Chapter 1 Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Living in an Exponential Age Human population growth: J-shaped curve Exponential Growth plays a key role in 5 important and interconnected environmental issues Population growth Resource use and waste Poverty Loss of biodiversity Global climate change Biodiversity includes: Genetic variation within a species Variety of species in an area Variety of habitat types within a landscape What is Environmental Science? The goals of environmental science are to learn: how nature works. how the environment effects us. how we effect the environment. how we can live more sustainably without degrading our life-support system. Sustainability: The Integrative Theme