The Environment & Society

• Objectives• 1. Describe “the Tragedy of the Commons”• 2. Explain the law of supply & demand• 3. List three differences between developed and

developing countries• 4. Explain what sustainability is and describe

why it is a goal of environmental science.

Bell-ringer• In your Eco-log, list some ways that

economics relates to the environment• $33,000,000,000,000. – according to

scientists, this is the value of the products and services provided by Earth’s ecosystems every year.

• List some services that Earth’s ecosystems provide

Tragedy of the Commons

• 1968 – ecologist Garrett Hardin published this essay concerning use and sharing of “common” resources. Became theoretical backbone of the environmental movement

• Ex.: neighborhood park- people share, open ocean – shared by many nations

Tragedy of the Commons con’t

• (Hardin)-Main difficulty in solving environmental problems is the conflict between the short-term interests of individuals and the long-term welfare of society.

• Commons – areas of land that belonged to the whole village

• Best short-term interest of individuals to put as many animals as possible on the commons – thought – if I don’t use the resources, someone else will!

Tragedy of the Commons con’t• Problem: if too many animals grazed on the commons,

the animals destroyed the grass (overgrazing).• Result: Everyone suffered because no one could raise

animals on the commons.• Remedy: replace commons with closed fields owned by

individuals who were careful not to put too many animals on the land causing overgrazing

• Point: someone or group has to take responsibility for maintaining resources to prevent the resource from becoming overused and depleted

• Hardin thought that people would continue to deplete resource to the point of society’s collapse

Solving Environmental Problems

• Humans solve environmental problems by :– Planning– Organizing– Considering the scientific evidence– Proposing a solution• The solution may override the interests of the

individuals ion the short term, but improves the environment for everyone in the long term

Economics and the Environment

• In addition to social pressures, economic forces influence how we use resources

• Can you name some ways that economic forces influence use of natural resources?

Law of Supply & Demand

• Definition: basic rule of economics that states that the greater the demand for a limited supply of something, the more that thing is worth

• Ex.: world oil production and the price of oil.• September 2, 2008 - $111.00/barrel – all time

record high – why? (reached $148.00/bbl)• 1981 - $38.85/barrel – (today’s dollars with

inflation – $92.91)

Supply & Demand - Oil• Many environmental solutions have to take the

relationship between supply & demand into account. Some factors influencing the cost of oil are: world demand, time of year, political influence, and artificial market manipulation.

• Can you name some factors that could be included in the cost of oil but are not?

• If the supply of oil decreases, we have there choices:– Pay the higher price– Use less oil– Find a new sources of energy

Costs & Benefits• Cost-benefit analysis – balances the cost of an

action against the benefits one expects from it.• ex: to determine how much to spend to control

air pollution a community may perform this• How much did Valero spend on each of its

smoke stack scrubbers? What factors do you think they used to justify installing these two scrubbers?

• Who do you think was involved in the cost-benefit analysis for this project?

Costs & Benefits- con’t• Results of these analyses often depend on who

conducts them.– Ex: to an industry, the cost of pollution control may

outweigh the benefits. But, a nearby community may view the benefits as well worth the cost.

– Environmental regulations are usually passed on to the consumer or taxpayer

– The consumer has a choice:• Pay for the more expensive product that meets the

environmental regulations• Pay for a cheaper product that was made somewhere

without the environmental regulations• (WalMart – China)- how so?

Risk Assessment

• One cost associated with any action is the risk of an undesirable outcome – (pharmaceuticals)

• Risks must be perceived accurately by the public to develop effective solutions to environmental problems– Ex: The public generally ranked nuclear power as

the most risky technology –(Chernobyl, Three Mile Island)

– Scientific experts ranked nuclear power 20th most risky, safer than riding a bike.

Developed-Developing Countries• Developed countries – higher average incomes,

slower population growth, diverse industrial economics, and stronger social support systems.

• ex: USA, Canada, Japan, Western Europe

• Developing countries : lower average incomes, simple and agriculture-based economies, and rapid population growth.– (ex: India, Indonesia, many African nations)

• Middle-Income countries: Mexico, Brazil, Malaysia

Population and Consumption

• Almost all environmental problems can be tracked back to two root causes:– The human population in some areas is growing too

quickly for the local environment to support– People are using up, wasting, or polluting many

natural resources faster than they can be renewed, replaced, or cleaned up.

Local Population Pressures• In countries were people struggle for survival due

to severe overpopulation:– Forests are stripped bare, topsoil exhausted, and

animals are driven to extinction– Malnutrition, starvation, and disease are constant

threats– In developing countries population tends to grow most

rapidly, even though there are millions starving– Food production, education, and job creation cannot

keep up with population growth, so each person gets fewer resources as time goes by

– Of the 4.5 billion people in developing countries, fewer than half have access to enough food, safe drinking water, and proper sanitation.

Consumption Trends

• Developed nations are using much more of Earth’s resources than developing nations– Developed nations use about 75% of the world’s

resources but make up only 20% of the world’s population.

– This rate of consumption creates more waste and pollution than developing nations

Indicators of Development2000

Measure US Japan Mexico

Indonesia

Health Life expectancy 77 81 71.5 68

Pop Growth Per year 0.8% 0.2% 1.7% 0.8%

Wealth GNP $29,240 $32,350 $3,840 $640

Living Space

People per sq. mile 78 829 133 319

Energy use Per person per yr. (millions of Btu)

351 168 59 18

Pollution CO2 from fossil fuels per person/yr (tons)

20.4 9.3 3.5 2.2

Waste Garbage per/person per year (kg)

720kg1584 lb

400kg880lb

300660lb

4394.6lb

Ecological Footprints• Ecological footprint shows the productive area

of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country. (acres)

• It estimates the land used for:– Crops– Grazing– Forest products– Housing– Ocean area used to harvest seafood– Forest area needed to absorb the air pollution

caused by fossil fuels

Some Ecological Footprints• India = 2.5 acres• Mexico = 6.5 acres• Britain = 16 acres• United States = 30 acres• Why do you think the US has the largest

footprint?• Which regions of US have the largest

footprints? Smallest? Why?

Reducing Your Ecological Footprint

• How do you think you can reduce your ecological footprint?

Reducing Footprints• 1. Eat locally grown foods• 2. Eat less meat• 3. Carpool• 4.Ride public transportation• 5. Ride a bike• 6. Use lights and appliances that conserve

energy• Can you think of any others?• Footprint website:

www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Environmental Science in Context

• The environment has become a battleground for larger issues that effect human society:– Balancing the rights of individuals and property

owners with the needs of society as a whole– When economical or political refugees emigrate

(legally or illegally) what can be done about the devastation that they may cause to the local environment?

– How do human rights relate to the environment?

Critical Thinking and the Env.

• People on any side of an environmental issue may feel passionately about their cause, and they can distort information and mislead people about an issue.

• Learning to think critically about what you see in newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet will help you make informed decisions.

Things to Remember• Be prepared top listen to many viewpoints• People have many different reasons for the

opinions they form. Try to understand what those reasons are before reacting to their ideas.

• Identify your own bias. How does it affect the way you interpret the issue?

• Investigate the source of the information you encounter

• Question the conclusions that are drawn from data.

• Gather all the information you can before drawing a conclusion.

Discussion• Imagine that a major employer in your area was found

to be dumping poisonous chemicals, which showed up in local water supplies.

• How would you recommend solving the problem?• Now, the company states that if it is forced to clean up

its operations, it will simply close its plant and open one in a country that has less-strict environmental controls. (auto industry)

• Does this change your opinion about what should be done?

• A difficult decision weighing out environment versus economy issues.

• Suppose your parents worked at this plant.

A Sustainable World• Sustainability: the condition in which human

needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely.

• At present time we live in a world that is far from sustainable. The standard of living in developed countries is high because those countries are using resources faster than they can be replaced.

• Sustainability is possible with cooperation between individual citizens, industry, and government.

Examples of Cooperation

• Lake Washington – cleaner and healthier than its been in over 30 years

• Bald eagles making a comeback with the elimination of DDT as a pesticide

• The slowing of ozone depletion in upper atmosphere due to the elimination of CFC’s in products

• Can you name some others?