Environmental Issues 1. Biodiversity

Biodiversity The number and variety of living things in an environment What is it? The number and variety of living things in an environment Biodiversity is GOOD More biodiversity  stronger ecosystems

Biodiversity

Biodiversity Why do we care? When biodiversity is not preserved, animals become threatened, endangered or extinct New medicines, foods, and products (e.g. rain forest, coral reefs)

Biodiversity Pass laws to protect habitats and endangered species Solutions Pass laws to protect habitats and endangered species

Environmental Issues 2. Overpopulation

Overpopulation Skyrocketing world population in the last 150 years What is it? Skyrocketing world population in the last 150 years Due to industrial revolution, advances in medicine, food, and technology

Overpopulation Identified when a species cannot obtain food, water, or other resources that it needs

Overpopulation Population cannot grow indefinitely (carrying capacity) Why do we care? Population cannot grow indefinitely (carrying capacity) Larger population  more pollution, scarcity of resources

Overpopulation Solutions Education Fight poverty

Environmental Issues 3. Acid Rain

Acid Rain Precipitation becomes acidic due to air pollution What is it? Precipitation becomes acidic due to air pollution Burning fossil fuels (emissions from high sulfur coal) Sulfur dissolves and mixes with oxygen to become acidic

Acid Rain What is it?

Acid Rain Destroys crops and plant life Can affect drinking water Why do we care? Destroys crops and plant life Can affect drinking water Kills off stream ecosystems Acidity breaks down carbonate on tombstones and statues

Acid Rain Burn less high sulfur coal Develop alternative energies Solutions Burn less high sulfur coal Develop alternative energies

Natural Resource Depletion Environmental Issues Natural Resource Depletion

Natural Resource Depletion What is it? Useful materials extracted from the earth (metals, minerals, trees, fuel) Fossil fuels are nonrenewable Do not replenish themselves

Natural Resource Depletion Why do we care? We rely on natural resources to heat/cool/light our homes, fuel cars, cook foods, etc. We will eventually run out of fossil fuels (will affect us in our lifetime)

Natural Resource Depletion Solutions Conservation—preservation and wise use of natural resources New technology (e.g. hydrogen fuel cell; hybrid/electric cars) Use renewable energy resources: Solar, wind, hydroelectric Nuclear Biomass Geothermal

Alternative Energy Solar

Alternative Energy Nuclear

Alternative Energy Biomass

Alternative Energy Hydro-electric

Alternative Energy Wind

Alternative Energy Geothermal

Electric Cars MSRP $28,980 Nissan Leaf

Biodiesel Click here to read more about Veggie-mobiles.

5. Habitat Loss (Deforestation) Environmental Issues 5. Habitat Loss (Deforestation)

Habitat Loss (Deforestation) What is it? Natural environments destroyed due to agriculture, excessive logging, forest fires, industrial and residential development Forests, wetlands, and marine environments

Habitat Loss (Deforestation) Why do we care? Loss of biodiversity Greatest cause of extinction Trees act as filters for excess CO2 in the air; less trees  more CO2 Not sustainable in the long term

1985 These NASA photographs, showing the destruction of the Amazon Rain Forest, provide a visual indication of the rate of deforestation that is taking place in Brazil, which has been especially hard hit by deforestation. In many areas, the amount of clear-cut area now exceeds the area of remaining rain forest. The solid dark green areas show the remaining tropical rain forest canopy. Scientists predict that half of the Amazon Rain Forest will be gone by 2030. 1992

GoogleMaps: Amazon See these light patches all over? Click the map above to see Amazon deforestation on GoogleMaps.

Other Effects of Deforestation How much carbon is stored in the forests of the world? What happens as these areas become cleared? http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/earth20110531_prt.htm

Habitat Loss (Deforestation) Solutions Conserve natural areas Designate more lands for national/state parks Sustainable agriculture

Environmental Issues 6. Pollution

Pollution Harmful substances discharged into the air, soil, or water What is it? Harmful substances discharged into the air, soil, or water e.g. garbage, chemicals, radioactive waste, carbon monoxide, noise, thermal, light, sewage, pesticides, fertilizers

Thermal Pollution Changes dissolved oxygen levels Affects marine life

Pollution Why do we care? Pollution destroys environments, kills species, spreads disease, causes cancer; reproductive and respiratory problems in humans and animals Air pollution is the main cause of global warming

Pollution Solutions Properly dispose of polluting substances (e.g. batteries, electronics, printer cartridges, motor oil, etc.) Reduce, reuse and recycle

7. Global Warming (Climate Change) Environmental Issues 7. Global Warming (Climate Change)

Global Warming (Climate Change) What is it? Rise in the average global temperatures caused by increased deforestation, burning fossils fuels, increased CO2 emissions. Greenhouse gases trap and re- emit heat radiation (infrared) back to earth.

The Greenhouse Effect 1) Since the atmosphere is clear, light energy from the sun travels directly to the Earth’s surface. 2) Some of the heat is bounced back into space. 3) Much of the heat is trapped by greenhouse gases and bounces back to Earth again.

Greenhouse Gases CO2 CH4 N2O CFCs Greenhouse gas Human Activity Fossil fuels; Burning anything; Power plants; Deforestation Carbon dioxide CH4 Fossil fuels; farming (cows); landfills; sewage; decomposition Methane N2O Fertilizers; Factories Nitrous oxide Chemical coolants (refrigerators, A/C); Foam materials; Aerosol spray cans CFCs Halocarbons

Global Warming (Climate Change) Temperature over last 1,000 years Is this an average temperature fluctuation?

The “Cold” Hard Facts Major findings of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2001) The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by 31% since 1750. The current CO2 concentration is at the highest level in the last 420,000 years. Atmospheric CO2 is increasing at a faster rate today than at any time over the past 20,000 years. The current concentration of methane (CH4) is at its highest level in the last 420,000 years.

Global Warming (Climate Change) Why do we care? Global climate change: temperatures rise; polar ice caps melt; sea levels rise; flooding of coastal areas occurs Food shortages, more hurricanes

Evidence of Global Climate Change Melting Alpine Glaciers Muir Glacier: Glacier National Park, Alaska 1941 2004 Coral Bleaching Before After

Global Warming (Climate Change) Solutions Reduce the amounts of pollution caused by burning fossils fuels including coal, oil, and natural gases. Alternative energy More efficient gas mileage; less emissions

Environmental Issues 9. Ozone Depletion

Ozone Depletion Ozone layer absorbs 97% to 99% of ultraviolet light from the sun This protects us from ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun by absorbing the UV rays before they reach Earth. 79% nitrogen 20% oxygen 1% other gases Ozone Layer

Ozone Depletion What is it? Holes in the protective ozone layer allows ultraviolet light to reach earth CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) from air conditioners and industrial coolants & products

Ozone Depletion Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)  Chemicals once used in aerosol cans, plastics, and refrigerators that are now mostly banned. CFCs break up the ozone layer. The major problem: After a chlorine (Cl) atom removes an oxygen molecule from O3 it is able to separate from the lone oxygen atom and combine with another O3 molecule, so the process continues over and over and over again.

Ozone Depletion

Ozone Depletion What is it?

Chemical break-down of ozone Ozone Depletion; Chemical break-down of ozone

Chemical break-down of ozone Ozone Depletion; Chemical break-down of ozone After breaking down an ozone molecule, the chlorine atom frees itself from the oxygen atom to restart the reaction.

Effects of Ozone Depletion Without the ozone layer larger amounts of UV rays can reach the earth and potentially cause cancer in humans, damage eye-sight, and affect crop growth. UV induces skin cancer by causing mutations in DNA. The United Nations Environment Program estimates that a sustained 1 percent depletion of ozone will ultimately lead to a 2-3 percent increase in the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer.

Effects of Ozone Depletion UV radiation impairs photosynthesis in plants. Marine organisms living in shallow water experience damaging levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A healthy green sea urchin embryo appears above left. A UV-irradiated green sea urchin embryo (above right) displays an abnormal, extruded gut. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation can change the flowering times of some kinds of plants and therefore will affect the animals that depend on them.

Ozone Depletion The good news is that most halocarbons (including CFCs) have been banned and can no longer damage the ozone layer

Ozone Depletion Radiation causes cancer in humans and other animals Why do we care? Radiation causes cancer in humans and other animals Also causes cataracts (eye disease) Negative effects on marine and plant life

Ozone Depletion Ban CFCs (Montreal Protocol—1987) Solutions Ban CFCs (Montreal Protocol—1987) Develop alternatives to CFCs Education