Lecture__04_-_Ecological_Footprint__1_

Page 1: Overview

• Module Title: Environmental Science and Sustainability, Module #2

• Instructor: Dr. Giliane Rasbold

• Contact: giliane.rasbold@wku.edu

• Department: WKU Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences

Page 2: Human Population Studies

• Definition of Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area simultaneously. Factors affecting population:

  • Birth

  • Death

  • Immigration

  • Emigration

• Purpose of Population Studies: To understand growth, regulation, and species interactions.

• Demography: The science of collecting, compiling, and presenting information about human populations.

Page 3: Population Pyramids

• Definition: A graph that shows the age-sex distribution of a population.

• Structure:

  • Sex is represented on the left/right sides.

  • Age is on the y-axis.

  • Percentage of the population is on the x-axis.

• Cohort: Each grouping (e.g., males aged 0-4).

Page 4: Population Demographic Transition Theory

• Description: Explains population growth patterns in different countries and how economic/social factors influence demographic changes over time.

• Main Idea: There is a link between modernization and a decline in crude birth and death rates.

Page 5: Demographic Transition Stages

• Stage 1: High birth and death rates; reasons for changes in birth rate: farming, high child mortality, no family planning. Changes in death rate: disease, famine, poor medical knowledge.

Page 6: Stage 2 - Countries (e.g., Egypt, Kenya, India)

• Birth Rate Changes: Still high, influenced by farming, high mortality rates, and lack of family planning.

• Death Rate Changes: Improvement due to better medical care, diet, sanitation, and water supply.

Page 7: Stage 3 - Brazil

• Birth Rate Changes: Decreasing due to improved medical care, better diet, and a reduced need for children.

• Death Rate Changes: Effects of better medical care, diet, sanitation, and water supply continue to decline.

Page 8: Stage 4 - Developed Countries (USA, France, Japan)

• Birth Rate Changes: Decreasing due to family planning, good healthcare, improved status of women, and later marriages.

• Death Rate Changes: Contributing factors include medical care and diet improvements.

Page 9: Stage 5 - Germany

• Population Characteristics: Similar birth rate changes as Stage 4; potential population decline.

• Death Rate Changes: Aging population and lower fertility rates observed.

Page 10: Dependency Ratios

• Definition: Compares working-age population (ages 15-64) to non-working-age population (under 15 and over 65).

• Key Issues:

  • High dependency ratios can hinder economic development.

  • Skewed age structure and high mortality rates hinder economic growth.

Page 11: Population Profiles (USA)

• Population Data by Year:

  • 1950: 156,012,000

  • 2015: 321,773,000

  • Projections for 2100 show aging population dynamics across age cohorts.

• Graphical Representation: Detailed age distributions for male and female populations in various age ranges.

Page 12: More Developed Countries

• Stage 5 Characteristics: Aging populations are common, with discrepancies in gender demographics as well.

Page 13: Humans and the Environment

• Impacts of Humans:

  • Cumulative Impacts: Long-term effects from repeated human activity (e.g., deforestation).

  • Unintended Consequences: E.g., electronic waste from increased device usage in classrooms.

Page 14: Human Population Impacts

• Premise: Society is supported by the economy and varies by country size and economic output, which influences contributions to environmental impacts.

Page 15: Consumption in Developed Nations

• Statistics:

  • Notable consumption percentages for aluminum, timber, energy, meat, freshwater, and pollution generation attributed to less than 20% of the world’s population.

Page 16: Continued Consumption Statistics

• Consumption Percentages: Breakdown includes 86% of aluminum, 76% of timber, etc., highlighting the disparities in resource consumption.

Page 17: Energy Use Comparisons

• Trends: Colder climates lead to higher energy needs, with higher income and developed countries using more energy overall.

Page 18: IPAT Formula

• Components: Accounts for population (size), affluence (consumption), and technology's effects on environmental impact.

Page 19: Effects of Increasing Population

• Industrialization effects included alongside population growth, emphasizing affluence and technology's secondary impacts.

Page 20: Feedback Loops

• Environmental Impact: Discussion of how economic growth and resource use relate to habitat destruction.

Page 21: Population Health and Economic Implications

• Potential Outcomes: Economy impacts ecological footprint; severe economic strife may cause an increase in disease and hunger.

Page 22: Case Study 1: Low Consumption

• Comparative Example: Showcases a low-income area reliant on bicycles, resulting in low technological and consumption impacts.

Page 23: Case Study 2: Dubai

• Comparative Example: High per capita consumption due to substantial income differentials compared to Burundi despite similar population sizes.

Page 24: Ecological Footprint Measurement

• Definition: A unit of measurement for human impact on Earth's capacity to regenerate and ecological activities.

Page 25: Defining Carrying Capacity

• Concept: Maximum sustainable population of an environment, considering biotic potential and environmental resistance implications.

Page 26: R- and K- Selected Strategies

• Definitions:

  • R-selected species: High reproductive potential and short lifespan.

  • K-selected species: Long lifespan, higher parental care, and fewer offspring.

Page 27: Human Reproductive Strategies

• Human Traits: Exhibit characteristics of K-selected species yet can reproduce at faster rates leading to significant environmental impacts.

Page 28: Carrying Capacity and Environmental Resistance

• Interplay: Discusses biotic potential management and its impact on environmental sustainability.

Page 29: Biocapacity Factors

• Definition: Total available biologically productive land and sea resources, excluding non-productive areas like deserts.

• Calculation: Based on productivity of area against population size sharing the resources.

Page 30: Resources Dependence

• Human Needs: Food, water, shelter, and energy requirements tracked via ecological footprint measures.

Page 31: Ecological Footprint Applications

• Usage: Employed by multiple sectors for tracking resource consumption against planetary capacity.

Page 32: Ecological Footprint vs. Biocapacity

• Definitions:

  • Ecological Deficit: Footprint exceeds biocapacity.

  • Ecological Reserve: Biocapacity exceeds footprint.

Page 33: Understanding Overshoot

• Description: Overshoot occurs when human resource demand surpasses the long-term carrying capacity, tracked by Earth Overshoot Day metrics.

Page 34: Data Sources for Ecological Measures

• Sources: Nations compile data regarding economic activities relevant to ecological footprint calculations.

Page 35: Current Resource Consumption Metrics

• Global Average: Indicated requirement of five Earths to support average consumption; estimates of renewable resource area needed for global populations.

Page 36: Ecological Footprint Rankings

• Top Countries: Lists nations with highest per capita ecological footprints and those in Africa, including specific numerical measures.