Download Intro-Environmental Science

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION TO
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
KEY TERMS

What is an ‘environment’?

Everything that can affect a living organism is its
environment.


Food, shelter, air, water, soil, forest, gases, etc.
What is environmental science?
A study of how the Earth works, how we interact with the
Earth, and how deal with environmental problems.
 It is interdisciplinary from physics, biology, chemistry,
psychology, geography, etc.

MORE BASIC CONCEPTS…

What is sustainability?


Refers to the ability of a system to survive for an
extended period of time.
What does sustainable development mean?

Development that meets current needs without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs


We protect the world today for our children tomorrow.
Sustainable development can vary depending on the
viewpoint we take

(environmental, economic, or social)
FIVE CHARACTERISTICS THAT DEFINE
SUSTAINABILITY

1. Renewability- a community must use
renewable resources, such as water, topsoil, and
energy sources no quicker than they can replace
them.

2. Substitution- whenever possible, a
community should use renewable resources
instead of nonrenewable resources.

3. Interdependence- A sustainable community
recognizes that it is part of a larger system and
that it cannot be sustainable unless the larger
system is also sustainable. A sustainable
community does not import resources in a way to
impoverish another community or send pollution
as an export.

4.Adaptability- A sustainable community can adapt
to adverse and advantageous opportunities. This
requires a diversified economy , educated citizens
and a spirit of solidarity.

5. Institutional commitment: Adopts laws and
political processes that mandate sustainability. Its
economic system and education system support
sustainable behavior.


Sustainable development requires choices based on
values. Environmental, economic, and social
viewpoints impact the definition.
Social viewpoints are shaped by our culture, values,
attitudes and beliefs.
BUT WHERE DID THIS ALL START? WHEN
DID IT BECOME AN ‘ISSUE’ IN CANADA?

Assignment #1 – Western Movement involving
Environmental Science

Handout… Computer based.

It’s great that we all want to ‘save’ the environment
but not everyone shares the same viewpoint.
Everyone has their own values and attitudes that
help shape the viewpoint they believe in.

However, we all need to work together within our
viewpoints in order to be successful in creating more
sustainable communities.
EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT WORLD
VIEW

Canada and Spain: The Turbot War is an example of
a tragedy of the commons (the overuse or
degradation of free resources – as no one owns the
resources… creates ocean pollution, air pollution)
Canada and Spain were on the brink of war (1995)
because of differing views about declining fish stocks in
international waters (Greenland halibut, known as the
Greenland turbot).
 Spain continued to fish after a turbot moratorium had
been declared – obviously, different views from Canada
and Spain on the harvesting of fish with declining
numbers.
 Canada was worried what happened to the North Atlantic
Cod was going to happen to the Greenland turbo.

WHAT ARE OUR WORLDVIEWS?


People continuously disagree about how serious
our environmental problems are and what we
should do about them.
These are called environmental worldviews:
How people think the world works;
 What they believe their role in it should be;
 And what they believe is right and wrong in terms of
environmental ethics.

WORLDVIEWS?
1.
2.
Self- and human-centered
Biosphere- or Earth- centered.
Stewardship - Ethical responsibility to be caring and
responsible managers
PORTFOLIO WORK


For the next 30 minutes read page 666-671 (the
top of the left column to the end of this section).
Then answer the question in your portfolio
regarding your worldview and the one
summarizing the different worldviews.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

What is an Environmental Impact Assessment ?

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is
an assessment of the possible impact—positive or
negative—that a proposed project may have on the
environment, together consisting of the natural,
social and economic aspects.

The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision
makers consider the ensuing environmental impacts
when deciding whether to proceed with a project – if it
can affect the environment should they carry on with it
or should they put the precautionary principle into
affect? Different answer for different views…
INTERNATIONALLY…



The International Association for Impact
Assessment (IAIA) is the leading global network
on best practice in the use of impact assessment for
informed decision making regarding policies,
programs, plans and projects.
Members of IAIA believe that an impact
assessment is a practical tool for helping meet
today's needs without compromising the
opportunities of future generations.
(http://www.iaia.org/)


Environmental impact assessments are
sometimes controversial… there is a debate
ensuing based on whether or not the cost to
government organizations is worth finding out
the environmental implications (which
worldview are these people taking?? – economic
standpoint!)
After an EIA is completed the precautionary
principle may be put into affect and the plans for
development may not occur.
http://www.environmentalmainstreaming.org/documents/EM%20Profile%20
No%201%20-%20EIA%20(6%20Oct%2009).pdf
DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTALLY
SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES

Page 673:

Select the guideline and the
strategy that you feel is the
most important at developing
more environmentally
sustainable societies.

Use the information
throughout the book to support
your opinion and to come to
your own view of how to
develop a more sustainable
society.
HOW DO WE STAY SUSTAINABLE?

We need to live off our natural capital.
CAPITAL = WEALTH




Capital is money in the bank (so to speak).
We use what we have in order to survive and to live
sustainably.
We are SUPPOSE to live off the ‘interest’ that is
made from the resources and not ‘dip into’ the
principle.
We are essentially using our resources at a faster rate
than what we can sustainably support.
CAPITAL = WEALTH

Solar Capital

Creates renewable energy: wind power, hydropower from
flowing water, and biomass where solar energy has been
harvested and stored (photosynthesis).’

This energy can be used and put into the economy
NATURAL CAPITAL

Includes natural resources: air, water, soil,
wildlife, minerals, etc. and ecological services


ecological functions of healthy ecosystems which serve
all living organisms through purification of air and
water, maintenance of biodiversity, decomposition of
wastes, soil and vegetation generation and renewal,
pollination of crops and natural vegetation,
groundwater recharge through wetlands, seed
dispersal, greenhouse gas mitigation, and aesthetically
pleasing landscapes.
The income that we make off our natural
resources can be sustained if we don’t deplete the
resources.
NATURAL CAPITAL:
RESOURCES AND SERVICES

Figure 1-2:
 Page 3
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?

We MUST protect our solar and natural capital
and live off the resources they provide – not
deplete them

One view is we must live sustainably by eliminating
waste and discontinuing the depletion and
degradation of resources.

Another view is that man can overcome these
problems with ingenuity, economic growth, and
technology.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE DO NOT OVER
DEPLETE OUR RESOURCES?

We need to be concerned about OUR carrying
capacity.

Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number
of organisms that can be maintained in an area
without degrading the environment.

Sound like sustainability??
SUSTAINABILITY IS CONNECTED TO
CARRYING CAPACITY


A sustainable population of wildlife (or human
population) will not overwhelm or put pressure on the
carrying capacity of the environment in which they
live.
An environmentally sustainable society meets the
needs of the people

Air, shelter, and other basic resources without
compromising the ability of future generations.
WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN POPULATION?


At the end of last year the Earth reached a population
of 7,000,000,000 people.
Although the population growth has slowed it is still
growing at a rate of 1.17%
6.8 Billion = 80 million/year;
218,000 people/day;
9,100 people/hour
At this rate, it would take 12 days to repopulate the
Maritimes!!!
HUMAN GROWTH AND CARRYING
CAPACITY


Human population growth continues to be more
rapid than the Earth can support by about
208,000 people per day.
With more people come more problems
Increased life expectancy
 Food and Shelter
 Pollution
 Economic strain

AROUND THE WORLD…




The global life expectancy has doubled since 1950,
but life expectancy is 11 years less in developing
countries.
Infant mortality rates have halved since 1955, but
they are 8 times higher in developing countries.
Food production is still ahead of population growth,
but future food production may become limited by
harmful agricultural effects.
The number of people living in poverty has deceased
but half of the world’s population is living on less
than $4.00 a day!!!
WHAT DO WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR
GROWING POPULATION?
Resources
RESOURCES

A resource is anything obtained from the
environment to meet our needs.


Food, water, and manufactured goods are examples
of resources.
Natural resources are classified as being either
perpetual, renewable or non-renewable:
Perpetual: renewed continuously (solar, hydro)
 Renewable: replenished through a natural process
(forests and grasslands)
 Nonrenewable: Cannot be replaced in our lifetime.

TO BE SUSTAINABLE


We must not use resources faster than they are
replenished – we will run out!
We must harvest resources by taking a
sustainable yield:

The highest rate of use without degrading or
depleting the resource. If we do not do this
environmental degradation will occur.

NOW LET’S LOOK AT THE LAWS THAT CAN
MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES TO THE
ENVIRONMENT!!!