Slide 1

Slide 2 We depend on the environment for things like: Clean air Water Shelter Food Energy Everything else we need to stay alive Slide 3 Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with living and nonliving parts of their environment. Key component: ecology study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment Slide 4 Organism Species Populations Ecosystems Biomes Earth Slide 5 A necessary component of sustainability is natural capital the natural resources and natural services that keep us and other forms of life alive and support our economies. Natural Resources materials and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans. Can be renewable or nonrenewable what are some examples of each? Slide 6 Natural services processes in nature such as purification of air and water, which support life and human economies. We can use technology to enhance these services, but there is no substitute for them. Slide 7 One form of a natural service is nutrient recycling. What is this? What are some examples? Slide 8 Another component of sustainability is recognizing that humans can degrade natural capital by using up normally renewable resources too fast. Examples? ____________________ Slide 9 The last component of sustainability is solutions. How can we fix problems? There is often conflict when looking for solutions. Overfishing Over harvest of trees Slide 10 This is a society that meets the current and future basic resource needs of its people in a just and equal manner without compromising the ability of future generations to meet basic needs. Think about winning $1 million and earning 10%. Live off this, and you have $100,000 to spend each year indefinitely. (Sustainable lifestyle) Slide 11 Spend $200,000/ year and your lifestyle is not sustainable. Same lesson applies to resources on Earth. Slide 12 Ecological footprint the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to indefinitely supply the people in a particular country or area with renewable resources and to absorb and recycle wastes. Slide 13 In 2008, it was estimated at current consumption levels, we need 1.3 Earths to support our current lifestyles. If population growth and advancement continue at present rates, it will be 2 Earths by 2035. If everyone on Earth consumed the way the US does, only 1.3 billion people could be supported on Earth instead of 6.8 billion we currently have. Slide 14 Slide 15 Who thinks this is not a big deal? One problem we face is the time delay. Ecological tipping point if we reach a threshold level, there could be irreversible shift in the behavior of our natural systems. Think of a rubber band stretching. Slide 16 Over billions of years, Earth can replenish resources like oil and metals. Human ingenuity can often find substitutes. Some can be recycled or reused or quantities reduced. (Three Rs) Slide 17 Developed countries US, Canada, Japan, etc. 18% of population and use 88% of worlds resources. Produce 75% of worlds pollution and waste. Developing countries India, Brazil, Congo, Haiti, etc. 82% of population. Slide 18 Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology Higher populations can impact environment more, even though may not use as many resources per capita. Affluence and Technology can be variables. Example: Technology can help or hurt. Slide 19 Middle class consumers tend to use more and more natural resources. By 2015, China is expected to have 650 million middle class consumers. This number is twice the US total population. Slide 20 Pollution contamination of the environment by a chemical or other such agent such as noise, heat. Point sources single, identifiable sources of pollution. Nonpoint sources dispersed and often difficult to identify. Example would be fertilizer runoff from golf courses. Slide 21 Up to this point, a lot of our focus has been on cleanup after the fact. More and more, we are going to have to look at preventative measures. In the long run, prevention can work better and is cheaper than cleanup measures. Slide 22 Four basic causes: 1) Human Population is growing exponentially. Each day we average 227,000 more people on Earth 2)Extreme poverty has a negative impact on the environment. 3)Affluence can have harmful and beneficial effects In the US we consume 100 times as much as the average person in poor countries consumes. 4)People have different views of environmental problems and solutions. Slide 23 Holds that we are separate from and in charge of nature, that nature exists mainly to meet our needs and increasing wants. We can use our ingenuity and technology to manage Earths life support systems. Slide 24 Holds that we can and should manage the Earth for our benefit, but that we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers, or stewards. Encourage environmentally friendly growth and discourage damaging growth. Slide 25 Holds we are part of, and dependent on, nature and that nature exists for all species, not just for us. Our success depends on learning how the Earth sustains itself. Slide 26 Are not black and white, but more shades of gray. Some models suggest we have 50 years and no more than 100 years to make critical changes if we start now. Slide 27 Why should we care about the environment? Do we have obligations to stop premature extinctions of other organisms? Should every person be entitled to equal protection from environmental hazards? Who should pay for change?