Chapter 1 – Key Themes in Environmental Issues

Do Now

• Look at your previous list of environmental issues that you have heard of. Do any affect you in Mishawaka?

Common Concerns of Environmental Scientists

• Reliance on resources (like oil), which we might be depleting

• Recent rapid increase in human population

• Too many people and not enough resources (or not maintaining them intelligently)

• Future deterioration in quality of life

Environmental Science Themes

Human population

growth

Sustainability

Global perspective

Urbanization

People and nature

Science and Values

Human Population Growth

Population in Indiana

Why so much growth??

Human Population Growth

Great increase in

last 50 years

3 million

years

ago: Hunter gatherers

Introduction of

agriculture

18th century

Industrial revolution

1. Human Population Growth

“Human population growth is, in some important ways, the

underlying issue of the environment.”

2. Sustainability

• Management of natural resources and the environment with the goals of allowing the harvest of resources to remain at or above some specified level, and the ecosystem to retain its functions and structure

Coffee, anyone??

•What things are we doing on earth that are unsustainable practices?

Sustainability and Carrying Capacity

• We are using animals, plants, forests, fish, wildlife, minerals, resources apparently faster than they can replenish themselves.

• Shortages in the future?• Carrying Capacity– The max number of individuals of a species that can

be sustained by an environment without decreasing the capacity of the environment to sustain that same number in the future

– A “desirable human carrying capacity”

Lesson of the Kaibab!

3. Global Perspective

• Human actions have begun to change the environment all over the world

• Gaia Hypothesis:– Over the history of life on earth, life has

profoundly changed the global environment, and these changes have tended to improve the chances for the continuation of life. Because life affects the environment at a global level, the environment of our plant is different from that of a lifeless one.

4. Urbanization

• Urban areas becoming more popular and also overtaking plains, wetlands, etc.

• Megacity = urban area with at least 10 million inhabitants– Increased from 2 to 22 from 1950 to 2005

5. People and Nature

• People and nature are intimately integrated

• We depend on nature– Soil for plants– Plants for eating– Atmosphere for climate and

protection• Environment isn’t “out

there” somewhere… it’s all around us

6. Science and Values

• Use science to know all about a particular phenomenon and the environment, and use values to decide what action to take– EX: Having children when scientists say we have an

“unsustainable” population– How many fish can we catch to sustain the fish

population?• Technology and ability to catch and store tons…

– What does the Catholic Church say?

• When making decisions pertaining to environmental issues…–Quite a few things affect the way we

respond

The Precautionary Principle

• Often we don’t have the time or ability to be absolutely certain about environmental decisions.

• Need to be proactive, rather than reactive• Rio Earth Summit 1992– When there is a threat of serious, perhaps even

irreversible, environmental damage, we should not wait for scientific proof before taking precautionary steps to prevent potential harm to the environment

Value on the environment

1. Utilitarian (livelihood)2. Ecological3. Aesthetic4. Recreational5. Inspirational6. Creative7. Moral

1. “species have a moral right to exist” –signed by UN

8. Cultural

Easter Island

• Read pg 17 – 18, answer 2 of the 3 Critical thinking questions at the end.

Mishawaka Environmental Issues

• Combined Sewer Overflow – working to separate pipes for sewage and rain water

• St. Joseph River Water Quality• People producing emissions that cause acid rain• Drinking water – water quality• Air pollution, air quality• Farmland – pesticides• Endangered species• Lack of recycling