduced population growth
Evaluating Full Cost of Resources Use
Examples• Clear-cutting + habitat loss
• Commercial fishing + depletion of fish stocks
Tax breaks
Subsidies
Environmental Viewpoints
Environmental worldview
Environmental ethics
Planetary management worldview
Stewardship worldview
Environmental wisdom worldview
Social capital
Case Study: Chattanooga, Tennessee (1)
1960s • Dirtiest air in the United States
• Toxic waste in Tennessee River
• High unemployment, crime
1984• Vision 2000 – grassroots consensus
Case Study: Chattanooga, Tennessee (2)
1995• Zero emission industries, buses
• Low-income renovations, downtown renewal
Individuals matter!
1-6 What Are Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability?
Concept 1-6 Nature has sustained itself for billions of years by using solar energy, biodiversity, population regulation, and nutrient cycling – lessons from nature that we can apply to our lifestyles and economies.
Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability
Fig. 1-13, p. 20
Population Control
Reliance onSolar Energy
Biodiversity
Nutrient Cycling
Learning to Live More Sustainably
Fig. 1-14, p. 20
Increasing resource use
Sustainability EmphasisCurrent Emphasis
Pollution prevention
Waste prevention
Protecting habitat
Environmental restoration
Less resource waste
Population stabilization
Protecting natural capital
Waste disposal(bury or burn)
Pollution cleanup
Protecting species
Environmentaldegradation
Depleting and degrading natural capital
Population growth
Animation: Levels of organization
Animation: Two views of economics
Animation: Resources depletion and degradation interaction
Animation: Exponential growth
Animation: Capture-recapture method
Animation: Life history patterns