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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. CH.1 “our changing environment”. The big picture. Human population  Earth’s natural resources  pollution  in air, water, or soil and harms humans or other living organisms. How can humans impact the environment less?.

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

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  1. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CH.1 “our changing environment”

  2. The big picture • Human population  Earth’s natural resources  pollution  in air, water, or soil and harms humans or other living organisms. • How can humans impact the environment less?

  3. Env. Sci. is the study of the relationship between humans and the environment (both biotic and abiotic factors) • It is interdisciplinary - science (ecology, chemistry, agriculture) and social sciences (geography, populations, politics, economics, ethics) • Are there solutions to all environmental problems? • All solutions have consequences for someone/something/organism

  4. Types of environmental issues • List any 5 environmental issues that you can think of and identify if you think it is a global, regional, or local issue.

  5. Environmental solutions • No perfect – there’s a cost (may/maybe not financial) for everything • All about BALANCE and TRADE-OFFS: cost v. benefit • Examples – setting aside park reserves for animals by uprooting people, switching to wind/solar energy hurts the economic gain of oil companies, eggs of free-range chickens cost more money

  6. The Environment (Earth) • Life has existed on earth for 3.8 billion years • Earth well suited for life • Water covers ¾ of planet • Habitable temperature • Moderate sunlight • Atmosphere provides oxygen and carbon dioxide • Soil provides essential minerals for plants • But humans are altering the planet; not always in positive ways

  7. What is the significance? • 1999 – 6 billion • 1987 – 5 billion • 1975 – 4 billion • 1960 – 3 billion • 1930 – 2 billion • 1800 – 1 billion

  8. Human Impacts on Environment- Population • Earth’s Human Population is 7 billion • Growing exponentially • Increase will adversely affect living conditions in many areas of the world

  9. Population • Globally, 1 in 4 people lives in extreme poverty • Cannot meet basic need for food, clothing, shelter, health • Difficult to meet population needs without exploiting earth’s resources

  10. Gap Between Rich and Poor • Highly Developed Countries (HDC) • Complex industrialized bases, low population growth, high per capita incomes • Ex: US, Canada, Japan • Less Developed Countries (LDC) • Low level of industrialization, very high fertility rate, high infant mortality rate, low per capita income • Ex: Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia

  11. Types of Natural Resources

  12. Overpopulation • People overpopulation • Too many people in a given geographic area • Problem in many developing nations (like Nigeria and India) • Consumption overpopulation • Each individual in a population consumes too large a share of the resources • Problem in many highly developed nations (like US)

  13. What is the significance? • 1999 – 6 billion • 1987 – 5 billion • 1975 – 4 billion • 1960 – 3 billion • 1930 – 2 billion • 1800 – 1 billion

  14. Worth revisiting… • ¼ have no access to clean water/live in extreme poverty • Why does this matter? And what’s the solution? • Reduces life expectancy, increased illiteracy, insufficient access to health services, safe water and balanced nutrition. • Ecological problem - how to feed all these people without destroying ecosystems • Current birth rate – 3 per family • Solution = family planning

  15. Ecological Footprint • The average amount of land, water and ocean required to provide that person with all the resources they consume

  16. Ecological Footprint Comparison

  17. Affluence per person (consumption of resources) Environmental Impact I = P A T Environmental effect of technologies used to get/consume resources Number of people IPAT Model • Measures 3 factors that affect environmental impact (I)

  18. Environmental Sustainability • The ability to meet current human need for natural resources without compromising the needs of future generations • Requires understanding: • The effects of our actions on the earth • That earth’s resources are not infinite

  19. Sustainable Development • Economic development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising future generations

  20. Examples of human impact on the environment • Endocrine disrupters • Ex: many chlorine containing compounds (PCBs and dioxins), lead, mercury, DDT, phthalates • Overfishing • Closed Georges Bank fishery due to low fish #s • Results: lost jobs, more regulation (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery conservation and Management Act) • Declining Bird populations • Losing habitat, forest fragmentation (increases forest edge), nest parasitism (ex. Cowbirds) • Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone • To restore ecosystem and remove wolf from endangered species list, opposed by farmers/ranchers

  21. Introduction of Invasive species • Ex: ballast water, zebra mussels • Common traits: good food supply, no predators, high reproductive rates • Stratospheric Ozone depletion • CFCs (stable!) from cooling agent Freon in refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol propellants • Global Climate Warming/Increasing Carbon dioxide Levels • CO2 from burning fossil fuels and burning forests • Kyoto Protocol • Destroying Tropical Rain Forests • For agriculture and pasture • Ex: Amazon in Brazil • Destroys habitat for organisms (ex songbirds), erosion into local water, loss of filtration and water flow regulation, CO2

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