UNDERSTANDING OUR ENVIRONMENT.

Chapter 1.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Circumstances and conditions that surround an organism or group of organisms.
2. Complex social or cultural conditions that affect an individual or community.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:
Systematic study of our environment and our proper place in it.
Interdisciplinary: biology, chemistry, geology, economics, political science, sociology,
statistics, history, psychology, ethics, religion, business, etc.
Holistic study of the orld around us.
!ission oriented: creates a responsibility to get involved in trying to solve the problems e
have created.
"e #no the remedies for environmental issues are often understood but there is an
increasing difficulty in ma#ing them socially, economically and politically acceptable.
ECOLOGY:
Scientific study of the relationships beteen organisms and their environment.
HISTORY:
$nvironmental !ovement %imeline: http:&&.ecotopia.org&ehof&timeline.html
%here have been four stages:
1. 'ragmatic resource conservation: utilitarian conservation.
2. !oral and aesthetic nature preservation: biocentric preservation, the fundamental
right of other organisms to exist.
(. Concern about health and ecological damage caused by pollution:
environmentalism.
). *lobal environmental citi+enship: our modern human activities rival those of
geological forces, e. g. atmospheric changes.
$ighteen century ,rench and -ritish colonial administrators attempted to conserve some of
nature resources.
In ..S./.
George Perkins Marsh (!"#!!$%: Man and Nature, 101).
2 -orn in 3ermont, !arsh as a member of the State House of 4epresentatives and
served as ambassador to %ur#ey and Italy. He spo#e at least six languages.
2 He arned of the ecological conse5uences of the destruction of grass cover and aste
of resources occurring on the /merican frontier, $urope, China and 6orth /frica.
2 /s a result of his efforts forest reserves ere established in 107( to protect dindling
supplies of timber and endangered atersheds.
Gi&&or' Pin(ho) and %heodore 4oosevelt: pragmatic, utilitarian conservation.
2 ,irst director of the ,orest Service, 189:.
2 4esources should be used for the greatest good, for the greater number of people for
the longest time.
2 ;evelopment of natural resources existing no for those ho live here no.
2 "ith the cooperation of %heodore 4oosevelt, he established the frameor# of our
national par#, forest and ildlife refuge system.
2 !ultiple use policies of the ,orest Service reflect this pragmatic utilitarian conservation
approach.
2 4esources should be used <for the greatest good, for the greatest number for the
longest time=. %his is called a policy of *)i+i)arian (onser,a)ion.
"Pinchot and Roosevelt defined it as the wise use of the Earth's natural resources, so
that renewable ones, like timber, could regenerate, and nonrenewable ones, like coal,
could be prudently utilied to last as long as possible! "he central idea was to
scientifically manage natural resources for the present and the future! "hat's why the
#orest Reserves, now called National #orests, were originally established! $nlike the
National Parks%%basically managed for preservation and recreation%%trees are cut,
minerals are mined, cattle are graed on National #orests%%e&amples of uses that
arouse controversy in some 'uarters today!" http:&&.pinchot.org&gt&
2 /dditional information about 'inchot:
http:&&.lib.du#e.edu&forest&4esearch&usfscoll&people&'inchot&'inchot.html
-ohn M*ir: altruistic preservation.
2 *eologist, author, first president of the Sierra Club.
2 >pposed 'inchot?s policies.
2 6ature deserves to exist for its on sa#e, regardless of its usefulness to us.
2 /esthetic and spiritual values formed the core of his philosophy of nature protection.
2 $mphasis on the fundamental right of other organisms to exist@ this point of vie is
called .io(en)ri( /reser,a)ion.
2 6ational 'ar# Service A1811B is oriented to the preservation of nature in its purest
forms.
A+'o Leo/o+'0 Canuary 11, 1007 2 /pril 21, 18)0.
2 / .nited States ecologist, forester, and environmentalist.
2 'rofessor of ildlife management at the .niversity of "isconsin.
2 "rote the boo# </ Sand County /lmanac.=
2 He as influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the
movement for ilderness preservation.
2 He is considered to be the father of ildlife management in the .nited States.
2 http:&&.aldoleopold.org&
2 http:&&.ecotopia.org&ehof&leopold&index.html
Ra(he+ Carson: Silent Spring, 1812: environmentalism
2 $nvironmentalism as brought to consciousness by 4achel Carson?s Si+en) S/ring
A1812B.
2 'ointed out the threats of pollution and toxic aste to humans and other organisms.
2 En,iron1en)a+is1 includes resources and pollution problems.
2 'ioneers of this movement ere ;avid -roer and -arry Commoner.
2 /ctivism: litigation, mass media for campaigns, boo#s, intervention in regulatory
hearings.
2 4esearch and activism are characteristic of the movement.
International environmental conventions.
2 In the 1819s and 1879s.
2 $nvironmental agenda has expanded to include global concerns: human population
groth, atomic eapons, recycling, fossil fuel dependency, biodiversity, etc.
2 http:&&.gbn.com&/rticle;isplayServlet.srvDaidE112:
SUMMARY IDEAS O2 THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
- /ctive participation in attempts to solve environmental pollution and resource
problems.
- Fin#s to poverty, inGustice, exploitation, etc.
- *lobal perspective.
CURRENT CONDITIONS O2 THE NATURAL 3ORLD
/ uni5ue, hospitable orld, different from any other planet e #no.
4ich diversity of life.
Interrelated communities of living organisms in balance ith the non2living environment.
;ilemmas:
$nvironmental problems: population groth, food shortage, energy supplies.
$limination of biodiversity.
'ollution, toxic aste, aste disposal.
%here are solutions to many of the problems.
HUMAN DIMENSIONS O2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE # POLITICAL ECONOMIES
/ccording to the "orld -an#, one fifth of the orld peoples live in a(*)e /o,er)40
2 lac# of ade5uate diet, housing, clean ater, basic sanitation, health care, education,...
The /oor of the orld have become the ,i()i1s and the agen)s of environmental
degradation and destruction.
$limination of poverty and protection of the environment are interlin#ed.
%he cycle of poverty, illness, and limited opportunities can become a self2sustaining proves
that passes from one generation to another.
4ich countries tend to be in the north and are industriali+ed.
'oor countries tend to be in the tropics and are agricultural.
C+assi&i(a)ion .ase' on )he e(ono1i( s4s)e10
,I4S% ">4F; C>.6%4I$S:

- Industriali+ed, mar#et2oriented democracies of..
- "estern $urope, 6orth /merica, Capan, /ustralia, 6e Healand.
S$C>6; ">4F; C>.6%4I$S:
- Centrally planned, socialist, communist countries.
- %he former Soviet .nion and its $astern $uropean allies, China, 6orth Iorea,
3ietnam, Cuba.
- !ost of these countries are changing to mar#et economies.
- !any eastern $uropean countries in this category ill Goin the $uropean .nion in
299: and ill 5uic#ly transform and move into the first2orld category.
%HI4; ">4F; C>.6%4I$S:
- 6onaligned, nonindustrial, ex2colonial nations li#e...
- India, Indonesia, South /merican countries, !iddle $ast countries, some /frican
countries.
,>.4%H ">4F; C>.6%4I$S:
- 6ely suggested by some economist.
- It includes the poorest nations li#e !o+ambi5ue, %an+ania, $thiopia, Sahel countries,
!yammar, -angladesh.
H.!/6 ;$3$F>'!$6%
"hat is Human ;evelopmentD
(uman development is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes! )t is
about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead
productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests!
http:&&hdr.undp.org&hd&
%he first Human ;evelopment 4eport A1889B introduced a ne ay of measuring development
by combining indicators of +i&e e5/e()an(46 e'*(a)iona+ a))ain1en) an' in(o1e into a
composite human development index, the H;I.
"he Human Development Index (HDI) measures the average achievements in a
country in three basic dimensions of human development* a long and healthy life,
knowledge and a decent standard of living! )t is calculated for +,, countries and areas
for which data is available! http:&&hdr.undp.org&hdr2991&statistics&indices&default.cfm
%he brea#through for the H;I as to find a common measuring rod for the socio2economic
distance traveled.
%he H;I sets a minimum and a maximum for each dimension and then shos here each
country stands in relation to these scalesJexpressed as a value beteen 9 and 1.
Since the minimum adult literacy rate is 9K and the maximum is 199K, the literacy
component of #noledge for a country here the literacy rate is 7:K ould be 9.7:.
Similarly, the minimum for life expectancy is 2: years and the maximum 0: years, so
the longevity component for a country here life expectancy is :: years ould be
9.:.
,or income the minimum is L199 Aestimated earned income or '''B and the
maximum is L)9,999 A'''B. Income above the average orld income is adGusted
using a progressively higher discount rate.
%he scores for the three dimensions are then averaged in an overall index.
%he H;I facilitates the determination of priorities for policy intervention and the evaluation of
progress over time.
It also permits instructive comparisons of the experiences ithin and beteen different
countries.
Chec# this site: http:&&.undp.org&hdro&
SUSTAINA7LE DEVELOPMENT
MNmeeting the needs of the present ithout compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their on needs.M http:&&.globalissues.org&%rade4elated&;evelopment&Intro.asp
2 -ur .ommon #uture, the 1807 report of the "orld Commission on $nvironment and
;evelopment.
2 *ro Harlem -rundtland, 6oregian 'rime !inister and Chair of the Commission.
Improving people?s lives over many generations rather than Gust a fe years.
'olitical stability, democracy and e5uitable economic distribution are needed to minimi+e
poverty.
!any see economic groth as the only solution to poverty.
%hese to sites deal ith sustainable development in depth O highly recommended.
http:&&.globalissues.org&%rade4elated&;evelopment.asp
http:&&.unido.org&en&doc&(:1(
CAN DEVELOPMENT 7E TRULY SUSTAINA7LE8
Can the environment continue to function as it should indefinitelyD
Fimitations:
1B ,ixed nonreneable resources.
2B Capacity of the biosphere to absorb aste.
!any ecologists consider sustainable groth impossible in the long run because of the limits
imposed by nonreneable resources and the capacity of the biosphere to absorb our astes.
$conomic groth ma#es life more comfortable but it doesn?t necessarily result in a cleaner
environment
M ...stationary condition of capital and population implies no stationary state of human
improvement. %here ould be Gust as much scope as ever for all #inds of mental culture and
moral and social [email protected] economist Cohn Stuart !ill, 10:7.
99: Uni)e' Na)ions S*11i) &or H*1an De,e+o/1en)0
Some of the goals of this action plan to eliminate poverty and inGustice.
1. 'rimary education for both boys and girls.
2. /dult illiteracy rates to be cut in half ith female illiteracy rate to be no higher than the male
one.
(. $limination of severe malnutrition.
). ,amily planning services for all ho ish them.
:. Safe drin#ing ater and sanitation for all.
1. Credit for all to ensure self2employment opportunities.
Indigenous or native peoples are generally among the poorest and most oppressed of any
group in both rich and poor countries.
Indigenous people ma#e about 19K of the orld population.
.ni5ue cultures are disappearing along ith biological diversity. %here are about 1999
recogni+ed cultures of hich :999 are indigenous.
/bout (999 languages are dying because they are no longer being taught to children. %here are
about 1999 languages in the orld.
ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ; SOMETHING TO THIN< A7OUT
Pessi1is1 based on vies of competition and scarce resources
!any people fight for very fe resources.
6eo2!althusian point of vie: overpopulation leads to misery, vice, crime, starvation and
ar.
O/)i1is1 based on...
%echnology: technological optimism is based on the believe that technology ill find a
solution to present environmental problems.
%he orld is one of abundance and opportunity.
Criticism: business as usual, denial of real issues, apathy.
/lso called Mcornucopian fallacyM by critics: ishful thin#ing or denial.
Some progress has been made toards building a Gust and sustainable orld.