ENVI - Week 3

• Human affluence can be a problem because it increases resource consumption.
• Developed countries use more resources per person, while developing countries use less.
• An affluent lifestyle is ultimately unsustainable.
• 20% of the global population consumes over 80% of Earth's natural resources.

Human Affluence and the IPAT Model

• The total impact (I) on the environment results from the interaction of population (P), affluence (A), and technology (T), alongside a sensitivity (S) factor.
• Population refers to individuals who require space and resources.
• Affluence is the consumption or the greater per capita resource use.
• Technology can lead to increased resource exploitation.
• Sensitivity is the degree to which an area is susceptible to human pressures.
• Model refinements include education, laws, and ethics considerations.
• The IPAT model = the environmental impact of population size, affluence, and technology use and is measured using the Ecological Footprint Model.

Ecological Footprint

• Ecological Footprint is an estimation of environmental impact.
• It calculates the land/water area needed for resources and waste assimilation for an individual, population, business, or country.
• Urban areas have a 'physical footprint' that is smaller than their 'ecological footprint' due to external resource usage.
• Ecological footprints vary greatly across countries, reflecting population and consumption patterns.
• Consuming more increases ecological footprint.
• Resource use is a problem in high population density countries.
• High resource consumption/waste production by affluent societies has a worldwide impact.
• Humanity's global ecological footprint surpassed the Earth's capacity to support the human population in the mid-1980s.

Economics

• Economics studies how people use resources to provide goods and services with ever variable supply and demand.
• The term "economics" has Greek root "oikos" which means "home", and is therefore a combination of ecology and economics.
• Economics tracks resource use for production, distribution, and consumption.
• All resources used in an economy originate from the environment.

Mainstream economics

• Mainstream models economic interactions between households and businesses.
• They examine the directs costs of producing and delivering materials.
• The environment is viewed as an external production factor.
• Focus on immediate usefulness is measured as profit = the bottom line.
• The market favors equilibrium between supply and demand.
• Mainstream Economics assumes:
  • Resources are infinite / substitutable.
  • Long-term effects are discounted.
  • Costs and benefits are internal.
  • Growth is good.
• The Assumptions of mainstream economics can contribute to environmental problems.
• It leads to inequalities between rich and poor.
• Is the is the main cause of environmental degradation due to the assumption of endless growth using infinite resources.

Economic Growth

• Uncontrolled economic growth is not sustainable.
• New technology can push back limits, but this is either not fast or forever.
• Greater resource extraction combined with greater food production creates the illusion of infinite resources.
• Corporate and individual economic choices prioritize short-term gain over long-term sustainability.
• It is assumed that there are unlimited resources that permit endless growth.
• Creates economy-versus-environment tensions.
• Protecting the environment is typically viewed as conflicting with economic goals.
• Historically, there were abundant resources and therefore they could be exploited.
• Increasing economic development has:
  • reduced biodiversity
  • decreased habitat availability
  • degraded ecological systems
• Concerns that environmental regulations tend limit growth:
  • lead to excessive costs for industry
  • restrict rights of private citizens to use resources
  • prevent having a healthy economy (job loss)
• Mistaken belief that humans are separate is the main driver of environmental problems.
• Economies rely on natural resources/ecological services that:
  • Natural Resources (Capital) OR Ecosystem Goods like: fertile soils, forests, fresh and marine waters, rocks, fossil fuels.
    • Ecosystem (Ecological) Services: air and water purification, climatic regulation, soil formation, pollination, and nutrient recycling.
• Natural Resources and Ecosystem Services are not considered in Economic Models.
• Ecosystems are enables economic activity by providing goods and services, BUT economic activity impact the environment.
• Is difficult to put on a single value to resources and ecological services.
• The ecosystem is often mistreated.
• Values are not included when pricing goods or services.

Paper Production – Internal and external Costs

• External costs are rarely considered when pricing goods and services.

Consequences of Human Affluence:

• Review of the relationship between a number of causes and consequence.

Solutions for shifting economic goals to be sustainable:

• Focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term gain.
• Live within our means and don't assume unlimited resources.
• The focus on long-term monetary goals, e.g. the "triple" bottom line" (People, Planet, Profit)
• Appreciate less visible benefits of the ecosystem.

Argue about Sustainability of Economic Growth

• New fields if economic can further develop:
  • Environmental Economics:
    • Economies are unsustainable if population growth isn't reduced AND if resource use isn't decreased..
  • Ecological Economics:
    • Economies are unsustainable and cannot overcome their ecological limitations.
    • civilizations need to look to nature for solutions.
• Environmental Economics looks to solving problems while still enjoying unlimited growth.
  • Solution: develop and use new technologies to solve problems
• Ecological Economics knows techno fix aren't enough:
  • Solution: look to nature for solutions – nothing is wasted in nature
  • Need to find a new way that the human is part of the environment.

Change Approach to Pollution and Waste Management

• Mainstream economics follows a one way linear system from resources to waste.
• Assumes that resources are always available and that there are no issues with waste.
• Change to Environmental or Ecological Economics.
• Under a closed-loop system efforts are made to return materials, at the end of a product's life, back into the production system to reduce waste (reclaim / reuse).

Life Cycle Assessment of a Product

• "Cradle-to-Grave" Approach Examines the impact from creation to disposal of a product
• "Cradle-to-Cradle" Approach Provides a sustainable business strategy that mimics the regenerative cycle of nature in which waste is reused.

Impact of Human Consumption

• Conclusions: Key challenges and solutions must be in place for humanity to prosper.
• Prevailing assumptions can be incredibly damaging.
• Current growth-oriented economics are unsustainable growth.
• Environment protection and societal justice remain a key challenge.
• Advances in technology and efficiency can reduce the environmental impacts.
• Consider the value of the ecosystem to promote the future need to include environmental protections.
• Rethink the economic system with special inclusion directed to ecological system health.