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Understanding Our Environment

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Outline

• Introduction• Historical Perspective

Pragmatic Resource Conservation Moral and Aesthetic Nature Conservation Modern Environmentalism Global Conservation

• Current Conditions• A Divided World• Sustainable Development

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Introduction

• Humans have always inhabited both the natural world and the social world.

• Environment: Circumstances or conditions that surround

an organism or groups of organisms. The complex of social or cultural

conditions that affect an individual or community.

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Introduction

• Environmental Science: Systematic study of our environment, and our proper place in it. Interdisciplinary Integrative

- Natural Sciences- Social Sciences- Humanities

Mission Oriented

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Environmental Science

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Four Distinct Stages Pragmatic Resource Conservation Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation Health and Ecological Damage Concerns Global Environmental Citizenship

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Pragmatic Resource Conservation

• George Perkins Marsh - Man and Nature- Influenced Theodore Roosevelt and

Gifford Pinchot. Pragmatic Utilitarian Conservation

“Greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time”

Multiple Use Policies of USFS.

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Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation

• John Muir - President Sierra Club Nature deserves to exist for its own sake -

regardless of degree of usefulness to humans. (Biocentric Preservation)

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Modern Environmentalism

• Industrial explosion of WW II added new concerns to the environmental agenda. Rachel Carson - Silent Spring (1962)

• Environmental Agenda expanded in 1960’s and 70’s to include: Atomic Weapons Testing Fossil Fuel Issues Air and Water Pollution Wilderness Protection

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Global Concerns

• Increased technology has greatly expanded international communications. Daily events now reported worldwide

instead of locally or regionally.- Global Environmentalism

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CURRENT CONDITIONS

• Human Population > 6 Billion. Food shortages and famines exist in many

densely populated areas. Water Quantity and Quality Issues Fossil Fuel Burning

- Air and Water Pollution Landscape Destruction

- Loss of Biodiversity

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Signs of Hope

• Progress has been made on many fronts. Population has stabilized in many

industrialized countries. Incidence of life-threatening diseases has

been reduced in some countries. Average life expectancy nearly doubled.

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RICH / POOR: A DIVIDED WORLD

• Poor countries tend to be located in Southern Hemisphere.

World Bank estimates1.4 billion people live in acute poverty of < $1 (U.S.) per day. Daily survival necessitates over-harvesting

resources thus degrading chances of long-term sustainability.

Poor are often victims and agents of environmental degradation.

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RICH / POOR: A DIVIDED WORLD

• Wealthy countries tend to be located in the Northern Hemisphere.

• About 1/5 of world population live in countries with per capita income > $25,000.00 (U.S.). Poor people exist here as well.

• Gap between rich and poor continues to increase. Wealthiest 200 people in the world have

combined wealth of $1 trillion - more than total wealth of poorest half (3 billion) of the world’s population.

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Human Development

• United Nations releases Human Development Index (HDI). Based on social factors - ranges from 0.0 -1.0. Aggregate numbers hide many important

inequity issues:- Gender - Race

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A Fair Share of Resources

• Affluent lifestyles of richer countries consume inordinate share of natural resources and produces high proportion of pollutants. Takes approximately 450 kg to get an

average American through the day. US annually throws away 160 million tons

of garbage.

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Economic Progress

• Over the past 50 years, the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)increased from $2 Trillion to $22 Trillion.

• Since WW II, average real income in developing countries has doubled.

BUT• General welfare has increased.• Worldwide gap between rich and poor has

widened.

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Sustainable Development

• “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Benefits must be available to all humans,

not just sub-set of privileged group.

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Sustainable Development

Many economists see continual economic growth as essential in providing more resources to more people.

Most ecologists view continual growth as impossible in the long-run due to non-renewable resources and limited ecological waste-disposal capabilities.

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20 : 20 Compact

• 1995 United Nations Summit for Social Development called all nations to ensure basic needs for everyone. 20:20 Compact

- Wealthy countries contribute 20% of aid to humanitarian concerns and social development.

- Developing countries contribute 20% of budget to human primary concerns.

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Indigenous People

• Indigenous (native) people are often least powerful, most neglected people in the world. At least half the world’s 6,000 distinct

languages are dying. Indigenous homelands may harbor vast

percentage of world’s biodiversity. Recognizing native land rights and political

rights may often be a solid ecological safeguard.

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Summary

• Introduction• Historical Perspective

Pragmatic Resource Conservation Moral and Aesthetic Nature Conservation Modern Environmentalism Global Conservation

• Current Conditions• A Divided World• Sustainable Development

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