APES Ch. 1
environmental wisdom worldview
we are a part of and dependent on nature and that nature exists for all species and our success depends on how well the earth sustains itself
planetary management worldview
we are separate from and in charge of nature, nature exists mainly to meet our needs and wants, we can use technology to manage the earth's life support systems
how can the three principles get us closer to a sustainable society?
we can rely more on the sun for energy, protect biodiversity by preventing degradation of the earth's species, ecosystems, and natural process, and help to sustain natural chemical cycles by reducing the production of wastes and pollution, not overloading natural systems with harmful chemicals, and not removing natural chemicals faster than they can be replaced
how long do some scientists estimate that we have to make a shift to a more sustainable lifestyle?
we have perhaps 50 years and no more than 100 years to make a change
stewardship wordview
we should manage the earth for our benefit, but we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers of the earth
exponential growth
when a quantity grows at a fixed percentage per unit of time, starts off slowly but begins to double and double again
species
a group of organisms that have the same set of characteristics that distinguish them from other organisms, and for living organisms, can mate and reproduce fertile offspring
organism
a living thing
ecosystem
a set of organisms in a defined area or volume that interact with one another and the environment of nonliving matter and energy
environmentalism
a social movement dedicated to protecting the earth's life support system
describe an environmentally sustainable society
a society 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
pollution
any presence within the environment of a chemical or other agent such as noise or heat at a level that is harmful to health
resource
anything that we can obtain from the environment to meet our needs and wants
three major cultural changes that have taken place since humans were hunter gatherers
1. acrigcultural revolution where humans learned how to grow and breed plants and animals 2. industrial medicale revolution when people invented machines for large scale production of goods 3. information-globalization revolution where we developed new technologies for gaining rapid access to more info and resources on a global scale
three problems of pollution cleanup
1. it is only a temporary fix and consumption levels grow without corresponding improvements in pollution control technology 2. cleanup often removes a pollutant from one park of the environment and puts it in another 3. once pollutants become dispersed into the environment, it usually costs too much to reduce them to acceptable levels
What 3 principles has earth used to sustain itself for the past 3.5 billion years?
Earth has used 1. solar energy and other forms set forth from solar energy (water power, wind power), 2. protecting biodiversity 3. chemical cycling (reducing waste).
difference between GDP and per capita GDP
GDP is the whole of the country, GDP per capita is per individual
what is the IPAT model?
Impact = population x affluence x technology
What is sustainability & why should we care about it?
Sustainability is being able to use the resources needed to survive without depleting them. We should care about it because if we don't use our resources wisely they could run out and nobody will be able to use them.
environmental ethics
beliefs about what is right and wrong with how we treat the environment
renewable resource
can be replenished and will be available as long as we do not use it up faster than nature can renew it
china's ecological footprint
china has largest population, has 2/3 of the world's most polluted cities, major rivers choked with waste, some areas of coastline devoid of ocean life
perpetural resource
continuous supply and expected to last at least 6 billion years
recycling example
crushing and melting discarded aluminum cans to make new aluminum cans
how does finding solutions for environmental problems include trade offs?
everyone needs to be happy and benefiting from the decision made to help the environment, nobody does things for free
environment
everything around us, living and nonliving
social capital
getting people with different views and values to talk and listen to one another to find common ground and work together to sold problems facing our societies
ecological tipping point
getting to the threshold that causes irreversible shifts in the behavior of a natural system ex: collapse of some fish because of overfishing, long term climate change because of the burning of coal and oil, and the extinction of species
what is the connection between government subsidies, resource use, and environmental degradation?
government subsidies to harmful companies encourages unsustainable resource use and environmental degradation
how does affluence help
it allows for better education and money for technologies to help the environment
two types of environmental damage that results from affluence
it supports the unsustainable use of resources and people who buy the resources don't see their impact
natural resources
materials and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans
three examples of environmental degradation
mining, littering, polluting oceans
point sources vs non-point sources
point sources are single, identifiable sources like a smokestack from a power plant and non-point sources are dispersed and often difficult to identify such as pesticides blown from the land into the air
pollution cleanup vs pollution prevention
pollution cleanup involves cleaning up or diluting pollutants after we've produced them, pollution prevention involves reducing or eliminating the production of pollution
four basic causes of environmental problems
population growth, unsustainable resource use, poverty, excluding environmental costs from market prices
what is poverty and three harmful effects of it?
poverty is when someone is unable to fulfill their basic needs for food, water, shelter, health, and education. 1. they degrade the environment for short term survival 2. malnutrition 3. limited sanitation facilities and no clean drinking water which spreads diseases 4. severe respiratory disease that people get from breathing smoke of open fires or poorly vented stoves used for heating and cooking inside their homes
natural services
processes in nature such as purification of air and water and renewal of topsoil which support human life and economies
connection between poverty and population growth
rapid population growth in poor countries, but 6 million children die every year from diseases
reusing example
refilling glass bottles many times
nonrenewable resource + two examples
resources that exist in a fixed stock in the earth's crust
ecological footprint
the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to provide the people in a particular country or area with an indefinite supply of renewable resources to absorb and recycle the wastes and pollution produced by such resource use
how do americans, indians, and less developed countries compare in affluence?
the average american consumes 30 times more than the average indian and 100 times more than the average person in a less developed country
per capita ecological footprint
the average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country or area
use ecological footprint to explain how we are living unsustainably
the global ecological footprint exceeds the earth biological capacity by at least 30 percent. we need the equivalent of 1.3 earths to provide an endless supply of renewable resources at the current average rate of resources per person
sustainable yield
the highest rate at which we can use a renewable resource indefinitely without reducing its available supply
natural capital
the natural resources and natural services that keep us and other forms of life alive and support our human economies
nutrient cycling and why it's important
the recycling of chemicals needed by organisms from the environment (mostly from soil and water) through those organisms and back to the environment and it is important because life would not be supported without it
natural income
the renewable resources such as plants, animals, and soil provided by earth's natural capital
ecology
the study of how organisms interact with one another and their environment
current, and projected growth of human population
there are 7 billion people on earth now, and in 2050 there will be 9.5 billion