1) Is the current growth rate of the human population sustainable? Explain, using the concept of carrying capacity.
According to the current population growth trends and the state of the environmental impact that population growth is in, the human population seems to be growing faster than the environment can sustain, if the population trend does not even out. This is especially true of areas currently in drought, overpopulated, and areas that do not have quality soil, water, and air conditions needed for appropriate food production. For example, in largely populated cities, with little or no soil to grow food in, the food must be shipped in from other places, causing an environmental destruction through pollution. The population of humans cannot be sustained in a polluted environment. The Earth cannot possibly support an infinite number of humans who are constantly depleting the natural resources. When a population depletes the natural resources around it, one of two things will occur, either the population will move to a different environment, or it will begin to die off. Current medical technology allows humans to live longer which results in fewer resources for younger, healthier members of that community.
2) Using and internet search, provide a timeline of important events in the modern environmental movement since 1960.
The modern environmental movement has been an important milestone in history, with many concerns being addressed and environmental studies performed as well as environmental impact reports written before major construction of specific projects are started. For example, hydroelectric dams, ore mining, and structures that may impact the natural life cycle of animals, plants, and human activity. Although many more events occurred in the world, a short timeline of important environmental events is below and is not as inclusive as this author would like:
1960 - Atomic dumping: Oct. 10, 1960 — Jacques Cousteau and Prince Rainier III of Monaco. They oppose a French plan that includes dumping radioactive waste in the Mediterranean Sea. The plan did not go through.
1961 - Nuclear meltdown in Idaho: Jan. 3. Three operators were killed because a small experimental nuclear reactor had a meltdown and exploded in Arco, Idaho.
U.S. President John. F. Kennedy told the United Nations: “Every inhabitant of this planet must contemplate the day when this planet may no longer be habitable. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us.” This was important fir the future events in environmental law development.
1962 - Silent Spring’s Noisy Summer: A reaction to Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. This was first published in the New Yorker on June 22, 1962, it was available immediately and nationwide. Some concerned agronomists wonder whether Carson intends to starve people by banning pesticides. As a result, DDT is banned in the US for use in agriculture in 1970, but other toxic chemicals are not. Silent Spring was an important turning point for environmental history because it allowed a larger national dialogue. The nation became concerned with the relationship between people and nature, as well an it helped merge public health and conservation movements.
1963 - Canadian naturalist and author Farley Mowat published Never Cry Wolf. He also published the books titled: “A Whale For The Killing” (1972) and “Sea of Slaughter” (1989). His book, “Never Cry Wolf” has been listed as “One of the most influential books in the history of animal advocacy.” (M. Clifton)
1965 — Congress passed the Water Quality Act. It was successful in setting the standards for the United States. Congress also passed the Noise Control Act and Solid Waste Disposal Act. These have been updated since, to include newer technology and waste disposal standards.
November – Environmental Pollution Panel of the President’s Science Advisory Committee issues a report called: “Restoring the Quality of Our Environment” Interestingly, this report includes a warning about increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, which should have been adhered to since the report was issued.
1967 - January — Outer Space Treaty is signed. It was designed to prohibit the placement of nuclear weapons in orbit around Earth.
Environmental Defense Fund established.
US Congress passes an Air Quality Act / Clean Air Act, which authorizes planning grants to state air pollution control agencies.
1968 - United Nations Biosphere Conference introduced and encouraged the idea of a general UN conference to focus only on environmental issues. It was scheduled to be in Stockholm in 1972.
1969 — National Environmental Policy Act passed in Congress.
1970 - Jan. 1: The National Environmental Policy Act was signed. It created the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for the purpose of advising the President on environmental issues and to review Environmental Impact Statements. These statements are required on all federal agency planning projects with major environmental ramifications.
1971 - February 2: United Nations Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is signed in Ramsar, Iran. The international agreement was designed to protect wetlands world-wide and the species that live in them. The agreement covers 160 member-nations. The agreement protects nearly 2,000 wetland areas worldwide.
1972 –June: United Nations Conference on the Human Environment convenes in Stockholm, Sweden. The meeting sparked a global debate. Following the conference, the United Nations General Assembly established the UN Environment Program, (UNEP), The purpose of this program is to act on the recommendations of the meeting in Stockholm.
1973 - Eighty nations sign the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is considered the “Magna Carta for wildlife.” The Endangered Species Act became law at the same time, in the U.S.
1974 - Worldwatch Institute founded.
1975 - Atlantic salmon return to the Connecticut River after a 100-year absence.
1976 — National Academy of Science report on CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) gasses warns of damage to the ozone layer. This still isn’t listened to and chlorine continued to be dumped in public drinking water.
1977 - U.S. Department of Energy is created by President Jimmy Carter.
Federal Clean Air Act Amendments require review of all National Ambient Air Quality Standards by 1980. Congress also adds additional protection for Class I National Park and Wilderness air quality.
1979 - March 28: Three Mile Island nuclear power plant loses coolant and partially melts down. This is a large blow to the nuclear power industry. Because of safety problems in other plants, construction cost overruns, and the lack of planning for radioactive waste disposal nuclear energy tumbles in the United States.
1980 - May 21: President Carter announces the relocation of 700 families. They were from the Love Canal area in Niagara Falls, New York. They had been exposed to toxic waste which was deposited there by the Hooker Chemical Company.
1981-Vice President George Bush’s Task Force on Regulatory Relief ignored environmental concerns and proposed to relax or eliminate the US leaded gas phase-out, despite mounting evidence of serious health problems.
1982 - Vandana Shiva, a leader of the Chipko movement, founded The Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology in New Delhi, India.
1983- December 10: New UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is signed by 117 States.
1984 - May 7: Agent Orange victims who were Vietnam veterans announce $180 million out-of-court settlement with the U.S. government.
1985- British scientist Joe Farman published his discovery of an ozone hole located over Antarctica. This discovery was confirmed by US NASA satellite monitoring. The US EPA began reconsidering CFC regulations. The United Nations Environment Program began negotiations under the Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone which lead to the 1987 Montreal Protocol.
1986 - April 26: Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded, and a full-scale meltdown occurred as a result, in Ukraine after a failed experimental procedure. Over two thousand square miles of land are still contaminated as well as an enormous amount of radiation that was released worldwide.
1988 — After the Chernobyl disaster, Russian scientists form the Ecology and Peace Association, electing S.P. Zalyghin as president. His surprising statement, “Only the people can save nature”, implied that the Russian government and the Communist party had failed. Green crusader, Svet Zabelin, helped form the Socio-Ecological Union (SEU), which works to help residents of areas contaminated with radiation. IT also preserves threatened species. The movement spread rapidly in Russia and Eastern Europe as a political protest platform which had been met with strong Soviet government resistance. In 1993, Zabelin was awarded the Goldman Prize.
1988 — Plastic Pollution Control Act forbids ocean dumping of plastic materials.
1990 - United Nations report on climate change warns that global temperature rise might be as much as 2 degrees F in 35 years, recommends reducing CO2 emissions worldwide.
1991 — Sweden is the first nation to impose a carbon tax to curb CO2 emissions. By 2010, the tax per ton was 128 euros, and the country’s economy had grown 44%.
1993- A Moratorium of toxic waste incineration in the US is implemented.
1995 - Environmentalism is “one of the most successful contemporary movements in the US and Western Europe,” according to Angela Mertig and Riley Dunlap in the International Journal of Public Opinion Research (“Public Approval of Environmental Protection” IJPOR 7, no 2, 1995 p.145).
1998 - November: About 3,000 tons of toxic waste from Taiwan was dumped in a field in the southern port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
1999 - Worldwatch reports that 7 out of 10 scientists believe we are experiencing the largest mass extinction of species in history.
1999 - Earth’s population exceeds six billion. Half of these people are living in cities. Almost half (2.8 billion) live on less than $2 a day. UN agencies note that while globalization of trade has helped in some countries, the poor are becoming poorer both in absolute and relative terms.
2011- Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. This disaster clearly demonstrates the dangers of blind faith in authority. Although some reactors have restarted, the triple meltdown has ended the 60-year global experiment with nuclear power development. Global concerns about radioactive fish in the Pacific Ocean are currently shutting down the fishing industry along the US West coast.
Many other important events have occurred, which are notable. However, this author ran out of room and time to complete the timeline. Environmental issues will continue to be important in the healing process of the planet. This is the only planet that humans currently have.
3) An environmental impact on the use of food choices, based on the use of chemicals in the growing, processing, and distribution of food for human and animal consumption. It is no secret that chemical pesticides kill more than just bad bugs. Pesticides kill good ones too, such as pollinators that are needed to continue growing vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and those foods that help our meats grow too. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers have a history of contributing to the major illnesses in humans, such as cancer, tumors, miscarriages, abnormal growth patterns, and neurological issues. Internet searches on the subject will bring up loads of scientific studies that confirm not only the health issues, but also the environmental impact that the use of chemicals in food production can cause. From soil and water pollution, to air as well as the contamination of organically produced food. These concerns mean that people must stand up for what is right for the planet, its natural habitats, and the human population depending on the planet for survival. Each person can do his or her part by eating only organically grown, processed, and distributed food. If each person continues to reject conventionally produced food, it will send a huge message to those who use chemicals in their production process, and more organic food will be available. It is the best tool that we, as consumers have. This author chooses only organic foods and supports local farmers as an additional safety. It is important to know where your food originated.
4) The relationships between the aspects of science are:
Hypothesis: An idea based on an observation on a problem that needs to be solved or answered which leads to research on the issue or observation. Experiments are an important part of the discovery process to gather data on the observation or problem. Once the data has been gathered, a theory can be established based on the known outcomes of the data. The experiment must be repeatable, or the observations need to be continued to base a theory on data that is not repeatable, such as world climate change. That theory is an ongoing observation of current data on the rising temperatures, polar ice melting, and global weather changes.
References:
Aseh.net,. (2016). Welcome to the American Society for Environmental History — American Society for Environmental History. Retrieved 23 February 2016, from http://aseh.net/
Environmental Health News. (2016). Environmental Health News: Front Page. Retrieved 23 February 2016, from http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Environmental history timeline,. (2016). Environmental history timeline. Retrieved 23 February 2016, from http://66.147.244.135/~enviror4/
Environmentandsociety.org,. (2016). Welcome to Environment & Society Portal | Environment & Society Portal. Retrieved 23 February 2016, from http://www.environmentandsociety.org/
