1-2 How Are Our Ecological Footprints Affecting the Earth//APES
Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be...
taken for granted.
Per capita ecological footprint
-Average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country or area. -Scientists use online tools to estimate
Pollution cleanup
-Cleaning up or diluting pollutants -Ex. of diluting is by releasing pollutants of smokestack high in atmosphere, causing wind to carry it away. -Increases air pollution in downwind areas.
Nonpoint source
-Dispersed and often difficult to identify -Ex. pesticides blown from the land into the air and the runoff of fertilizers, pesticides, and trash from land into streams and lakes
Pollution prevention
-Efforts focused on greatly reducing or eliminating the production of pollutants -Key to more sustainable future because it works better and in the long run cheaper than cleanup.
A large number of people in a given area can have a large
-Environmental impact
Open-access renewable resources and shared resources often become...
-Exploited -Leads to degradation
Examples of environmental degradation
-Forests are shrinking -Deserts are expanding -Topsoil is eroding Suburbs are replacing croplands
Ecological footprint
-Harmful environmental impact
Point source
-Identifiable
Shared resources
-Less open -Ex. grasslands
Environmental degradation
-Living unsustainably by wasting, depleting, and degrading the earth's natural capital at an accelerating rate
Pollution
-Major environmental problem -Contamination of the environment by a chemical or other agent -Noise or heat that is harmful to the health and survival of humans and other organisms
Pollutants enter environment 2 ways
-Naturally -i.e. volcanic eruptions -Through human activities -i.e. dumping chemicals into lakes and rivers
Open-access renewable resources
-Used by almost anyone -Ex. air, water, etc.
Human species
-Violating the sustainability principles -By wasting, depleting, and degrading the earth's natural capital
Affluence
-Wealth -Allows people to consume large amounts of resources far beyond their basic needs
People in more-developed nations live unsustainably...
-because more money means more things to buy (consumption)
Many of these held resources have been
-environmentally degraded
Poor people struggle to survive, but...
-have a low impact on environment because they are trying to meet basic needs
Affluence can result in high rates of:
-per capita resource use, pollution, and resource depletion
Three major cultural changes have occurred:
1. Agricultural revolution 2. Industrial-medical revolution 3. Information-globalization revolution -Each gave us more energy and new technologies with which to alter and control more of the planet's resources to meet basic needs and increasing wants -Also expands population -Resulted in greater resource use, pollution, and environmental degradation -Expand ecological footprint
Pollutants we produce come from 2 types of sources
1. Nonpoint 2. Point
Two solutions to deal with issue regarding renewable resources:
1. Use resource at a rate well below its estimated sustainable yield by using less of the resource, regulating access, or both. 2. Converting to private ownership
If total ecological footprint for a city, a country, or the world is larger than its ecological capacity to replenish the renewable resources and absorb the resulting wastes and pollution, it is said to have an ______________________________.
Ecological deficit
IPAT
Impact=Population x Affluence x Technology
Polluting substances
Pollutants
Human activities have degraded or overused ________ of the earth's natural systems.
about 60%
