Environmental Problems

Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability

Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
Main themes:themes:What keeps us alive? What is an environmentally sustainable society? What is the difference between economic growth, economic development, and environmentally sustainable economic development?

Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability (cont’d) (cont’
What are the harmful environmental effects of poverty and affluence? What three major human cultural changes have taken place since humans arrived? What are the four scientific principles of sustainability and how can we use them and shared visions to build more environmentally sustainable and just societies during this century?

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Billions of people

?

Black Death—the Plague

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

LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY

… the study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth and how to deal with environmental problems.

Figure 1-2 1-

What is Environmental Science?
The goals of environmental science are to learn:
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. life-

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Sustainability: The Integrative Theme

Sustainability, is the ability of earth’s various earth’ systems to survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitely. The steps to sustainability must be supported by sound science. Figure 1-3 1-

Environmentally Sustainable Societies

… meets basic needs of its people in a just and equitable manner without degrading the natural capital that supplies these resources.

Figure 1-4 1-

NATURAL CAPITAL

=

NATURAL RESOURCES
NATURAL RESOURCES NATURAL RESOURCES

+

NATURAL SERVICES
NATURAL SERVICES NATURAL SERVICES

Air Water Soil Land NATURAL CAPITAL = Life (Biodiversity) Nonrenewable minerals (iron, sand) Renewable... [continues]

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