GEO 702 Lecture Notes - Ecosystem Management, Adaptive Management, Garrett Hardin
Document Summary
Both resources and environment are function of technology. Constructive: technology has denied or forestalled the original malthusian vision of population growth outrunning food production, with technology, the problem of typhoid in many regions of the world have been solved. Destructive: economic, technological and scientific development are accompanied by ever larger risks for the environment, pollution: degradation of the environment as a result of some type of contamination. Acute- release of highly toxic substances over a long period of time. e. g. sars/h1n1. Chronic- slow discharge of less toxic substances over a long period of time. Sometimes the impact will not be felt for years. e. g growth of algae (water becomes depleted of oxygen fish die) Persistent- pollutants that remain in the environment for a long time. e. g chernobyl. Excess disruption of resources. e. g global warming, excessive logging. Carrying capacity: the number of people or biological units that the earth can support.
