14
eutrophication and acidification, including nitrogen oxide (NOx), ammonium plus
ammonia (NHx), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), complements the cocktail of pollutants.
The effects on ecosystems range from damage to forests and lakes with acidification; habitat disturbance due to nutrient enrichment; algal blooms caused by nutrient enrichment; neurological and endocrine disorders in pesticide species, steroid
estrogens, and industrial chemicals such as PCBs; and neurological and endocrine
disorder in species (Ellis 2011).
Maintaining biodiversity globally is essential for humans. Biodiversity loss ultimately has far-reaching consequences for humans through impacts on ecosystem
services. Large-scale processing and drying of natural systems increase carbon
emissions into the air while reducing carbon and water holding capacity. Increased
leakage rates, combined with increased rainfall as a result of climate change, are a
dangerous cocktail experienced by a growing number of people in the form of
severe flooding (Ellis 2011).
Biodiversity also affects well-being by providing opportunities for recreation
and beautiful scenery, a relationship that is increasingly recognized in urban design
and spatial planning. Perhaps less obvious but equally important is the relationship
between patterns of distribution of species and habitats and vector-borne diseases.
Invasive non-native species in this regard may pose a threat. Their spreading capacity and the potential to become invasive increase with the globalization of trade,
combined with climate change and the increasing vulnerability of agricultural
monocultures (Ellis 2011).
1.2.3 Natural Resources and Waste
The overall impact of resource use globally continues to grow. The world relies
heavily on natural resources to guide its economic development. There are growing
concerns about the sustainability of these models, especially the implications for the
use and overuse of natural resources. The assessment of natural resources and waste
in this chapter complements the assessment of biotic natural resources in the previous chapter by focusing on material and often non-renewable resources, as well as
water resources. A look at natural resources in terms of life cycle reveals several
environmental problems related to production and consumption and combines
resource use and waste generation. Resource utilization and waste generation are
specific impacts on the environment, but the two issues share many of the same drivers – largely related to how and where we produce and consume goods and how we
use natural capital to sustain patterns of economic development and consumption.
Waste management continues to shift from waste to recycling and prevention.
Every society with a history of rapid industrial development and consumption faces
the issue of sustainable waste management, and this issue continues to raise significant concerns; worldwide, it is determined to reduce waste generation, but it fails.
Trends in those data streams for which data are available indicate the need to reduce
waste generation in absolute terms to reduce further environmental impacts.
B. Balabanova
eutrophication and acidification, including nitrogen oxide (NOx), ammonium plus
ammonia (NHx), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), complements the cocktail of pollutants.
The effects on ecosystems range from damage to forests and lakes with acidification; habitat disturbance due to nutrient enrichment; algal blooms caused by nutrient enrichment; neurological and endocrine disorders in pesticide species, steroid
estrogens, and industrial chemicals such as PCBs; and neurological and endocrine
disorder in species (Ellis 2011).
Maintaining biodiversity globally is essential for humans. Biodiversity loss ultimately has far-reaching consequences for humans through impacts on ecosystem
services. Large-scale processing and drying of natural systems increase carbon
emissions into the air while reducing carbon and water holding capacity. Increased
leakage rates, combined with increased rainfall as a result of climate change, are a
dangerous cocktail experienced by a growing number of people in the form of
severe flooding (Ellis 2011).
Biodiversity also affects well-being by providing opportunities for recreation
and beautiful scenery, a relationship that is increasingly recognized in urban design
and spatial planning. Perhaps less obvious but equally important is the relationship
between patterns of distribution of species and habitats and vector-borne diseases.
Invasive non-native species in this regard may pose a threat. Their spreading capacity and the potential to become invasive increase with the globalization of trade,
combined with climate change and the increasing vulnerability of agricultural
monocultures (Ellis 2011).
1.2.3 Natural Resources and Waste
The overall impact of resource use globally continues to grow. The world relies
heavily on natural resources to guide its economic development. There are growing
concerns about the sustainability of these models, especially the implications for the
use and overuse of natural resources. The assessment of natural resources and waste
in this chapter complements the assessment of biotic natural resources in the previous chapter by focusing on material and often non-renewable resources, as well as
water resources. A look at natural resources in terms of life cycle reveals several
environmental problems related to production and consumption and combines
resource use and waste generation. Resource utilization and waste generation are
specific impacts on the environment, but the two issues share many of the same drivers – largely related to how and where we produce and consume goods and how we
use natural capital to sustain patterns of economic development and consumption.
Waste management continues to shift from waste to recycling and prevention.
Every society with a history of rapid industrial development and consumption faces
the issue of sustainable waste management, and this issue continues to raise significant concerns; worldwide, it is determined to reduce waste generation, but it fails.
Trends in those data streams for which data are available indicate the need to reduce
waste generation in absolute terms to reduce further environmental impacts.
B. Balabanova