Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future

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Environmental Science Toward a Sustainable
Future
Chapter 1 Toward a Sustainable Future

• Dr. Craig Kasper
• Office BSCI 207E
• Phone [phone]
• Email ckasper_at_hccfl.edu
• Class Schedule Tuesday, Thursday
  (1100A-1240P), BSCI 102
• Text Environmental Science/Florida (J. N.
  Ehringer) An educational CD ROM

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Introduction

• The global environmental picture
• Three strategic themes
• Sustainability
• Stewardship
• Sound science

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Introduction

• Three integrative themes
• Ecosystem capital
• Policy/politics
• Globalization
• The environment in the 21st century

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The Lessons of Easter Island

• Society fails to care for the environment and
  sustain it.
• Population increases beyond carrying capacity.
• Disparity between rich and poor widens.

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How to Prevent a Global Version of the Easter
Island Disaster

• Understand how the natural world works
• Understand how human and natural systems interact
• Accurately assess the status and trends of
  crucial natural ecosystems
• Establish long-term sustainable relationships
  with the natural world

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The Global Environmental Picture

• Rapid human population growth and increasing
  consumption per person
• Decline of ecosystems
• Global atmospheric changes
• Loss of biodiversity

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Rapid Human Population Growth
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Ecological Footprint

• Lower Fraser Valley Canadians require an area 19
  times larger than their home region to provide
  food, clothing, energy, and shelter.

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Indicators of Decline of Vital Ecosystems

• Depleted water supplies
• Agricultural soils degraded
• Oceans overfished
• Forests cut faster than they can grow

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Conceptual Framework for Millennium Ecosystem
Project
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Global Atmospheric Changes
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Contributors to Loss of Biodiversity

• Habitat alteration
• Exploitation
• Pollution

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Three Strategic Themes

• Sustainability interactions with the natural
  world that we should be working toward
• Stewardship the ethical and moral framework of
  our actions
• Sound science the basis for our understanding of
  how the world works

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Unifying Themes
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Four Dimensions to Sustainable Solutions

• Environmental
• Social
• Economic
• Political

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How Stewardship Is Demonstrated

• Recognition that a trust has been given
• Responsible care for something not owned
• Desire to pass something on to future generations

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Environmental Justice or Racism?

• Placement of waste sites and hazardous facilities
  in nonwhite communities

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Components to the Structure of Sound Science

• Data measurable
• Theories explanations
• Shaping principles uniformity of nature,
  quantifiability

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Assumptions of the Process of Science

• Causes and effects are explainable.
• We have tools and capabilities to understand
  basic principles and natural laws.

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Scientific Method
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True or False Concerning the Process of Science

• There are no controversies or arguments among
  scientists.
• Progress in science can be slow.
• We are continually confronted by new
  observations.
• Some observed phenomena may not lend themselves
  to simple experiments.

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True or False Concerning the Process of Science

• Science is incapable of providing absolute proof
  for any theory.
• The process of science can be used to test value
  judgments.
• The validity of science is based on the ability
  to do experiments.

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Junk Science

• Presentations of selective resultsthis happens
  all the time!
• Public distortions of scientific worksalso
  common.
• Publication in quasi-scientific journals. (If you
  say it to enough people, often enoughit becomes
  truth or at least confabulation.

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Ecosystem Capital Goods and Services
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Policy and Politics

• Human decisions that determine what happens to
  the natural world and the political processes
  that lead to those decisions.
• Purpose of public policy is to promote the common
  good.
• Does this always work??

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Globalization

• The accelerating interconnectedness of human
  activities, ideas, and cultures.
• Health improvements
• Global markets
• Improved crop yields
• Dilution (or destruction) of cultural and
  religious ideals.

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Globalization

• Environmentally friendly consumer goods
• Economic reorganization of the world
• Worldwide spread of emerging diseases
• Dispersion of exotic species
• Trade in hazardous wastes
• Spread of persistent organic pollutants

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The Environment in the 21st Century

• The big issues
• Corporate accountability
• Globalization and WTO
• Trade and subsidies
• Climate and energy
• Development priorities and aid

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The Environment in the 21st Century

• If we do not change direction, we will end up
  where we are heading.

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Questions?Next timeRead Chapter 2 and be
ready to discuss it.