Chapter 1

1. One of the major concerns in environmental science is how to successfully integrate the natural world and the socio-cultural-technological world of our own creation.

2. Human actions now impact natural systems in ways that threaten earth’s life-support systems on which we depend.

3. Earth has the capacity to support about ten billion people on a sustainable basis.

4. The world population is increasing at a rate comparable to adding four new Californias of people every year.

5. The vast majority of global villagers dwell in urban centers as opposed to the countryside.

6. About one in three residents in the global village is a child under 15

7. Illiteracy among adults in the global village is about 50%

Environment: all external conditions and factors that affect living organisms

Ecology: the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment

Environmental science: interdisciplinary study that examines the role of humans on earth.

Carrying Capacity: the maximum number of organisms a local, regional, or global environment can support over a specified period.

Energy from the Sun

Our planet’s air, water, soil, wildlife, minerals, and natural purification, recycling, and pest control processes

Interdependent andInterconnected

60,000 years to reach 1 billion people

130 years to add the 2nd billion people

30 years for the 3rd billion (1960)

17 years for the 4th billion (1977)

12 years for the 5th billion (1989)

10 years for the 6th billion (1999)

Expected Growth 2012 7th billion 2025 8th billion 2050 11th billion

We will have grown from 5.9 billion to 8 billion between 1998 and 2025 (Just…16 years)

What is the population of the world? about 6.5 billionOne teaspoon of rice = 200 grains of riceOne cup of rice = 9600 grains of rice (48 tsp)How many cups are in a gallon?

16 cupsHow many grains of rice are there in 16

cups? (9,600 X 16 = 153,600 grains of rice)

How many gallons would it take to equal 1 million grains of rice?

1,000,000/ 153,600 = 6.5 gallons = 1 million grains of rice If 6.5 gallons equals 1 million grains of rice,

how many gallons would it take to equal 1 billion grains of rice? 6.5 gallons (1 million) X 1,000 =

6,500 gallons = 1 billion

How many gallons of rice would it take to equal 6 billion?

39,000 gallons of rice = 6 billion

The red line shows linear growth

Exponential Population Growth

73% of the habitable area of the planet has been altered by human activities.

Manages it’s 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 specified period (usually hundreds to thousands of years)

Living sustainably means living off of income and not depleting the capital that supplies the income.

Inherit $1 million dollars Invest this capital at 10% interest Sustainable income of $100,000 You can spend $100,000 each year without touching your capital

If you choose to spend $200,000 – your million will be gone in the 7th year!

If you choose to spend $110,000 – your million will be gone in the 18th year

Deplete your capital and you move from a

sustainable to an unsustainable lifestyle.

During the last 40 years the U.S. alone has used more resources than the rest

of humanity in all previous years.

Highly industrialized 20% of the world’s population Command about 85 % of the world’s wealth Uses about 88% of Earth’s natural resources Generate abut 75% of the Earth’s pollution and

wastes ( including about 90% of the world’s estimated hazardous waste)

Low to moderate industrialization and per capita GNP

Africa, Asia, and Latin America 15% of the wealth and income Use only about 12% of the world’s natural

resources 1 million people are added every 4 days!!!

Developed Developing

Average GNP per person

$30,000 $3,000

Annual Growth Rate

0.1% (slow 1.7% (very rapid)

Infant deaths per 1000 live births

9 64

Population under age 15

19% 35%

Average life expectancy

78 years 63 years

Adult literacy 97% 48%

Population with safe water

96% 45%

http://www.100people.org/statistics_100stats.php?section=statistics

Renewable

Nonrenewable

Potentially Renewable

When the available supply of a renewable resource begin to shrink because a resource’s natural replacement rate is exceeded.

Tragedy of the Commons

If I don’t use this resource someone else will… the little bit I use or

pollute is not enough to matter!

Wetland Destruction

Deforestation

Air Pollution

Ground Water Depletion

Model developed in the early 1970’s by Paul Ehrlich (biologist)

John Holdren (physicist)

P = PopulationA = Affluence (resource use)T = Technology (environmental degradation

and pollution per unit of resource used)

Number of People

Number of units of resource use

per person

Environmental impact unit of resource useX X

Commonly shared perspectives based on a collection of our basic values that help us make sense of the world.

Western Worldview – Frontier Worldview Deep Ecology Worldview – Earth Wisdom

Expansionist worldview Human centered/dominance over nature Utilitarian Frontier attitude: a desire to conquest and

exploit nature as quickly as possible Unrestricted use of natural resources Increased economic growth/accumulation

of wealth Unlimited consumption of goods and

services to provide material comforts Concerns for environment are based on

human interests Anthropogenic

Stresses harmony with nature Spiritual respect for life Belief that humans and all other specie have an

equal worth All forms of life have the right to exist Advocates sharply curbing human population

growth Proposes rethinking of how we use technology

today Asks individuals and societies to share an inner

spirituality connected to the natural world biocentric