Understanding Our Environment

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Environmental Science

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3

The Goals of Environmental Science

How nature works.

How the environment effects us.

How we effect the environment.

How we can live more sustainably without degrading our life-support system.

4

Human Population

The human race plays a key role in important issues we

will be discussing the whole year
Population growth

Resource use

Poverty

Loss of biological diversity

Pollution

Global climate change

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 The Population Dilemma exponential growth

Billions of people
?

Black Deaththe Plague

Time
Hunting and Industrial
Gathering Agricultural revolution Revolution 6
Fig. 1-1, p. 6
 Resource Use

Global economic output is

a rough measure of human
resource use
More people due to
exponential growth and
economic growth
resource use

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 Poverty

22 fold in economic
growth b/t 1950 and 2004
50% of people still trying to
survive off < $3/day
To survive they must deplete
and degrade environment

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 Poverty

Wealth is becoming increasingly

concentrated, with the richest 20%
receiving most of the world's
income (82.7%).

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 Loss of Biological Diversity

Premature extinction of species due

to habitat degradation
1%/year
IRREVERSIBLE!
i.e. cutting down forests due to
farming and development

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 Pollution

Pollution- presence of substances at high

enough levels to harm living organisms due to:
Natural occurrences= biogenic
(volcanic eruptions)
Human activities= anthropogenic

(burning fossil fuels, using pesticides,

etc.)
Disrupt support systems of organisms

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 Pollution

Occurs more in urban areas

Can contaminate area where produced
or be carried away by wind or water
Factors that determine damage a
pollutant can cause:
Concentration

Persistence

Chemical nature

Rate of degradation

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 Climate Change

Population growth, resource use,

poverty, and loss of biological
diversity contribute to climate
change
Global warming

Cycle continues

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 What the Earth Provides Us
Solar Capital/ Energy

Solar capital- direct sunlight and indirect

forms of renewable solar energy
- Provides 99% of the energy used

on earth to sustain life.

- Biomass (plant matter)

made by plants during

photosynthesis using solar energy
(i.e. firewood, food, coal)
- Hydropower, windpower, and solar

power

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 What the Earth Provides Us
Natural Capital

Natural capital- Earths resources

and ecological services
Air
Water
Soil
Forests
Fishery
Minerals
Natural water and air
purification

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NATURAL CAPITAL = NATURAL RESOURCES + NATURAL SERVICES
NATURAL RESOURCES NATURAL SERVICES

RESOURCES SERVICES
Air purification
Air
Water purification
Water Water storage
Soil Soil renewal
Nutrient recycling
Land
Food production
CAPITAL = Life (Biodiversity) + Conservation of
biodiversity
Nonrenewable Wildlife habitat
minerals
(iron, sand) Grassland and forest
renewal
Renewable energy Waste treatment
sun, wind, water
flows Climate control
Population control
Nonrenewable (species interactions
energy (fossil fuels,
nuclear power) Pest Control
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Fig. 1-4, p. 9
 Environmental and Resource Problems
The Big Five Causes

Major causes of problems

1. Population growth
2. Wasteful resource use
3. Poverty
4. Poor environmental
accounting
5. Ecological and
environmental ignorance

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 Sustainability: The Integrative Theme

A Path to Sustainability
Natural Capital Individuals
Natural Capital Solutions Trade-Offs Matter
Degradation

Sound Science

Living sustainably - satisfying peoples needs of the present,

without depleting natural resources to meet the needs of future
generations
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Fig. 1-3, p. 8
 Shifts
needed to
bring about
sustainable
revolution

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Fig. 1-18, p. 25
 Is Our Present Course Sustainable?
Guidelines for the Earth

Never leave it worse than you found it

Take only what you need
Sustain diverse living organisms
Maintains Earths capacity for self-repair
Decrease waste
Decrease pollution
Decrease population

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 Ecological Footprint

A measure of human demand on earths

ecosystems
Looks at consumption of:
- Energy

- Food

- Building material

- Water

- Other resources

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 Earths
Ecological
Capacity
int
pr
Number of Earths

oot
a lF
gic
olo
E c
t y 's
i
m an
Hu

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Year Fig. 1-7c, p. 13
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 Footprint Per Person
(hectares per person)
1 hectare=2.47 acres=12,000 yds2

United States 9.7

4.7
European Union

1.6
China

0.8
India

4.8
Japan

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Fig. 1-7b, p. 13
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 Your Ecological Footprint?
1. Go to http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator and
complete the Ecological Footprint Quiz
2. Go to https://www.watercalculator.org/ and complete
the Water Footprint Quiz
3. Go to www.myfootprint.org and
complete the Ecological Footprint Quiz
***Assignment: Complete the ecological footprint quiz
of the link number 3:
Print out in PDF of the last page of the quiz
informing you how many earths are needed if everyone
lived like you. Then submit it to me through email by
13 November 2017 before class 26