Summary 454
An Overall Plan for
Sustainable Living 36- Failing to confront the problem of poverty makes it impossible
to attain global sustainability. To stay within Earth’s carrying
capacity, the maximum population that can be sustained
indefinitely, it will be necessary to reach a stable population
and reduce excessive consumption.
Summary
1
Human Use of the Earth 28- Sustainable development is economic growth that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. Environmentally sound
decisions, economically viable decisions, and socially equitable
decisions interact to promote sustainable development. - Sustainable consumption is the use of goods and services
that satisfy basic human needs and improve the quality of life
but also minimize the use of resources so they are available
for future use. - Voluntary simplicity recognizes that individual happiness and
quality of life are not necessarily linked to the accumulation
of material goods. Technological progress, whether driven by
policy or economics, can contribute to a high quality of life
while putting fewer demands on Earth’s resources.
2
Human Values and
Environmental Problems 31- Environmental ethics is a field of applied ethics that considers
the moral basis of environmental responsibility and how far
this responsibility extends. Environmental ethicists consider
how humans should relate to the natural environment. - An environmental worldview is a worldview that helps
us make sense of how the environment works, our place
in the environment, and right and wrong environmental
behaviors. The Western worldview is an understanding
of our place in the world based on human superiority and
dominance over nature, the unrestricted use of natural
resources, and increased economic growth to manage an
expanding industrial base. The deep ecology worldview is
an understanding of our place in the world based on harmony
with nature, a spiritual respect for life, and the belief that
humans and all other species have equal worth.
3
Environmental Justice 35- Environmental justice is the right of every citizen, regardless
of age, race, gender, social class, or other factor, to adequate
protection from environmental hazards. Environmental
justice is a fundamental human right in an ethical society.
A growing environmental justice movement has emerged
at the grassroots level. Globally, environmental justice
includes promoting economic development without imposing
disproportionate environmental risks.
✓✓THE PLANNER
- The world’s forests are being cut, burned, and seriously
altered for timber and other products that the global
economy requires. Also, rapid population growth and
poverty are putting pressure on forests. Biological diversity,
the number and variety of Earth’s organisms, is declining at
an alarming rate. Humans are part of Earth’s web of life and
are entirely dependent on that web for survival. - Food insecurity is the condition in which people live with chronic
hunger and malnutrition. Globally, more than 800 million people
lack access to the food needed for healthy, productive lives. - The enhanced greenhouse effect is the additional
warming produced by increased levels of gases that absorb
infrared radiation. An increase in atmospheric CO 2 , mostly
produced when fossil fuels are burned and rain forests are
destroyed, leads to climate warming. To stabilize climate,
we must phase out fossil fuels in favor of renewable
energy, increased energy conservation, and improved
energy efficiency, and reduce or reverse deforestation. - The air in cities in the developing world is badly polluted with
exhaust from motor vehicles. Illegal squatter settlements
proliferate in cities; the poorest inhabitants build dwellings using
whatever materials they can scavenge. Squatter settlements
have the worst water, sewage, and solid waste problems.
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