Lecture Outlines - Bainbridge High School© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. This lecture will help you...

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Lecture Outlines

Chapter 24

Environment:

The Science behind the

Stories

4th Edition

Withgott/Brennan


This lecture will help you understand:

• University efforts to promote

sustainability

• The concept of sustainable

development

• How environmental

protection promotes

economic well-being

• Approaches to designing

sustainable solutions

• How time is limited but

human potential to solve

problems is tremendous


Central Case: De Anza College strives for a

sustainable campus • De Anza College (California)

is one of the greenest

community colleges

• Colleges and universities are

microcosms of society

- They consume resources,

pollute, recycle, conserve,

etc.

• It has the nation’s first LEED-

Platinum sustainable building

- That teaches about

sustainability


Sustainability on campus

• Sustainability = living in a way that can be lived far into

the future

- Conserving resources, protecting ecological processes

- Eliminating waste and pollution

• Sustainable solution = results in renewable resource use

- Natural capital is replenished so resources aren’t

depleted while ecosystem services are preserved

- Is carbon neutral and emits no toxins

• Satisfies the three pillars of sustainability: environmental

quality, economic well-being, and social justice


Why strive for campus sustainability?

• Campuses are centers of high resource consumption

- Their ecological footprint is large

• Colleges are traditional, with bureaucratic inertia

• Students are often the ones to initiate change

• It make students aware of environmental problems

• Students who engage in sustainability efforts serve as

models for their peers

- They also learn and grow


Campus efforts may begin with an audit

• An audit of the institution provides baseline information

and helps set priorities and goals

- Includes energy use, emissions, waste, transportation

• Audits identify appliances to replace

• Once changes are made,

progress is monitored

A “Kill-A-Watt” meter

measures energy use


Recycling, waste reduction, and composting

• The most common campus

efforts

- Easy to start and maintain

• In RecycleMania, schools

compete to see who recycles

the most

• Composting turns waste wood

or food into fertilizer for

plants

• Students collect and donate

unwanted items to charity

Trash audits show how

much trash can be

recycled


Green building design is a key

• Campus “green” buildings are constructed from

sustainable, energy efficient building materials

• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

(LEED) standards guide the design and certification of

construction and renovation of buildings

• The movement of “green buildings” continues to grow

- The University of Florida has started construction on

18 green buildings since 2003

• Landscaping uses native plants and reclaims irrigation

water


De Anza College’s Kirsch Center for

Environmental Studies

• Has a platinum LEED ranking

- Is energy- and water-

efficient

- Built with recycled,

nontoxic, and renewable

materials

- Is solar-powered

- Has outdoor labs

- Materials are made from

recycled steel, plastic, fly

ash

The center will save

energy, water, and

money in the long run


Many campuses are going green

• The Adam Joseph Lewis Center at Oberlin College in

Ohio used recycled or reused building materials

- Energy-efficient lighting, heating, appliances

- Solar energy from PV panels and passive solar heating

• Bren Hall at the University of Santa Barbara in California

uses solar panels, white roofing, recycled materials

- It has few toxic substances and conserves water

• Many universities have LEED-certified buildings

• Landscaping uses drought-tolerant plants and restored

wetlands


Two well-known green campus buildings

The Adam Joseph Lewis

Center for Environmental

Studies at Oberlin College

Bren Hall at UC Santa

Barbara


Water conservation is important

• Rainwater can be used to

water plants and recharge

aquifers

• Indoor water is conserved

- Low-flow toilets,

faucets, and

showerheads

- Fill water bottles with

tap water

• Universities save millions

of dollars and drastically

reduce water use

Conserving water is a key

element of sustainable

campuses


Energy efficiency is easy to improve

• Eco-reps in dorms give advice on saving energy

- One college saved $100,000 in utility costs and cut

emissions by 10% in 4 months

• Students saved one school $86,000/year by turning down

hot water temperatures 5 degrees

• Powering down empty buildings saves energy, money,

and greenhouse gas emissions

• Compact fluorescent bulbs save thousands of dollars


Challenge people to conserve energy

• The “Do It in the Dark” competition pitted dorms against

one another to reduce energy consumption

- This produced a 13% cut in energy consumption


Students are promoting renewable energy

• Campuses reduce energy use and emissions by altering

their energy source

- Switching from fuel oil to carbon-neutral wood chips

• Campuses use solar and wind power

- PV systems and wind turbines provide emission-free

electricity

• Institutions buy “green tags”

or carbon offsets that

subsidize renewable energies

• Students vote to increase

their fees (they “tax”

themselves) to buy

renewable energy


The Solar Decathlon

In 2009, 20 college teams from around the U.S. competed in

Washington, D.C., building solar houses of the student’s own designs


Carbon neutrality is a major goal

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel

combustion is a top priority for campus sustainability

• Some universities are complying with the Kyoto Protocol

- It costs just $10/student/year to comply

• Students present administrators with proposals to

eliminate carbon emissions

• Student pressure has nudged reluctant administrators to

set targets to reduce greenhouse emissions

• Focus the Nation is a national “teach-in” on solutions to

climate change, America’s energy future, etc.


Dining services promote sustainable food • Food services cut down on

wasted food

- Compost food scraps

- Go trayless

- Buy organic, locally grown

food

- Purchase in bulk with less

packaging

• Some campuses have gardens

- Students can grow food used

in dining halls

- Students volunteer at

community gardens


Purchasing decisions wield influence

• Campuses can support green initiatives by purchasing:

- Recycled paper

- Certified sustainable wood

- Energy-efficient appliances

- Goods with less packaging

- Ecolabeled products

• Campuses can also switch to nontoxic cleaning supplies

and save up to $10,000 a year

• Students can work with ground staff to eliminate the use

of herbicides and pesticides


Transportation alternatives are many

• Many campuses struggle with:

- Traffic congestion, parking

shortages, commuting delays,

- Pollution

• Solutions include:

- Expanding bus and shuttle

systems

- Encouraging bicycling,

walking, and carpooling

- Introducing alternative

vehicles to university fleets


Campuses use sustainable transportation

Students borrow bicycles

from a fleet

Campus buses can run on

alternative fuels


Campuses are restoring native habitats

• Universities have been making an effort to:

- Remove invasive species

- Restore native plants and communities

- Improve habitat for wildlife

- Enhance soil and

water quality

- Create healthier,

more attractive

surroundings

- Restore wetlands


Sustainability efforts include curricular

changes

• Schools are transforming their curricula and courses

- But curriculum offerings did not rise between 2001

and 2008

• The percent of schools requiring at least one

environmental course dropped from 8% (2001) to 4%

(2008)

- Fewer than half of students take even one course on

Earth’s natural systems or sustainability

- Students are less likely to be environmentally literate

• Students in environmental classes will be better qualified

for green-collar jobs


Organizations assist campus efforts

• Many organizations support campus sustainability

- Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in

Higher Education

- National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology

program

• They provide information on sustainability efforts

- The NWF program recognizes the most successful

campus sustainability initiatives

• It is easier than ever to start sustainability efforts on your

own campus


Sustainability and sustainable development

• Sustainability efforts on campus parallel efforts in the rest

of the world

• More people are beginning to appreciate Earth’s limited

capacity

- They are voicing concerns about our current behaviors

• What do people mean by sustainability?

- To sustain human institutions and ecological systems

in a healthy and functional state

• The contributions of biodiversity and ecosystem goods

and services to human welfare are priceless


Sustainable development aims for a triple

bottom line

• Sustainability does not mean just protecting the

environment from humans

• Triple bottom line = the new goal for sustainability

- Finding ways to promote

social justice, economic

well-being, and

environmental quality at

the same time

• This goal is the primary

challenge for this century

and our species


The UN’s Millennium Development Goals

• The Millennium Project and the Millennium Ecosystem

Assessment determined that:

- Environment degradation is a major barrier to

achieving the Millennium Development Goals

- Investing in environmental assets and management is

vital to relieving poverty, hunger, and disease

- Reaching environmental goals requires progress in

eradicating poverty

• Actions by many people and institutions are showing that

sustainability is possible


Environmental protection enhances

opportunity

• Environmental protection and economic well-being do

not conflict

• Reducing consumption and waste saves money

• New jobs arise as old ones decline

• Environmental protection helps the economy

- It leads to increased

values of property

and homes


Conservation maximizes economic value

• When external costs

and benefits are

factored in, the

economic value of

sustainably managed

ecosystems exceeds the

value of harvested

ecosystems


We are part of our environment

• Economic development has clearly diminished

biodiversity and decreased habitat

- Along with degrading ecological systems

• Many believe command-and-control environmental

policy poses excessive costs for industry

- While restricting the rights of private citizens

• It is easy to feel disconnected from nature

• When we consider where our things come from, it

becomes easier to see how we are part of the environment


A banana split in Tulsa, Denver

• Contains ingredients from around the world

- Which impacts the environment of many far-away

places


Strategies for sustainability

• Sustainable solutions to environmental problems are

numerous

• But challenges confront us:

- Being imaginative enough to think of solutions we

haven’t tried

- Being shrewd and dogged enough to overcome

political and economic obstacles

- Being able to measure the effect of a change to see if it

is truly sustainable


We can rethink our assumptions about

growth

• Economists and policymakers talk of economic growth as

an ultimate goal

- Growth is a tool to attain the real goal of maximizing

human happiness

• We will not have long-term happiness by endlessly

expanding our economy

- We must incorporate external costs into market prices

of goods and services

- Green taxes and phasing out harmful substances could

encourage sustainability

• But political obstacles are considerable


Quality of life does not need intensive

consumption

• Economic growth is driven by consumption

• We believe that more, bigger, and faster is better

- The U.S., with 5% of the world’s population, uses

30% of energy and 40% of all resources

• Consumption of limited

resources cannot continue

• Affluenza = affluent people

often do not find happiness

in material wealth


Money does not buy happiness

• To enhance our quality of life:

- Improve technology and efficiency in industry

- Develop a sustainable manufacturing system

- Modify our behavior,

attitudes, and

lifestyles to minimize

consumption


• Continued human population growth is not sustainable

• Technology has expanded the Earth’s carrying capacity

• Sooner or later, growth will end, but how?

- Through wars, plagues, famine

- Or through voluntary means as a result of wealth and

education

• The demographic transition may help developing

countries, as it helped developed countries

Population growth must cease


Technology can help us

• Technology has spurred population increase

- The agricultural and industrial revolutions

- Advances in medicine and health

• Technology magnifies our impact on Earth

- The I = PAT equation

• Shortsighted uses of technology have created a mess

- But wiser use of green technology can help us get out

• Developed countries have exported technologies to

developing countries

- Intensifying environmental impacts there, too


Green technology: the catalytic converter


Industry can mimic natural systems

• Environmental systems operate in cycles

- They have feedback loops and circular material flows

- Output is recycled into input

• Human systems are linear

- Raw materials are processed, which generates waste

- Linear pathways can be transformed into circular ones

through recycling

• Virtually all products can be recycled, given the right

technology

- The ultimate vision is to generate no waste


Self-sufficiency vs. globalization

• Local self-sufficiency builds

sustainable societies

• Large multinational corporations

are obtaining power over global

trade

- Promoting consumption

- Not environmental protection

• But globalization brings

communication and learning

- It may foster sustainability

through entrepreneurship and

creativity


We hold our future in our hands

• “Survival is not negotiable.”


Citizens exert political influence

• Democracies offer a compelling route for pursuing

sustainability: the power of the vote

- We can guide our political leaders to enact policies

for sustainability

• A person can exercise power by:

- Voting, attending public hearings, donating to

advocacy groups

- Writing letters and making phone calls

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed people can change the world. Indeed, it’s

the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)


Consumers vote with their wallets

• We wield influence in the choices we make as

consumers

• Consumers can buy ecolabeled products to increase

sales

- Recycled paper, “dolphin-safe” tuna, etc.

• Consumers can also promote “green” purchasing at

work and school

- Buy certified sustainable wood, organic food,

energy-efficient appliances, etc.

• Employees can voice their preferences in purchasing

decisions


We can think in the long term

• We must base our decisions on long-term thinking

• The best long-term solution is not the best short-term one

- This is why we are currently not sustainable

• Policymakers act for the short-term good

- They want quick results that help them get reelected

• But environmental problems are cumulative

- They worsen gradually and need long periods to be

solved

• Costs of solving problems are short term

- But benefits are long term


Promoting research and education is vital

• We can magnify our influence by educating others and

serving as role models through our actions

• Environmental science provides information that people

can use to make wise decisions about issues

• Scientific research and education can help us find

sustainable solutions


Precious time

• The natural systems we depend on are changing rapidly

• Human impacts are intensifying

- Deforestation, overfishing, wetland loss, resource

extraction, and climate change

• Our window of opportunity to turn these trends around is

short

• We need to find time to implement solutions before we

do irreparable harm


We need to reach again for the moon

• President Kennedy created NASA in response to the

prospect of “losing” the space race to the moon

• Humanity faces a challenge more important than any

previous one

- Achieving sustainability

• It is larger and more complex than going to the moon

- Government, industry, and citizens can contribute

• Human ingenuity is capable – we simply need to rally

public resolve and engage governments


We must think of Earth as an island

• Earth is, indeed, an island

- Islands can be paradise, or they can be destroyed

• Some people speak out for conservation and finding ways

to live sustainably amid dwindling resources

- Others ignore those calls and continue environmental

destruction

• It would be a tragic folly to let the planet be destroyed


The Earth is an island


Conclusion

• In any society facing dwindling resources and

environmental degradation:

- There will be those who raise alarms

- There will be those who ignore them

• We are gaining detailed knowledge and understanding of

our dynamic planet

- What it offers us and what it can bear

• The challenge for our society today is to support that

science

- So we may judge false alarms from real problems and

distinguish legitimate concerns from thoughtless denial


QUESTION: Review

Which of the following is NOT a reason to make your

campus sustainable?

a) Reducing the ecological footprint of a campus can

really make a difference.

b) Campus sustainability efforts make students aware of

the need to address environmental problems.

c) Campus sustainability efforts are required for

graduation in many colleges.

d) Students who engage in sustainability efforts learn and

grow as a result.


QUESTION: Review

Which of the following ways is NOT helpful towards

reaching sustainability?

a) Use water efficiently

b) Conserve energy

c) Promote renewable energy

d) Use fossil fuels


QUESTION: Review

How can campuses become more sustainable?

a) Recycle paper

b) Buy goods with less packaging

c) Grow some of the food used in dining halls

d) All of the above


QUESTION: Review

Which of the following is NOT a major approach to

sustainability?

a) Reduce unnecessary consumption.

b) Limit population growth.

c) Listen to politicians and policymakers – they have

our best interests at heart.

d) Think in the long term.


QUESTION: Review

Which of the following is NOT part of the triple bottom

line – the new goal for sustainability?

a) Promote social justice

b) Ensure economic well-being

c) Protect environmental quality

d) These are all part of the triple bottom line of

sustainability.


QUESTION: Review

To achieve sustainability, human systems should:

a) Mimic linear ecological systems

b) Use only positive feedback loops

c) Use raw materials that flow into landfills

d) Use circular material flows that mimic environmental

systems


a) They are much happier

than others.

b) They are happier, but not

as much as one would

think.

c) They are less happy than

others.

d) Happiness and income

are not related.

QUESTION: Interpreting Graphs and Data

Which is the best interpretation of this graph about

Americans in higher income brackets?


QUESTION: Weighing the Issues

What would you like your university to do regarding

sustainability?

a) As much as it can, even if it means increasing my

tuition a bit.

b) As much as it can, as long as it does not raise my

tuition.

c) A bit more than it does now, but not much more.

d) Nothing else; my university already does a lot.

Lecture Outlines - Bainbridge High School© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. This lecture will help you...

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