Human Impact on the Environment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zPcR7wgh0c

Types of Resources Renewable: replaced by natural processes Ex: plants/crops, water

Types of Resources Nonrenewable: only available in limited amounts Ex: Metals, minerals, topsoil, fossil fuels Fossil fuels Coal

Types of Pollution Pollution: contamination of soil, water, air Industrialization- a major source of pollution.

Types of Pollution Air Pollution: Primary cause is burning of fossil fuels for electricity Other contributors- cars, heating homes, planes Particulates-solid particles of soot Smog-smoke, gases, fog

Air Pollution Acid rain- Sulfur oxides and water mix to form sulfuric acid that falls to earth and lowers pH of streams/lakes, leaches nutrients from the soil pH < 5.6 is considered acidic

Air Pollution Greenhouse effect- Increased Carbon Dioxide: from increased burning of fossil fuel

Air Pollution Increased Carbon dioxide gases trapped in the atmosphere leads to a rise in temperature in the atmosphere called global warming. How to reduce carbon dioxide output- burn less fossil fuels plant trees to absorb excess carbon dioxide

Air Pollution Ozone layer- prevents lethal doses of UV radiation from reaching earth Thinning of ozone caused by release of CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) into the atmosphere.

Types of Pollution Water Pollution: Contaminants from sewers, industry, homes, farms Pollutants trickle down into ground water; More efforts being made to correct these problems

Water Pollution Types Point pollution- from a single source and easily identifiable Example- factories

Water Pollution Non-point pollution- from many sources and not easily identifiable Example- homes, lawns, highways, pesticides, fertilizers

Three R’s of conservation

Plant and animal life http://www. youtube. com/watch Biodiversity- the variety of life in an area Most diverse areas of the world are tropical rainforests

Biodiversity is being lost due to human actions like deforestation, overhunting, overfishing, introducing a species

How do we negatively impact biodiversity? Biodiversity is being lost due to human actions like: Deforestation: clearing of trees for open land space loss of animal habitat and niches Overhunting/overfishing interrupt predator prey relationships by influencing population dynamics Introduced Species: when we introduce a new species that does not have a natural predator overpopulation of that new species occurs. May take over other organisms niche, habitat, food resource

Importance of biodiversity Many relationships are yet to be discovered Loss of species may have consequences for others living things (ex- food chains and food webs are disrupted)

Plant and Animal life Biomagnification – as pollutants move up a food chain, their concentration increases

Results of Biomagnification As the pollutant or toxin is taken into an organisms body it enter its cells As higher order organisms obtain energy from lower order organisms, the pollutant/toxin is passed on and magnified due to the organisms usually increasing in size moving up a food chain/web. Results in overall magnification of the toxin through the chain or web

The Gulf Oil Spill Disaster http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/disaster-in-the-gulf-the-oil-spill-environmental-impact.html Human Impact http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thuViaxRd_w&feature=related