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AP Environmental Science Intro
Sustainability and Ethics
Introduction
• Environment– External conditions that affect
living organisms
• Ecology– Study of relationships between
living organisms and their environment
• 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.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: CAUSES AND CONNECTIONSCAUSES AND CONNECTIONS
The major causes of environmental The major causes of environmental problems are:problems are: Population growthPopulation growth
Wasteful resource useWasteful resource use
PovertyPoverty
Poor environmental accountingPoor environmental accounting
Ecological ignoranceEcological ignorance
Tragedy of the Commons
• Degradation of the renewable resources
• Reasoned by “If I don’t use this resource, someone else will.”
• Problem: too many people resource get depleted and no one benefits.
Environmental Ethics Worldviews
• Planetary management- separate from nature
• Stewardship worldview- earth for our benefit but we have ethical responsibility to be caring sewards
• Environmental Wisdom- our success depends sustainable practices
Aldo Leopold’s Environmental EthicsAldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethics
Individuals matter.Individuals matter.
… land is to be loved … land is to be loved and respected is an and respected is an extension of ethics.extension of ethics.
We abuse land We abuse land because we regard it because we regard it as a commodity…as a commodity…
Figure 1Figure 1--AA
Earth-Wisdom Worldview
• Nature exists for all of the earth’s species, not just for us
• There is not always more• Not all forms of economic
growth is beneficial to the environment
• Our success depends on learning to cooperate with one another and with the earth
Planetary Management Worldview
• There is always more• All economic growth is
good• Potential for economic
growth is limitless• Our success depends on
how well we manage earth’s system for our benefit
• Sustainability, is the ability of earth’s various systems to survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitely.
• The steps to sustainability must be supported by sound science.
Figure 1-3Figure 1-3
Sustainability: The Integrative Theme
Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability: Copy Nature
• Reliance on Solar Energy
• Biodiversity• Population Control• Nutrient Recycling
Figure 1-16Figure 1-16
Depletion of nonrenewableresources
Degradation & depletionof renewable resources usedfaster than replenished
Pollution, waste from overloading nature’s waste disposal & recycling systems
Fig. 24-4, p. 573
Sun EARTHEARTH
HeatEconomic Economic SystemsSystems
Natural Capital Production
Air, water, land, soil, biodiversity, minerals, raw materials, energy resources; dilution, decomposition, & recycling services Consumption
Recyclingand reuse
Pollution
• Any addition to air, water, soil, or food that threatens the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms
• Solid, liquid, or gaseous by-products or wastes
Nonpoint Source Pollutants
• Dispersed and often difficult to identify sources– Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides
– Storm Drains (#1 source of oil spills in oceans)
Point Source Pollutants
• From a single, identifiable sources– Smokestack of a
power plant
– Drainpipe of a meat-packing plant
– Exhaust pipe of an automobile
Negativity of Pollutant
• Chemical Nature– How active and harmful
it is to living organisms
• Concentration– Amount per unit
volume or weight of air, water, soil or body weight
• Persistence– Time it stays in the air,
water, soil or body
Water Pollution
• Sediment• Nutrient overload• Toxic chemicals• Infectious agents• Oxygen depletion• Pesticides• Oil spills• Excess heat
Air Pollution
• Global climate change• Stratospheric ozone
depletion• Urban air pollution• Acid deposition• Outdoor pollutants• Indoor pollutants• Noise
Solutions: Pollution Prevention
• Input Pollution Control or Throughput Solution– Slows or eliminates the
production of pollutants, often by switching to less harmful chemicals or processes
• Four R’s– Reduce, reuse, refuse,
recycle
Our Ecological FootprintOur Ecological Footprint
Humanity’s ecological Humanity’s ecological footprint has exceeded footprint has exceeded earths ecological earths ecological capacity.capacity. Figure 1Figure 1--77