APES Unit I: Sustainability Chapter 1-Studying the State of Our Earth

FRQ #1 1Q=10 points 40points total for FRQ= 40% of AP grade P29 #2. The study of environmental science sometimes involves examining the overuse of environmental resources. (a) Identify one general effect of overuse of an environmental resource. (3 points) Possible answers could include cutting down trees, which leads to massive erosion. Other answers could be loss of soil, which caused food production to decrease and overuse of needed water resources.

(b) For the effect you listed above, describe a more sustainable strategy for resource utilization. (3 points) Possible answers could include any of the sustainable development ideas from page 12. For example, practices such as conserving and finding alternatives to nonrenewable resources as well as protecting the capacity of the environment to continue to supply renewable resources. Recycling and reuse are other possible answers with a suitable discussion of the strategy.

(c) Describe how past events from Easter Island can indicate environmental issues on Earth today. (4 points) Answers can include a discussion of how environmental scientists believe that there are limits to the supply of clean air and water, nutritious foods, and other life-sustaining resources our environment provides. They also feel there is a point at which Earth will no longer be able to maintain a stable climate.

Motivation Monday If you don't know the struggle, you don't know the strength. If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. The more you challenge yourself, the smarter you become!

Objectives Define the field of environmental science and discuss its importance Identify ways in which humans have altered and continue to alter our environment Describe key environmental indicators that help us evaluate the health of our planet Define sustainability and explain how it can be measured using the ecological footprint Explain how the scientific method is used to study environmental problems Describe some of the unique challenges and limitations of environmental science.

I. Studying the environment Environmental Studies: Human activities can affect environment in complex and unexpected ways Environmental science can be controversial Findings are not always as clear cut as they appear to be http://www.npr.org/2014/05/06/309101579/drought-stricken-texas-town-turns-to-toilets-for-water

Environmental Indicators Ecosystem Services: Benefits we receive from the environment (ecosystem) Environmental Indicators: describes or gives insight into current state of the environment; used to track state of environment (land, water, air) Sustainability: living in such a way that resource use does not deprive future generations of that resource; finding alternatives and protecting capacity of environment to continue to supply resources; the capacity to endure Stewardship: responsible use and protection of the natural environment. Ecosystem Services: nutrient cycling, food, fresh water, aesthetic, spiritual, recreational, energy, sequester carbon Environmental Indicators: rising sea levels, loss of pollinating honeybees, increased rates of asthma Stewarship: Cleaning up a beach, giving money to the nature conservancy, working to d

Page 8 in Text Environmental indicators help us describe the current state of an environmental system.

What is Biodiversity? Quantity and variety of life forms. 3 Levels: genetic, species, ecosystem.

Genetic Diversity A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population. Populations with high genetic diversity are better able to respond to environmental change than populations with lower genetic diversity.

Species Diversity The number of species in a region or in a particular type of habitat. Species- a group of organisms that is distinct form other groups in form, behavior or biochemical properties. Individuals in a species can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Ecosystem Diversity A measure of the diversity of ecosystems or habitats that exist in a particular region.

Background Extinction rate The average number of species going extinct over a long period of time. Some scientists estimate more than 10,000 species are currently going extinct each year…this is 5000 times the background rate. Cause: habitat destruction and degradation. Carrier pigeon

Three principles of sustainability Biodiversity Chemical cycling Reliance on solar energy 1) Reliance on solar energy: warms the planet, provides energy for photosynthesis, powers indirect forms of solar energy such as wind and flowing water. 2) Biodiversity: variety of organisms, natural systems in which they exist and interact, the services these organisms provide, and the ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. 3) Chemical cycling: circulation of chemicals from environment-organism-environment

Resources Defined by how quickly we can use them up or how well nature can replenish them after we use them. Perpetual: Supply continuous; cannot be depleted on a human time scale. Solar Potentially renewable: takes several days to several hundred years to be replenished through natural processes. Soil, forests, freshwater, fish populations, fresh air. Highest rate at which they can be used is sustainable yield. Non-Renewable: Exist in a fixed quantity in earth’s crust; exhaustible. Geologic processes create these resources on a time scale of millions to billions of years. Fossil fuels, metallic mineral resources, non-metallic mineral resources.  

Figure 1.14 Connections: simplified model of how three factors—number of people, affluence, and technology—affect the environmental impact of the population in developing countries (top) and developed countries (bottom). Fig. 1-14, p. 20

II. Measuring Human Impact on the Environment Ecological Footprint: amount of biologically productive land and water needed to provide the people in a particular country or area with an indefinite supply of renewable resources and to absorb and recycle wastes and pollution associated with resource use. I = P x A x T Impact = population x Affluence x technological impact In most less-developed countries key factors are population and degradation of resources In more-developed countries it is over consumption

Tragedy of the Commons: Overexploiting Shared Renewable Resources Private property: individuals or companies own rights to land, minerals or other resources Common property: rights to certain resources are held by large groups or individuals Open-access renewable resources: owned by no one and available for use by anyone at little or no charge. Garrett Hardin 1968 outlined the misuse of open-access resources- tragedy of the commons Solutions: 1) use resource at a rate well below sustainable yield or 2) convert to private ownership

Living in an Exponential Age

Linear Vs. Exponential Growth Linear-Quantity increases by a constant amount per unit of time. Ex. 1,2,3,4,5 Exponential-Quantity increases by a fixed percent of whole in a given time-increase is proportional to what is already there.

Doubling time and the Rule of 70. To find doubling time of a quantity growing at a given annual percentage rate, divide percentage into 70. Examples: $100 invested at a rate of 5% = doubling time 70/ 5% = 20 year double time Population of 1 million growing at a rate of 3% = ___ DT 70/ 3% = 23.3 To get annual growth rate, divide 70 by doubling time Oil consumption doubles every 50 years = rate of growth 70/50=1.4% $100 @ 7% = 10 year double time 1 million @ 3% = 23.3 10/50-1.4%

Percent Change Percent Change-increase or decrease-can be calculated using the following formula: Change in Quantity X 100% Original Quantity Example: You consumed 800 gallons of gas in 2014 and 1200 gallons in 2015. What is the percent increase in your gasoline consumption? If gasoline is $3.00/gallon how much more did you spend on gas? Example: A deer population goes from 1000-3000- what is the percent change? 800-1200= 400/800=.5 X 100=50% 400gal($3/gal) = $1200 1000-3000=2000/1000=2X 100=200%

Scientific Notation and Dimensional Analysis The study of Environmental Science involves analysis of data, and making conclusions about environmental impact based on calculations with that data. You will NOT be allowed to use calculators on unit problems, tests, or the national exam and should practice using scientific notation and utilizing dimensional analysis to convert units. Example: Your car gets 20 mpg and you drive 40,000 miles. How many gallons of gas have you burned? 4 x 104 miles 1 gallon = 4 x 104 = 2 x 103 gallons 2.0 x 101 miles 2 x 101 OR 2000 gallons 4 X 104 miles (1 gal/2.0 101miles) = 4 X 104/2 X 101=2X103=2000 gallons

Understanding Metric Conversion Area Conversions Several FRQ’s from the past have had students calculate the number of acres and/or hectares of land needed to feed or grow a certain crop. multiply by this number to covert to the following: Acres 0.4047 Hectares Hectares 2.47 Acres

Understanding Metric Conversion, Cont. Length Conversions multiply by this number to covert to the following: Feet 0.3048 Meters Meters 3.2808 Feet Kilometers 0.62 Miles Miles 1.609347 Kilometers

International System of measurement International System of measurement. Scientists refer to this system as SI, because they felt that the world needed a common means of measurement. This has made things much easier for worldwide communication. convert all metric units by moving the decimal to the left or to the right Two Rules for the International System No fractions are involved with the metric system (SI). No Naked Numbers! DON’T just write down a number like 56.8 . I don’t know if that means mm, cm, m, or km. *ALWAYS use units (labels).

King Henry Died Unfortunately Drinking Chocolate Milk Kilo Hecto Deca Unit Deci Centi Milli

Convert 56.8 m to millimeters Hint- Move the decimal from the U (unit or meter) three spaces to the right (millimeter) 56.8 m ------------------------56,800 mm Convert 4,885 cm to kilometers Hint- Move the decimal from the cm (centimeter) five spaces to the left (kilometer). 4,885 cm --------------------0.04885 km

Mass (weight) Conversions

Temperature Conversions

III. The Scientific Method Experimental Design: Experimental Group, Control Group, Variables, Sample Size, Repeated Trials Null Hypothesis: a statement or idea that can be falsified, or proven wrong Inductive Reasoning: making general statements from specific facts or examples. Deductive Reasoning: applying a general statement to specific facts or situations