Lesson 3 - Environmental Concerns

NATIONAL SERVICE
TRAINING PROGRAM 1:
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS/CONCERNS
“The world will no longer be divided by the ideologies

of ‘left’ and ‘right,’ but by those who accept ecological
limits and those who don’t.”
—Wolfgang Sachs
Chapter Outline
 The Global Context: Globalization and the
Environment
 Sociological Theories of Environmental
Problems
 Environmental Problems: An Overview
 Social Causes of Environmental Problems
 Strategies for Action: Responding to
Environmental Problems
 Understanding Environmental Problems
The Global Context: Globalization and the Environment
Introduction
 Two aspects of globalization that have affected

the environment are
1. The permeability of international borders to
pollution and environmental problems.
2. Growth of free trade and transnational
corporations.
Permeability of International Borders
 Environmental problems such as climate change

and destruction of the ozone layer extend far
beyond their source to affect the entire planet.
 For example, toxic chemicals (such as polychlorinated
biphenyls [PCBs]) from the Southern Hemisphere
have been found in the Arctic.
 Another environmental problem involving
permeability of borders is bioinvasion; the
intentional or accidental introduction of organisms in
regions where they are not native.
Permeability of International Borders
 Bioinvasion:
 Red fire ants, known
for their painful sting,
are an example of
bioinvasion.
 They came from
Paraguay and Brazil
on shiploads of
lumber to Mobile,
Alabama, in 1957 and
have spread
throughout the
southern states.
Sociological Theories of Environmental Problems
Structural-Functionalist Perspective
 Structural functionalism focuses on how

changes in one aspect of the social system
affect other aspects of society.
 By 2020, an estimated 50 million people

globally will be environmental refugees—
individuals who have migrated because they
can no longer secure a livelihood as a result of
environmental problems.
Sociological Theories of Environmental Problems
Structural-Functionalist Perspective
 The structural-functionalist perspective raises

our awareness of latent dysfunctions;
negative consequences of social actions that
are unintended and not widely recognized.
 For example, the more than 840,000 dams
worldwide provide water to irrigate farmlands
and supply some of the world’s electricity.
 Yet dam building has had unintended
negative consequences for the environment.
Sociological Theories of Environmental
Problems
Conflict Perspective
 The conflict perspective focuses on how wealth,
power, and the pursuit of profit underlie many
 To maximize sales, manufacturers design products
intended to become obsolete. As a result of this
planned obsolescence, consumers continually
throw away used products and purchase
replacements. Industry profits at the expense of the
environment, which must sustain the constant
production and absorb ever-increasing amounts of
waste.
Problems
Conflict Perspective
 Industries also use their power and wealth to influence
politicians’ environmental and energy policies as well as
the public’s beliefs about environmental issues.
 In 2009, oil and gas industries spent $175 million on
lobbying—nearly eight times what pro-environmental

groups spent.
 The conflict perspective is also concerned with
environmental injustice (also known as
environmental racism)—the tendency for marginalized
populations and communities to disproportionately
experience adversity due to environmental problems.
What Do You Think?
Problems
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
 Focuses on how meanings, labels, and
definitions learned through interaction and
through the media affect environmental
problems.
 Large corporations and industries commonly
use marketing and public relations strategies
to construct favorable meanings of their
corporation or industry.
Problems
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
 Greenwashing: Refers to the way environmentally
and socially damaging companies portray their
corporate image and products as being
“environmentally friendly” or socially responsible.
 Although greenwashing involves manipulation of
public perception to maximize profits, many
corporations make genuine and legitimate efforts to
improve their operations, packaging, or overall
sense of corporate responsibility toward the
environment.
What Do You Think?
Environmental Problems: An Overview
 Ecosystems are the complex and dynamic

relationships between forms of life and the
environments they inhabit
 Over the past 50 years, humans have altered
ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than
in any other comparable period of time in
history.
Energy Use Worldwide
 Until we experience a prolonged power outage, most of
us take the availability of electricity for granted, and do
n’t think about how dependent we are on energy.
 Most of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels,
which include petroleum (or oil), coal, and natural gas.
 The next most common source of energy is
hydroelectric power (6.2 percent), which involves
generating electricity from moving water; while it is
considered clean and renewable, it is criticized for
affecting natural habitats.
Energy Use Worldwide
Depletion of Natural Resources:
 Freshwater resources are being consumed by
agriculture, by industry, and for domestic use.
 More than 1 billion people lack access to clean
water
 The demand for new land, fuel, and raw
materials resulted in deforestation, the
conversion of forest land to nonforest land.
 Desertification is the degradation of semiarid
land, which results in the expansion of desert
land that is unusable for agriculture.
Air Pollution
 Transportation vehicles, fuel combustion, industrial
processes (such as burning coal and processing minerals
from mining), and solid waste disposal have contributed to
the growing levels of air pollutants, including carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, arsenic, nitrogen dioxide,
mercury, dioxins, and lead.
 Air pollution, which is linked to heart disease, lung cancer,
emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma, kills about 3
million people a year.
 In the United States, about half of the population lives in
areas where they are exposed to unhealthy levels of air
pollution.
Air Pollution
 Indoor Air Pollution
 Exposure to this indoor smoke increases risk of
pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, asthma,
cataracts, tuberculosis, and lung cancer, and is
responsible for up to 1.6 million deaths a year
(World Health Organization 2010).
 Exposure is particularly high among women and
children, who spend the most time near the
domestic hearth or stove.
Air Pollution
 Indoor air pollution
is a serious problem
in developing
countries.
 As this woman
cooks food for her
family, she is
exposed to harmful
air contaminants
from the fumes.
Air Pollution
 Indoor Air Pollution
 Exposure to this indoor smoke increases risk of
pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, asthma,
cataracts, tuberculosis, and lung cancer, and is
responsible for up to 1.6 million deaths a year
(World Health Organization 2010).
 Exposure is particularly high among women and
children, who spend the most time near the
domestic hearth or stove.
Air Pollution
 Destruction of the Ozone Layer
 The ozone layer of the earth’s atmosphere protects
life on earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

 Yet the ozone layer has been weakened by the use of
certain chemicals, particularly chlorofluorocarbons

(CFCs), used in refrigerators, air conditioners, spray
cans, and other applications.
 The depletion of the ozone layer allows hazardous
levels of ultraviolet rays to reach the earth’s surface

and is linked to a variety of problems.
Air Pollution
 Acid Rain
 Air pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxide, mix with precipitation to form acid rain.
Polluted rain, snow, and fog contaminate crops,
forests, lakes, and rivers.
 For example: As a result of the effects of acid
rain, all the fish have died in a third of the lakes in
New York’s Adirondack Mountains.
Global Warming and Climate Change
 Global warming refers to the increasing average
global air temperature, caused mainly by the
accumulation of various gases (greenhouse
gases) that collect in the atmosphere.
 Causes of Global Warming: The prevailing
scientific view is that Greenhouse Gases,
primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and
nitrous oxide, accumulate in the atmosphere and
act like the glass in a greenhouse, holding heat
from the sun close to the earth.
 Effects of Global Warming and Climate Change
Climate change kills an estimated 30,000
people per year, mostly in the developing world
(Global Humanitarian Forum 2009).
 The majority of these deaths are attributed to
crop failure leading to malnutrition and water
problems such as flooding and drought.
 The effects of global warming and climate change
also include the following:
Land Pollution
 About 30 percent of the world’s surface is

land, which provides soil to grow the food we
eat.
 Increasingly, humans are polluting the land
with nuclear waste, solid waste, and
pesticides.
 In 2011, 1,287 hazardous waste sites (also
called Superfund sites) were on the National
Priority List.
Land Pollution
 About 30 percent of the world’s surface is

land, which provides soil to grow the food we
eat.
 Increasingly, humans are polluting the land
with nuclear waste, solid waste, and
pesticides.
 In 2011, 1,287 hazardous waste sites (also
called Superfund sites) were on the National
Priority List.
Land Pollution
 Nuclear Waste: Nuclear waste, resulting from

both nuclear weapons production and nuclear
reactors or power plants, contains radioactive
plutonium, a substance linked to cancer and
genetic defects.
 Radioactive plutonium has a half-life of 24,000
years, meaning that it takes 24,000 years for
the radioactivity to be reduced by half.
Land Pollution
 Solid Waste: In 1960, each U.S. citizen generated 2.7
pounds of garbage on average every day.
 This figure increased to 3.7 pounds in 1980, and to
4.3 pounds in 2009.

 This figure does not include mining, agricultural, and
industrial waste; demolition and construction wastes;

junked autos; or obsolete equipment wastes.
 Just over half of this waste is dumped in landfills; the
rest is recycled or composted.

 E-waste: Discarded electrical appliances and
electronic equipment.
Land Pollution
What Do You Think?
Water Pollution
 Our water is being polluted by a number of harmful
substances, including pesticides, vehicle exhaust, acid
rain, oil spills, sewage, and industrial, military, and
agricultural.
 In the United States, one indicator of water pollution is
the thousands of fish advisories issued by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that warn
against the consumption of certain fish caught in local
waters because of contamination with pollutants such as
mercury and dioxin waste.
Water Pollution
 Water pollution also affects the health and survival of fish
and other marine life. In the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in
the Chesapeake Bay and Lake Erie, there are areas
known as “dead zones” that—due to pollution runoff from
agricultural uses of fertilizer—have oxygen levels so low
they cannot support life.
 In recent years, there has been increasing public concern
about the effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”—a
process used in natural gas production that involves
injecting at high pressure a mixture of water, sand, and
chemicals into deep underground wells to break apart
shale rock and release gas.
Chemicals, Carcinogens, and Health Problems
 About 3 million tons of toxic chemicals are released into

the environment each year.
 Chemicals in the environment enter our bodies via the
food and water we consume, the air we breathe, and the
substances with which we come in contact.
 The 12th Report on Carcinogens lists 240 chemical
substances that are “known to be human carcinogens”
or “reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens,”
meaning that they are linked to cancer.
What Do You Think?
 Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), also

known as environmental illness, is a condition
whereby individuals experience adverse
reactions when exposed to low levels of
chemicals found in everyday substances
(vehicle exhaust, fresh paint, housecleaning
products, perfume and other fragrances,
synthetic building materials, and numerous
other petrochemical-based products).
Many personal care products contain chemicals with known

or suspected adverse health effects.
Threats to Biodiversity
 There are an estimated 8.7 million species of

life on earth (some scientists believe the
number is much higher), 1.3 million of which
have been named and catalogued.
 This enormous diversity of life, known as
biodiversity, provides food, medicines, fibers,
and fuel; purifies air and freshwater; pollinates
crops and vegetation; and makes soils fertile.
Light Pollution
 Light pollution refers to artificial lighting that

is annoying, unnecessary, and/or harmful to
life forms on earth.
 The United States, like much of the rest of the
world, has become increasingly “lit up” with
artificial light.
 Almost all people in developed societies use
artificial light, reducing the natural period of
darkness at night.
Social Causes of Environmental Problems
Population Growth
 The world’s population is growing; in 2011

world population reached the 7 billion mark.
 Population growth places increased demands
on natural resources and results in increased
waste.
Industrialization and Economic Development
 Many of the environmental problems confronting

the world are associated with industrialization
and economic development.
 Industrialized countries, for example, consume
more energy and natural resources and
contribute more pollution to the environment than
poor countries.
 The relationship between level of economic
development and environmental pollution is
curvilinear rather than linear.
Industrialization and Economic Development
Cultural Values and Attitudes
 Cultural values and attitudes that

contribute to environmental problems
include
 Individualism
 Consumerism
 Militarism
Strategies for Action: Responding to
Environmental Activism
What Do You Think?
 Religious Environmentalism: From a religious perspective,
environmental degradation can be viewed as sacrilegious,
sinful, and an offense against God.
 Radical Environmentalism: The radical environmental
movement is a grassroots movement of individuals and
groups that employs unconventional and often illegal means
of protecting wildlife or the environment. Radical
environmentalists believe in what is known as deep ecology:
the view that maintaining the earth’s natural systems should
take precedence over human needs, that nature has a value
independent of human existence, and that humans have no
right to dominate the earth and its living inhabitants.
 Ecoterrorism is defined as any crime
intended to protect wildlife or the environment
that is violent, puts life at risk, or results in
damages of $10,000 or more (Denson 2000).
 Many environmentalists question whether
“terrorist” is an appropriate label and argue
that the real terrorists are corporations that
plunder the earth.
What Do You Think?
 The Role of Corporations in the
Environmental Movement:
 Corporations are major contributors to
environmental problems and often fight against
environmental efforts that threaten their profits.
 Rather than hope that industry voluntarily
engages in eco-friendly practices, corporate
attorney Robert Hinkley suggested that corporate
law be changed to mandate socially responsible
behavior.
Environmental Education
 One goal of environmental organizations and
activists is to educate the public about
environmental issues and the seriousness of
 Being informed about environmental issues is
important because people who have higher
levels of environmental knowledge tend to
engage in higher levels of pro-environment
behavior.
“Green” Energy
 Increasing the use of green energy; energy
that is renewable and nonpolluting—can help
alleviate environmental problems associated
with fossil fuels. Also known as clean energy,
green energy sources include solar power,
wind power, biofuel, and hydrogen.
“Green” Energy
What Do You Think?
“Green” Energy
 Solar and Wind Energy: Solar power
involves converting sunlight to electricity
through the use of photovoltaic cells. More
than half of solar photovoltaic cells are
installed in Germany; the United States has
only 6 percent.
 Biofuel: Biofuels are fuels derived from
agricultural crops. Two types of biofuels are
ethanol and biodiesel.
Government Policies, Programs, and Regulations
Modifications in Consumer Behavior
 Small, fuel-efficient car like this one

are common in Europe where, as a
result of high gasoline taxes, gas
costs up to $6 a gallon.
Modifications in Consumer Behavior
Green Building
The Adam Joseph Lewis
Center for Environmental
Studies, on the Oberlin
College campus, is among
the most environmentally
friendly buildings in the
world. The building resulted
from the vision of David
Orr, professor of
environmental studies at
Oberlin.
Government Policies, Programs, and Regulations
 Cap and Trade Program
 Policies and Regulations on Energy
 Taxes
 Fuel Efficiency Standards
 Policies on Chemical Safety
 International Cooperation and Assistance

 Sustainable Economic Development
 The Role of Institutions of Higher Learning
 Understanding Environmental Problems
Understanding Environmental Problems

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NATIONAL SERVICE

“The world will no longer be divided by the ideologies

 Two aspects of globalization that have affected

 Environmental problems such as climate change

 Structural functionalism focuses on how

 By 2020, an estimated 50 million people

 The structural-functionalist perspective raises

lobbying—nearly eight times what pro-environmental

 Ecosystems are the complex and dynamic

life on earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

certain chemicals, particularly chlorofluorocarbons

levels of ultraviolet rays to reach the earth’s surface

 About 30 percent of the world’s surface is

 About 30 percent of the world’s surface is

 Nuclear Waste: Nuclear waste, resulting from

4.3 pounds in 2009.

industrial waste; demolition and construction wastes;

rest is recycled or composted.

 About 3 million tons of toxic chemicals are released into

 Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), also

Many personal care products contain chemicals with known

 There are an estimated 8.7 million species of

 Light pollution refers to artificial lighting that

 The world’s population is growing; in 2011

 Many of the environmental problems confronting

 Cultural values and attitudes that

 Small, fuel-efficient car like this one

 International Cooperation and Assistance

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