The document provides an overview of key environmental issues and discusses strategies for improving environmental literacy. It begins by outlining the "4 A's" of environmental education - awareness, appreciation, advocacy, and activism. It then discusses principles of environmental sustainability and interdependence. The document summarizes several major environmental issues including damage to ecosystems, population growth, energy resources, food supply, climate change, waste, air and water pollution, and species extinction. It emphasizes the need for individual action and provides specific recommendations for more sustainable living.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY FOR
ADMINISTRATORS AND
EDUCATORS
***
Author: Partha Das Sharma, E.mail: sharmapd1@gmail.com
Website: http://saferenvironment.wordpress.com

2. Environmental Issues
The Top Ten :
How bad is the damage to ecosystems?
Is the Earth overpopulated?
Are we running out of Energy Resources?
Can we feed ourselves, sustainably?
What’s the “truth” about climate change?
Why are we so wasteful?
Are we poisoning our air?
Ditto for our water
Are we causing the extinction of species?
What can you do to help?
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3. A Conceptual Framework
The ultimate goal of environmental
education is to produce individuals who
exhibit the “4 A’s.”
Awareness
Appreciation
Advocacy
Activism
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4. Founding Principles
Everything is connected to everything else.
We depend on the environment for all of our food, water, energy, shelter, and
economic resources.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
There is an environmental cost whenever we extract resources from the Earth.
Our lives on Earth must be sustainable.
We can’t spend Earth’s capital. We need to learn how to live only on the interest.
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5. How bad is damage to ecosystems?
Deforestation and other habitat destruction
is the number one human impact on the
planet.
Reduces oxygen production by plants
Reduces available habitat for organisms
Increases rates of erosion and soil damage
Increases rates of extinction of species
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6. Is the Earth overpopulated?
The answer depends on how you define
overpopulated, but most scientists
believe that the Earth has reached or is
very near to the limit that is
sustainable.
In other words, the impacts of a human population of 7 Billion or
more will harm the processes and resources of the planet to the
point where we will not be able to depend on them indefinitely.
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7. 7

8. What can we learn from the graph?
It is only in the last 200 years that human
population exploded!!
Modern medicine is the main cause
Closely followed by modern agriculture
Human population is projected to level off at
about 12 to 14 Billion??
Fertility rates are expected to decrease.
People are already making the choice to have fewer children. (the
Demographic Transition)
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9. Can Earth Support 12 Billion
People?
Yes, but only IF we reduce our use of non-renewable
non-
resources and switch to renewable ones whenever we
can.
Resource consumption is a more important way to
gauge population impact than simply the size.
Number x consumption = impact (or footprint)
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10. Are we running out of Energy
Resources?
In the short term, not really, but in the
long term, yes.
Despite recent price increases in oil, we still have
substantial reserves left.
Our current fossil fuels are non-renewable. They will run
non-
out in 50 to 200 years.
If we switch to renewable energy (solar,
wind power and other types) we will
never run out.
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11. Energy Use in the Global Economy
Oil = 39%; Coal = 27%; Gas = 23%; Nuclear = 7%; Hydro =
3%; Others = 1%
Industrial = 38%;
Residential and Commercial = 36%; Transportation = 26%
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12. What can we learn from the data?
We are addicted to fossil fuels!
What we do in our industry and homes is
more important than what we do in our cars.
We are not making use of renewable energy
sources.
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13. Can we feed ourselves, Sustainably?
That’s a hard one to judge. The cost of
food is skyrocketing and the
environmental impacts of raising food are
going up as well.
Can we feed a future population of 12 B
using the same means?
Answer would be ‘No’.
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14. Good News and Bad News
World food production
tripled since 1950. Population growth rate is
faster than “food growth.”
Overall food prices fell.
Food prices are rising now.
World grain supplies were
at near record highs Per capita grain supplies
because of technological are falling at 1% per year.
innovations. 2 billion people in the world
Diets in MDCs are at an are undernourished.
all-time caloric high.
all- Damage to soils and
Per acre production is pollution are increasing.
very high.
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15. What’s the “truth” about climate
change?
Global Warming is real.
Estimates of its likely impacts vary
widely:
Best case: mild - moderate warming
Worst case scenarios see oceans rising to
inundate large areas of coastlines, severe
disruptions in weather and climate, and mass
extinction.
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16. 16

17. Some predictions are already
happening
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18. Why are we so wasteful?
Affluent societies treat waste as something
to throw away.
Less affluent societies reuse every last bit
they can.
Our culture of consumerism is what fuels
our wasteful ways.
Some scientists call this ‘Throwaway
Culture’.
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19. Our Waste Stream
38 % paper products
13 % yard waste
10 % food wastes
9 % plastics
8 % metals
6 % glass
5 % wood
10 % other
(Nearly all of these wastes could be recycled, but
only about 25% actually are done)
A Total Haul of over 200 MILLION tons per year;
2/3 of a ton per person per year!
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20. Main sources of hazardous waste
Industrial chemicals – metals, solvents, paints, etc.
Mining wastes – metals, cyanide, acids
Agricultural chemicals – pesticides, fertilizers, etc.
Military wastes – warfare agents, old munitions, etc.
Certain household chemicals – cleaners, solvents, etc.
Consumer products – batteries, electronics, etc.
Radioactive wastes – from power plants and certain industries
Medical wastes – hospital waste, old medicines, etc.
Each year millions of tons of chemicals are produced
around the world.
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21. Are we poisoning our air?
Air pollution, especially in cities of
developing countries, is getting worse.
This is largely due to burning of coal
and other fuels for electricity production
and industry and the burning of oil for
transportation.
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22. Sources of Air Pollution
Natural – volcanoes, terpenes from conifers, etc.
Anthropogenic – since the industrial revolution
Combustion of fossil fuels
Industrial processes
Agricultural processes
Mining and Nuclear Power Generation
Homes and businesses
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23. Major Categories of Air Pollution
Global Climate Change – carbon
Acid Rain – nonmetallic oxides
Ozone Depletion – CFCs
Smog – VOCs, oxides, particulates
Indoor Air Pollution – VOCs, etc.
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24. Are We Poisoning our water?
Most of the Global rivers are polluted
due to the presence of fecal coliform
bacteria and other contaminants.
Similar problem rivers exist on every
continent.
Water is life.
If we poison our water, we poison
ourselves.
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25. The Major Categories of Pollutants
Disease-
Disease-causing organisms : infectious agents
Inorganic chemicals : salts, acids, metals
Synthetic organic compounds : pesticides, etc.
Fertilizers : agricultural runoff
Sediments : sand, silt and clay from erosion
Oxygen-
Oxygen-demanding wastes : sewage and manure
Radioactive wastes : natural or man-made
man-
Thermal pollution : heat from power plants, etc.
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26. Are we causing the extinction of
species?
Throughout geologic time the Earth
has experienced five mass extinctions
due to drastic climate change, meteor
impacts, and rampant volcanism.
Now, Scientists consider the impacts
of humans to be the start of a sixth
mass extinction.
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27. Can’t We All Get Along?
Some of the things that humans do
disrupt other organisms’ lives.
Habitat destruction
Over-
Over-fishing, excess hunting
Environmental pollution
Introduction of non-native species
non-
Climate change
Commercial exploitation
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28. Intrinsic / Extrinsic Value of
Biodiversity
Intrinsic – everything has a right to exist of its
own accord.
Extrinsic – we derive food, medicines and many
other products from wild things. Biodiversity
adds beauty and interest to our lives.
Biodiversity keeps the world’s natural processes
going.
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29. What can YOU do about all this?
Consume less of EVERYTHING
Reduce your FOOTPRINT
SPEAK for the trees
Learn and CARE about the earth
Make a DIFFERENCE
Don’t WASTE what you were given
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30. Some specifics
Drive less – Drive smart to get better
mileage
Raise your thermostat
Switch to fluorescent bulbs
Try a vegetarian diet
Install a solar water heater
Insulate your home
Plant a butterfly garden
Recycle everything you can
Be careful with chemicals at home and at
work
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