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Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability

Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability. 1. Overview of Chapter 1. Human Impacts on The Environment Population, Resources and the Environment Sustainability Environmental Science Addressing Environmental Problems. The Environment (Earth).

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Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability

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  1. Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability 1

  2. Overview of Chapter 1 • Human Impacts on The Environment • Population, Resources and the Environment • Sustainability • Environmental Science • Addressing Environmental Problems

  3. The Environment (Earth) • Life has existed on earth for 3.8 billion yrs • Earth well suited for life • Water over ¾ of planet • Habitable temperature, moderate sunlight • Atmosphere provides oxygen and carbon dioxide • Soil with essential minerals for plants

  4. Human Impacts on Environment- Population • Earth’s Human Population is at 6.9 billion • Growing exponentially • Expected to add several billion more people in 21st century

  5. Population • 1 in 4 people live in extreme poverty • Cannot meet basic need for food, clothing, shelter, health • Difficult to meet population needs without exploiting earth’s resources

  6. Gap Between Rich and Poor • Highly Developed Countries (HDC) • Complex industrialized bases, low population growth, high per capita incomes • Ex: US, Canada, Japan

  7. Gap Between Rich and Poor • Less Developed Countries (LDC) • Low level of industrialization, very high fertility rate, high infant mortality rate, low per capita income • Ex: Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia

  8. Types of Natural Resources

  9. Consumption • Consumption • Human use of materials and energy • People in HDCs are big consumers • Unsustainable Consumption • Occurs when the level of demand on a country’s resources damages or depletes the resource enough to reduce the quality of life for future generations • Caused by overpopulation and/or overconsumption

  10. Ecological Footprint • The average amount of land, water and ocean required to provide that person with all the resources they consume

  11. Ecological Footprint • Humans have an ecological overshoot

  12. Ecological Footprint Comparison

  13. Environmental Impact Affluence per person I = P A T Environmental effect of technologies Number of people IPAT Model • Measures 3 factors that affect environmental impact (I)

  14. Environmental Sustainability

  15. Environmental Sustainability • The ability to meet current human need for natural resources without compromising the needs of future generations • Requires understanding: • The effects of our actions on the earth • That earth’s resources are not infinite

  16. Tragedy of the Commons • Garrett Hardin (1915–2003) • Solving Environmental Problems is result of struggle between: • Short term welfare • Long term environmental stability and societal welfare • Common pool resources • Garrett used Common Pastureland in medieval Europe to illustrate the struggle

  17. Sustainable Development- Systems Concept • Economic development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising future generations

  18. Environmental Science • An interdisciplinary study of human relationship with other organisms and the earth • Biology • Ecology • Geography • Chemistry • Geology • Physics • Economics • Sociology • Demography • Politics

  19. Earth System and Environmental Science • System • A set of components that interact and function as a whole • Global Earth Systems • Climate, atmosphere, land, coastal zones, ocean • Ecosystem • A natural system consisting of a community of organisms and its physical environment

  20. Earth Systems and Environmental Science • Negative feedback • Change triggers a response that counteracts the changed condition

  21. Feedback • Positive feedback • Change triggers a response that intensifies the changing condition

  22. Scientific Method

  23. Controls and Variables in Experiment • Variable • A factor that influences a process • The variable may be altered in an experiment to see its effect on the outcome • Control • The variable is not altered • Allows for comparison between the altered variable test and the unaltered variable test

  24. Five Steps to Addressing An Environmental Problem • Five steps are idealistic • Case Study: Lake Washington

  25. Assessing Environmental ProblemCase Study: Lake Washington • Large, freshwater pond • Suburban sprawl in 1940’s • 10 new sewage treatment plants dumped effluent into lake • Effect = excessive cyanobacteria growth that killed off fish and aquatic life

  26. Assessing Environmental ProblemCase Study: Lake Washington • Scientific Assessment • Aquatic wildlife assessment done in 1933 was compared to the 1950 assessment • Hypothesized treated sewage was introducing high nutrients causing growth of cyanobacteria • Risk Analysis • After analyzing many choices, chose new location (freshwater) and greater treatment for sewage to decrease nutrients in effluent

  27. Assessing Environmental ProblemCase Study: Lake Washington • Public Education/Involvement • Educated public on why changes were necessary • Political Action • Difficult to organize sewage disposal in so many municipalities • Changes were not made until 1963! • Evaluation • Cyanobacteria slowly decreased until 1975 (gone)

  28. Assessing Environmental ProblemCase Study: Lake Washington • Results

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