Sustainability and the Environment

As you have seen from yesterday’s reading (Introduction to Sustainability), the environment, society and economics are intertwined. In the second, third, and fourth readings we will focus on each of these areas. Today’s readings primarily focus on the Environment. Human consumption of natural (particularly nonrenewable) resources and the concomitant production of waste (pollution) is a central issue of sustainability and how it relates to the environment.
a) overview of environmental issues: Please read the INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1. A Planet Under Stress by Lester R. Brown, Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble (W.W. Norton & Co., NY: 2003). http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB/PBch1_intro.htm
b) ecological footprint: To get an idea of how your lifestyle affects the environment, please calculate your ecological footprint at http://www.myfootprint.org/