HUMAN IMPACT on the BIOSPHERE Chapter...
Transcript of HUMAN IMPACT on the BIOSPHERE Chapter...
HUMAN IMPACT on the
BIOSPHEREpart 4
Charting a course for the Future
http://www.claybennett.com/pages2/mistletoe.html
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
ACID RAIN
http://www.acmecompany.com/stock_thumbnails/13808.greenhouse_effect_2.jpg
OZONE DEPLETION
DEAD ZONES
GLOBAL WARMING
WASTE
DEAD ZONES
When an ecosystem receives a LARGE input
of limiting nutrient (ie., fertilizer runoff) the
population increases dramatically = ___________
REMEMBER !
ALGAL BLOOM
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone
http://www.ncat.org/nutrients/hypoxia/hypoxia.html
The DEADZONE forms each April, generally grows
throughout the summer, reaching a peak in late July.
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone
At its peak, the nearly lifeless water can span
5,000 to 8,000-plus square miles, an area almost
the size of New Jersey
http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html
DEAD ZONES
How do we HELP?
•Use modern technology and
“green” farming methods to:
•Decrease agricultural fertilizer use
• Decrease runoff of agricultural waste
Our atmosphere between
20-50 km contains
high concentrations
of ____________
which protect us from
the sun’s harmful
______________ radiation.
OZONE LAYER
ultra-violet
http://pubweb.bnl.gov/users/xujun/www/bnl/ozone_layer_1.gif
OZONE (O3)
http://www.planetguide.net/book/chapter_5/ozone_layer.html
EFFECTS OF UV RADIATION
Click here to see a movie
about the effects of UV radiation
WMV, 618K
__________________________________
________________________ of skin
__________________________________
Reduces ________________
Disrupts __________________ in oceans
Skin cancer
Cataracts/blindness
Premature aging
crop yield
food chains
WHAT WE KNOW
Scientists have been
monitoring the ____________
of ozone in our atmosphere
and have discovered
a hole in the ozone layer
over ____________.
depletion
Antarctica
http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/facts/hole.html
Click here to see a movie
about the ozone hole
WMV, 616K
The annual ozone "hole“ over Antarctica has
occurred during the Antarctic Spring (October)
since the early 1980s.
Rather than being an actual hole
through the layer, the ozone
hole is a large area
with extremely
low amounts of ozone.
Ozone levels fall by over
60% during the worst years.
http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/facts/hole.html
Ozone depletion is a global issue NOT
just a problem at the South Pole.
Research has shown that ozone depletion
also occurs over North America, Europe,
Asia, and much of Africa, Australia, and
South America.
Over the U.S., ozone levels have fallen 5-10%, depending on the season.
http://home.casema.nl/daveduijn/globe2.gif
What’s the cause of
Ozone Depletion?Chlorofluorocarbon
molecules _______
released from
air conditioners,
aerosol spray cans,
fire extinguishers,
and industry
destroy ozone
http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/part3.html
(CFC’s)
HOW DO WE HELP?
1987- the _______________________
committed signing nations (including USA) to
a ____________ in the use of CFCs and other
ozone-depleting substances.
CFC production was _________ after 1995 in
the developed countries, and later in
developing countries. Today, over 180
countries have ratified the treaty.
OZONE DEPLETION
MONTREAL PROTOCOL
REDUCTION
banned
_____________spray cans
no longer contain
CFC propellants.
Gases in ___________________
and _____________ are collected
and recycled.
THAT’S WHY . . .AEROSOL
AIR CONDITIONERS
http://www.roundrocktexas.gov/images/spray_cans_large.jpg
refrigerators
Emissions to Atmosphere
Nitrogen oxides
Sulfur dioxide
Chemical Transformation
Nitric acid
Sulfuric acid
Precipitation
Acid rain, fog,
snow, and mist
Dry Fallout
Condensation
particulates, gases
Industry Transportation Ore smelting Power generation
ACID RAIN
What’s the cause?________________________BURNING FOSSIL FUELS
Releases _______________ and ________________
into the atmosphere that react with water to
produce ACID RAIN.
Sulfur oxidesNitrogen oxides
http://www.robl.w1.com/Pix/C900991.jpghttp://www.geocities.com/kamil_pollutionpage/AcidRain.htm
http://www.scienceacross.org/media/samplingforacidrainNOAAedSAW.jpg
http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/scripts99/9905/img/asthma.jpg
ACID RAIN EFFECTS
• damages buildings and statues
• damages forests
• kills fish
• reduces biodiversity
• causes illness & premature death from heart & lung disorders like asthma and bronchitis
HOW DO WE HELP?Develop a National energy policy that emphasizes
use of alternative renewable energy sources
Cut down on activities that use fossil fuels
conserve electricity
drive less
Drive automobiles with increased fuel efficiency
OR run on alternative fuels
ACID RAIN
Recycle
(uses less energy than starting from scratch)
GREENHOUSE EFFECTTemperatures of Earth remain within a range
______________ because the _____________
acts as a natural _________________ blanket.
atmosphere
http://wwwstatic.bayareawritingproject.org/images/bawp41/earthAtmosphereIMG.gif
suitable for life
insulating
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Atmospheric gases such as
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
NORMALLY trap heat
energy from the sun
like a greenhouse
= _____________________
Carbon dioxide (CO2 )
http://www.acmecompany.com/stock_thumbnails/13808.greenhouse_effect_2.jpg
Greenhouse effect
methane
water vaporCFC’s
GLOBAL WARMING- Is it real?
Some people say that the Earth has
cycles of warmer/cooler climate change
and that this is just part of that cycle.
Most scientists believe that the increase in
global temperatures is the result of human
activities that have increased the amount of
CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere
In 2007 in Paris a U.N.- backed panel of international scientists issued a major announcement on climate change stating that:
1. "warming of the climate system is unequivocal“
2. There is a 90% probability the cause “man- made”.
Either way… our planet is getting warmer!
Global mean surface temperatures have increased
0.5-1.0°F since the late 19th century.
The 20th century's ten warmest years have
occurred in the last 15 years of this century.
FACTS WE KNOW
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/8/87/280px-Instrumental_Temperature_Record.png
The snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and
floating ice in the Arctic Ocean have decreased.
FACTS WE KNOW
Graph & glacier pix: http://nsidc.org/sotc/glacier_balance.html
polar bears: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=35720&in_page_id=34
FACTS WE KNOW
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have
increased steadily.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Major_greenhouse_gas_trends.png
WHAT’S the CAUSE?
• Burning solid waste, fossil fuels
(oil, natural gas, and coal), wood and wood products
• Production and transport of fossil fuels
•Decomposition of organic wastes in landfills
• Animal sources (methane)
•Deforestation
(trees remove CO2 from atmosphere)
GLOBAL WARMING
What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Coastal flooding
Cartoon from Brookings Register
http://healthandenergy.com/images/global2.gif
What’s so bad about warming up a little?
http://zfacts.com/metaPage/lib/Atlantic_conveyor.jpg
Changes in
Gulf Stream
http://www.claybennett.com/pages/ocean_temps.html
What’s so bad about warming up a little?
More severe stormshttp://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/WEATHER/08/25/tropical.storm/story.katrina.915p.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina
What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Weather
extremes
Brookings Register
http://www.cactus-art.biz/note-book/Dictionary/aaa_Dictionary_pictures/drought.jpg
Heat waves and drought
What’s so bad about warming up a little?
Changing habitats
means
loss of species
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=35720&in_page_id=34
What’s the Kyoto Accord got to
do with it?
The Kyoto Accord is an agreement, aimed at
reducing global warming that asks
participants to __________ their
________________ emissions to a
percentage of their 1990
emission levels _____________.
REDUCE
GREENHOUSE GAS
by 2012
PROBLEMS WITH the KYOTO
ACCORD
ALL countries not required to reduce emissions equally7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for Russia,
Developing nations don’t have to reduce emissions at allIndia and China, which have ratified the protocol,
are not required to reduce carbon emissions under
the present agreement despite their relatively large populations.
Developed nations (like USA) can meet required reductions by
purchasing emission reductions from elsewhere and funding
developing countries for climate related studies, projects, and
technology
What is a CARBON FOOTPRINT?
A ____________________ =
the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas)
emissions caused directly and indirectly by
an individual, organization, event or product
CARBON FOOTPRINT
http://www.gifanimations.com/animation/MenuSelection/1/56
http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
The US is no longer the #1 CO2 emitter
http://www.chrismadden.co.uk/eco/china-carbon-footprint.html
but . . . we contribute to the problem.
Even if you don’t “believe” in
global warming . . .
Even if countries can’t agree
on emission levels …
we should still work to reduce our emissions
of global warming gases BECAUSE . . .
http://matadornetwork.cachefly.net/bravenewtraveler.com/docs//wp-content/images/posts/20080418-planet.jpg
THINGS WE DO TO “FIX GLOBAL WARMING”
make sense anyway!
http://www.inkcinct.com.au/Web/CARTOONS/2005/2005-379C--last-fossil-fuel.gif
Fossil fuels are a limited resource…
eventually they will be gone!
THINGS WE DO TO “FIX GLOBAL WARMING”
make sense anyway! http://healthandenergy.com/global_warming_cartoons.htm
Our supply of fossil fuels is dependent on
countries that are not “friendly” to the U.S.
THINGS WE DO TO “FIX GLOBAL WARMING”
make sense anyway!
Brookings Register
Drilling and transporting fossil fuels has negative
environmental consequences
THINGS WE DO TO “FIX GLOBAL WARMING”
make sense anyway!
Innovation and alternative energy technologies for automobiles and power generation are good for our economy
Images from: http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/R/Renewable_energy.asp
WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR TRASH?
According to the
Environmental Protection Agency,
the average American produces
about 4.4 pounds of garbage a day.
That adds up to a approximately
220 million tons of garbage each
year for all of us.
This only takes into consideration
the average household member
and does not count industrial waste
or commercial trash. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/stau0156/architecture/garbage%20can.jpg
PICTURE THIS:
It would bury more than 990,000 football
fields under six-foot high piles of waste..
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-garbage-does-a-person-create-in-one-year.htm
http://wchs.warren.k12.in.us/athletics/Pictures/FOOTBALL%20STADIUM%20&%20PRESSBOX_gif.jpg
. . . and that’s just the United States!
TRASH KILLS
http://lh4.ggpht.com/abramsv/SBAxRydox-I/AAAAAAAAPOs/IWuOgznte9Q/fish_story_003.jpg
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Sea-Plastic-LN-PG5oct05.htm
http://saveourshores.org/files/md/Distorted-Turtle.jpg
It has been estimated that over
a million sea-birds and 100,000
marine mammals and sea turtles
are killed each year by ingestion
of plastics or entanglement.
http://lowcarbonhome.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/plastic-garbageii.jpg
PLASTIC IS MADE FROM FOSSIL FUELS!
PLASTIC IS FOREVER!
We Can’t Just Keep Piling it up in
Landfills
We have to:
_____________
_____________
_____________
REDUCE,
REUSE,
RECYCLE
Plastic recycling video