Lecture 3 Sustainable Development Population, environment and development For example World population has more than doubled in only 43 years, from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 5.5 billion 1993. Unless death rates rise sharply, it may reach 1l billion by 2045, and 14 billion by 2100 Resources, economic development, and resource scarcity All countries seek economic growth: increasing their capacity to provide goods and services for final Such growth is usually measured by an increase in a country's gross national product(GNP) GNP is the market value in current dollars of all goods and services produced by an economy for final use during a year. and To show one person's slice of the economic pie, economists often calculate the GNP per capita(per person); the gnp divided by the total population Increase in GNP and GNP per capita have trad itionally been used to indicate an increase in"quality of life” The MDCs have about 1.2 billion people(22% of the worlds population), and command about 85% of the world's wealth and income, use 88%of its natural resources and use 73% of its energy, and generate most of its pollution and wastes The LDCs have low to moderate industrialization and GNPs per capita Most lie in the Southern Hemisphere- in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Have 4.3 billion people, or 78%of world's population, have about 12% of the natural resources and use about 27% of the energy Resources, economic development, and resource scarcity(contd) However, each year, LDCs pay MDCs four times more in debt interest than they receive in aid Today, one in 5 people lives in luxury and the next three get by, while the fifth struggles to survive on less than $l per day!! The question the arises: is it lack of resources? Resources and resource scarcity(contd) A resource is anything we get from the living or nonliving environment to meet our needs and wants Natural Resources is something that is useful to people and these Renewable and non-renewable resources Renewables include; solar energy, air, wind, water etc
1 Lecture 3 Sustainable Development Population, environment and development For example…….. World population has more than doubled in only 43 years, from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 5.5 billion in 1993. Unless death rates rise sharply, it may reach 11 billion by 2045, and 14 billion by 2100. Resources, economic development, and resource scarcity • All countries seek economic growth: increasing their capacity to provide goods and services for final use. Such growth is usually measured by an increase in a country’s gross national product (GNP): • GNP is the market value in current dollars of all goods and services produced by an economy for final use during a year….and... • To show one person’s slice of the economic pie, economists often calculate the GNP per capita (per person); the GNP divided by the total population. • Increase in GNP and GNP per capita have traditionally been used to indicate an increase in “quality of life”..……But... The MDCs have about 1.2 billion people (22% of the world’s population), and command about 85% of the world’s wealth and income, use 88% of its natural resources and use 73% of its energy, and generate most of its pollution and wastes…… The LDCs have low to moderate industrialization and GNPs per capita Most lie in the Southern Hemisphere – in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Have 4.3 billion people, or 78% of world’s population, have about 12% of the natural resources and use about 27% of the energy. Resources, economic development, and resource scarcity (contd) • However, each year, LDCs pay MDCs four times more in debt interest than they receive in aid. • Today, one in 5 people lives in luxury and the next three get by, while the fifth struggles to survive on less than $1 per day!! – The question the arises: is it lack of resources? Resources and resource scarcity (contd)…. • A resource is anything we get from the living or nonliving environment to meet our needs and wants. • Natural Resources is something that is useful to people…….and these……are • Renewable and non-renewable resources – Renewables include; solar energy, air, wind, water etc.;
non-renewables include; coal, oil, gas, and ores etc, Several types of environmental degradation can change renewable resources into nonrenewable or unusable resources Covering productive land with water, concrete, asphalt, or build ing Cultivating land without proper soil management Taking fresh water from underground sources and from streams and lakes faster than it is replaced by natural processes Resources and resource scarcity(contd) stroy ing wetlands and coral reefs: Cutting trees from large areas(deforestation) Overgrazing of grassland by livestock; Eliminating or decimating wild species through destruction of habitats Polluting renewable air, water, and soil so they are unusable Resources and resource scarcity(contd Some of these types of degradation are localized, some have a regional/global trend As a result, scarcity, depreciation, degradation and extinction is imminent Resource scarcity Absolute resource scarcity occurs when supplies of a resource cannot meet demand Relative resource scarcity occurs when there is enough of a resource to meet the demand but its d istribution is unbalanced and here comes in the tragedy of the commons! Tragedy of the commons One cause of environmental degradation is the overuse of common-property resources, which are owned by none and available to all An example is pollution Unwanted effects of pollution are The crisis of Unsustainability: Problems and causesCan be similar whatever is the source of pollution, unwanted effects Key problems: global warming and the accompanying possible climate change, acid rain, depletion of stratospheric ozone, and urban air pollution -result from the chemicals we have put into the atmosphere Problems and causes continued poisoning of the soil and water by pesticides and numerous other toxic wastes as the result
2 – non-renewables include; coal, oil, gas, and ores etc.; • Several types of environmental degradation can change renewable resources into nonrenewable or unusable resources. – Covering productive land with water, concrete, asphalt, or buildings; – Cultivating land without proper soil management; – Taking fresh water from underground sources and from streams and lakes faster than it is replaced by natural processes;…….. Resources and resource scarcity (contd)…. – Destroying wetlands and coral reefs; – Cutting trees from large areas (deforestation); – Overgrazing of grassland by livestock; – Eliminating or decimating wild species through destruction of habitats; – Polluting renewable air, water, and soil so they are unusable………. Resources and resource scarcity (contd)…. • Some of these types of degradation are localized, some have a regional/global trend… • As a result, scarcity, depreciation, degradation and extinction is imminent…. Resource scarcity ..…. • Absolute resource scarcity occurs when supplies of a resource cannot meet demand; • Relative resource scarcity occurs when there is enough of a resource to meet the demand, but its distribution is unbalanced; • and here comes in the tragedy of the commons!…. Tragedy ofthe commons!…. • One cause of environmental degradation is the overuse of common-property resources, which are owned by none and available to all. An example is pollution!! Unwanted effects of pollution are: whatever is the source of pollution, unwanted effects can be similar; The crisis of Unsustainability: Problems and causes • Key problems: global warming and the accompanying possible climate change, acid rain, depletion of stratospheric ozone, and urban air pollution – result from the chemicals we have put into the atmosphere. Problems and causes….. • continued poisoning of the soil and water by pesticides and numerous other toxic wastes as the result
of not relying on pollution prevention others are -depletion of non renewable minerals, depletion and contamination of ground water deforestation, soil erosion, conversion of productive cropland and grazing to desert(desertification) and species loss(biod iversity depletion), Problems and causes Our problems are also worsened by political and economic systems that reward unsustainable economic growth, support the widening gap between the rich and the poor, hinder meeting the basic need for human justice and compassion, and fail to protect the rights of future generations of humans and other Problems and causes Problems and causes Oversimplify Poor political and eco Failure to have marke es represent the overall environmental cost of an economic good Our urge to dominate and control nature Problems and causes Once we have identified the causes of our problems, the next step is to understand how they are connected to one another . and here comes The three-factor model This model, developed in the early 1970s by biologist Paul Ehrlich and physicist John Holdren, can be summarized in simplified form as Problems and causes Impact=Population x Affluence x Technology TIEPXAXT The three-factor model is useful in understand ing the key factors lead ing to the crisis of unsustainability Problems and solutions the way to tackle world food problems is not by controlling population but by promoting the economic development of countries that are unable to produce adequate food for their people. They presume that development would provide the appropriate technology for the people living in those countries to increase their food production Problems and solutions No matter where we look- there are warning signs that the natural world which gives life and sustenance to our human economy, is nearing a point of collapse from which there may be no return
3 of not relying on pollution prevention; • others are – depletion of non renewable minerals, depletion and contamination of ground water, deforestation, soil erosion, conversion of productive cropland and grazing to desert (desertification), and species loss (biodiversity depletion), Problems and causes….. • Our problems are also worsened by political and economic systems that reward unsustainable economic growth, support the widening gap between the rich and the poor, hinder meeting the basic need for human justice and compassion, and fail to protect the rights of future generations of humans and other species. Problems and causes….. Problems and causes….. – · Oversimplification of earth’s life support systems, – · Poor political and economic management, – · Failure to have market prices represent the overall environmental cost of an economic good or service, and – · Our urge to dominate and control nature. Problems and causes….. • Once we have identified the causes of our problems, the next step is to understand how they are connected to one another….and here comes The three-factor model • This model, developed in the early 1970s by biologist Paul Ehrlich and physicist John Holdren, can be summarized in simplified form as:….. Problems and causes….. Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology or I = P x A x T The three-factor model is useful in understanding the key factors leading to the crisis of unsustainability. Problems and solutions….. • the way to tackle world food problems is not by controlling population but by promoting the economic development of countries that are unable to produce adequate food for their people. They presume that development would provide the appropriate technology for the people living in those countries to increase their food production. Problems and solutions….. • No matter where we look - there are warning signs that the natural world, which gives life and sustenance to our human economy, is nearing a point of collapse from which there may be no return…
Problems and solutions The process of economic globalization has turned the world into a market, factory; -where no corner of the earth is safe from the depredations of industrialization, the dead - zone of consumerism or the accumulation of human-made garbage and toxic waste! Environment and development in HK and China But there are unique challenges facing Hong Kong given its history, its geographical location and a host of other factors that require unique approaches Consultants and planners observed that Agenda 21 is not sufficiently focused on local issues and HK had to address sustainability on its own terms; ..and so, sd was defined as thus Development and ecodevelopment The central issue here is the binary relationship which exists between mankind as consumer and environment as provider
4 Problems and solutions….. • The process of economic globalization has turned the world into a market, factory;- where no corner of the earth is safe from the depredations of industrialization, the dead-zone of consumerism or the accumulation of human-made garbage and toxic waste!! Environment and development in HK and China….. But there are unique challenges facing Hong Kong given its history, its geographical location and a host of other factors that require unique approaches. Consultants and planners observed that Agenda 21 is not sufficiently focused on local issues and HK had to address sustainability on its own terms;….. and so, SD was defined as thus…... Development and ecodevelopment….. The central issue here is the binary relationship which exists between mankind as consumer and environment as provider