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Human Impact on the Environment. Population Growth. More construction Natural areas become homes, businesses, and crop land Pollution More people = more garbage and waste. Climate change. Persistent differences in weather and temperature patterns More floods or droughts
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Population Growth • More construction • Natural areas become homes, businesses, and crop land • Pollution • More people = more garbage and waste
Climate change • Persistent differences in weather and temperature patterns • More floods or droughts • Released CO2 and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activities • Greenhouse Gas= Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere • Includes CO2and Methane (CH4) • Where does a significant amount of Methane come from?
Deforestation • Using trees (a Carbon sink) for fuel, products, or construction releases Carbon into the atmosphere • Trees normally use Carbon and take it out of the atmosphere
Invasive Species • Any non native species that causes harm to the environment around it • plants take over areas and do not allow native plants to grow • Why do they thrive on this new environment? (Think of evolutionary pressures…)
Oil Spills • 2010 BP • Many organisms were impacted • Shore birds • Marine organisms • Plants • Oil spreads rather quickly and there is still some in the Gulf of Mexico • Does oil diffuse through the water? • Many methods to try and break down or soak up the oil