Sustainability
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
“Treat
the earth well: it was not given
to you by your parents, it was loaned
to you by your children. We do not
inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children.
~ Ancient American Indian Proverb
Essential Questions
• How the Earth supplies us?
• How are we affecting the Earth’s life supports
system? Human impact?
• How to deal with environmental problems?
• What is the most important strategy in
Environmental practices?
Backpacker’s Motto
What do you think is our most serious environmental problem?
1. Corruption in governments and businesses, and
bad economic policies
2. Destruction of biodiversity
3. Environmental impacts from human poverty and
hunger
4. Genetic engineering of organisms
5. Greenhouse Effect (global warming) and
resulting climatic changes
6. Human diseases (cancer, malaria, AIDS, etc.)
7. Human overpopulation
8. Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of
mass destruction
9. Poor farming techniques (soil erosion, overuse
of pesticides, livestock wastes, etc.)
10. Wasting of valuable and nonrenewable
resources
36%
21%
14%
7%
7%
0%
1
7%
7%
0%
2
3
4
0%
5
6
7
8
9
10
Six important environmental
issues
•
•
•
•
•
•
Population growth
Increasing resource use
Global climate change
Premature extinction of plants and animals
Pollution
Poverty
LIVING SUSTAINABLY
• SOLAR CAPITAL - PROVIDES
99%OF OUR ENERGY WE USE ON
EARTH.
• EARTH CAPITAL - LIFE-SUPPORT
AND ECONOMIC SERVICES.
• SUSTAINABILITY - IS THE
ABILITY OF A SPECIFIED
SYSTEM TO SURVIVE AND
FUNCTION OVER A SPECIFIED
TIME.
SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE
HARVEST
SUPPLY OF RESOURCES
THAT CAN BE HARVESTED
EACH YEAR.
SUSTAINABLE EARTH
• EARTH CAPITAL ARE USED AND
MAINTAINED OVER TIME.
What is sustainability?
1. Satisfying basic needs without
depleting or degrading
resources
2. Maximizing resource use
3. Reducing resource use even if
it means some big sacrifices by
human beings
4. Halting further resource use
and limiting human progress
90%
10%
0%
1
2
3
0%
4
SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY
MANAGES ITS 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. HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
CARRYING CAPACITY
IS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF
ORGANISMS A LOCAL,REGIONAL,OR
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT CAN SUPPORT
OVER A SPECIFIED PERIOD.
CARRYING CAPACITY
1. VARIES BY LOCATION
2. GLOBAL CHANGES
3. TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY USES TO
EXTRACT AND PROCESS THE
RESOURCES
LINEAR POPULATION
GROWTH
• IS A QUANTITY THAT INCREASES AT
A CONSTANT AMOUNT PER UNIT OF
TIME.
• IF PLOTTED ON A GRAPH IT WOULD
BE A STRAIGHT LINE.
World Population Reached
1 billion in 1804
2 billion in 1927 (123 years later)
3 billion in 1960 (33 years later)
4 billion in 1974 (14 years later)
5 billion in 1987 (13 years later)
6 billion in 1999 (12 years later)
World Population May Reach
7 billion in 2013 (14 years later)
8 billion in 2028 (15 years later)
9 billion in 2050 (22 years later)
Figure 1-2
Page 4
Slide 2
http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop
The earth’s population is currently 6.6 billion people.
The rate of population growth is 1.2 percent. How large
will the earth’s population be after 58 years?
33%
1.
2.
3.
33%
33%
10.2 billion
people
12.6 billion
people
13.2 billion
people
1
2
3
Which of the following would not be an example of sound science?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Calculating the destruction of trees in a forest
based on historical cut rates
Calculating the pollution in a stream based on
chemical analysis
Developing a plan on how to conserve
resources based on opinion polls
Forecasting CO2 levels in a region based on
historical emissions
25%
1
25%
2
25%
3
25%
4
Because developing
nations make up
81% of the world’s
population, they
generate most of the
pollution and waste
as well as using
most of the world’s
resources.
50%
50%
1. True
2. False
1
2
How many people live on the
earth?
25%
1.
2.
3.
4.
25%
25%
25%
About 5 million
About 2 billion
Over 6 billion
Over 10 billion
1
2
3
4
Most population growth is
projected to occur in:
50%
50%
1. Developed
countries
2. Developing
countries
1
2
RESOURCES
Nonrenewable resources:
25%
25%
25%
25%
1. Are fixed in quantity
2. Include solar energy
3. Degrade quickly
once they have been
extracted from the
earth
4. Can be exhausted
completely
1
2
3
4
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
• IS THE CURRENT GROWTH RATE SUSTAINABLE
IN THE FUTURE?
• THIS IDEA ASSUMES THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT
TO USE THE EARTH’S RESOURCES AND EARTH
CAPITAL TO MEET OUR NEEDS BUT THAT WE
HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO PASS ON THE
EARTH’S RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO FUTURE
LEAVE FUTURE GENERATIONS IN AS GOOD OR
BETTER SHAPE THAN THESE CONDITIONS WERE
PASSED ON TO US.
• SHOULD WE LIVE FOR TODAY AND NOT CARE
ABOUT HOW FUTURE WILL BE AFFECTED?
ECOLOGICAL VS. ECONOMIC
RESOURCES
• ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE - IS ANYTHING
REQUIRED BY AN ORGANISM FOR NORMAL
MAINTENANCE, GROWTH, AND PRODUCTION.
• ECONOMIC RESOURCE - IS ANYTHING OBTAINED
FROM THE ENVIRONMENT TO MEET HUMAN
NEEDS AND WANTS.
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
• RENEWABLE RESOURCES - SOLAR.
• POTENTIALLY RENEWABLE RESOURCES CAN BE REPLENISHED FAIRLY RAPIDLY
THROUGH NATURAL PROCESSES.
• BIODIVERSITY
GENETIC DIVERSITY
SPECIES DIVERSITY
ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
VARIETY PROVIDES MORE
RESOURCES.
The ecological footprint is a
measure of human demand on the
Earth's ecosytems, the amount
of natural capital used each year. The
footprint of a region can be
contrasted with the natural resources
it generates.
A measure of sustainability
the impact of human activities
measured in terms of the area of
biologically productive land and water
required to produce the goods
consumed and to assimilate the wastes
generated. More simply, it is the
amount of the environment necessary
to produce the goods and services
necessary to support a particular
lifestyle.
Which of the following countries has the
highest ecological footprint per capita?
25%
1.
2.
3.
4.
25%
25%
25%
India
The Netherlands
The United States
All are about the
same
1
2
3
4
Per Capita Ecological Footprint
(Hectares of land per person)
Country
10.9
United States
5.9
The Netherlands
India
1.0
Figure 1-8 (1)
Page 10
Slide 8
Country
Total Ecological Footprint
(Hectares)
3 billion
hectares
United States
The Netherlands
India
94 million hectares
1 billion
hectares
Figure 1-8 (2)
Page 10
Slide 9
The Global Footprint Network
estimated the global ecological
footprint as "1.5 planet Earths"; that
is, they judged that ecological
services were being used 1.5 times
as quickly as they were being
renewed
Cities, due to population
concentration, have large
ecological footprints and
have become ground zero
for footprint reduction.
Some Major Problems
Fig. 1–13a
© Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP
More Major Problems
Fig. 1–13b
© Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP
Still More Major Problems
Fig. 1–13c
© Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP
QuickTime™ and a
Photo CD Decompressor
are needed to use this picture
QuickTime™ and a
Photo CD Decompressor
THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS.
are needed to use this picture
“ IF I DO NOT USE THIS RESOURCE, SOMEONE ELSE WILL. THE
LITTLE BIT I USE OR POLLUTE IS NOT ENOUGH TO MATTER.”
WITH ONLY A FEW USES, THIS LOGIC WORKS. HOWEVER, THE
CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF MANY PEOPLE TRYING TO EXHAUSTS
OR RUINS IT. THEN NO ONE CAN BENEFIT FROM IT, AND
THEREIN LIES THE TRAGEDY.
QuickTime™ and a
Photo CD Decompressor
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
are needed to use this picture
•USE THE COMMON-PROPERTY RESOURCE AT RATES BELOW WHAT IS
SUSTAINABLE BY REDUCING POPULATION AND REGULATING ACCESS.
PROBLEMS • CONVERT THE COMMON-PROPERTY TO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.
PROBLEMS • COMMAND-AND-CONTROL IS THE USE OF TAXES AND THE FREEMARKET
PROBLEMS -
What is the tragedy of the
commons?
1.
2.
3.
4.
The depletion of nonrenewable resources
The degradation of
renewable free-access
resources
The seizing of natural
resources by government
The underuse of resources
that could benefit needy
people
25%
1
25%
2
25%
3
25%
4
1-4
POLLUTION
Is the introduction of any substance into the
natural environment that cause adverse
change or harm to the environment
Sometimes referred to as contaminants
POINT SOURCE - COMES FROM A SINGLE, IDENTIFIABLE
SOURCE.
NONPOINT SOURCE – RUNOFF
THREE FACTORS DETERMINED HOW SEVERE THE HARMFUL
EFFECTS OF A POLLUTANT ARE.
1. THE CONCENTRATION LEVEL. ppm ppt
2. CHEMICAL NATURE. How active and harmful it is in
nature?
3. HALF LIFE OR THE PERSISTENCE OF THE
POLLUTANT. ex BIODEGRADABLE
DDT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PERSISTENT POLLUTANT.
SOLUTIONS TO POLLUTIONS
• POLLUTION CONTROL-INPUT CONTROL
THREE Rs
• POLLUTION PREVENTION- OUTPUT CONTROL
1. TEMPORARY BANDAGE.
2. THE CLEANUP OF ONE TYPE OF POLLUTANT MAY
CAUSE ANOTHER TYPE OF POLLUTION PROBLEM.
3. COST IS 2 HIGH.
ONLY 1 % IS SPENT ON PREVENTION
1-5 ENVIRONMENTAL AND
RESOURCE PROBLEMS: CAUSE
AND CONNECTIONS
• RAPID POPULATION GROWTH
• RAPID AND WASTEFUL USE OF RESOURCES WITH 2
LITTLE EMPHASIS ON POLLUTION PREVENTION AND
WASTE REDUCTION
•POVERTY
• FAILURE OF POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE
GROWTH
QuickTime™ and a
Photo CD Decompressor
are needed to use this picture
Population X Affluence X Technology = Impact
IMPORTANT
QuickTime™ and a
Photo CD Decompressor
are needed to use this picture
1-6
Is our present course sustainable
Are things getting better or
worse?
1-8
ENVIRONMENTAL WORLD VIEWS
AND SUSTAINABILITY
WHAT’S THE USE OF A HOUSE IF YOU
DON’T HAVE A DECENT PLANET TO
PUT IT ON? THOREAU
• ENVIRONMENTAL WORLD VIEWS
• PLANETARY MANAGEMENT
WORLDVIEW.
SUSTAINABILITY
– PLANETARY MANAGEMENT
WORLDVIEW
WE ARE THE BEST
• THERE IS ALWAYS MORE
• ALL EC. GROWTH IS GOOD
• SUCCESS = CONTROL OF EARTH FOR OUR
BENEFIT
Environmental wisdom view
• Nature exist for all
• There is not always more
• Some economic growth is good while some
might effect the environment
“This Earth’s is only on loan to us… One day
we must return it to our children.”
Working Toward Sustainability
Some Guidelines
• Leave the earth as good or better than we found it.
• Take no more than we need.
• Try not to harm life, air, water, soil.
• Protect biodiversity.
• Help maintain Earth's capacity for self repair.
• Don't use potentially renewable resources faster than
they are replenished.
• Don't waste resources.
• Don't release pollutants faster than Earth's natural
processes can dilute or degrade them.
• Slow the rate of population growth.
• Reduce poverty.
© Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP