Unit 1: Environmental Issues Mr. Ross Brown Brooklyn School for Law and Technology

How do we use Earth Science in our everyday lives? 8 September 2017 Do now: Base your answers to these questions on the map below and on your knowledge of earth science. The map shows the partial storm track of a hurricane and the hurricane watch area where it is predicted to reach land. Numbers 1 through 4 show positions of the hurricane on four different days at 12 noon Why was a hurricane watch posted for the coastal areas shown? to tell people where the hurricane started to encourage residents to travel to the watch area to warn people of life-threatening conditions to alert residents of climate changes

How do we use Earth Science in our everyday lives? 8 September 2017 Do now: Base your answers to these questions on the map below and on your knowledge of earth science. The map shows the partial storm track of a hurricane and the hurricane watch area where it is predicted to reach land. Numbers 1 through 4 show positions of the hurricane on four different days at 12 noon In which compass direction did the hurricane travel from day 1 to day 4? northwest northeast southwest southeast

Aim: What are the many areas of Earth Science? 11 Sept 2017 Do now:

Aim: What are the many areas of Earth Science? 11 Sept 2017 Do now:

Aim: What are the many areas of Earth Science? 11 Sept 2017 Exit:

Why do we study Environmental Science? 12 Sept 2017 Do now: What is your environment? What components make up your environment? Make a list of 10 things in your immediate environment.

Why do we study Environmental Science? Environment: the sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life. Environmental Science: field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature.

Why do we study Environmental Science? Ecosystem: a particular location on Earth with interacting components that include biotic (living) or abiotic (nonliving) components. Environmentalism: a social movement seeking to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education. This is different than environmental science.

Why do we study Environmental Science?

Why do we study Environmental Science? Environmental Studies: includes environmental science AND economics, environmental policy, ethics, literature, etc.

Aim: In what ways does technological change impact human lives? 13 Sept 2017 Do now: List everything you ate for breakfast today or dinner last night. For each item or ingredient, how and where and by whom was it all produced/ grown/ manufactured?

Neolithic & Industrial Revolutions

Aim: In what ways does technological change impact human lives? Please read and annotate the article you received. On the back, jot down some of the pros and cons of either the Neolithic or Industrial Revolution. Be prepared to share some of your thoughts with the class.

Aim: In what ways does technological change impact human lives? 13 Sept 2017 Exit – Briefly write on one of these topics: I wish I were a hunter-gatherer because….or; I am glad there was a Neolithic Revolution because….or; I wish I was alive before the Industrial Revolution because….or; I am thankful I live today, in a post-industrial society, because……

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? 14 Sept 2017 Do now:

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Los Angeles in 1880… ….and 2009

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment?

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Natural environments have ecosystem services, processes that produce life-supporting resources Clean water Timber Fisheries Agricultural crops

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Environmental indicators: describe the current state of an environmental system Biological diversity Food production Average global surface temperature & CO2 levels Human population Resource depletion

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment?

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Biodiversity exists on three levels Ecosystem Species Genetic

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Genetic diversity – variation within a population Higher diversity means better able to respond to environmental change

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? 15 Sept 2017 Do now: The environment provides resources, such as clean water, habitats for fisheries and wild game, timber, and pollination of food crops. Additionally, the environment is responsible for cycling nutrients, moderating weather, cleaning water, and much more. These benefits are referred to as: Natural goods Provisioning services Regulating services Ecosystem services Support services

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Species – a group of organisms distinct from other groups based on morphology (body form and structure,) behavior, or biochemical properties. Species diversity – number of species in a region or habitat Higher diversity means more productive and resilient

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment?

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment?

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Not all extinction is our fault Background extinction rate – rate at which species go extinct over long terms. Speciation – evolution of new species

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment?

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Ecosystem diversity – how diverse are the habitats in a particular region?

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Food production, the ability to grow food to nourish the human population We measure this per person, or per capita (capita = head, like cabeza!)

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? 18 Sept 2017 Do now: Common global-scale environmental indicators include all of the following except: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations Human population Natural resource depletion Ocean fish harvest Pollution in a local stream

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Average Global Surface Temperature and Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ) Concentrations Diversity and food production rely on stable climate Regulated by our atmosphere

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Greenhouse Gases: atmospheric gases that trap heat near Earth’s surface CO2 H20v (water vapor) CH4 (methane)

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Scientists believe the increase in greenhouse gases has anthropogenic causes Cause by humans!

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Human Population – size as indicator Currently about ___________________ Every 24 hours, _________ infants are born…. ….but only ___________ people die ~ 8.1 and 9.6 BB by 2050 Can the Earth support all these people? Finite resources! 7.2 Billion 387,000 155,000

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Resource depletion: the absolute quantities diminish Some are finite and can’t be reused Coal, oil, uranium Some are finite but can be reused Aluminum, copper Some are renewable, but require time Timber

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? Rate of resource consumption is a function of rate of development Development: improvement in human-well being through economic advancement.

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? 19 Sept 2017 Do now: How does fish and meat consumption in developed and developing nations compare? Developing countries consume slightly more meat and fish per capita Developed countries consume slightly more meat and fish per capita Developed and developing countries consume about the same amount of meat and fish per capita Developing countries consume about four times more meat and fish per capita Developed countries consume about four time more meat and fish per capita

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? How quickly are we using the resources? Do the math! Estimates of amount of forest clearing worldwide Est #1: 1 acre/ second Est #2: 80,000 acres/ day Est #3: 32,000 hectares/ day Convert the first 2 estimates to hectares per year and compare The significant figures of a number are digits that carry meaning contributing to its measurement resolution.  1 hectare = 100 meters2 2.47 acres per hectare (think sig fig) 0.40 hectares per acre

Aim: How can we measure impact of humans on the environment? The Cats of Borneo – Place these events in order

THE DAY THEY PARACHUTED CATS IN BORNEO (Operation Cat Drop) In the early 1950’s the Dayak people in Borneo suffered from malaria. The World Health Organization had a solution: they sprayed large amounts of DDT to kill off mosquitoes which carried the malaria. The mosquitoes died and the malaria declined. But there were some unforeseen side-effects. Among the first was that the roofs of people’s houses began to fall down on their heads. It seemed that the DDT was also killing a parasitic wasp which had previously controlled thatch-eating caterpillars. Also, while the DDT killed mosquitoes, others insects, such as roaches, merely stored DDT in their bodies. The roaches were eaten by lizards which also inhabited Borneo. Instead of killing the lizards the DDT only slowed them down. This made it easier for cats to catch the lizards, one of their favorite foods. The lizards eventually disappeared and the cats died from eating the poisoned lizards. Rats moved in because there were no cats to control their population. Rats brought in plague and typhus which threatened the human population. With no way to bring the rats under control the World Health Organization sent out emergency calls for cats. An air drop was organized that parachuted 14,000 live cats into Borneo in an attempt to solve the problems created by the original actions of WHO.

Aim: What is Sustainability? 25 Sept 2017 Do now: Which of the following events has increased the impact of humans on the environment? I. advances in technology II. reduced human population growth III. use of tools for hunting I only I and II only II and III only I and III only I, II, and III

Aim: What is Sustainability? Review: what did we say were the five key environmental indicators? Biological diversity Food production Average global surface temperature & CO2 levels Human population Resource depletion We use this information to guide us toward sustainability, living on Earth in a way that allows us to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources.

Aim: What is Sustainability? Perpetual resources: we won’t run out (Sun) Renewable resources: we can generate more of them (timber) We must not deplete faster than they can regenerate Unrenewable: limited, & then gone. (Oil, gas) We must use sparingly Environmental systems must not be damaged beyond ability to recover

Aim: What is Sustainability? Sustainable development: balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations. Easter Island

Aim: What is Sustainability? Sustainability and consumption What do we need? How much? Basic needs Complex needs Biophilia: love of life. Humans love life, so we protect it. Parks, preserves, etc Ecological footprint: a measure of how much a person consumes, in terms of the area of land required to support that person’s lifestyle

Aim: What is Sustainability?

Who decides how to best manage resources? 27 Sept 2017 Do now: Please take your seats quickly. We have a lot to do with today’s activity and we need every minute of our time.

Who decides how to best manage resources?

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? 2 Oct 2017 Do now: In science, which of the following is the most certain? Hypothesis Idea Natural law Observation Theory

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? Science is a process Scientific method Objectivity!

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? Observation Think about what you observed  Hypothesis Testable conjecture Relationships Sometimes, easier to prove there’s no relationship Null Hypothesis: predict that there’s no relationship

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? Collect data Replication: take measurements several times Sample size (n): number of times replicated Testing, control group

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? Accuracy vs. Precision Accuracy: how close to the true value Precision: how close to each other repeated measures are Uncertainty: estimate of degree to which measured or calculated value differs from actual

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation?

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? Interpret results Inductive reasoning: make general statements from specific facts Deductive reasoning: Apply general statement to specific facts Most scientists maintain multiple working theories, just in case…..

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? Disseminating results Share with other scientists Publish (or perish) A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by numerous people becomes a theory

Aim: How do we undertake scientific investigation? Challenges to research in environmental science No baseline data (no control group) Can’t compare our Earth to anything else! Subjectivity: personal values Interactions/ observer bias Human well-being

Aim: How will we take measurements in AP Environmental Science? International System of Units (SI): the modern form of the metric system (base 10) and the most widely used system of measurement. It is built on seven (7) base units and has 20 prefixes for multiples and fractions.