RESOURCE USE RESOURCE USE AND AND

SUSTAINABILITYSUSTAINABILITY

POPULATION, RESOURCES POPULATION, RESOURCES AND OUR SURVIVALAND OUR SURVIVAL

CONSUMPTION AND CONSUMPTION AND SURVIVALSURVIVAL

• Consumption: the core issue of the present time.Consumption: the core issue of the present time.• Imbalanced consumption: Rich, less populated West Imbalanced consumption: Rich, less populated West

consumes much more than poor, more populated consumes much more than poor, more populated Third WorldThird World

• Different consumption patterns– Different consumption patterns–

1. North: Consumer culture;1. North: Consumer culture;

2. South: Basic needs2. South: Basic needs• Consumption: The most imminent danger to our Consumption: The most imminent danger to our

survivalsurvival

Natural Resource Natural Resource

Consumption PatternsConsumption Patterns CountrCountriesies

Developed Developed (North)(North)

Developing (South)Developing (South)

EnergyEnergy Largest Largest consumers of consumers of fossil fuelsfossil fuels

Wood and Wood Wood and Wood productsproducts

ForestsForests Cleared there Cleared there forests alreadyforests already

Clearing there Clearing there forestsforests

Raw Raw materimaterialsals

Import from the Import from the South; Heavy South; Heavy consumptionconsumption

Some countries Some countries catching up with the catching up with the North: India and North: India and ChinaChina

GrowthGrowth Consumption Consumption reached a plateaureached a plateau

Tries to catch up Tries to catch up with the Northwith the North

Effects Effects • Why are fossil fuels not sustainable?– Because we Why are fossil fuels not sustainable?– Because we

are using them up faster than they can be replaced are using them up faster than they can be replaced naturallynaturally

• Marine fisheries of the open ocean, many are now Marine fisheries of the open ocean, many are now endangered endangered

• Consumption of metal, fiber, and food causes Consumption of metal, fiber, and food causes primarily local, not global, environmental primarily local, not global, environmental degradation.degradation.

• Industrial chemicals degrade the Earth's Industrial chemicals degrade the Earth's stratospheric ozone shieldstratospheric ozone shield

• Effects may be Effects may be compoundedcompounded when the people of the when the people of the South claim their rightful share of the Earth's South claim their rightful share of the Earth's natural resources and their countries become natural resources and their countries become industrialized.industrialized.

Energy consumption per capita Energy consumption per capita per countryper country

CO2 emission per capita CO2 emission per capita per year per countryper year per country

Environmental Impacts of Environmental Impacts of ConsumptionConsumption

• Calculations show that the planet has Calculations show that the planet has available 1.9 hectares of biologically available 1.9 hectares of biologically productive land per person to supply productive land per person to supply resources and absorb wastes—yet the resources and absorb wastes—yet the average person on Earth already uses average person on Earth already uses 2.3 hectares worth. These “ecological 2.3 hectares worth. These “ecological footprints” range from the 9.7 footprints” range from the 9.7 hectares claimed by the average hectares claimed by the average American to the 0.47 hectares used American to the 0.47 hectares used by the average Mozambican.by the average Mozambican.

Social Fallout of Social Fallout of ConsumptionConsumption

• An estimated 65 % of U.S. adults are An estimated 65 % of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, leading to an overweight or obese, leading to an annual loss of 300,000 lives and at least annual loss of 300,000 lives and at least $117 billion in health care costs in 1999. $117 billion in health care costs in 1999.

• In 2002, 61 % of U.S. credit card users In 2002, 61 % of U.S. credit card users carried a monthly balance, averaging carried a monthly balance, averaging $12,000 at 16 % interest. This amounts $12,000 at 16 % interest. This amounts to about $1,900 a year in finance chargesto about $1,900 a year in finance charges—more than the average per capita —more than the average per capita income in at least 35 countries (in income in at least 35 countries (in purchasing power parity). purchasing power parity).

• The U.S. consumes 25% of the The U.S. consumes 25% of the energy produced in the world while energy produced in the world while only having 4.6% of the world’s only having 4.6% of the world’s population.population.

LAWS RELATING TO LAWS RELATING TO SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY

• A population growth rate less than or equal to A population growth rate less than or equal to zero and declining rates of consumption of zero and declining rates of consumption of resources are necessary conditions for a resources are necessary conditions for a sustainable society. sustainable society.

• Unsustainability will be the certain result of any Unsustainability will be the certain result of any program of "development," that ignores the program of "development," that ignores the problem of population growth and that does not problem of population growth and that does not plan the achievement of zero or a period of plan the achievement of zero or a period of negative growth of populations and of rates of negative growth of populations and of rates of consumption of resources.consumption of resources.

• Societies, or sectors of a society, that depend on Societies, or sectors of a society, that depend on population growth or growth in their rates of population growth or growth in their rates of consumption of resources, are unsustainable. consumption of resources, are unsustainable.

Contd…… Contd……

• The larger the population of a society, (India The larger the population of a society, (India and China) and/or the larger its rates of and China) and/or the larger its rates of consumption of resources, (U.S.) the more consumption of resources, (U.S.) the more difficult it will be to transform the society to difficult it will be to transform the society to the condition of sustainability. the condition of sustainability.

• Sustainability requires that the size of the Sustainability requires that the size of the population be less than or equal to the carrying population be less than or equal to the carrying capacity of the ecosystem for the desired capacity of the ecosystem for the desired standard of living. standard of living.

• The benefits of population growth and of The benefits of population growth and of growth in the rates of consumption of growth in the rates of consumption of resources accrue to a few individuals; the costs resources accrue to a few individuals; the costs of population growth and growth in the rates of of population growth and growth in the rates of consumption of resources are borne by all of consumption of resources are borne by all of society. society.

• The benefits of large efforts to preserve the The benefits of large efforts to preserve the environment are easily canceled by the added environment are easily canceled by the added demands on the environment that result from demands on the environment that result from small increases in human population. small increases in human population.