GLCb2020
Environmental
threats and
security
Contemporary
environmental threats
April 11, 2024
Miriam Matejova, PhD
Agenda
• Pollution
• Overconsumption
• Waste
What is killing us?
Type of pollution Deaths (2010)
1. Household air pollution (smoke) 3,546,399
2. Outdoor air pollution (particulate
matter)
3,223,540
3. Led poisoning 674,038
4. Water/sanitation pollution 337,476
5. Ozone 152,434
6. Residential radon exposure 98,992
Source: Lim et al. (2012)
Source: Statista(2019)
“Risk society”
• Ulrich Beck (1992)
• People who live in risk
society accept pollution
and disasters as a
necessary part of life.
• “Insecurity” is becoming
an everyday part of life.
Overconsumption
• Material footprint: “the total amount of raw
materials extracted to meet final consumption
demands”
– Indicator of the pressure put on the environment due to
economic growth and satisfaction of people’s material
needs
Obsolescence and consumption
• Technological obsolescence
– Due to technological innovation
• Psychological or dynamic obsolescence
– A change in the product style as a way to
manipulate consumers
• Planned obsolescence
– Limit the durability of
products to stimulate
repeat consumption
The story of
bottled water
https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=Se12y9hSOM0&ab_cha
nnel=TheStoryofStuffProject
The problem with waste (cont.)
• Average person consumes five grams of plastic every
week—mostly from water.
• About 95% of the tap water in the USA is
contaminated.
• Microplastics are also found in beer, salt, shellfish,
and other human foods.