Chapter 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
solar capital
energy from the sun
environment
everything around us
nonrenewable resources
exist in a fixed quantity, or stock, in the earth's crust
natural services
functions of nature which support life and human economics
social capital
making the shift to more sustainable societies and economies
natural resources
materials and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans (often classified as renewable or nonrenewable)
environmentally sustainable society
one that meets the current and future basic resource needs of its people in a just and equitable manner without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs
environmental ethics
our beliefs about what is right and wrong with how we treat the environment
sustainable yield
the highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply
perpetual resource
something that is renewed continuously
sustainability
the ability of the earth's various natural systems and human cultural systems and economies to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely
species
a group of organisms with distinctive traits
environmental worldview
a set of assumptions and values reflecting how you think the world works and what you think your role in the world should be
environmental science
an interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the environment of living and nonliving things
resource
anything obtained from the environment to meet our needs and wants
pollution cleanup (AKA output pollution control)
cleaning up or diluting pollutants after they have been produced
recycling
collecting waste materials and processing them into new materials
pollution prevention (AKA input pollution control)
reduces or eliminates the production of pollutants
renewable resource
something that can be replenished fairly quickly
culture
the whole of a society's knowledge, beliefs, technology, and practices, and human cultural changes have had profound effects on the earth
reuse
using a resource over and over in the same form
How are our ecological footprints affecting the earth?
As our ecological footprints grow, we are depleting and degrading more the earth's natural capital.
Why do we have environmental problems?
Major causes of environmental problems are population growth, wasteful and unsustainable resource use, poverty, exclusion or environmental costs of resource use from the market prices of goods and services, and attempts to manage nature with insufficient knowledge.
What is an environmentally sustainable society?
Our lives and economies depend on energy from the sun (solar capital) and on natural resources and natural services (natural capital) provided by the earth. Living sustainably means means living off the earth's natural income without depleting or degrading the natural capital that supplies it.
What is pollution, and what can we do about it?
Preventing pollution is more effective and less costly than cleaning up pollution.
What are the four scientific principles of sustainability?
Reliance on solar energy, biodiversity, population control, and nutrient cycling
How can environmentally sustainable societies grow economically?
Societies can become more environmentally sustainable through economic development dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone without degrading the earth's life support systems.
ecosystem
a set of organisms interacting with one another and with their environment of nonliving matter and energy within a defined area or volume
environmentalism
a social movement dedicated to protecting the earth's life-support systems for us and all other forms of life
ecological footprint
the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply the people in a particular country or area with resources and to absorb and recycle the wastes and pollution produced by such resource use
per capita ecological footprint
the average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country or area
ecology
the biological science that studies how organisms interact with their environment and each other
nutrient cycling
the circulation of chemicals necessary for life, form the environment through organisms and back to the environment
natural income
the global trust fund that nature provides for us
conservation
the management of natural resources with the goal of minimizing resource waste and sustaining resource supplies for current and future generations
natural capital
the natural resources and natural services that keep us and other forms of life alive and support our economies
environmental wisdom worldview
we are part of, and totally dependent on, nature and that nature exists for all species, not just for us
planetary management worldview
we are separate from nature, and nature exists mainly to meet or own needs and unlimited wants
stewardship worldview
we can and should manage the earth for our benefit, but that we should have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers of the earth
poverty
when people are unable to meet their basic needs for adequate food, water, shelter, health, and education
environmental degradation
when we exceed a renewable resource's natural replacement rate and the available supply begins to shrink
common property
where the rights to certain resources are held by large groups of individuals