1

Introduction to Environmental Science

In every deliberation, we must consider our impact on the next seven generations.

- The Iroqouis Confederacy

What's next??

2

Banff National Park (1885)

Banff National Park was

Canada’s 1st national park

(4th in the world) located in

the Rocky Mountains in

Alberta.

Bogd Khan Uul

National Park,

Mongolia (1783)

Yellowstone

National Park,

USA (1872)

Royal National Park,

Australia (1879)

3

Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite National Park is a national park

directly east of San Francisco that was

created in 1890.

Images taken from

http://www.nps.gov

4

San Francisco

• The city of San Francisco experienced a

tremendous population boom in the 19th

century due to the gold rush.

• A powerful earthquake struck the city in

1906, followed by a devastating fire.

• The city’s water pipes were so damaged by

the earthquake, that firefighters were not

able to tap fire hydrants.

Earthquake of 1906

• The economic and structural damage to the city is

comparable to that of Hurricane Katrina and New

Orleans.

• As part of the rebuilding process, the city applied to

the federal government to construct a reservoir in

the Hetch Hetchy valley of Yosemite National Park. 5

Hetch Hetchy Valley

6

• San Francisco city officials wanted to dam the Tolumne river

for a clean and dependable long-term water source for a

growing city.

• An act of Congress and President Woodrow Wilson’s

approval were needed for the dam and reservoir to be

constructed.

Image taken from

http://www.sierranevada

photos.com

7

Environmental Science

• Environmental science is defined as the

interaction of humans with the environment.

• The environment includes all conditions that

surround living organisms:

Climate

Air and water quality

Soil and landforms

Presence of other living organisms

8

Environmental Science Cont’d

• Environmental science and

the issues that it studies

are complex and

interdisciplinary.

Includes concepts and

ideas from multiple fields

of study.

What fields are covered

by the Hetch Hetchy

debate?

Image taken from Principles of

Environmental Science,

Cunningham, 2005.

9

• Humans have

impacted the Earth

since the very

beginning of

civilization.

• In 2400 B.C., the

agricultural fields of

Sumeria had grain

production similar to

modern agriculture –

about 30 bushels per

acre.

The Sumerians relied

10

Environmental History

The Sumerians relied on

irrigation, (i.e. artificial

application of water from

another source).

Tigris and Euphrates

rivers.

11

Environmental History

All water contains small amounts of minerals

called salt, and that salt built up in the

Mesopotamian soil over time.

Yields declined to half, then a fourth within

a few hundred years.

By the 7th century A.D., slave labor had to

be used to strip the upper salt layer from

the soil so it could still be farmed.

By the 16th century, the Fertile Crescent of

Mesopotamia was a salty wasteland.

12

13

• This is an example of two important concepts in environmental science:

The Law of Unintended Consequences, which states that the actions of people and governments always have unexpected effects (often undesirable)

“…the law of unintended consequences has come to be used as an adage or idiomatic warning that an intervention in a complex system tends to create unanticipated and often undesirable outcomes.[ Akin to Murphy’s Law it is commonly used as a wry or humorous warning against the hubristic belief that humans can fully control the world around them.”

Unsustainability, a condition (or practice) that cannot continue at its current rate.

Environmental Ethics

• Environmental ethics is the discipline that

studies the moral relationship of human

beings to the environment.

What is the value of the environment?

What moral responsibility do we have?

Which needs should be given the highest

priority in our decision making?

• Different types of ethics have emerged in

human culture in modern history.

14

15

Types of Environmental Ethics

• There are five main historical stages of

environmental ethics.

Anthropocentrism

Conservationism

Ecocentrism

Modern Environmentalism

Global Environmental Citizenship

16

Anthropocentrism

• Anthropocentrism literally means “human-

centered”.

This set of ethics protects and promotes

human interests or well-being at the

expense of all other factors.

Often places an emphasis on short-term

benefits while disregarding long-term

consequences.

17

Pragmatic Resource Conservation

• Advocated by President

Theodore Roosevelt.

• Conservationists believe the

environment should be used

in a planned way to benefit

everyone.

• The correct policy will create

the greatest good for the

greatest number, for the

longest time.

18

ECOCENTRISM

• Advocated by John

Muir, first president of

the Sierra Club.

• Ecocentric individuals

believe that nature

deserves to exist for its

own sake regardless

of degree of

usefulness to humans.

The Hetch Hetchy Debate

19

• The Hetch Hetchy decision was the most

famous debate between the conservationist

and preservationist philosophies.

• Eventually the law was passed that granted

the state of California permission to

construct a dam and reservoir in the Hetch

Hetchy valley.

Before and After

20

21

Modern Environmentalism

• Rachel Carson wrote a book

entitled Silent Spring about the

effects of pesticides on birds.

Awakened the public to

threats of pollution and toxic

chemicals to humans as well

as other species.

What were they THINKing??!!

22

Global Environmentalism

Issues and problems are explored on a global scale

instead of a local one.

“One World” thinking.

Focus on the common

plight of humankind.

Ideas of sustainability and restraint entered global

discussions.

• Increased travel and modern

communication enables people to

know about daily events in places

unknown in previous generations.)

23

Basic History of Humans and the Environment

• Hunter-Gatherers (10,000 B.C.)

Obtain food by collecting plants and

hunting wild animals.

Effects on the environment were limited.

- Hunting of some animal species.

- Picked up and spread plants/seeds to

new areas.

24

Basic History of Humans and the Environment

• Agricultural Revolution (6000-7000 B.C.)

Humans first developed the process of

growing, and harvesting plants for food as

well as animal domestication and breeding.

Effects on the environment:

- Human population grew more quickly

- Natural habitats (grasslands, forests)

replaced by farmland and villages.

- New breeds of animals and plants were

created.

25

Basic History of Humans and the Environment

• Industrial Revolution (1800s)

Shift in the source of energy to fossil fuels

Effects on the environment:

- More efficient farming

- Faster human population growth

- Increased burning of fossil fuels.

- Introduced synthetic plastics, fertilizers,

pesticides.

- Higher amounts of pollution.

Spaceship Earth

26

• The Earth is a closed system.

The only thing that enters or leaves the Earth in

large quantities is heat.

Resources are limited, but the population

continues to increase.

Wastes do not go away.

27

Major Environmental Problems

• Resource Depletion

Resources can be renewable (water) or

nonrenewable (oil).

The supply of nonrenewable resources like

fossil fuels and minerals will eventually run

out.

• Inexhaustible resources cannot be used up.

Sunlight.

• Renewable resources can be replaced, but

the process may take a long time.

Timber, soil.

• Nonrenewable resources cannot be replaced,

as their formation took millions of years.

Coal, oil, natural gas.

• Recyclable resources can be used more than

once.

Iron, aluminum, copper.

28

Categories of Resources

29

Major Environmental Problems

• Loss of Biodiversity

The number and variety of species is

decreasing.

Extinction, or the complete loss of a

species, is a natural event that can be

accelerated by human actions.

The Tasmanian tiger is the only known mammal to become

extinct in the past 200 years on the island of Tasmania.

During the same period of time, on nearby Australia,

23 birds, 4 amphibians, and 27 mammal species have become

extinct.

30

Major Environmental Problems

• Pollution

Undesired change in air, water, or soil that

affects the health of living things.

Tragedy of the Commons

• An ecologist named Garrett Hardin wrote an

essay describing the source of environmental

problems as a conflict:

Short-term interests of individuals (few)

versus…

Long-term interests of civilization and the

Earth itself (many)

31

32

Tragedy of the Commons

• Each villager owns a small

herd of sheep.

• The only place for the sheep

to graze is a commons in the

center of the village.

• A commons is an area that

belongs to an entire village.

Likely outcome: Villagers

obtain as many sheep as

possible, allow to graze in

the commons.

• What if the commons was instead divided into

sections that was owned by each villager?

Because the land is owned, individuals are much

more likely to plan and use it for the long-term.

“In the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rental car.” Larry Summers, Chief Economic Advisor to President Obama

33

Today’s “Commons”??

34

Economics and the Environment

• Supply and Demand – The

greater the demand for a

limited resource, the higher the

price.

Examples:

- Increasing price of

oil/gasoline

- Consistently low price of

corn in U.S.

35

Economics and the Environment

• Cost/Benefit Analysis – Is the cost of doing

something worth the outcome?

Ex: Pollution cleanup of Waukegan Harbor

36

Waukegan harbor

Annual fish samplingDredging

Economics and the Environment

• Risk Analysis – The probability that something will

cause injury or death.

Ex: Nuclear power

37

Bhopal and Dow Chemical

• In December of 1984, a pesticide factory

located near the town of Bhopal, India leaked

a large amount of toxic chemicals into the air.

• The chemicals resulted in an immediate

death toll of about 3,000 people, with 8,000

more dying of long-term health ailments.

A total of 558,125 injuries were reported to

the Indian government.

No legal settlement was reached with

Union Carbide, now owned by Dow

Chemical.38

Ethics and Economics

• To properly compensate and treat all

individuals affected by this disaster, Dow

Chemical would have to pay several billion

dollars in settlements.

• Dow Chemical has a yearly profit of over $2

billion, with total assets worth nearly $70

billion.

39

40

The Demographic Divide:

Developed and Developing Nations

Developed and Developing Countries

41

• Environmental issues faced by different

countries varies depending on their

economic status.

• Developed – Higher incomes, longer life

span, lower growth rate.

Ex: Canada, US, Japan, France, U.K.

Developing and Developed Countries

• Developing – Have lower

incomes, shorter life span,

rapid population growth.

Ex: India, Afghanistan,

most of sub-Saharan

Africa

42

Population and Consumption

• Developing countries tend to have severe

overpopulation. This leads to:

Deforestation

Bare soil

Native animals driven to extinction

Malnutrition, starvation, disease

• About 80% of the world’s population falls in

this category

Only use 25% of the world’s resources

43

Population and Consumption

• Developed countries, while smaller in size

and growth, consume resources at a greater

rate.

• About 20% of the world’s population uses

75% of its resources.

44

Developing and Developed Countries

45

Source: Holt Environmental Science, Arms, 2007

Ecological Footprint

• An ecological footprint is one

measurement of a person’s

resource use.

Includes the amount of

space needed to support

each person in a nation,

including forests, farms,

cities, etc.

46

If the developing countries industrialized

and matched the resource consumption

rate of the United States, an estimated

three Earths would be needed.

47

Ecological Footprint

• There are three perspectives in how we should deal with issues of pollution, resource overconsumption, and loss of biodiversity.

• The planetary management worldview takes the perspective that humans should manage the Earth’s resources to achieve the maximum benefit.

48

Environmental Worldviews

• The stewardship worldview also believes

that humans should manage the Earth, but

in a more ethical and sustainable way.

Also anthropocentric, but with more of

an emphasis on living in such a way that

human needs can be met indefinitely.

This is called sustainability.

49

50

• The environmental wisdom worldview believes that we are totally dependent on nature and should preserve nature as much as possible to maintain our own species.

An ecocentricworldview that emphasizes sustainability for all species.

Indigenous vs. Western?

• Each of these worldviews acknowledges that the Earth is a closed system, meaning matter does not enter or leave it in large amounts.

Resources are finite.

Wastes do not “go away”.

• These understandings form the basis for understanding and solving each of the issues within environmental science. 51

Earthrise, taken by astronaut Frank

Borman in 1968, during the Apollo 8

mission.

The Goal: A Sustainable World

• Sustainability

Human needs are met so that the

population can survive

indefinitely.

“Meeting the needs of the

present without

compromising the ability of

future generations to meet

their own needs.”

- Brundtland Commission, 1987 52