ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMSENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMSANDAND

THEIR CAUSESTHEIR CAUSES

Khalil Mokhless ElkhateebKhalil Mokhless Elkhateeb

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

LLving in an ving in an EExponentionl xponentionl AAgege ►►What does it mean?What does it mean?

•How want to pay for this o'clock How want to pay for this o'clock

1 st day 1$1 st day 1$ 2 ed day 2$2 ed day 2$ 3 ed day 4$3 ed day 4$ 4 th day 16$4 th day 16$ …………………… ……………………

10 th day 1024$10 th day 1024$ The total money 2039$The total money 2039$

This is an example for This is an example for Exponentionl GrowthExponentionl Growth

Another ExampleAnother Example World population has more than World population has more than

doubled in only 46 years , from 2.5 doubled in only 46 years , from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 5.8 billion in 1996billion in 1950 to 5.8 billion in 1996

It may reach 8.2 billion by 2025, It may reach 8.2 billion by 2025,

10-11billion in 2050, 14 billion in 210010-11billion in 2050, 14 billion in 2100

•Human population growth: J-shaped curveHuman population growth: J-shaped curve

Exponential growth – a quantity increases at a fixed percentage per unit of time. Starts slow but……

Human activities cause major changes Human activities cause major changes to earth’s systems, and make all the data to earth’s systems, and make all the data

about the environmental problem about the environmental problem exponentiallyexponentially

• Climate change is also due to Climate change is also due to exponential growth of human activitiesexponential growth of human activities

Can negatively effect:Can negatively effect:• Water supplyWater supply• AgricultureAgriculture• BiodiversityBiodiversity• EconomiesEconomies

The environmental damaging has increased more The environmental damaging has increased more than fivefold since 1950 than fivefold since 1950

Mass extinctions (0.1-1% per year) Mass extinctions (0.1-1% per year) –– forests, forests, grasslands, wetlands, coral reefs, and topsoil vanish grasslands, wetlands, coral reefs, and topsoil vanish or degrade.or degrade.

Human ecological footprint spreads Human ecological footprint spreads exponentially across the globe.exponentially across the globe.

Living SustainablyLiving Sustainably What is Environmental Science?What is Environmental Science?

►►The goals of environmental scienceThe goals of environmental science are are to learn:to learn:

→ →how nature works.how nature works. → →how the environment effects us.how the environment effects us. → →we can live more sustainably we can live more sustainably without without degrading our life- degrading our life-support system.support system.

Environmental science isEnvironmental science is interdisciplinary study of connections between the interdisciplinary study of connections between the

earthearth’’s life, support system and human activitiess life, support system and human activities

•What Are Solar Capital, Earth What Are Solar Capital, Earth Capital, and Sustainability Capital, and Sustainability

SOLAR CAPITAL - provides 99% of our SOLAR CAPITAL - provides 99% of our energy we use on earth.energy we use on earth.

EARTH CAPITAL EARTH CAPITAL –– air air’’ water water’’ soil soil’’ wildlife wildlife’’ mineralsminerals’’ and natural purification and natural purification ’’ recycling and best control process (Life-recycling and best control process (Life-support and economic services)support and economic services)

Solar capital + Earth capital =support system Solar capital + Earth capital =support system

Sustainability- is the ability of earthSustainability- is the ability of earth ’’s s various systems (including human various systems (including human cultural systems and economies) to cultural systems and economies) to survive and adapt to environmental survive and adapt to environmental conditions indefinitelyconditions indefinitely

Sustainable system-Sustainable system- is one that is one that survives and functions over some survives and functions over some time and that attains its full expected time and that attains its full expected life span life span

Sustainable societySustainable society –– manages its manages its economy and population size without economy and population size without exceeding all or part of the planetexceeding all or part of the planet’’s s ability to absorb environmental ability to absorb environmental insultinsult’’s s

Environmentally Sustainable Societies: Environmentally Sustainable Societies: protecting natural capital and living off protecting natural capital and living off its income.its income.

► ► Meets current and future needs of its Meets current and future needs of its people for basic resources in a just and people for basic resources in a just and equitable manner compromising the equitable manner compromising the ability of future generations to meet ability of future generations to meet their needstheir needs

Living SustainablyLiving Sustainably –– living off living off natural income replenished by soils, natural income replenished by soils, plants, air and water and plants, air and water and not not depleting or degrading the earthdepleting or degrading the earth’’s s natural capital that supplies this natural capital that supplies this income.income.

Economic CapitalEconomic Capital If you won 1000000If you won 1000000 $ $

• Invest 10 % annual Invest 10 % annual –– sustainable sustainable • Spend $200 000 a year Spend $200 000 a year –– gone in5 th year gone in5 th year• Spend $110 000 a year Spend $110 000 a year –– gone in 10 th year gone in 10 th year• Lesson, protect capital and live on incomeLesson, protect capital and live on income

Same lesson should be applied to earthSame lesson should be applied to earth’’s s natural capital.natural capital.

DonDon’’t eat the goose that lays golden eggt eat the goose that lays golden egg Protect your capital and live from you Protect your capital and live from you

incomeincome

Population Growth, Economic Growth, Population Growth, Economic Growth, and Economic Developmentand Economic Development

Human Population Growth: Slowing but Human Population Growth: Slowing but Still RapidStill Rapid• Population increasing exponentially, faster in Population increasing exponentially, faster in

poor countries.poor countries.• As of 2006, increasing by 1.23 %As of 2006, increasing by 1.23 %

81 million in 200681 million in 2006 or, 222 000 day-1or, 222 000 day-1 9250 h-19250 h-1 2.6 sec-12.6 sec-1

• Exponential increase in population is Exponential increase in population is accompanied by an exponential increase in use accompanied by an exponential increase in use of natural resources.of natural resources.

Less time to find solutions to environmental Less time to find solutions to environmental problems.problems.

Economic Growth and Economic Economic Growth and Economic DevelopmentDevelopment• Economic growth Economic growth –– increase in goods and increase in goods and

services.services. Requires more producers and consumers population Requires more producers and consumers population

growthgrowth more production and consumption per person.more production and consumption per person.

• Gross domestic product (GDP) Gross domestic product (GDP) –– annual market annual market value of all goods and services produced by all value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations, foreign and domestic, firms and organizations, foreign and domestic, operating in a country.operating in a country.

Growth, measured by percent change in GDP.Growth, measured by percent change in GDP.• per capita GDP per capita GDP –– GDP divided by the total GDP divided by the total

population at midyear.population at midyear. Six largest economies in 2006 Six largest economies in 2006 –– US, Japan, Germany, US, Japan, Germany,

UK, France, and China.UK, France, and China.

• Economic development Economic development –– improvement of improvement of human living standards by economic human living standards by economic growth.growth.

Classification depends on degree of Classification depends on degree of industrialization and per capita GDP-PPP.industrialization and per capita GDP-PPP.

Developed countries Developed countries –– 1.2 billion. US, Canada, 1.2 billion. US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe.Europe.

Developing countries Developing countries –– 5.4 billion. African, 5.4 billion. African, Asian, and Latin AmericanAsian, and Latin American

• Moderately developed countries Moderately developed countries –– China, India, China, India, Brazil, and Mex.Brazil, and Mex.

• About 97% of projected population increase will be About 97% of projected population increase will be from developing countriesfrom developing countries

• Environmentally sustainable economic Environmentally sustainable economic developmentdevelopment

Comparison of developed and Comparison of developed and developing countriesdeveloping countries..

Increasing level of povertyIncreasing level of poverty

Doubling Time and Exponential GrowthDoubling Time and Exponential Growth

: : The Rule of 70The Rule of 70

DoublingDoubling timetime cancan bebe calculatedcalculated withwith thethe followingfollowing::

In 1996 the worldIn 1996 the world’’s population grow by 1.55%s population grow by 1.55%

Determent the doubling time Determent the doubling time

GRtdouble %

70

What is a resource?What is a resource?• Anything obtained from the environment to Anything obtained from the environment to

meet our needs (and wants).meet our needs (and wants). Food, water, shelter, and metalsFood, water, shelter, and metals

• Some directly available, others indirectlySome directly available, others indirectly Directly Directly –– sun, fresh air, wind, fresh surface water, sun, fresh air, wind, fresh surface water,

fertile soil, and wild edible plants.fertile soil, and wild edible plants. Indirectly Indirectly –– petroleum, ground water, iron, and petroleum, ground water, iron, and

modern crops.modern crops.• Such resources require human capital (and ingenuity) Such resources require human capital (and ingenuity)

and natural capital.and natural capital.

ResourcesResources

•Perpetual and Renewable ResourcesPerpetual and Renewable Resources

• Perpetual resourcesPerpetual resources –– continuously continuously renewable on a human timescalerenewable on a human timescale

• Renewable resourceRenewable resource –– can be replenished can be replenished fairly rapidly as long as it is not used faster fairly rapidly as long as it is not used faster than it can be replaced.than it can be replaced.

Forests, grasslands, wildlife, fresh air and water, Forests, grasslands, wildlife, fresh air and water, and fertile soiland fertile soil

• Sustainable yieldSustainable yield –– highest rate a highest rate a renewable resource can be used without renewable resource can be used without degrading or depleting.degrading or depleting.

• Environmental degradation Environmental degradation –– when natural when natural replacement rate is exceeded.replacement rate is exceeded.

Urban sprawl, topsoil erosion, pollution, clearing Urban sprawl, topsoil erosion, pollution, clearing forests, depleting groundwater, reduction of forests, depleting groundwater, reduction of biodiversity because of habitat loss.biodiversity because of habitat loss.

potentially

Tragedy of the CommonsTragedy of the Commons

• Overuse of common-property (or free access Overuse of common-property (or free access resources).resources).

Clean air, open ocean, migratory birds, freshwaterClean air, open ocean, migratory birds, freshwater• Degradation of renewable free access Degradation of renewable free access

resources, called resources, called tragedy of the commonstragedy of the commons by by biologist Garrett Hardin.biologist Garrett Hardin.

Example: collapse of fisheries.Example: collapse of fisheries.• Solutions to preventing such degradation.Solutions to preventing such degradation.

Use free access renewable resources at rates below Use free access renewable resources at rates below sustainable yields.sustainable yields.

Convert free-access resources to private ownership.Convert free-access resources to private ownership.

Privatization

•Nonrenewable ResourcesNonrenewable Resources

• Includes energy resources, metallic Includes energy resources, metallic mineral resources, and nonmetallic mineral resources, and nonmetallic mineral resources.mineral resources.

• Fossil fuels would be exhausted as there Fossil fuels would be exhausted as there is exponential growth in their use.is exponential growth in their use.

• Recycling and reusing metals and non-Recycling and reusing metals and non-metallic mineralsmetallic minerals

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