Environmental Problems, Their
Causes, and Sustainability
Chapter 1
Core Case Study: Living in an
Exponential Age
Impact of human exponential growth on
• Loss of animal and plant species
• Loss of resources
Exponential Growth
1-1 What Is an Environmentally
Sustainable Society?
Concept 1-1A Our lives and economies depend
on energy from the sun (solar capital) and on
natural resources and natural services (natural
capital) provided by the earth.
Concept 1-1B Living sustainability means living
off the earth’s natural income without depleting
or degrading the natural capital that supplies it.
Environmental Science Is a Study of
Connections in Nature (1)
Interdisciplinary science connecting information
and ideas from
• Natural sciences, with an emphasis on ecology
• Social sciences
• Humanities
Environmental Science Is a Study of
Connections in Nature (2)
How nature works
How the environment affects us
How we affect the environment
How to deal with environmental problems
How to live more sustainably
Environmental Science Is an
Interdisciplinary Study
NATURAL
CAPITAL
Natural Capital = Natural Resources + Natural Services
Solar
capital
Air
Air purification Renewable
Climate control energy
(sun, wind,
UV protection water flows)
(ozone layer) Life
(biodiversity)
Water
Population
Water purification control
Waste treatment Pest
control
Nonrenewable
minerals Land
Soil
iron, sand) Food production
Natural gas Soil renewal
Nutrient
Oil recycling
Nonrenewable Coal seam
energy
(fossil fuels)
Natural resources
Natural services
Fig. 1-3, p. 8
1-2 How Can Environmentally Sustainable
Societies Grow Economically?
Concept 1-2 Societies can become more
environmentally sustainable through economic
development dedicated to improving the quality
of life for everyone without degrading the earth's
life support systems.
Comparison of Developed and
Developing Countries, 2008
1-3 How Are Our Ecological Footprints
Affecting the Earth?
Concept 1-3 As our ecological footprints grow,
we are depleting and degrading more of the
earth’s natural capital.
Degradation of Normally Renewable
Natural Resources and Services
Some Resources Are Not Renewable
Nonrenewable resources
• Energy resources
• Metallic mineral resources
• Nonmetallic mineral resources
Reuse
Recycle
Reuse
Our Ecological Footprints Are Growing
Ecological footprint concept
• Biological capacity
• Ecological footprint
Natural Capital Use and Degradation
Cultural Changes Have Increased Our
Ecological Footprints
12,000 years ago: hunters and gatherers
Three major cultural events
• Agricultural revolution
• Industrial-medical revolution
• Information-globalization revolution
1-4 What Is Pollution and What Can We
Do about It?
Concept 1-4 Preventing pollution is more
effective and less costly than cleaning up
pollution.
1-5 Why Do We Have Environmental
Problems? (1)
Concept 1-5A Major causes of environmental
problems are population growth, wasteful and
unsustainable resource use, poverty, exclusion
of environmental costs of resource use from the
market prices of goods and services, and
attempts to manage nature with insufficient
knowledge.
1-5 Why Do We Have Environmental
Problems? (2)
Concept 1-5B People with different
environmental worldviews often disagree about
the seriousness of environmental problems and
what we should do about them.
Causes of Environmental Problems
Population Unsustainable Poverty Excluding Trying to manage
growth resource use environmental costs nature without
from market prices knowing enough
about it
Fig. 1-12, p. 18
Some Harmful Results of Poverty
Affluence Has Harmful and Beneficial
Environmental Effects
Harmful environmental impact due to
• High levels of consumption
• Unnecessary waste of resources
Affluence can provide funding for
• Developing technologies to reduce
• Pollution
• Environmental degradation
• Resource waste
Prices Do Not Include the Value of
Natural Capital
Companies do not pay the environmental cost of
resource use
Goods and services do not include the harmful
environmental costs
Companies receive tax breaks and subsidies
Economy may be stimulated but there may be a
degradation of natural capital
We Can Work Together to Solve
Environmental Problems
Social capital
• Encourages
• Openness and communication
• Cooperation
• Hope
• Discourages
• Close-mindedness
• Polarization
• Confrontation and fear
1-6 What Are Four Scientific Principles of
Sustainability?
Concept 1- 6 Nature has sustained itself for
billions of years by using solar energy,
biodiversity, population control, and nutrient
cycling—lessons from nature that we can apply
to our lifestyles and economies.
Studying Nature Reveals Four Scientific
Principles of Sustainability
Reliance on solar energy
Biodiversity
Population control
Nutrient cycling
Four Scientific Principles of
Sustainability
Solutions For Environmental or
Sustainability Revolution
