Environmental Problems

1
Environmental Problems
2
Relatively localized pollution

• Air
• Water
• Acid rain
• Hazardous waste
• http//www.hud.gov/offices/cio/emaps/index.cfm

3
Global

• Biodepletion
• Ecologist Norman Myers We seem set to eliminate
  between one-third and two-thirds of Earth's
  species, plus a similar proportion of subspecies.
  It will be the biggest extinction spasm since the
  demise of the dinosaurs and associated creatures
  65 million years ago. The result a massive
  draining of the planetary gene pool.
  http//www.sdearthtimes.com/et0494/et0494s0.html
• Ozone depletion http//www.epa.gov/docs/ozone/scie
  nce/process.html
• Global climate change (greenhouse effect)
• http//www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_wa
  rming/page.cfm?pageID1545
• http//www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_wa
  rming/index.cfm?pageID27

4
Greenhouse effect
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Scientific uncertainty?

• problems associated with both ozone depletion
  and global warming are largely theoretical and,
  therefore, uncertain. (Heiner 133)
• Global warming is real and underway. (Union of
  Concerned Scientists)
• Skeptics have interests http//www.ucsusa.org/glo
  bal_environment/global_warming/page.cfm?pageID499
  

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Global temperature trends
http//www.grida.no/climate/vital/17.htm
7
Structural causes

• Mass production based on fossil fuels
• Wasteful consumption
• Logic of the market system (capitalism) vs. logic
  of nature (see Commoner, 1992)

8
Logic of commodity production
raw materials
production
consumption
waste
energy
9
Logic of nature
consumption
metabolism
photosynthesis
death/decay
10
Environmental problems

• Who pays?

11
Example the Prestige

• Oil tanker sunk off coast of Spain Nov. 2002
• Bahamian flagged, Liberian registered, Greek
  managed, for Russian company based in Switzerland