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Page 1: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

AP Environmental Science

Chapter 1

Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability

Page 2: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Exponential vs. Linear

• Exponential growth is currently occurring with our population– doubles quickly, “sneaky”– 6.2 billion– another billion in 12 - 15 years (from 2000)

• Linear growth is obvious– straight line

Page 3: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Types of growth

J-curve, exponential growth

Linear growth

Page 4: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Slide 2

Fig. 1.2, p. 4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

10

750

1,000

1,250

$70,000

$1,024,000

Linear growth(saving $1,000

Per year)

Exponential growth($1,000 invested at 10%

Per year interest)

Th

ou

sa

nd

s o

f d

olla

rs

Years

Page 5: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Solar and Earth Capital

• Solar - energy 99%• Earth - resources, support systems

– climate control– air and water purification– recycling matter (iron, sulfur, nitrogen, etc.)– renewable energy– renewable matter resources– Pest and disease control– and more.

Page 6: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Sustainability

• Are we living sustainably?

• A sustainable society manages its economy and population size without exceeding all or part of the planet’s ability to absorb environmental insults, replenish its resources, and sustain human and other forms of life over a specific period (usually a human lifetime of 100 years)

Page 7: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Carrying Capacity

• The maximum size of a population an area can support and maintain over a period of time

• Carrying capacity of the Earth for people is around 12 billion. What may affect that number?

Page 8: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Fig. 1.1, p. 2

16

15

14

13

12

11 Billio

ns o

f peo

ple

?

?

?

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

02-5 million

years8000 6000 4000 2000 2000 2100

Hunting and gathering

Black Death–the Plague

Time

Industrialrevolution

Agricultural revolution

B.C. A.D.

Page 9: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

World Population reached

1 billion in 1804

2 billion in 1927 (123 years later)

3 billion in 1960 (33 years later)

4 billion in 1974 (14 years later)

5 billion in 1987 (13 years later)

6 billion in 1999 (12 years later)

World Population May Reach

7 billion in 2013 (14 years later)

8 billion in 2028 (15 years later)

9 billion in 2054 (26 years later)Fig. 1.3, p. 5

Page 10: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Doubling Time

• Rule of 70

• divide 70 by the percent growth rate and you will find how long it takes the population to double.

• 70/1.43(current growth rate approx.) = 49 years (we started counting in 2000)

Page 11: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Populations and Economy

• Developed - highly industrialized– 20% population, 85% wealth, 88% resources,

75% pollution and waste, high GNP per capita

• Developing - low to moderate industrialization – 80% population, 15% wealth, 12% resources,

15% pollution and waste, low GNP per capita

Page 12: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Resources

• Renewable - can be replenished in a lifetime (wind)

• Potentially renewable - can be renewable if we change our current habits (soil)

• Nonrenewable - only a fixed amount on Earth (minerals)

Page 13: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Fig. 1.11, p. 11

Resources

Perpetual Nonrenewable

Renewable

Freshair

Freshwater

Fertilesoil

Plants andanimals

(biodiversity)

Directsolar

energy

Winds, tides,

flowing water

Fossilfuels

Metallic minerals

Non- metallic

minerals

(iron, copper,

aluminum)

(clay, sand,

phosphates)

Page 14: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

United States

The Netherlands

India

CountryPer Captia Ecological Footprint(Hectares of land per person)

10.9

5.9

1.0

Fig. 1.10a, p. 11

Page 15: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Country

Total Ecological Footprint(Hectares)

United States

The Netherlands

India

3 billion hectares

94 million hectares

1 billion hectares

Fig. 1.10b, p. 11

Page 16: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Major Environmental Degradation to Potentially Renewable Resources

• Urbanization• Salinization of soil• Wetland destruction• Groundwater depletion• Livestock overgrazing• Poor soil management• Deforestation• Pollution• Reduction of biodiversity

Page 17: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Time

Pro

du

ctio

n r

ate

of

reso

urc

e

Area under curveequals the totalamount of the

resource. Economic depletion(80% used up)

Fig. 1.12, p. 13

Page 18: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Pollutants

• Point source vs. nonpoint source

• concentration - ppm, ppb, ppt

• persistence - degradable, slowly degradable (DDT) or nondegradable

$ Always less expensive to prevent, instead of trying to clean up.

Page 19: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Causes of Environmental Problems

• Rapid population growth

• wasteful use of resources

• degradation of earth’s life support systems

• poverty

• failure to encourage environmentally and economically sustainable growth

• lack of full cost pricing

• human urge to “conquer” mother nature

Page 20: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Air Pollution

• Global climate change• Stratospheric ozone

depletion• Urban air pollution• Acid deposition• Outdoor pollutants• Indoor pollutants• Noise

Biodiversity Depletion

• Habitat destruction• Habitat degradation• Extinction

Water Pollution

• Sediment• Nutrient overload• Toxic chemicals• Infectious agents• Oxygen depletion• Pesticides• Oil spills• Excess heat

Waste Production

• Solid waste• Hazardous waste

Food Supply Problems

• Overgrazing• Farmland loss

and degradation• Wetlands loss

and degradation• Overfishing• Coastal pollution• Soil erosion• Soil salinization• Soil waterlogging• Water shortages• Groundwater depletion• Loss of biodiversity• Poor nutrition

MajorEnvironmental

Problems

Fig. 1.13, p. 14

Page 21: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Major Environmental Problems

• Air Pollution

• Water Pollution

• Biodiversity Depletion

• Food Supply Problems

• Waste Production

Page 22: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

• Rapid population growth

• Unsustainable resource use

• Poverty

• Not including the environmental costs of economic goods and services in their market prices

• Trying to manage and simplify nature with too little knowledge about how it works

Fig. 1.14, p. 15

Page 23: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

Developing Countries

Population (P)Consumptionper person

(affluence, A)

Technological impact perunit of consumption (T)

Environmentalimpact of population (I)

Developed Countries

X

XX

XX

X =

=

=

Fig. 1.15, p. 15

Page 24: AP Environmental Science Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Causes, and Sustainability.

What needs to happen to be sustainable

• Switch to pollution prevention, not cleanup

• switch to waste prevention and recycling

• protecting habitats instead of species

• environmental restoration of degraded areas

• lower resource use (less wasteful)

• ZPG - stabilized population