Environmental and Social Degradation 3/27/ 08 4:30 PM

Environmental destruction, due to over consumption, resource extraction and pollution, impacts not only the natural biota in an ecosystem but also the humans who live there. Humans are an integral living component in their ecosystems. They also create non-living or abiotic structures and influences that create waves of impact. These impacts can be positive or negative and be demonstrated across short and long time spans.

The cycle of overuse and environmental destruction is not new to the human race. We have seen many historic civilizations overpopulate and consume until the resources were depleted, water and air polluted, shelters destroyed and space reduced to the point that disease was able to run rampant.

Social justice and education play important roles as activists try to reverse environmental impacts. Many powerful countries do not blink twice about ravaging resources in poor third world countries. The individuals and governments in the impoverished regions do not always know the value of their holdings and sign over mineral or water rights to their own demise.


Illustration from Global Policy Forum on Environmental Degradation and Hunger. The man in the picture is kneeling in a field affected by drought, over-harvesting and soil depletion. The land is on its way to desertification. http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/environment/index.htm



Photo from online article October 2, 2007. Chertoff blames immigrants, not border wall, for environmental degradation.
http://ofamerica.wordpress.com/2007/10/page/2/

Teaching with these resources

Teachers can approach these resources from many perspectives.

Impacts on local economies in areas where the misuse is occurring is perhaps the most obvious.

Other direction include investigations into laws and treaties that lead many industries take their businesses and materials extraction to countries where there is little public advocacy.

Discussions about the NIMBY phenomena (Not In My Back Yard)

PA Social Studies standards that may be addressed through these activities include:

Civics and Government:
5.4 How International Relationships Function

Environment and Ecology:

4.3 Environmental Health
4.4 Agriculture and Society
4.8 Humans and The environment
4.9 Environmental Laws and their Impact

Economics:
6.2 Markets and the Functions of Governments
6.2 Scarcity and Choice
6.4 Economic Interdependence

Geography:
7.2 The Physical Characteristics of Places and Regions
7.4 The Human Characteristics of Places and Region

History:
8.1 Historic Analysis and Skills Development
8.3 US History
8.4 World History

Additional Resources:
http://web.utk.edu/~merogge/POV/mrperu.html

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/pcs/thresh/thresh1.htm

Environmental Degradation and Social Integration. UNRISD Briefing Paper No. 3. World Summit For Social Development. November 1994 http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=10&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unrisd.org%2Funrisd%2Fwebsite%2Fdocument.nsf%2Fd2a23ad2d50cb2a280256eb300385855%2F52b8b9ca2197847380256b65004c9cc9%2F%24FILE%2Fbp3.pdf&ei=0aQUSOT2FafqefOulJ0C&usg=AFQjCNFXxyPcR6D2YQifbUsDKuIvEV0L2w&sig2=_41ywf_BaOQhOKUaIJ9e3w