Instructor Manual: G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 2027, 9798214448527;
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
Instructor Manual
G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 21E,
2027, 9798214448527; Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................1
Cengage Supplements....................................................................................................2
Chapter Objectives........................................................................................................2
Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments.................................................3
Teaching Tips................................................................................................................3
Large Lecture Courses............................................................................................................................... 3
Small Lecture Courses............................................................................................................................... 3
Key Terms.....................................................................................................................4
What’s New in This Chapter........................................................................................6
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................6
Term Paper Research Topics.....................................................................................12
Additional Discussion Questions................................................................................13
Additional Activities and Assignments.......................................................................15
Attitudes and Values...................................................................................................16
Chapter Review...........................................................................................................17
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce environmental science as an interdisciplinary study of Earth’s
life-support systems and establish sustainability as the central organizing principle for understanding
human-environment interactions. The chapter examines three scientific principles of sustainability
derived from nature’s 3.8-billion-year success story: solar energy utilization, chemical cycling, and
biodiversity maintenance. Students explore how human activities impact natural capital through
ecological footprints and resource consumption patterns while investigating major environmental
problems including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The chapter analyzes root causes of
environmental degradation, such as population growth, unsustainable resource use, and market failures
that exclude environmental costs. Through biomimicry examples and case studies, learners discover how
nature’s strategies can guide sustainable solutions. The content emphasizes developing environmental
literacy and critical thinking skills necessary for creating environmentally sustainable societies that
protect natural capital while meeting human needs equitably across generations.
[return to top]
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 1
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 2027, 9798214448527;
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
CENGAGE SUPPLEMENTS
The following product-level supplements provide additional information that may help you in preparing
your course. They are available in the Instructor Resource Center.
Transition Guide (provides information about what’s new from edition to edition)
Educator’s Guide (describes assets in the platform with a detailed breakdown of activities by
chapter with seat time)
PowerPoint (provides text-based lectures and presentations)
Test Bank (contains assessment questions and problems)
Accelerated Course Syllabus (provides guidance on the recommended delivery of course
materials given a 5-week, 8-week, 12-week, and 16-week course)
MindTap User Guide (provides information on how to navigate and use MindTap)
[return to top]
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
1.1 Define sustainability.
1.1A Outline the three scientific principles of sustainability.
1.1B Explain how biomimicry can be used to learn from the Earth about how to live more sustainably.
1.1C Explain how our lives and economies depend on the sun and on natural capital.
1.1D List five key components of sustainability.
1.1E Identify six principles of sustainability.
1.2 State the definition of the term “biomimicry” as coined by Janine Benyus.
1.2A Explain the tragedy of the commons in terms of open-access and shared resources.
1.2B Define ecological footprint and per capita ecological footprint.
1.2C Explain how a country’s ecological deficit is related to its biocapacity.
1.2D List the three major cultural changes that have influenced the human ecological footprint.
1.3A Describe exponential growth in terms of human population growth.
1.3B Explain how affluence can cause environmental problems.
1.3C Give three examples of hidden harmful environmental and health costs.
1.3D List three effects of the nature deficit disorder.
1.3E List the three major categories of environmental worldviews.
1.3F List six biomimicry principles identified by people working in the field of biomimicry.
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 2
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 2027, 9798214448527;
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
1.4A Explain why an environmentally sustainable society protects natural capital.
1.4B List six requirements for living more sustainably.
COMPLETE LIST OF CHAPTER ACTIVITIES AND
ASSESSMENTS
The following table organizes activities and assessments by objective, so that you can see how all this
content relates to objectives and make decisions about which content you would like to emphasize in your
class based on your objectives. For additional guidance, refer to the Teaching Online Guide.
Chapter Source (i.e., PPT Slide,
Objective Activity/Assessment Workbook) Duration
1.1 Discussion Activity 1 PPT Slides 5–6 30 min
1.1 Knowledge Check 1 PPT Slides 18–19 15 min
1.2 Discussion Activity 2 PPT Slides 29–30 30 min
1.3 Knowledge Check 2 PPT Slides 42–43 15 min
1.4 Knowledge Check 3 PPT Slides 48–49 15 min
1.1–1.4 Self-Assessment PPT Slide 51 30 min
[return to top]
TEACHING TIPS
LARGE LECTURE COURSES
What are the greatest environmental problems facing the world today? List student responses on the
board, and ask them to suggest the consequences of these problems for them and their families. Then,
perform the same brainstorming activity by focusing on the local region only. Ask the students to suggest
reasons for any discrepancies between the two lists, such as local industries or activities. Use this exercise
as an opportunity to highlight the main themes that will be touched on during the rest of the course and
textbook, and to show students the ways in which environmental issues permeate their own lives.
SMALL LECTURE COURSES
Ask students to form small groups of three to six students each. Have each group rank what they perceive
to be the three greatest environmental crises facing their generation. For each, they should list the reasons
why that issue is so important. Then, have the groups place their original list on the board, and facilitate a
debate between groups over which issue is most pressing and why. Use this exercise to illustrate the
complexity of environmental issues, insofar as the public is generally not in agreement as to the cause,
severity, or potential solutions.
[return to top]
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 3
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 2027, 9798214448527;
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
KEY TERMS
Biocapacity or biological capacity: The ability of an area’s ecosystems to regenerate the renewable
resources used by a population, city, region, country, or the world, and to absorb the resulting waste and
pollution.
Biodiversity: The variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes.
Chemical cycling: The circulation of chemicals or nutrients needed to sustain life from the
environment (mostly from soil and water) through various organisms and back to the environment (also
called nutrient cycling).
Earth-centered environmental worldview: The belief that we are all a part of and dependent on
nature, and that the Earth’s natural capital exists for all species, not just for humans.
Ecological footprint: A rough measure of the total environmental impacts of individuals, cities, and
countries on the Earth’s natural resources, natural capital, and life-support system.
Ecology: The branch of biology that focuses on how living organisms interact with the living and
nonliving parts of their environment.
Ecosystem: A biological community of organisms within a defined area of land or volume of water that
interact with one another and their environment of nonliving matter and energy.
Ecosystem services: The natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life and human
economies at no monetary cost to us.
Environment: Everything around you, including all living things (such as plants and animals) and
nonliving things (such as air, water, and sunlight) with which you interact.
Environmental degradation: The process by which people waste, deplete, and degrade much of the
Earth’s life-sustaining natural capital (also called natural capital degradation).
Environmental ethics: What you believe about what is right and what is wrong in your behavior
toward the environment.
Environmental science: The study of life systems and connections in the natural environment.
Environmental worldview: Your set of assumptions and values concerning how the natural world
works and how you think you should interact with the environment.
Environmentalism or environmental activism: A social movement dedicated to protecting
Earth’s life and its resources.
Environmentally sustainable society: A society that protects natural capital and lives on its
income.
Exponential growth: Occurs when a quantity increases at a fixed percentage per unit of time.
Externalities: The unintended side effects of an economic activity.
Full-cost pricing: Pricing that includes harm to the environment and health costs of producing and
using goods and services.
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 4
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
Instructor Manual
G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 21E,
2027, 9798214448527; Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................1
Cengage Supplements....................................................................................................2
Chapter Objectives........................................................................................................2
Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments.................................................3
Teaching Tips................................................................................................................3
Large Lecture Courses............................................................................................................................... 3
Small Lecture Courses............................................................................................................................... 3
Key Terms.....................................................................................................................4
What’s New in This Chapter........................................................................................6
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................6
Term Paper Research Topics.....................................................................................12
Additional Discussion Questions................................................................................13
Additional Activities and Assignments.......................................................................15
Attitudes and Values...................................................................................................16
Chapter Review...........................................................................................................17
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce environmental science as an interdisciplinary study of Earth’s
life-support systems and establish sustainability as the central organizing principle for understanding
human-environment interactions. The chapter examines three scientific principles of sustainability
derived from nature’s 3.8-billion-year success story: solar energy utilization, chemical cycling, and
biodiversity maintenance. Students explore how human activities impact natural capital through
ecological footprints and resource consumption patterns while investigating major environmental
problems including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The chapter analyzes root causes of
environmental degradation, such as population growth, unsustainable resource use, and market failures
that exclude environmental costs. Through biomimicry examples and case studies, learners discover how
nature’s strategies can guide sustainable solutions. The content emphasizes developing environmental
literacy and critical thinking skills necessary for creating environmentally sustainable societies that
protect natural capital while meeting human needs equitably across generations.
[return to top]
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 1
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 2027, 9798214448527;
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
CENGAGE SUPPLEMENTS
The following product-level supplements provide additional information that may help you in preparing
your course. They are available in the Instructor Resource Center.
Transition Guide (provides information about what’s new from edition to edition)
Educator’s Guide (describes assets in the platform with a detailed breakdown of activities by
chapter with seat time)
PowerPoint (provides text-based lectures and presentations)
Test Bank (contains assessment questions and problems)
Accelerated Course Syllabus (provides guidance on the recommended delivery of course
materials given a 5-week, 8-week, 12-week, and 16-week course)
MindTap User Guide (provides information on how to navigate and use MindTap)
[return to top]
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
1.1 Define sustainability.
1.1A Outline the three scientific principles of sustainability.
1.1B Explain how biomimicry can be used to learn from the Earth about how to live more sustainably.
1.1C Explain how our lives and economies depend on the sun and on natural capital.
1.1D List five key components of sustainability.
1.1E Identify six principles of sustainability.
1.2 State the definition of the term “biomimicry” as coined by Janine Benyus.
1.2A Explain the tragedy of the commons in terms of open-access and shared resources.
1.2B Define ecological footprint and per capita ecological footprint.
1.2C Explain how a country’s ecological deficit is related to its biocapacity.
1.2D List the three major cultural changes that have influenced the human ecological footprint.
1.3A Describe exponential growth in terms of human population growth.
1.3B Explain how affluence can cause environmental problems.
1.3C Give three examples of hidden harmful environmental and health costs.
1.3D List three effects of the nature deficit disorder.
1.3E List the three major categories of environmental worldviews.
1.3F List six biomimicry principles identified by people working in the field of biomimicry.
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 2
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 2027, 9798214448527;
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
1.4A Explain why an environmentally sustainable society protects natural capital.
1.4B List six requirements for living more sustainably.
COMPLETE LIST OF CHAPTER ACTIVITIES AND
ASSESSMENTS
The following table organizes activities and assessments by objective, so that you can see how all this
content relates to objectives and make decisions about which content you would like to emphasize in your
class based on your objectives. For additional guidance, refer to the Teaching Online Guide.
Chapter Source (i.e., PPT Slide,
Objective Activity/Assessment Workbook) Duration
1.1 Discussion Activity 1 PPT Slides 5–6 30 min
1.1 Knowledge Check 1 PPT Slides 18–19 15 min
1.2 Discussion Activity 2 PPT Slides 29–30 30 min
1.3 Knowledge Check 2 PPT Slides 42–43 15 min
1.4 Knowledge Check 3 PPT Slides 48–49 15 min
1.1–1.4 Self-Assessment PPT Slide 51 30 min
[return to top]
TEACHING TIPS
LARGE LECTURE COURSES
What are the greatest environmental problems facing the world today? List student responses on the
board, and ask them to suggest the consequences of these problems for them and their families. Then,
perform the same brainstorming activity by focusing on the local region only. Ask the students to suggest
reasons for any discrepancies between the two lists, such as local industries or activities. Use this exercise
as an opportunity to highlight the main themes that will be touched on during the rest of the course and
textbook, and to show students the ways in which environmental issues permeate their own lives.
SMALL LECTURE COURSES
Ask students to form small groups of three to six students each. Have each group rank what they perceive
to be the three greatest environmental crises facing their generation. For each, they should list the reasons
why that issue is so important. Then, have the groups place their original list on the board, and facilitate a
debate between groups over which issue is most pressing and why. Use this exercise to illustrate the
complexity of environmental issues, insofar as the public is generally not in agreement as to the cause,
severity, or potential solutions.
[return to top]
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 3
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: G. Tyler Miller, Scott E. Spoolman, and Danielle M. Andrews-Brown, Living In The Environment, 2027, 9798214448527;
Chapter 1: The Environment and Sustainability
KEY TERMS
Biocapacity or biological capacity: The ability of an area’s ecosystems to regenerate the renewable
resources used by a population, city, region, country, or the world, and to absorb the resulting waste and
pollution.
Biodiversity: The variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes.
Chemical cycling: The circulation of chemicals or nutrients needed to sustain life from the
environment (mostly from soil and water) through various organisms and back to the environment (also
called nutrient cycling).
Earth-centered environmental worldview: The belief that we are all a part of and dependent on
nature, and that the Earth’s natural capital exists for all species, not just for humans.
Ecological footprint: A rough measure of the total environmental impacts of individuals, cities, and
countries on the Earth’s natural resources, natural capital, and life-support system.
Ecology: The branch of biology that focuses on how living organisms interact with the living and
nonliving parts of their environment.
Ecosystem: A biological community of organisms within a defined area of land or volume of water that
interact with one another and their environment of nonliving matter and energy.
Ecosystem services: The natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life and human
economies at no monetary cost to us.
Environment: Everything around you, including all living things (such as plants and animals) and
nonliving things (such as air, water, and sunlight) with which you interact.
Environmental degradation: The process by which people waste, deplete, and degrade much of the
Earth’s life-sustaining natural capital (also called natural capital degradation).
Environmental ethics: What you believe about what is right and what is wrong in your behavior
toward the environment.
Environmental science: The study of life systems and connections in the natural environment.
Environmental worldview: Your set of assumptions and values concerning how the natural world
works and how you think you should interact with the environment.
Environmentalism or environmental activism: A social movement dedicated to protecting
Earth’s life and its resources.
Environmentally sustainable society: A society that protects natural capital and lives on its
income.
Exponential growth: Occurs when a quantity increases at a fixed percentage per unit of time.
Externalities: The unintended side effects of an economic activity.
Full-cost pricing: Pricing that includes harm to the environment and health costs of producing and
using goods and services.
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a 4
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
