Topic 1: Introduction

Topic 1: Introduction

1. Aldo Leopold (1897-1948)

   • Father of conservation
   • "land ethic"
   • "basic respect for natural resources"
   • healthy land has "capacity for self-renewal"; conservation is "our effort to . . . preserve that capacity"
   • believed nature was fine without us and we need to get to the point where we aren't interrupting that

2. Earth as a system

   • It is closed in terms of matter
     • we have a finite amount of resources, and once we run out there is nowhere else we can get them
   • it is open in terms of energy
     • Energy comes and goes from the sun

3. there are too many people and it is putting a significant strain on the available resources

   • currently at 7.6 billion people
   • projected to be at 9 billion in 2027
   • limiting population growth
     • very controversial
     • could be extremely efficient but is ethically questionable

4. some say environmental sustainability should be guided by the market b/c it is more flexible than the policy making systems in our gov

5. Is there a crisis on Earth?

   • If yes...why?
     • people are overpopulated
     • we use too many resources and create a lot of waste
   • If no...
     • we still need to be more efficient in managing our natural resources

6. quality and quantity of water

   • water rains down on roofs, roads, sidewalks, etc. and goes into storm drains
     • it then gets polluted by those surfaces and continues into creeks and rivers, ruining the environment over time
     • it could be going to a water treatment facility
     • should be replenishing groundwater
       • LID (low-impact development)
         • semipermeable pavement allows water to go through the road and into the groundwater resources

7. Resource consumption and depletion

   • MDCs
     • US is 5% of pop, but uses 30% of resources
     • excessive production and consumption = excessive waste
   • LDCs
     • excessive resource demands linked to pop
     • basic needs not met

8. desterification and disease are caused by overpopulation and mismanagement of resources

9. Pollution

   • US affluent and effluent
     • variety and volume of contaminants into all bodies of water
     • with what?
       • sewage, industrial, radioactive, heat, detergents, pesticides, fertilizers, plastic, SO2, CO2, animal waste, sediments
   • contaminants don't stay where you put them; they move through systems and processes

10. are we on a sustainable course?

    • 1972 Meadows study: Limits to growth
      • ran a program to estimate when we would run out of resources
      • found that we've already passed carrying capacity in some places
        • they tried doubling the amount of resources and still got the same answer
        • tried running it with unlimited resources and still found that we failed in the near future because of pollution
    • 1992 : Beyond the Limits
      • ran program again
      • still got the same results

11. 3 types of people: optimists, pessimists, and realists

    • optimists
      • technology is the answer
      • cheap energy
      • limited only by ingenuity
    • Pessimists
      • technology is not the answer
        • it can't keep up with our pollution and consumption
      • we've already passed out carrying capacity
    • realists
      • we have time to fix it
      • spendthrift to sustainable

12. Biological Principles of Sustainability

    • conservation
    • recycling
    • renewable resource use
    • restoration
    • population control and management
    • adaptability

13. History of the Movement

    • 19th century
      • manifest destiny brought many to believe that there were limitless resources in western america
      • first people to question manifest destiny being limitless
        • John Muir
          • sierra club founder
        • George Perkins Marsh
          • advocacy for national parks
        • Thomas Jefferson
          • sustainable farming methods, no soil loss
    • 20th century
      • 1st wave
        • 1901-1909: Theodore Roosevelt
          • 1908 White House Conference on Natural Resources
            • great lakes timber depletion
            • mismanagement = economic issues
          • National Conservation Committee
            • still a working organization
            • resulted in inventory of natural resources
          • 41 State conservation Dept.
      • 2nd wave
        • 1933-1941: Franklin D. Roosevelt
          • During Great Depression
            • Needed to create jobs to stimulate economy
              • people worked on large scale conservation projects
          • 1934: 2nd Inventory of Natural Resources
      • 3rd wave
        • 1960-1980: Nixon Ford Carter Administration
          • 1962: Rachel Carson published Silent Spring
            • very influential and popular writing exposing DDT for harmful effects
      • 4th wave