Environmental

Problems,
Their Causes,
and Sustainability
CHAPTER 1
APES

What is Environmental Science? What do

we study?

Environmental Science is the interdisciplinary subject that combines

information from the physical sciences and the social sciences to learn how
the Earth works.

Environment- Everything around us. All of the living and nonliving things
with which we interact.

Ecology- The study of relationships between living organisms and the

environment.

EXPONENTIAL AGE

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH- A quantity increases at a fixed percentage per unit of

time. The Population of the world has been increasing Exponentially.

Sustainability
The ability of the earths various natural systems and human cultural systems and economies to survive and
adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely.
Some underlying principles of Sustainability include Biodiversity, Nutrient Cycling, Population Control, and
Relying on Solar Energy.

Renewable Energy-Energy that can be replenished rapidly through natural

processes, and complies with the principles of sustainability

Green Design-The philosophy of designing physical objects, a built

environment, and services to comply with the principles of social, economic,
and environmental sustainability.

Water Conservation- The careful and protective use of water resources,

focusing on the quantity and the quality of water. It is an important factor of
keeping water sustainable so we dont deplete the existing resources.

Climate Control- Steps taken to manage the climate and things being emitted
into it pertaining to the principles of sustainability.

4 Principles of Sustainability

Solar Energy

Biodiversity

Nutrient (Chemical)Cycling

Population Control

Solar Energy

Warms planet, necessary for photosynthesis

Essential for most life on the planet

Powers indirect forms of solar energy-wind, flowing water (hydroelectric

power)

Biodiversity

Astounding variety of life

Natural systems that support life (Biomes)

Natural services such as: Topsoil renewal, pest control, air and water
purification.

Nutrient Cycling

The circulation of chemicals necessary for life through the living and nonliving
systems in the environment.

A natural service of our ecosystem

Population Control

The Environmental impact of a population on a given area depends on the

population size, combined environmental effects of technology, and affluence
level or consumption patterns within the population. This is monitored
closely worldwide.

Affluence-Harmful, and beneficial.

Harmful because the affluent tend to use more resources at a rapid rate.
Beneficial because the affluent CAN provide some assistance, such as clean
drinking water, abundant and safe food supply to the hungry, and education,
research and a general awareness of our environment.

We need the affluent to help with the poverty stricken. With poverty comes
malnutrition, low education, poor sanitation, unclean environments and poor
health, and lack of heath care.

Resources

Natural Resource- Materials and energy in nature that are essential or useful
to humans, and can be replaced in a human lifetime. Also classified as
Renewable Resource(Examples: air, water, soil, plants, wind, forests,
grasslands, fisheries) or Nonrenewable Resource(Examples: energy resources
such as copper, oil, coal, metallic minerals such as copper and aluminum, and
nonmetallic minerals such as salt and sand)

Copper, oil and coal are all a Nonrenewable Resource because they are
harvested faster than they can be produced

Air, water, soil, plants and wind are all Renewable Resources because they are
harvested within a Sustainable Yield

Sustainable Yield-The highest rate at which a renewable resource can be

used indefinitely without reducing its available supply. When we exceed or
compromise a renewable resources natural replacement rate, the available
supply shrinks. Also called Environmental Degradation.

Ecological Footprint

The amount of biologically productive land and water needed to sustain an

individual within a population.

http://ecocamp.us/eco-footprint-calculator

Pollution
Anything in the environment that is harmful to health, survival, or
activities of humans or other organisms.

Point Source Pollution- Single, identifiable sources that can be identified

within a given area. (Smokestack of a coal-burning power plant)-Easier to
identify and control.

Nonpoint Source Pollution- Dispersed and difficult to identify.

(Fertilizer/pesticides from farmlands in the air and runoff into water.)

Pollutants-Evil BAD! They disrupt life-support systems for living organisms,

damage property, habitats and entire eco-systems, create problems in the
environment, and can be a hazard to the health of living things.

New technology is available to use for Pollution Prevention to replace old

polluting systems so there is not nearly as much problematic waste.

We must teach environmental ethics if we

want the world to survive our overuse!

Teach people to maintain environmental sustainability

Examine the moral basis of environmental responsibility and the extent of our
responsibility

Most of all, we must teach everyone to use the environment wisely!!!