Positive Negative

Na

tura

l

Forest Fires; Coral reef formation

Hurricanes, tornadoes, mosquitos

Man

Eradicate smallpox; flood control;

nestboxes, delta waterfowl

Global warming; acid rain, erosion

Envir

onm

en

t: I

s t

he C

han

ge

Natu

ral

or

Ma

nm

ad

e?

Economics: Is the Change Harmful or Helpful?

FOX NEWS: Starving Polar

Bears Turn to Cannibalism

WASHINGTON POST:

Severe Hurricanes Increasing

Popular Environmental Perceptions

GUARDIAN: Melting glaciers start countdown to climate chaos

Popular Environmental Perceptions

LiveSCIENCE: World May Run Out of Copper

Life After the Oil Crash

Popular Environmental Perceptions

TELEGRAPH: Water Crisis to Be Biggest World Risk

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Is Your

Tapwater Safe?

Popular Environmental Perceptions

NEW YORK TIMES: Acid rain – NEW YORK TIMES: Acid rain – Stealthy Destruction from the Stealthy Destruction from the SkySky

GULF NEWS: Alarm Over GULF NEWS: Alarm Over Ozone Layer DepletionOzone Layer Depletion

Popular Environmental Perceptions

HIGH COUNTRY NEWSHIGH COUNTRY NEWS (10/10/88): (10/10/88):

““Economics, and Economists, are traditional enemies of the Economics, and Economists, are traditional enemies of the environment”environment”

UNITED STATES OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET:UNITED STATES OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET:

When OMB sought to assess benefits and costs of When OMB sought to assess benefits and costs of environmental regulations against other national interests, environmental regulations against other national interests, Congressmen and environmental activists worked to remove Congressmen and environmental activists worked to remove OMB economists from the environmental decision-making OMB economists from the environmental decision-making process.process.

Early-Malthusianism

ANCIENT ASSYRIANSANCIENT ASSYRIANS (apx. 2800 BC): (apx. 2800 BC):

““Our earth is degenerate in these latter days; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents; every man wants to write a book, and the end of the world is evidently approaching ”

Malthusianism

REVEREND THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUSREVEREND THOMAS ROBERT MALTHUS (1766-1834): (1766-1834):

““Population grows exponentially, overwhelming productivity growth”

“famine, death, pestilence, war””

Result

Neo-MalthusianismGeorge WaldGeorge Wald, Harvard Biologist and Nobel Laureate (1970):, Harvard Biologist and Nobel Laureate (1970): “ “Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind”mankind”

Barry CommonerBarry Commoner (biologist, 1980 Presidential Candidate) (biologist, 1980 Presidential Candidate) ““We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation”of human habitation”

Global 2000Global 2000 (commissioned by President Carter in 1980):(commissioned by President Carter in 1980):““If present trends continue … the world in 2000 will be If present trends continue … the world in 2000 will be more crowded, more polluted, less stable ecologically, and more crowded, more polluted, less stable ecologically, and more vulnerable to disruption than the world we live in more vulnerable to disruption than the world we live in now. Serious stresses involving population, resources, and now. Serious stresses involving population, resources, and environmental are clearly visible ahead.”environmental are clearly visible ahead.”

The Crises in 2008Scarcity of water and agricultural landsScarcity of water and agricultural lands

Peak OilPeak Oil

Collapsing FisheriesCollapsing Fisheries

Shrinking ForestsShrinking Forests

Loss of BiodiversityLoss of Biodiversity

Climate ChangeClimate Change

……