Environmental Problems

and Living Sustainably

Questions for Today:What are the major causes of

Environmental Problem?What is poverty and affluence and how

does it effect the environment?What are the three major worldviews

when it comes to solving environmental problems?

What are the Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability?

Causes of Environmental ProblemsThe Five Major Causes of Environmental

Problems, according to leading scientists and research are:

1.Population Growth2.Unsustainable Resource Use3.Poverty4.Excluding environmental costs from market

value5.Insufficient knowledge of how nature works

Fig. 1-12, p. 18

Causes of Environmental Problems

Populationgrowth

Unsustainableresource use

Poverty Excludingenvironmental costsfrom market prices

Trying to manage nature without

knowing enoughabout it

Stepped Art

Poverty and AffluencePoverty occurs when people are unable to

meet their basic needs for adequate food, water, shelter, health and education.

Poverty affects:Population growth affectedMalnutrition Premature deathLimited access to adequate sanitation facilities

and clean water

Fig. 1-13, p. 18

2.6 billion (38%)

Number of people(% of world's population)

Lack ofaccess to

Adequatesanitation facilities

Enough fuel forheating and cooking

Electricity

Clean drinkingwater

Adequatehealth care

Adequatehousing

Enough foodfor good health 0.86 billion (13%)

1 billion (15%)

1.1 billion (16%)

1.1 billion (16%)

2 billion (29%)

2 billion (29%)

Global Outlook on Malnutrition

Poverty and AffluenceAffluence is the opposite of PovertyHarmful environmental impact due to

High levels of consumptionUnnecessary waste of resources

Affluence can provide funding forDeveloping technologies to reduce

Pollution Environmental degradation Resource waste

Ways to Solve Environmental ProblemsEnvironmental Worldview including

environmental ethicsPlanetary management worldview

We are separate from nature, that nature exists to meet our needs and wants.

Stewardship worldview We can and should manage the earth for our

benefit, but that we have an ETHICAL responsibility to be caring and be stewards of the earth.

Environmental wisdom worldview We are a part of, and totally dependent on, nature

and that nature exists for all species, not just us.

Individuals Matter: Aldo Leopold5–10% of the population can bring about

major social change

Anthropologist Margaret Mead

Aldo Leopold: environmental ethicsA leader of the conservation and environmental

movements of the 20th century Land ethic

Wrote: A Sand County Almanac

Studying Nature Reveals Four Scientific Principles of SustainabilityReliance on solar energy

Biodiversity

Population control

Nutrient cycling

Fig. 1-17, p. 23

Population Control

Reliance onSolar Energy

Nutrient Cycling

Biodiversity

Fig. 1-18, p. 24

Protecting natural capital

Current Emphasis Sustainability Emphasis

Pollution cleanup

Waste disposal(bury or burn)

Protecting species

Environmentaldegradation

Increasing resource use

Population growth

Depleting and degradingnatural capital

Pollution prevention

Waste prevention

Protecting habitat

Environmental restoration

Less resource waste

Population stabilization