Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Essays

Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Essays Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Paper Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Paper Essay Topic: Renewable energy The sustainable yield of resources is the maximum yield that humans can utilize without reducing available supply or causing that resource to seize to exist An economic growth is a growth in a nations GAP. And per capita GAP is a measure of a countrys economic development Environmental (natural capital) degradation is the depletion of the earths natural resources Ecological footprint is the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to provide the people in a particular country or area with an indefinite supply of renewable resources and to absorb and recycle the wastes and pollution produced by such resource use. Pollution is any presence within the environment of a chemical or other agent such as noise or heat at a level that is harmful to the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms. And it can occur from a number of sources: Point Sources: single and identifiable sources. A. Mobil: aircrafts, automobiles exhausts b. Nan-Mobil: Factories drain pipes Non-point Sources: dispersed and often difficult to identify. Ex: waste from unknown places. There are two main types of pollutants: Degradable: that can be broken down by natural processes Non-degradable: cannot be broken down by natural processes Unwanted effects of pollutants: Degrading and disrupting life supporting systems Damaging wildlife, human health, and property Create nuisance such as noise and unpleasant smells Pollution control: Output control, Ex: clean-ups Input control, Ex: Prevention There are 3 types of properties and resources: Private properties Common properties . Open access properties Tragedy of the commons occurs when each user of a shared common resources or open-access resource reasons if dont use this resource someone else will. The little bit that I use or pollute is not enough to matter, and navy, its a renewable resource. Ecological tipping point (threshold level) is when the ecological footprint exceeds the earths biological capacity and reaches an irreversible point. The tipping point can have a time delay before the degradation action and the tipping point reaction. Cultural hinges that have increased humans ecological footprint are: Agricultural revolution Industrial revolution Information-globalization revolution Environmental disruptions are mainly caused by: Over population Unsustainable resource use Poverty Exclusion Of environmental costs from the overall production cost  Affluence has harmful environmental effects like: High levels of consumption High levels of pollution Unnecessary waste of resources And beneficial effects in providing funds to develop technologies to reduce.