1. Environmental Issues

2. What is an Issue?

3. An issue is an idea of a problem or question on which people have different viewpoints

4. What do you think are important issues with the environment? Please write down the top three issues you think are affecting the environment. Think of possible solutions for these problems.

5. What Issues do you think are the most important?

6. Types of Environmental Issues As the human population grows, so does the human affect on the environment

7. Resource Use Renewable resources are naturally replaced in a relatively short time.

8. Resource Use Renewable Resources Include 1)Sunlight 2)Wind 3)Trees

9. Resource Use

10. Resource Use Renewable Resources

11. Resource Use Nonrenewable Resources are natural resources that are not replaced

12. Resource Use Nonrenewable Resources include: 1)Coal 2)Oil NonRewable Resources

13. Resources It is important to remember that nonrenewable resources exist in a limited supply

14. Environmental Pollution A pollutant is something that is put into the air, water, or soil that makes it dirty or unfit for living things. Many substances become pollutants when the natural systems cannot break them down, or they are toxic (poisonous). A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer.

15. Some commonly known carcinogens include asbestos, radon, certain pesticides, arsenic, and tobacco smoke.asbestosradonarsenic

16. Pollution Any change on the environment that has a negative effect on living things is called pollution

17. Water Pollution Interferes with our ability to obtain pure water for drinking, washing, recreation, and industry. Pollutants: heat (thermal pollution), pesticides, sewage, heavy metals, chemicals such as phosphates (from washing detergents and PCB’s (from industrial wastes). –Phosphates and Nitrates are eaten by lake algae causing rapid growth known as algal bloom. The algae die and decompose, using up all the oxygen. Other aquatic organisms suffocate and die from lack of oxygen.

18. Pollution Pollution is a major issues because it is often the result of an activity that benefits humans. Humans and Environment

19. Air Pollution Interferes with our ability to obtain clean air for breathing. Produces residues that are destructive to our buildings and machines. Pollutants: Smoke, ash, soot, organic vapors, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.

20. Air Pollution Too much carbon dioxide in the air causes warming known as the “greenhouse effect”. Sulfur and nitrogen oxides combine with water vapor to create acid rain. Acid rain is harmful to organisms that live in lakes and forests. Smog forms when smoke, gas, and fog are warmed by sunlight.

21. Soil Pollution Interferes with our ability to obtain water from wells, reduces our enjoyment of recreational areas, and may kill soil decomposers important in the cycling of materials. Pollutants: organic and inorganic chemicals, solid wastes and pesticides.

22. Human Population How many people can the Earth sustain? How big will the world population get? Human Population Clock

23. Human Population Growth Unlike naturally occurring species, human population growth is not stable Medical knowledge and education has decreased the death rate from disease. Many ecosystems are unable to produce enough food and starvation results. In other ecosystems, food production has been increased by scientific discoveries and technologies.

24. Human Population Growth

25. Approaches to Environmental Issues Dealing with environmental issues means making choices. What is an example of a local choice about an environmental issue?