Chapter 1

Fig. 1-1, p. 5

Living in an exponential age

The Exponential Age

• Exponential--doubling.

• Example of chessboard and kings wager.

• Example of folding paper--fold the paper in half, continue folding in half another 42 times--the stack of paper will reach from earth to moon. How many times can you fold the paper anyway?

• Between 1950 and 2005 world population increased from 2.5 billion to 6.5 billion--what is a guestimate of the doubling time?

• 1950-2005 an 8 fold increase in economic growth--great but most live in poverty--almost one out of two live on less that $2 per day.

Fig. 1-1, p. 1

Hunting and gathering

Agricultural revolution

Industrial revolution

Black Death—the Plague

Industrial revolution

Fig. 1-1, p. 5

Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science

Environment--everything that Environment--everything that affects a living organism.affects a living organism.

Ecology--biological science Ecology--biological science that studies the relationship that studies the relationship between living organisms between living organisms and their environment.and their environment.

Environmentalism--social Environmentalism--social movement dedicated to movement dedicated to protecting earth’s life protecting earth’s life support system for us and support system for us and other species.other species.

Environmental Science--Environmental Science--interdisciplinary study that interdisciplinary study that uses information from uses information from physical sciences and social physical sciences and social sciences to learn how the sciences to learn how the earth works and how earth works and how humans interact with the humans interact with the earth, and how to deal with earth, and how to deal with environmental problems we environmental problems we face.face.

SustainabilitySustainability

Sustainability--ability of Sustainability--ability of earth’s various systems earth’s various systems (including cultural systems (including cultural systems and economies) to adapt to and economies) to adapt to changing environmental changing environmental conditions.conditions.

First step--sustain earth’s First step--sustain earth’s natural capital.natural capital.

Natural Capital--the natural Natural Capital--the natural resources and natural resources and natural services that keep us and services that keep us and other species alive and other species alive and support our economies.support our economies.

Capital--is essentially Capital--is essentially wealth used to sustain wealth used to sustain business and generate more business and generate more wealth.wealth.

CapitalCapital

Capital of $100,000Capital of $100,000 Invest entire capital and get Invest entire capital and get

10% return (that was really 10% return (that was really what happened in the 90’s what happened in the 90’s boom, sadly not today!), net boom, sadly not today!), net worth is now $110,000.worth is now $110,000.

Wealth is increased.Wealth is increased. Protect your capital and live Protect your capital and live

off the income it generates.off the income it generates.

Win the Lottery! One Win the Lottery! One million dollars! How will million dollars! How will you manage this? Invest the you manage this? Invest the money and earn 10% return.money and earn 10% return.

Have 100,000 to live off Have 100,000 to live off every year and capital is not every year and capital is not touched.touched.

Spend $200,000 per year, Spend $200,000 per year, and fortune gone in 7 years.and fortune gone in 7 years.

Spend $110,000 per year, Spend $110,000 per year, fortune gone in 18 years.fortune gone in 18 years.

Fig. 1-3, 12th ed

Natural Capital

• Natural Capital is sum of natural resources and natural services.

• Natural resources--air, water soil, land, life, non-renewable minerals, renewable energy, non-renewable energy.

• Natural services, air purification, water purification, soil renewal, nutrient recycling, food production, pollination, grassland and forest renewal, waste treatment, climate control, population control and pest control.

Fig. 1-6-12th ed

Path to Sustainability

• Major themes--

– 1. Natural Capital

– 2. Natural Capital Degradation

– 3. Solutions

– 4. Trade-offs

– 5. Individuals matter

• First understand components and importance of natural capital.

• Next recognize that human activity degrades natural capital.

• Identify solutions--conflicts often involved.

• Trade-offs often required.• Individuals matter in search

for solutions or bringing about change.

Fig. 1-4

Global Outlook--comparison of developed and undeveloped countries, 2005

Growth and Development

• Current population growth is 1.2% per year.

• Economic growth--increase in capacity of a country to provide people with goods and services.

• GDP--Gross Domestic Product--annual market value of all goods and services.

• Per capita GDP--GDP divided by total population.

• Economic development--improvement of human living standards by enconomic growth.

• Developed countries--highly industrialized with high average per capity GDP.

• Developing countries--well, developing industrialization and per capita GDP.

Natural Capital Use and Degradation

• Per capita ecological footprint--amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply each person with resources and absorb wastes.

• Total ecological footprint--per capita times total population of country.

• Humanity’s ecological footprint currently exceeds earth’s ecological ability to replenish renewable resources by 21%.

• Footprint of developed countries is large because of huge consumption of renewable resources.

Fig. 1-7

Stepped Art

Projected footprint

Ecological footprint

Earth’s ecological capacity

Total Ecological Footprint (million hectares) and share of Global Ecological Capacity (%)

Per Capita Ecological Footprint (hectares per person)

Fig. 8

Natural Capital Degradation

Fig. 1-10

Stepped Art

Causes of Environmental Problems

Trying to manage nature without knowing enoughabout it

Excludingenvironmental costs from market prices

PovertyUnsustainableresource use

Populationgrowth

Natural Capital depletion and degradation cause most of the environmental problems

Fig. 1-11

Number of people(% of world's population)

0.84 billion (13%)

1 billion (15%)

1.1 billion (16%)

1.1 billion (16%)

2 billion (30%)

2 billion (30%)

2.6 billion (39%)

Enough foodfor good health

Adequatehousing

Adequatehealth care

Clean drinkingwater

Electricity

Enough fuel forheating and cooking

Adequatesanitation facilities

Lack ofaccess toHa

rmful results of poverty

Fig. 1-12

One in every 3 children under age 5 suffers from sever malnutrition.

It is estimated that at least 13,700 children under the age of 5 die from malnutrition, infectious diseases and drinking contaminated water each day.

Affluenza

• Affluenza--unsustainable addiction to overconsumption and materialism exhibited in lifestyles of affluent consumers in US and other developed countries.

• Shop till you drop.

• Use it up…..

• Environmental impact of population (I) depends on three key facors:– P--number of people– A--average resource use

per person (affluence)– T--harmful effects of

technologies used to provide and consume each unit of resource.

– See figure 1.13

Fig. 1-14