Chapter 1 Outline
Subject:
Chapter 1: Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability *Rachel Carson demonstrated how human activities in one context (pesticides) could profoundly alter wildlife. Thus, human activities alter the environment that sustains life on Earth. Human Impacts on the Environment Earth is remarkably suited for life Vast supply of water, habitable temperature, sunlight, etc. Earth?s abundance in natural resources allows organisms to evolve Raw materials provided 3.8 billion years ago (life exists on earth) Human activities disrupt global systems (ie. climate change) Increasing Human Numbers Driver of all other environmental problems is large population in cities (ie. 2007 Tokyo ? 35.7 million) Worldwide: 3 billion people 1960 ? 6.9 billion people currently