AP Environmental Science Intro

1
AP Environmental Science Intro

• Sustainability and Ethics

2
Introduction

• Environment
• External conditions that affect living organisms
• Ecology
• Study of relationships between living organisms
  and their environment
• Environmental Science
• how nature works.
• how the environment effects us.
• how we effect the environment.
• how we can live more sustainably without
  degrading our life-support system.

3
(No Transcript)
4
Tragedy of the Commons

• Degradation of the renewable resources
• Reasoned by If I dont use this resource,
  someone else will.
• Problem too many people resource get depleted
  and no one benefits.

5
Environmental Ethics Worldviews

• Planetary management- separate from nature
• Stewardship worldview- earth for our benefit but
  we have ethical responsibility to be caring
  sewards
• Environmental Wisdom- our success depends
  sustainable practices

6
(No Transcript)
7
Earth-Wisdom Worldview

• Nature exists for all of the earths species, not
  just for us
• There is not always more
• Not all forms of economic growth is beneficial to
  the environment
• Our success depends on learning to cooperate with
  one another and with the earth

8
Planetary Management Worldview

• There is always more
• All economic growth is good
• Potential for economic growth is limitless
• Our success depends on how well we manage earths
  system for our benefit

9
Sustainability The Integrative Theme

• Sustainability, is the ability of earths various
  systems to survive and adapt to environmental
  conditions indefinitely.
• The steps to sustainability must be supported by
  sound science.

Figure 1-3
10
Four Scientific Principles of Sustainability
Copy Nature

• Reliance on Solar Energy
• Biodiversity
• Population Control
• Nutrient Recycling

Figure 1-16
11

EARTH
Sun
Economic Systems
Heat
Depletion of nonrenewable resources
Production
Natural Capital
Air, water, land, soil, biodiversity, minerals,
raw materials, energy resources dilution,
decomposition, recycling services
Degradation depletion of renewable resources
used faster than replenished
Consumption
Pollution, waste from overloading natures waste
disposal recycling systems
Recycling and reuse
Fig. 24-4, p. 573
12
Pollution

• Any addition to air, water, soil, or food that
  threatens the health, survival, or activities of
  humans or other living organisms
• Solid, liquid, or gaseous by-products or wastes

13
Nonpoint Source Pollutants

• Dispersed and often difficult to identify sources
• Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides
• Storm Drains (1 source of oil spills in oceans)

14
Point Source Pollutants

• From a single, identifiable sources
• Smokestack of a power plant
• Drainpipe of a meat-packing plant
• Exhaust pipe of an automobile

15
Negativity of Pollutant

• Chemical Nature
• How active and harmful it is to living organisms
• Concentration
• Amount per unit volume or weight of air, water,
  soil or body weight
• Persistence
• Time it stays in the air, water, soil or body

16
Water Pollution

• Sediment
• Nutrient overload
• Toxic chemicals
• Infectious agents
• Oxygen depletion
• Pesticides
• Oil spills
• Excess heat

17
Air Pollution

• Global climate change
• Stratospheric ozone depletion
• Urban air pollution
• Acid deposition
• Outdoor pollutants
• Indoor pollutants
• Noise

18
Solutions Pollution Prevention

• Input Pollution Control or Throughput Solution
• Slows or eliminates the production of pollutants,
  often by switching to less harmful chemicals or
  processes
• Four Rs
• Reduce, reuse, refuse, recycle

19
(No Transcript)
20
STUFF

• http//www.storyofstuff.org