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1: Sustainability and the Environment

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    283998

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    • 1.1: Sustainability
      This page addresses the degradation of Earth's resources caused by human activity, focusing on pollution, climate change, and resource depletion. It highlights the gap between the impoverished majority and wealthy lifestyles, calling for urgent sustainability measures as we enter the Anthropocene.
    • 1.2: The Environment and the Five Environmental Sphere
      This page defines the environment as our surroundings consisting of elements such as rock formations, atmosphere, and human structures. It categorizes the environment into five spheres: hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere. Materials exchange among these spheres occurs via biogeochemical cycles, influenced by biological processes and human impacts.
    • 1.3: Seeing Green
      This page discusses the importance of sustainability for a healthy environment, tracing concerns about pollution from the 1800s, highlighted by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," to global cleanup efforts in the 1970s. It emphasizes that sustainability includes not only pollution control but also the conservation of vital resources. The focus of the book is on green chemistry as a means to promote sustainable practices.
    • 1.4: Natural Capital of the Earth
      This page discusses the awe inspired by viewing Earth from space and highlights Earth's natural capital, which is crucial for life. It addresses the intensified exploitation of these resources due to population and industrial growth, leading to environmental challenges.
    • 1.5: Sustainability as a Group Effort- It Takes a (Very Big) Village
      This page explores the "tragedy of the commons," where individual self-interest leads to the overuse of shared resources and societal collapse. It provides historical examples and addresses current issues like desertification and deforestation. The text underscores the importance of collective action and regulations for sustainable resource management, ultimately calling for global cooperation to ensure the planet's preservation for future generations.
    • 1.6: Sustainable Energy- Away from the Sun and Back Again
      This page outlines the historical shift in energy use from solar to fossil fuels since 1800, driving population and agricultural growth. By 2000, the unsustainability of fossil fuels emerged due to depletion and climate change concerns. It emphasizes a return to solar energy and the potential of biomass and renewables like wind power. To achieve energy sustainability, future advancements in solar efficiency, battery storage, and crop productivity through genetic engineering are deemed essential.
    • 1.7: Green Science
      This page discusses the interconnection of science, engineering, and technology, emphasizing the dual nature of scientific knowledge. It highlights the challenges of misinformation, particularly "junk science," and introduces green science, which promotes sustainability and resource efficiency. Green chemistry, governed by twelve principles from the 1990s, aims to maximize benefits while minimizing negative impacts.
    • 1.8: Green Technology
      This page discusses how technology has influenced human population growth through early tools, the agricultural revolution, and the industrial revolution, leading to a population of nearly 7 billion. It also highlights the unintended consequences of these advancements, like pollution and resource depletion. In response, green technology seeks to alleviate negative impacts by promoting sustainability and industrial ecology principles.
    • 1.9: Sustainability and the Eco-Economy
      This page discusses life-cycle analysis (LCA) as a fundamental component of green technology, assessing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of products from resource extraction to disposal. It outlines four main processes—defining scope, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and improvement strategies. The eco-economy promotes sustainable production, emphasizing eco-efficiency and approaches like dematerialization, production loop closure, and consumer-focused designs.
    • 1.10: Green Products and Services- Design for Sustainability
      This page discusses green products and services that prioritize minimizing environmental hazards while promoting sustainability. Key features include durability, low toxicity, minimal packaging, and recyclability. Innovations like hybrid vehicles and improved public transport showcase the trend towards eco-friendly alternatives. The concepts of design for environment and sustainability focus on reducing ecological impact in product development.
    • Questions and Problems
      This page presents questions that encourage exploration of environmental issues related to the Anthropocene, including microclimates, pollution (e.g., London smog), and sustainability efforts. It analyzes human-environment interactions, highlights natural gas as a transitional energy source, and identifies potential breakthroughs in sustainability.

    “If we do not change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed,” (old Chinese proverb).“If we make the effort to learn its language, Earth will speak to us and tell us what we must do to survive.”

    This page titled 1: Sustainability and the Environment is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Stanley E. Manahan.