Population Growth and Sustainable Cities

Population Growth

• When birth rates equal death rates, the global growth rate is 1.06%.
• The agricultural revolution, starting approximately 10,000 years ago, caused a dramatic increase in global human population size.
• The Industrial Revolution, a more recent event, also significantly impacted human population growth.
• Negative consequences of human population growth include land degradation, water supply depletion, water pollution, and environmental degradation.
• Overconsumption in developed nations, such as the United States, affects water supply in less developed countries. This is because pollutants end up in water sources making the water undrinkable.
• We currently use water at 38% of the rate it is replenished.

Sustainable Cities

• To create sustainable cities, we can implement strategies like:
  • Redirecting storm water to plants
  • Creating rooftop gardens
  • Developing walkable cities
  • Offering public transportation options
• Urban areas are often environmentally unfriendly due to factors like sewage overflow, traffic congestion, food importation, and waste exportation.

Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

• Bioaccumulation is the buildup of substances within a single organism.
• Biomagnification occurs when these substances move up the food chain as one organism consumes another.

Sustainability

• Sustainability refers to the ability to continue a process indefinitely.

Ecosystem Services

• Ecosystem services are essential ecological processes that enable life on Earth.
• Nutrient cycling is a valuable ecosystem service because it reduces waste and conserves energy.

Ecological Footprint

• The ecological footprint quantifies the impact humans have on the environment.
• The IPAT equation, which estimates a population's ecological footprint, considers impact as a product of:
  • Population
  • Technology
  • Affluence

Cradle-to-Cradle Management

• Cradle-to-cradle management involves considering the entire life cycle of a product, from raw materials to final disposal or recycling.

Ozone

• The chemical formula for ozone is O3.
• Ozone is primarily found in the stratosphere.
• Ozone shields Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
• The major cause of ozone layer depletion is the release of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Environmental Policy

• Environmental policy provides guidelines to protect and restore the natural environment.
• Transboundary problems affect everyone regardless of national boundaries. Examples include acid rain.
• An Environmental Impact statement (EIS) outlines the positive and negative effects of a proposed action.

Policy Decision-Making Process

• The policy decision-making process follows these steps:
  • Identify a problem
  • Consider options
  • Formulate a policy
  • Adopt the policy
  • Implement the policy
  • Evaluate the policy

Factors Influencing US Environmental Policy

• US environmental policy decisions are influenced by various factors:
  • Industry lobbyists
  • Scientific research
  • Congressional committees

Lobbying and Environmental Policy

• Lobbying involves attempts by groups or individuals to influence government decisions.
• Lobbying can impact policy decisions by giving power to individual interests and providing education.

Waste and Waste Management

• "Waste" is a human term used to describe discarded items.
• The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed; it simply changes form.
• In the United States, the majority of municipal solid waste is disposed of in landfills.
• Open dumps are the cheapest and most common method of handling solid waste in less developed countries.
• Hazardous waste is classified as toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive, or radioactive.

The Four Rs

• To limit waste production, individuals can practice the "Four Rs":

  • Reduce
  • Reuse
  • Recycle
  • Rethink (or Refuse)

• Choosing to buy goods with minimal packaging is an example of reducing waste.