Consequences of Global Environmental Changes

Consequences of Global Environmental Changes

·        ­ Population:

o  Main driver of global changes

o  Carrying capacity of the world around 10 – 15 billion, currently 6 billion

o  Compounded by unequal distribution of resources: 20% have 80% of the resources

o  Technological change will only affect the 20% with resources Þ little impact on carrying capacity

o  Demographic transition: As countries shift from „3^rd world‟ to „1^st world‟ their pattern of disease shifts from infectious diseases with high infant mortality to degenerative diseases ® The 80% will have ­­ resource requirements following this transition 

·        Global warming (due to ozone depletion, ­CO2, etc)

o  ­ Vector born disease 

o  Thermal expansion of oceans (melting ice caps comes later) + more frequent storms ® flood low lying areas 

·        Resource depletion:

o  Wood, fossil fuels, food 

o  Sources ® resources used by people ® sinks. If transfer is too fast, sources and sinks can‟t keep up 

·        Deforestation/desertification as a result of resource use and climate change

·        War:

o  Due to competition for resources 

o  Leads to all extremes of environmental health (death in combat, poor health, refugees, socio-economic effects) 

·        Trans-boundary population shifts (eg refugees)